[B-Greek] MH and TAUTA in 2 Peter 1:9

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Wed Apr 2 17:00:33 EDT 2008


On Apr 2, 2008, at 3:37 PM, Nick Lamme wrote:

> 2 Peter 1:9
>
> 9 hW GAR MH PARESTIN TAUTA, TUFLOS ESTIN
> MUWPAZWN, LHQHN LABWN TOU KAQARISMOU TWN PALAI AUTOU hAMARTIWN.
>
> Why is MH used with a verb in the present, active, indicative?  Is  
> this an exception to the rule
> or is there another reason for it?

Because it's a conditional construction.

> AND
>
> Is TAUTA nominative or accusative?  I am leaning on nominative, cf.  
> 1:8, although my references disagree.

It is the nominative subject of PARESTIN; how it might conceivably be  
accusative is altogether beyond me.
Although one could English this as "If anyone lacks these things ... "  
but the construction itself actually says, "If these things aren't at  
hand for somone ... "

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)






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