[B-Greek] This is my body (Luk 22:19)
Iver Larsen
iver_larsen at sil.org
Sun Feb 18 04:31:51 EST 2007
----- Original Message -----
From: "George F Somsel" <gfsomsel at yahoo.com>
... It is perfectly normal and in agreement. In 19 verses in the NT in which TOUTO ESTIN appears
the only exception to having Y be a neuter noun, if it is an exception to such agreement, is Rom
1.12 where an infinitive takes the place of Y. .....
george
gfsomsel
_________
----- Original Message ----
From: Elizabeth Kline <kline_dekooning at earthlink.net>
..............
TOUTO ESTIN TO SWMA MOU
Wouldn't we expect a demonstrative X in a
X ESTIN Y clause to be in agreement with Y?
------------------------------------
>From Iver:
Yes, the construction hOUTOS/hAUTH/TOUTO ESTIN Y is fairly common, and Y is normally definite
(arthrous). The demonstrative is usually kataphoric and anticipates the coming head noun and
therefore agrees with it. If the Y is not definite, the demonstrative is anaphoric, but there are
also cases of anaphoric uses with a definite Y. Sometimes hOUTOS can stand alone in the sense of
"this person", just as hAUTH can stand alone with the sense "this woman" and TOUTO can stand alone
with the sense "this thing".
Some examples:
Mat 3:17 hOUTOS ESTIN hO hUIOS MOU (This - person - is my son.)
Mat 22:38 hAUTH ESTIN hH MEGALH KAI PRWTH ENTOLH (This - commandment - is the great and first
commandment)
Luk 22:53 hAUTH ESTIN hUMWN hH hWRA (This - hour - is YOUR hour)
Jhn 1:19 hAHUTH hH MARTURIA TOU IWANNOU (This - testimony - is John's testimony)
Jhn 1:33 hOUTOS ESTIN hO BAPTIZWN (This - person - is the one who baptizes)
Jhn 6:29 TOUTO/ ESTIN TO ERGON TOU QEOU (This - work/thing - is the work of God)
Jhn 6:50 hOUTOS ESTIN hO ARTON hO EK TOU OURANOU KATABAINWN
(This - person/bread - is the bread that is coming down from heaven)
Mat 26:26 TOUTO/ ESTIN TO SWMA MOU (This - thing/body - is my body)
Mat 26:28 TOUTO GAR ESTIN TO hAIMA MOU (For this - thing/blood - is my blood)
Now, there is a difference between TOUTO/ ESTIN (this is) and TOUT' E/STIN (that is). The second of
these is a fixed phrase that does not agree with anything before or after it. It simply means "that
is" or "this means" and is used as an introduction for an explanation.
If a word intrudes between TOUTO and ESTIN as in TOUTO GA/R ESTIN or TOUTO DE/ ESTIN, then it needs
further analysis to decide whether this is the first or second of the options above.
My analysis of Rom 1:12 would be that we have here the fixed phrase "that is":
Rom 1:11-12 ...EIS TO STHRICQHNAI hUMAS, TOUTO DE/ ESTIN, SUMPARAKLHQHNAI
(for your strengthening, but that is (or: but I mean), mutual encouraging)
Iver Larsen
More information about the B-Greek
mailing list