[B-Greek] MONWi and hWi - Rm 16:27
Carl W. Conrad
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Thu Mar 9 14:42:22 EST 2006
On Mar 9, 2006, at 1:44 PM, Oun Kwon wrote:
> Rm 16:27 MONWi SOFWi QEWi DIA IHSOU CRISTOU hWi hH DOXA EIS TOUS
> AIWNAS
> AMHN]
>
> 1. How should I understand MONWi?
>
> to God alone who is wise
> to the only God who is wise
> to the only wise God
> to God who only wise (= to God, the only wise One)
>
> [I hope this is not question about translation, but how I should
> understand
> as to what it means.]
Well, you certainly do cover all the bases, don't you? But then, how
many Gods do you know who are wise? And if only one is wise, what are
the others?
I would understand this as "to God who alone is wise" or "to one who
is alone wise, namely God."
There might be other ways of understanding the grammar, but I would
understand a participle of EIMI with SOFWi and view QEWi as
appositional to a substantival MONWi: MONWI SOFWI ONTI, QEWi. But
since there are no articles here, one could as well construe it as
QEWI, MONWi SOFWi (ONTI), seeing MONWi SOFWi as qualifying QEWi.
> 2. hWi must be connected to QEWi, but it is in confusing position
> (to look
> like the preceding CRISTOU). Can I omit this word? (is MONWi not
> enough to
> connect to hH DOXA EIS TOUS AIWNAS?) If not, I would like to see
> this word
> moved forward to be positioned right after QEWi. This way it makes
> the
> sense and flow clear. Is there any reason against this way of
> looking at the
> syntax? [hWi looks like standing at the same level as TWi at the
> beginning
> of the paragraph, the verse v. 25.]
I can understand the temptation to see IHSOU CRISTOU as antecedent of
hWi, but I really think the phrase DIA IHSOU CRISTOU is parenthetical
to the doxology, which as a declaration of glory for ever and ever is
offered to God.
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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