[B-Greek] Another example of a qualitative QEOS
Rolf Furuli
furuli at online.no
Thu Jul 6 09:53:59 EDT 2006
Dear Kelton,
In languages such as classical/NT Greek and Hebrew some properties represent
semantic meaning (the context can never change them) and other parts
represent conversational pragmatic implicature (they can be changed by the
context). For example, propeties such as durativity, dynamicity, and
telicity
can represent semantic meaning. For example, a word maked for durativity and
dynamicity,
such as "run" can never loose these properties. Other properties such as
stativity and punctiliarity can be changed by the context.
On this background I ask: Can a word that is marked as a generic count-noun
loose this property? I doubt that this is possible. Yet this seems to be a
basic premise for those who take the predicate nominative in John 1:1c as
qualitative. There is also a related question for those who believe that a
generic count noun can be changed into an abstract property: How can we know
when such a change occur? It can not be the lack of article or word order,
because generic count nouns have and do not have the article and may have
different positions in the clauses. It seems to me that asubjective
judgement is the final criterion. A generic count noun can be
used as a singular noun "God," while the same word "god" continues to be
used as a generic count noun. I also accept that quality is the stress in
som cases, but that does not change the fact that that the referent
still is "God" or "god". So, the quality of divinity and being God/god are
not opposites.
Your example from 2 Macc 7:37 illustrates the point. The reference is to the
creator, and that means that QEOS in this verse is a singular noun. Whether
the attributes of the creator or divine quality was in the mind of the
speaker is difficult to say. You see a qalitative use of QEOS that I do not
see. But do you mean that this changes QEOS from being a singular noun to
becoming an adjective? Or do you mean it still is a singular noun, which is
equivalent to a proper noun, but that the stress is on divine qualities?
A similar example is Luke 20:38
QEOS DE OUK ESTIN NEKRWN
QEOS is clause-initial and there is no article. Even if one would argue that
the function of being God is stressed, still QEOS is a singular noun and the
reference is the creator. The challenge to those who *only* see a quality in
QEOS in John 1:1c is to demonstrate that a generic count noun can cease to
be a generic count noun and become a quality, and to outline criteria that
can be used to show that a generic count noun has becom a qualitaty.
Best regards,
Rolf Furuli
University of Oslo
----- Original Message -----
From: <kgraham0938 at comcast.net>
To: <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thursday, July 06, 2006 1:43 AM
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] Another example of a qualitative QEOS
> It is not definite, nor indefinite but referring to his nature. I don't
> know if I am allowed to go into context, but the plee is made to TON QEON
> (definite) to scourge them to believing & confess that he alone is by
> nature God. God has already been identified.
> --
> Kelton Graham
> KGRAHAM0938 at comcast.net
>
> -------------- Original message --------------
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