[B-Greek] genitive of source

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Tue Dec 12 05:04:53 EST 2006


On Dec 12, 2006, at 2:38 AM, Oun Kwon wrote:

> I would call the following examples as "genitive of source". Is there
> such thing and appropriate in the examples?

Many, I think, would talk about a "genitive of source or origin."  
See, for instance, Wallace, GGBB, pp. 109ff. But he and others would  
see this as an Ablatival type of genitive, where the basic notion  
involved is "from." Wallace's succinct definition:
---------
2.  Genitive of Source (or Origin) [out of, derived from, dependent on]
	a.  Definition: The genitive substantive is the source from which  
the head noun derives or depends. This is a rare category in Koine  
Greek.
	b.  Key to Identification: For the word of supply the paraphrase out  
of, derived from, dependent on, or “sourced in.”
---------

So far as I can judge, all of the examples you cite are simply  
adnominal genitives, instances where a genitive substantive is  
dependent on another substantive. This is the genitive that Wallace  
and others tend to subdivide into umpteen subcategories that are  
based more, it seems to me, on how one converts them into a target  
language than upon any distinctive characteristics within the Greek  
text.


>
> Ex. #1 Lk 11:32
>
> ANDRES NINEUITAI ANASTHSONTAI
> EN TH KRISEI META THS GENEAS TAUTHS
> KAI KATAKRINOUSIN AUTHN
> hOTI METENOHSAN EIS TO KHRUGMA IWNA
> KAI IDOU PLEION IWNA WDE
>
> TO KHRUGMA IWNA (4th line) preaching of Jonah (- unambiguous 'of';
> subjective genitive).

Yes, this is ordinary "possessive": "Jonah's proclamation."

>
> Ex. #2  Phil 1:25
>
> KAI TOUTO PEPOIQWS OIDA
> hOTI MENW KAI PARAMENW PASIN hUMIN
> EIS THN hUMWN PROKOPHN KAI CARAN THS PISTEWS
>
> THS PISTEWS (last line):  Most has rendered it as 'in faith' - how so?
> It should be understood as 'from faith'.

But I think that's interpretation; this is still a basic adnominal  
genitive. Most, I think, would use the traditional categorization of  
"objective genitive" and say that PISTEWS indicates what would be the  
object of CARAN as a verb: "rejoicing directed at faith," but it  
could just as well be "subjective": "the joy that faith has" or  
"faith's joy" -- and it seems to me that's closer to the way you're  
understanding this.

>
> Ex. #3  Mt 26:13
>
> AMHN LEGW UMIN
> hOPOU EAN KHRUCQH TO EUAGGELION TOUTO
> EN hOLW TW KOSMW
> LALHQHSETAI KAI O EPOIHSEN hAUTH EIS MNHMOSUNON AUTHS
>
> MNHMOSUNON AUTHS (in the last line) - usually understood as memory of
> her; memorial to her (objective genitive) (remembering her).
>
> I believe the text is about and meant for 'remembrance of Jesus' not
> 'of her'. Her act should be 'source' of remembering..

I would disagree with your interpretation: if you take seriously what  
the context says: "She and what she did will be talked about"
Here AUTHS is the so-called "objective" genitive: SHE and her act are  
what is remembered. I'd convey EIS MNHMOSUNHN AUTHS either as "to  
remember her" or "in her memory."


Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad2 at mac.com
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/





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