[B-Greek] Luke 16:23 TOIS KOLPOIS

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Wed Feb 13 05:13:17 EST 2008


On Feb 13, 2008, at 12:34 AM, Mitch Larramore wrote:

>
> KAI EN TWi hADHi EPARAS TOUS OFQALMOUS AUTOU hUPARCWN
> EN BASANOIS hORAi ABRAAM APO MAKROQEN KAI LAZARON EN
> TOIS KOLPOIS AUTOU
>
> I note this is the only time KOLPOS is in the plural
> in the GNT. KOLPOS just doesn't seem like the kind of
> word that makes sense in the plural. The NET takes it
> to mean "at his side." And indicates that it is the
> same phrase as the previous verse which, however, is
> in the singular (but with the preposition EIS). Is
> this just a scribal mistake or does the plural make
> sense. As plural, I get "bosoms, chests, breasts, by
> his sides." Could this be an idiom?

While this is the only instance of a plural in the corpus of the GNT  
(and it appears only in the narrative books -- the gospels and Acts),  
yet BDAG does note some plural usages in extra-Biblical usage. I don't  
think there's any difference in meaning, but rather that it's an  
alternative equivalent.


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






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