[B-Greek] Matt6:34: Parsing Query

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Wed Mar 5 04:54:27 EST 2008


On Mar 5, 2008, at 12:46 AM, Elizabeth Kline wrote:

> That first reply was sent unintentionally
>
> On Mar 4, 2008, at 6:16 PM, Stephen Baldwin wrote:
>
>> The neuter adjective was just plain weird but turns out to be
>> modifying hH KAKIA
>
> Not at all weird. Neuter singulars have a number of special
> functions. Look at
>
> MATT. 6:25b   OUCI hH YUCH PLEION ESTIN THS TROFHS KAI TO SWMA TOU
> ENDUMATOS;
>
> Note the lack of concord with hH YUCH and PLEION. We find this in
> Homer Iliad II.204 OUK AGAQON POLUKOIRANIH and also in classical.

This usage is not all that uncommon in Greek; we see it when the  
subject is equated or identified with a classification of items/things.
Smyth, §1048: "A predicate adjective referring to a maasculine or  
feminine singular subject is often neuter singular and equivalent to a  
substantive. This occurs chiefly in statements of a general truth,  
where the subect refers to a whole class, not to an individual thing.  
Thus, καλὸν εἰρήνη KALON EIRHNH 'peace is a fine thing'  
Dem. 19.336, ἄπιστον ταῖς πολιτείαις ἡ  
τυραννίς APISTON TAIS POLITEIAIS hH TURANNIS "despotism is an  
object of mistrust to free states (Dem.) 1.5, μεῖζον πόλις  
ἑνὸς ἀνδρός "the state is larger than the individual Plato  
Rep. 368e. So also in the plural (§1056).

I still vividly remember first encountering this usage as a senior in  
high school when reading Vergil's Aeneid 4.569-70 "varium et mutabile  
semper/ femina": "A woman is always an inconstant and changeable thing."

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






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