[B-Greek] John 5:29

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at ioa.com
Tue Jan 31 14:44:03 EST 2006


I don't think this is a matter of theological interpretation  
intruding on understanding of the grammar, but I do think it is a  
matter of interpretation of a construction that in itself is a  
grammatical rather than a semantic structure. I've complained about  
the multiplication of sub-categories of adnominal/adjectival  
genitives in Wallace's GGBB when they are all really comparable to  
English hyphenated nominal phrases: "life-resurrection" and  
"condemnation-resurrection." I'm amused that the reference work here  
cited puts it as it does: "some grammarians classify ..." (implying,  
I think, that others do not). I don't object to contextual  
interpretation of these genitive expressions, but in terms of form  
they are not different from "subjective genitives" and "objective  
genitives" and half a dozen other subcategories that "some  
grammarians" find useful primarily as an aid to translating Greek  
into English or some other target language.


On Jan 31, 2006, at 1:20 PM, Dony K. Donev wrote:

> Kenneth G. Wilson (1923-).  The Columbia Guide to Standard American  
> English.
> 1993.
> GENITIVE OF PURPOSE: Some grammarians classify certain descriptive  
> genitives
> as genitives of purpose. The inflected form (women's locker room,  
> boys'
> bicycles) is matched by a periphrastic form made usually with for  
> rather
> than the otherwise more frequent of (locker rooms for women,  
> bicycles for
> boys).
>
> Dony K. Donev
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Webb" <webb at selftest.net>
> To: <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 1:10 PM
> Subject: Re: [B-Greek] John 5:29
>
>
>> I think bringing the idea of "purpose" to the surface constitutes a
>> theological, rather than strictly grammatical, interpretation of the
>> genitives.
>> ANASTASIN ZWHS, KRISEWS
>> In _Idioms of the Greek New Testament_, Porter's first  
>> classification of
>> genetive uses is "quality, definition or description", which, he  
>> says,
>> "might well be considered the essential use of the genetive case".
>> Applying this to our texts results in "a resurrection of [i.e.
>> characterized
>> by] life", and "a resurrection of [i.e. characterized by]  
>> judgment". One
>> can
>> say that the one is characterized by life and the other by judgment
>> because
>> God wants it that way, i.e. because that is the divine purpose of
>> each--but
>> now you're doing theology. Are there other theological approaches  
>> equally
>> consistent with this grammar? Absolutely.
>> Webb Mealy
>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org
>> [mailto:b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org]
>>> On Behalf Of kgraham0938 at comcast.net
>>> Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 8:53 AM
>>> To: B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org
>>> Subject: Re: [B-Greek] John 5:29
>>>
>>> @Dony,
>>>
>>> yes, that is how I would understand the genitives here.  As  
>>> destination
>>> or
>> purpose.
>>>
>>> BDF $ 166. A genitive of purpose (or result) appears in ANASTASIN  
>>> ZWHS,
>>> KRISEWS, 'to life, judgement' Jn 5:29...  So I think you are right.
>>> --
>>> Kelton Graham
>>> KGRAHAM0938 at comcast.net
>>>
>>> -------------- Original message --------------
>>> From: "Dony K. Donev" <dony at cupandcross.com>
>>>
>>>> John 5:29
>>>>
>>>> Is it possible that the genitive in life and judgment here is  
>>>> rendered
>>>> "resurrection for life" and "resurrection for judgment" (denoting
>> purpose)
>>>> instead of the possessive "of life" and "of judgment?"
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Dony K. Donev
>>>> ---
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>>
>>
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>
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Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad2 at mac.com
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/




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