[B-Greek] Eph 2:2 and syntactic significance of TOU PNEUMATOS

Bryant J. Williams III bjwvmw at com-pair.net
Tue Feb 13 03:10:31 EST 2007


Dear Brian,

If laid out correctly, it appears that it is Genitive of Apposition.

    EN hAIS POTE PERIEPATHSATE
        KATA TON AIWNA         TOU KOSMOU TOUTOU,
        KATA TON ARCONTA  TOU EXOUSIAS TOU AEROS,
                                                  TOU PNEUMATOS TOU NUN
ENERGOUNTAS
                                                            EN TOIS hUIOIS
THS APEIQEIAS (attributive genitive, ATR, p. 497)

Clearly KATA TON AIWNA TOU KOSMOU TOUTOU = KATA TON ARCONTA TOU EXOUSIAS TOU
AEROS - TOU PNEUMATOS TOU NUN ENERGOUNTAS.

BDF, page 92, paragraph 167,  "167. Genitive of content and appositive
genitive. ...The use of the appositive genitive, i.e., of the genitive used
in the sense of an appositive, conforms in the NT to classical usage: 2 C
5:5 TON ARRABWNA TOU PNEUMATOS 'the guarantee (earnest) which consists in
the spirit.' Cf., K.-G. I 264; Pfister, Festgabe Deissmann (1927) 72f.; Rob.
498f.

A. T. Robertson, Page 498-499, 4. Apposition or Definition gives several
examples indicating that it is a well-known idiom in Homer, and that, "as
Moulton suggests, the vernacular has preserved the poetical idiom in this as
in so many other matters. Poetry often expresses better than prose the
language of the people." I do find it interesting that Robertson does give
Eph 2:14, 20 as examples.

En Xristwi,

Rev. Bryant J. Williams III

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brian Abasciano" <bvabasciano at gmail.com>
To: <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Monday, February 12, 2007 10:45 PM
Subject: [B-Greek] Eph 2:2 and syntactic significance of TOU PNEUMATOS


> Eph 2:2: EN hAIS POTE PERIEPATHSATE KATA TON AIWNA TOU KOSMOU TOUTOU KATA
TON ARCONTA THS EXOUSIAS TOU AEROS TOU PNEUMATOS TOU NUN ENERGOUNTOS EN TOIS
hUIOIS THS APEIQEIAS
>
> There has been much discussion of the sense of the genitive TOU PNEUMATOS
in this verse. Some argue that this is a genitive of apposition (i.e., an
epexegetical genitive), idenifying the ruler that is mentioned. But Wallace
(104; cf.  97) claims that this is impossible, asserting that genitives of
apposition cannot occur when both nouns are personal. Do you agree with this
assessment? It seems a bit overstated to me, though a genitive of apposition
here is awkward. Of course, there are several options as to the actual
relationship here. So I am interested to see if list members think Wallace
is correct to insist that genitives of apposition cannot occur when both
nouns are personal, and then what list members think is the most probable
syntactic significance of TOU PNEUMATOS.
>
> God bless!
>
> Brian Abasciano
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