[B-Greek] MNEIA hUMWN Phil 1:3

Kimmo Huovila kimmo.huovila at kolumbus.fi
Wed Oct 22 08:26:59 EDT 2008


On Oct 21, 2008, Elizabeth Kline wrote:

> Assuming that O'Brien has made his case for a causal reading of EPI +  
> dative in Phil. 1:3, why does he also assume that this reading is  
> invariably linked with the subjective reading of hUMWN in PI PASHi THi  
> MNEIAi hUMWN? Why wouldn't the causal reading also accommodate an  
> objective reading of hUMWN? Paul's remembrance of the Philipians being  
> a reason/occasion for his giving thanks.

I agree that it could. It seems he overlooked this possibility.

He also mentions that "although MNEIA is usually found with the objective 
genitive, on occasion a subjective genitive appears (Baruch 5:5)."

Baruch 5:5
ANASTHQI, IEROYSALHM, KAI STHQI EPI TOU hUYHLOU KAI PERIBLEYAI PROS ANATOLAS 
KAI IDE SOU SUNHGMENA TA TEKNA APO hHLIOU DUSMWN hEWS ANATOLWN TWi hRHMATI 
TOU hAGIOU CAIRONTAS THi TOU QEOU MNEIA.

It is not immediately clear why this could not be an example of an objective 
genitive, as well. O'Brien does not give other examples of a subjective 
genitive with MNEIA. Are there any clear examples anywhere?

I have cursorily been reading through a list of hundreds of examples of MNEIA 
and so far I have not found clear examples of a subjective genitive (but  I 
still have long ways to go, and a merely cursory reading does not guarantee 
finding one even if it is there). It seems that the two most common structures 
are MNEIA TINOS and MNEIA PERI TINOS both in the sense of 'memory about 
something'.

So far I have not found anything to support a subjective genitive, but 
I'll keep looking. However, the more common the objective genitive is, the 
more contextual support the subjective genitive reading requires to be 
understood. Perhaps it is rare because the primary sense of MNEIA is 'memory' 
(of something), not 'remembance' or 'remembering' (in the sense of expression 
of care) as O'Brien seems to understand the word in Phil. Even in Rom. 12:13 
(D*, F, G) TAIS MNEIAIS TWN hAGIWN KOINWNOUNTES, where MNEIA is likely to 
mean 'rememberance', it is open to question whether it is a subjective 
genitive.

Kimmo Huovila



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