[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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