[B-Greek] EN + human locative of sphere

Wayne Leman wayne_leman at sil.org
Mon Jan 8 18:59:42 EST 2007


> I'm not altogether convinced that this is really a locative at all, 
> although it may have roots in locative phrases with preposition EN.

Well, it's nice to get an alternate analysis, Carl. But if the object of EN 
is a dative, how would be view the semantic role of the object? I find it 
difficult to get my brain around the idea of thinking of XRISTOS when object 
of EN as being an instrumental except in a few cases where an instrumental 
role would seem appropriate. I'm thinking of verses such as 2 Cor. 5:17 
where we have, presumably, some kind of stative condition (with the verb 
ellipsized) followed by EN XRISTW. I don't understand how a state of being 
would be modified semantically by an object in a dative case. But I could 
easily be missing something. It happens all the time.

Wayne
----
Wayne Leman
Better Bibles Blog:
http://englishbibles.blogspot.com

> But I've been somewhat fascinated by the expansion of EN + dative  phrases 
> in the GNT: we have the clearly instrumental usages (EN  PNEUMATI hAGIWi) 
> but we have also what seems to me (without having  made any careful study 
> of it) a not-very-sharp distinction between  EIS + acc. of the person and 
> EN + dat. of the person; PISTEUW is used  both ways (as also with EPI + 
> dative of thing or person). There may  be a semantic distinction between 
> these prepositional usages, but I'm  not altogether sure about it.
>
> Brian suggests OT LXX phrases are worth exploring and I'm sure that's 
> true; I'm wondering whether some of these EN + dative phrases don't 
> reflect a Hebrew L' + proper noun or pronoun.
>
> 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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