[B-Greek] syntax of Rm 4:11-12

Oun Kwon kwonbbl at gmail.com
Mon Nov 24 18:14:59 EST 2008


I am having some difficulty to follow Paul's rhetoric here in Rm
4:11-12, which superficially is  straightforward:

4:11
(a) KAI SHMEION ELABEN PERITOMHS SFRAGIDA
         THS DIKAIOSUNHS THS PISTEWS THS EN TH AKROBUSTIA
(b) EIS TO EINAI AUTON PATERA PANTWN
         TWN PISTEUONTWN DI AKROBUSTIAS
         EIS TO LOGISQHNAI KAI AUTOIS THN DIKAIOSUNHN

4:12
(a) KAI PATERA PERITOMHS
(b)       TOIS OUK EK PERITOMHS MONON
(c)       ALLA KAI TOIS STOICOUSIN TOIS ICNESIN
(d)              THS EN AKROBUSTIA PISTEWS TOU PATROS HMWN ABRAAM


Does v. 12  describe a single group of people (a) = (b)(c)
(circumcised Israelites with Abraham's faith) or two groups (a)(b) and
(a)(c) (circumcised people Israelites AND uncircumcised Gentiles but
with Abraham's faith)?

Since v. 11 (b) PANTWN describe the uncircumcised people, v. 12
PERITOMHS may refer to the circumcised people as its counter part.

On the other hand, TOIS ~ TOIS  here suggests that two different
groups are connected to PERITOMHS . Thus v. 12 (c) may be
'uncircumcised people'. Then v. 12 may be emphasizing that Abraham IS
the father of both "circumcision" and "uncircumcision".

English translation goes both way. E.g.
ESV reads
      "father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but
who also walk"
       (a single group);
whereas NWT reads
     "father, not only to those who adhere to circumcision, but also
to those who walk "
     (two groups are implied here).

Here in English, it is just the position of  the phrase 'not only'
makes the difference in the sense of the sentence.

 I hope I have stated my problem with this text clearly enough. Thanks
for your help.

Oun Kwon.



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