[B-Greek] Genitive Absolute - a fresh look

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Tue Oct 31 06:14:36 EST 2006


Er ... to fill in the blank space ...

On Oct 31, 2006, at 5:59 AM, Carl W. Conrad wrote:

> A paper by

Lois K. Fuller

> on genitive absolute constructions in NT Koine Greek, "The  
> 'Genitive Absolute' in New Testament/Hellenistic Greek: A Proposal  
> for Clearer Understanding" has appeared in the newly accessible  
> Volume 3 of Journal of Greek and Roman Christianity and Judaism at
>
> http://divinity.mcmaster.ca/jgrchj/volume3
>
> Her conclusion: ÒMy study of the use of Genitive Constructions in  
> the New Testament has demonstrated that being `absoluteÕ is not one  
> of their essential characteristics. Thus, there is no need to  
> explain why they are often not absolute. They are adverbial  
> constructions, and their main uses in narrative are (1) to signal  
> important prior background information that provides necessary  
> context for the action, and (2) to provide cohesion. Another  
> relatively common use, usually in exposition, is (3) to give  
> accompanying conÞrming circumstances. They have various other  
> adverbial functions as they combine the work of circumstantial  
> participle and genitive adverbial phrase. How frequently they are  
> used may in some cases be linked to regional dialect or writing  
> conventions (for example, in the petition form). When Genitive  
> Constructions are seen in this way, many passages that seemed to be  
> grammatical anomalies can be understood as following understandable  
> principles.Ó

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad2 at mac.com
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/





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