[B-Greek] Is PALIN in Heb 1:6 ambiguous?
Kimmo Huovila
kimmo.huovila at helsinki.fi
Tue Dec 12 14:17:43 EST 2006
On Monday December 11 2006 23:05, Elizabeth Kline wrote:
>
> On Dec 11, 2006, at 4:45 AM, Kimmo Huovila wrote:
>
> > Heb. 1:6
> > hOTAN DE PALIN EISAGAGHi TON PRWTOTOKON EIS THN OIKOUMENEN, LEGEI;
> >
> > It seems that many commentators and translators consider that PALIN
> > in Heb 1:6
> > is ambiguous and could be used either to indicate that there is one
> > more
> > quotation to the series or to mark the coming specifically not the
> > first
> > coming. Is this supposed ambiguity real?
>
> Judging by the amount of discussion and disagreement this has
> generated in the more scholarly commentaries it seems reasonable to
> conclude that the ambiguity is real. If you have access to Henry
> Alford (Greek Testament) he shows how the ancient commentators lined
> up on this question.
I do not have easy access to a whole bulk of more scholarly commentaries, but
I did notice there is discussion and disagreement. But the discussions
presupposed that there is real ambiguity without offering any proof. That
made me wonder if that is one of those view that are widely believed, but
without good evidence.
>
>
> > The word order places PALIN within
> > the subordinate clause (hOTAN DE PALIN, not PALIN DE hOTAN). Does
> > this allow
> > PALIN to be taken as a sentence connector instead of an adverbial to
> > EISAGAGHi? Are there any parallels where PALIN refers to the whole
> > sentence,
> > but is placed within a subordinate clause?
>
> I wonder if it is a good idea to think of a discourse marker (or
> sentence connector) which is postponed as being within a clause?
Probably not, if indeed it is a postponed discourse marker.
> Clearly, the easy reading with regard to syntax is to link PALIN with
> EISAGAGHi but take a look the RSV rendering of Wisdom 14:1
>
> WIS. 14:1 PLOUN TIS PALIN STELLOMENOS KAI AGRIA MELLWN DIODEUEIN
> KUMATA TOU FERONTOS AUTON PLOIOU SAQROTERON XULON EPIBOATAI
>
> Wis. 14:1 ¶ Again, one preparing to sail and about to voyage over
> raging waves calls upon a piece of wood more fragile than the ship
> which carries him.
The Greek text in context is some evidence for a postpositive use. Thank you
for this example. It goes long ways toward substantiating the claim that the
ambiguity is real.
>
> Here PALIN precedes STELLOMENOS so why not: "preparing again to sail" ?
>
In context, I do not see the point of 'again', but I see the point in PALIN
introducing another example.
Thanks,
Kimmo Huovila
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