[B-Greek] Heb 6:7 DIA hOUS KAI GEWRGEITAI

Iver Larsen iver_larsen at sil.org
Sat Jan 27 02:02:46 EST 2007


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Oun Kwon" <kwonbbl at gmail.com>


> Heb 6:7
>
> GH GAR hH PIOUSA TON EP AUTHS ERCOMENON POLLAKIS hUETON
> KAI TIKTOUSA BOTANHN EUQETON EKEINOIS
> DI' hOUS KAI GEWRGEITAI
> METALAMBANEI EULOGIAS APO TON QEON
>
> How should I take DI' here? As the beneficiary (in behalf of) or the
> agent (by) of the GEWRGEW?

It is not the agent. The common senses of DIA with accucative are "on account of, because of, for 
the sake of". In addition to giving the reason, it can also indicate the end or purpose, the raison 
d'etre.
In this sentence I would use "for the sake of". If a field has received adequate rain and 
consequently has produced the expected and useful(EUQETON)  produce for the benefit of those 
(EKEINOIS) for the sake of whom it indeed was farmed, then it will receive a blessing from God. The 
next sentence goes on to say that if in spite of adequate rain it produces thorns and thistles, then 
it is useless.

>
> Does the text say the plants sprouted is good for those laborers or
> for the land owner (in this case, I would expect a singular rather
> than plural, though it might be referring to the owners in general).

In these general statements, I don't think their is any significant difference between singular or 
plural. The same principle applies to all farms and all farmers. But it was common that the owner 
had labourers, and both owner and labourers would benefit from the result of their work.

Iver Larsen 





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