[B-Greek] Accent Marks for eimi

George F Somsel gfsomsel at yahoo.com
Sat Aug 16 11:38:07 EDT 2008


You missed a few more examples in this book.  :-)
.
I simply throw out a possibility since I really don't pay too much attention to accents.  Notice the accentuation in this phrase -- ἐγώ εἰμι [EGW/ EIMI].  The accent which falls on the ultima [last syllable] of a word is generally changed to a grave [\] when followed by another word.  Here it is not.  In other words, it acts as though the following word is an enclitic [a word which does not have its own accent but "leans upon" the preceeding word].
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We need not pause to state in detail the rules of the Greek accents, which are fully given in the ordinary Greek grammars. The acuteaccent marks the rising inflexion of the voice: the second syllable of our interjection “Really?” (expressing surprise or incredulity) usually shows this intonation. The falling tone (heard in the same syllable of “Really!”) is written only when an acute falls on the last syllable of a word and is changed by rule to “grave”: this happens when the word as it comes in a sentence does not precede an enclitic(see below), or a stop (comma, colon, full stop or query). 
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Moulton, J. H., & Howard, W. F. (1963). A Grammar of New Testament Greek, Volume 2: Accidence and Word-Formation. Vol. 1: 2d ed., with corrections and additions. (52). Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark.
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We see a similar occurence with a slightly different context in 8.27 ἀλλʼ ὁ πέμψας με ἀληθής ἐστιν [ALL' hO PEMYAS ME ALHQHS ESTIN].
.
 george
gfsomsel.


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learn truth, love truth, speak the truth, hold the truth, 
defend the truth till death.


- Jan Hus
_________



----- Original Message ----
From: DP <donpetersondon at yahoo.com>
To: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2008 11:00:03 AM
Subject: [B-Greek] Accent Marks for eimi

If I am correct, Greek accents are rare in ancient NT manuscripts. Most have been added by modern textual editors. 
 
In both John 8:28 and 8:58 eimi is in the first person present singular indicative. Why is eimi accented differently in these verses? I realize there is no doctrinal significance.
 
 


      
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