[B-Greek] John 4:41: "PLEIOUS"

Donald COBB docobb at orange.fr
Sat Apr 4 09:11:32 EDT 2009


Hello Andrew,

You also asked about the meaning of KAI POLLWi PLEIOUS EPISTEUSAN DIA TON 
LOGON AUTOU.

BDAG gives this translation for John 4:41: "many more came to believe". The 
construction is unusual, at least for the NT, but I note that M-M on POLUS, 
reproduces a quote not altogether unlike it : EPIDH TA POLLA PLEISTA ARGURIA 
CRIWSTI: "Since he owes much, very much money". In any case the adjective is 
used, and then modified by its comparative or superlative (elative?).

Blessings,

Donald Cobb
Aix-en-Provence, France

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Harold Holmyard" <hholmyard3 at earthlink.net>
To: "B-Greek" <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Friday, April 03, 2009 5:19 PM
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] John 4:41: "PLEIOUS"


>
> Andrew,
>> "KAI POLLWi PLEIOUS EPISTEUSAN DIA TON LOGON AUTOU" (John 4:41).
>>
>> Isn't "PLEIOUS" accusative? If so, how can it be the subject of 
>> "EPISTEUSAN"? Is it that the phrase "POLLWi PLEIOUS" is an idiomatic 
>> phrase, meaning something like 'by far the majority of them'?
>>
>
> The form can also be a nominative form. See in BAGD or BADG under
> POLLUS. In BAGD it is under Roman numeral II and then further under
> Roman numeral 2, Arabic numeral 2, letter a. It can be an alternative
> form for PLEIONES as a contracted form.
>
> Yours,
> Harold Holmyard
>
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