[B-Greek] Re. PLEQW + EN + dative

Elizabeth Kline kline_dekooning at earthlink.net
Thu Nov 8 17:08:52 EST 2007


On Nov 8, 2007, at 9:41 AM, Paul F. Evans wrote:

> In looking at EN, Wallace makes the comment in connection
> with Eph 5:18, that there are few if no occurrences of EN + dative, in
> connection with PLEROW, where the dative substantive indicates  
> content.
> Content is usually indicated by the genitive.  No porblemo!


Wallace GGBB p375 in a lengthly and nuanced discussion of EN + Dative  
is paraphrasing from Abbott ICC p161. The way the question is framed  
by Abbott isn't very helpful. We should be looking first at the  
dative case to see if the case alone is ever used to indicate  
content. See Lk 2:40 (text?), Rom 1:29 and 2Cor 7:4. Then we should  
look at EN + dative to see if that construction is ever used to  
indicate content. After clearing those questions then perhaps we  
might ask a question about which verbs ... but I think the verb  
question can be dropped in this case because the second question fails.

>
> However, in trying to determine instances where EN + dative might  
> indicated
> content ...

Stop there, that is the question you want to answer.

The little research I did on this question in Smyth, G.Cooper and BDF  
came up negative.

Elizabeth Kline

BTW, the context in Eph. 5:18 doesn't suggest content:

EPH. 5:18 KAI MH MEQUSKESQE OINWi, EN hWi ESTIN ASWTIA, ALLA  
PLHROUSQE EN PNEUMATI,

I would take the dative OINWi as means or instrument for MEQUSKESQE.  
Content isn't suggested by OINWi.






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