[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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