[B-Greek] Left order prominence and construction -- Acts 5.18

Iver Larsen iver_larsen at sil.org
Sat Dec 30 07:59:24 EST 2006


George,

What about checking LSJ and other Greek literature? The adjective DHMOSIOS is alive and kicking, and
the three other data in Acts are not sufficient to disregard the usage of the word as a simple
adjective
in 5:18, when the context demands an adjective.

But I am happy to see that you have understood the principle of word order placement in Greek well
enough to know that this principle would make your suggestion of it being an adverb in focal
position untenable.

Robertson's word pictures has "In public ward (EN DHMOSIAi THRHSEI). As in 4:3 only with DHMOSIAi
(public) added, in the public prison, perhaps not the "common" prison, but any prison is bad enough.
In verse 19 it is called "the prison" (THS FULAKHS), the guardhouse."

I am not sure what a "common" prison is in English, but he is probably hinting at the KJV and RSV
translations that say "common prison" . There are several different words for a prison or jail, and
THRHSIS is not a common word for jail, since it is rather generic meaning "keeping (place)". Or
should we say a "lockup" to get closer to the feel of the Greek word?. So, the only function of
DHMOSIAi is to clarify that this holding place is not just any lockup in the temple precincts, but
the "public prison" as Robertson calls it or the "city jail" which Carl says is better English. How
many jails were there in the city? If there was a contrast intended between a public lockup and
another kind of lockup, the word order should have been EN DHMOSIAi THRHSEI. The more common word
for a prison is FULAKH, but Luke and Matthew also use DESMWTHRION. In fact, the same jail in Acts
5:18 is being referred to by 3 different words.

Bruce says that "the temple authorities... had them locked up overnight." It was detention until
trial.

Iver

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "George F Somsel" <gfsomsel at yahoo.com>
To: "Iver Larsen" <iver_larsen at sil.org>; <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Friday, December 29, 2006 6:15 PM
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] Left order prominence and construction -- Acts 5.18


While, as someone on the list said earlier, I hesitate to criticise my betters, if it seems that
they are wrong, so be it.  .....

The question then becomes "What does this say regarding your theory of left-order prominence?"

george
gfsomsel
_________




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