[B-Greek] Fw: John 4:41: "PLEIOUS"
Donald COBB
docobb at orange.fr
Sat Apr 4 10:39:08 EDT 2009
Open keyboard and insert foot.
Obviously I sent this last one out too fast. I realized after sending it
that something was amiss. In John 4, it's the comparative that is the
subject, modified by POLLWi and not the other way around. So M-M's example
isn't quite so close. Sorry about that one.
I still find the expression intriguing (I had actually come up against it a
few months ago). Could the singular dative be something akin to "plusieurs
ont cru d'autant plus" in French (i.e., "many believed all the more"),
somewhat along the lines of POLLWi MALLON?
Donald Cobb
Aix-en-Provence
----- Original Message -----
From: "Donald COBB" <docobb at orange.fr>
To: "B-Greek" <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Saturday, April 04, 2009 3:11 PM
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] John 4:41: "PLEIOUS"
> 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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>
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