[B-Greek] Special use of the dative James 4:17
Tom Moore
tom at katabiblon.com
Sun Nov 23 00:11:41 EST 2008
Εἰδότι οὖν καλὸν ποιεῖν καὶ μὴ ποιοῦντι, ἁμαρτία αὐτῷ ἐστιν. [James 4:17]
EIDOTI OUN KALON POIEIN KAI MH POIOUNTI, hAMARTIA AUTWi ESTIN
Regarding the "dreaded expletive it," why isn't Webb correct that hAMARIA is a predicate nominative, and the subject of ESTIN the implied action of not doing what one knows is right (MH KALON POIEIN)?
(Isn't this what Smyth [933] would call a "quasi-impersonal" verb?)
Regards,
Tom Moore
> -------Original Message-------
> From: Mark Cain <mark at markcain.com>
> Subject: Re: [B-Greek] Special use of the dative James 4:17
> Sent: Nov 20 '08 21:07
>
[snip]
>
> The warning in the text is explicitly directed to Group #3 which is what
> Webb Mealy posits but which is challenged by Carl Conrad. Couldn't we use
> the simple dative as indirect object and the existential of EIMI to get the
> stilted translation "A sin exists to him" or perhaps better "It is a sin to
> him." ?? (Sorry, Carl, for the dreaded "it")
>
> Mark Cain
> Sarasota, FL USA
>
[snip]
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org
> > [mailto:b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Carl Conrad
> > Sent: Friday, November 21, 2008 2:04 AM
> > To: Webb Mealy
> > Cc: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
> > Subject: Re: [B-Greek] Special use of the dative James 4:17
> >
> >
> > On Nov 20, 2008, at 11:03 AM, Webb Mealy wrote:
> >
> >> I'd call it a dative of respect or relation, and English it as "it's
> >> sin for
> >> him", making hAMARTIA a predicate nom. It's sin in his regard, or
> >> it's sin
> >> in relation to him. James's assumption is that the thing not done is
> >> not sin
> >> in relation to the person who *does not* know the good thing that
> >> should be
> >> done and fails to do it. In relation to that person the "not doing"
> >> is not
> >> sin.
> >
> > If hAMARTIA is a predicate noun, then what (on earth) is the subject
> > of ESTIN? It cannot be KALON POIEIN because that is complementary to
> > EIDOTI? The "It" in your English version is an expletive that doesn't
> > represent anything in the Greek.
> >
> > Carl W. Conrad
> > Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
> >
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