[B-Greek] Is ECWN a solecism in Revelation 21:14?

Webb Mealy webb at selftest.net
Fri Aug 22 13:38:56 EDT 2008


What noun are you thinking ECWN goes back to in John's mind in Rev. 21:14?
Obviously it's not "church", since that's an English word, and it can't be
EKKLHSIA, since (1) the word does not appear in the singular in Revelation,
and (2) EKKLHSIA in any case is feminine, which would result in ECOUSA. 

Webb Mealy

-----Original Message-----
From: b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Leonard Jayawardena
Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2008 11:30 PM
To: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [B-Greek] Is ECWN a solecism in Revelation 21:14?


In chapter X, under "The Sentence," page 412, Robertson discusses several
examples of construction KATA SUNESIN involving participles and remarks,
"But in Rev. 21:14 [TO TEICOS ECWN] seems a mere slip." Apparently, he would
have considered ECON to be the correct participle here to agree with the
neuter noun TEICOS. 
 
TO TEICOS forms part of the holy city, new Jerusalem, in which, it is said,
God will tabernacle with his people (21:2ff).  The city is said to be the
lamb's wife (v. 9) with the twelve apostles being the twelve foundation
stones of the wall (TEICOS) of the city (v. 14). From this and other details
in the book and comparing with the rest of the NT, we can conclude that the
city represents the (NT) church. Like the church the city is built by and
made up of the believers, with various parts of it representing the
believers (cf. Rev. 3:12, where Christ promises the church of Philadelphia
that those who overcome will be made a "pillar" in the temple of God).  If
you accept this much, then cannot ECWN, too, be explained in terms of
construction KATA SUNESIN (or constructio ad sensum)? 
 
Compare 21:14 with the following:
 
1. Rev. 4:7--TO TRITON ZWON ECWN.... Rev. 4:8--TO TESSARA ZWA, hEN KAQ hEN
AUTWN ECWN ... KAI ANAPAUSIN OUK ECOUSIN ... LEGONTES.... Rev. 6--LEGONTOS
occurs in relation to the four living creatures in vv. 1, 3, 5 and 7.  In
all these cases masculine participles follow neuter nouns. Here the four
beasts represent the new creation (cf. Galatians 6:15: KAINH KTISIS), which
again is composed of the believers.  
 
2. Rev. 5:6--ARNION ... ECWN. ARNION represents Christ.
 
3. The first QHRION of Rev. 13 represents a man (cf. v. 18). AUTON is used
in v. 8 in reference to the beast. ECWN is used in relation to the second
beast in v. 14, which also represents a man.  
 
I am aware that some may have different interpretations for at least some of
the passages cited above but what I wish to know is that, granting that the
above interpretations are correct, would that not provide a sufficient basis
to clear up the alleged solecism in Rev. 21:14? 
  
I'd like to know others' thoughts on this.
 
Leonard Jayawardena
Sri Lanka 
 
 
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