[B-Greek] hARPAX Mt 7:15

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Wed Apr 22 19:22:47 EDT 2009


On Apr 22, 2009, at 5:30 PM, Tom Moore wrote:

> Is ἅρπαξ -αγος (hARPAX -AGOS) a noun or an adjective? BDAG  
> says adjective. LSJ seems to indicate a noun. While there are lots  
> of nouns with stems in -K, -G, -C, none of which are neuter, this is  
> the only adjective I can find with a palatal stem.
>
> If it is an adjective, what would be its neuter? If its a noun, how  
> do we understand Matthew 7:15, where it certainly seems adjectival?
>
> Προσέχετε ἀπὸ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν,  
> οἵτινες ἔρχονται πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν  
> ἐνδύμασιν προβάτων, ἔσωθεν δέ  
> εἰσιν λύκοι ἅρπαγες.
> PROSECETE APO TWN YEUDOPROFHTWN, hOITINES ERCONTAI PROS hUMAS EN  
> ENDUMASIN PROBATWN, ESWQEN DE EISIN LUKOI hARPAGES. [Matthew 7:15]

What LSJ actually says is:

ἅρπαξ, ᾰγος, ὁ, ἡ, (ἁρπάζω)
robbing, rapacious, Ar.Eq.137, v.l. inFr. 628, X.Mem.3.1.6; λύκοι  
Lyc.1309 (v.l. Ἄτρακας): also c. Subst. neut., ἅρπαγι  
χείλει AP9.272 (Bianor): Sup. ἁρπαγίστατος Pl.Com.  
57.
mostly as Subst.,
ἅρπαξ, ἡ, rapine, Hes.Op.356.
ἅρπαξ, ὁ, robber, peculator, τῶν δημοσίων Ar.Nu. 
351; ὁ μὲν κλέπτης ὁ δ' ἅ. Myrtil.4; πάντες  
εἰσὶν ἅρπαγες (sc. οἱ Ὠρώπιοι) Xeno1.
species of wolf, Opp.C.3.304.
grappling-iron, used in sea-fights, App.BC5.118, Moschio ap.Ath. 
5.208d; flesh-hook, J.AJ8.3.7.

and, as I read the BDAG entry, it too displays both substantive and  
adjectival usage.
The neuter, like the masculine and feminine, is hARPAX; it's seen in  
the citation from the Greek Anthology noted above hARPAGI CEILEI.



Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)






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