[B-Greek] The combination of prepositional phrase with conjunctions- rule or coincidence?

Iver Larsen iver_larsen at sil.org
Sat Nov 7 09:53:29 EST 2009


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Blue Meeksbay
To: Iver Larsen
Cc: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: 7. november 2009 16:06
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] The combination of prepositional phrase with 
conjunctions- rule or coincidence?

You are right, point three does not fit. Bethpage and Bethany are definitely two 
different things. What is interesting, though, is EIS BHQFAGH KAI BHQANIAN is 
preceded by EIS IEROUSALHM without a conjunction, so that follows point number 
one - two different things. I wish I had software that could search all possible 
occurrences in order to see if the pattern holds for the first two points, as 
the third point has already been disproved.

I was wondering about this because some think Paul,  in Eph. 4:12, is referring 
to two identical things and other assume he is referring to two different 
things, and  I noticed this possible pattern of prepositional phrases 
with/without a conjunction and wondered if it could throw any light on a what he 
meant.

Thanks,
B.Harris
------------------------------

Iver:

I don't think any of your proposed rules work. Whether the nouns are the same or 
similar depends more on what they mean and the context than grammar rules.

In Eph 4:12 we have:
PROS TON KATARTISMON TWN hAGIWN EIS ERGON DIAKONIAS EIS OIKODOMHN TOU SWMATOS 
TOU CRISTOU.

I would say they are neither two identical things nor two different things. 
Rather, the first is general and the second adds some aspect or further 
clarification to the first. If they were identical, why have two? The lack of 
conjunction makes the second a kind of apposition to the first.

Other examples are:

Mat 8:28 KAI ELQONTES AUTOU EIS TO PERAN EIS THN CWRAN TWN GADARHNWN

to the other side (more specifically) to the land of the Gadarenes

Mat 21:1: KAI HLQON EIS BHQFAGH EIS TO OROS TWN ELAIWN
To Bethphage, to the Mountain of Olives (further explanation)

Mat 28:16 EPOREUQHSAN EIS THN GALILAIAN EIS TO OROS hOU ETAXATO AUTOIS
to Galilee (more specifically) to the mountain he had arranged with them

Mrk 9:43 APELQEIN EIS THN GEENNAN EIS TO PUR TO ASBESTON

etc.

Iver Larsen


----- Original Message ----- From: "Blue Meeksbay" <bluemeeksbay at yahoo.com>
To: <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: 6. november 2009 22:14
Subject: [B-Greek] The combination of prepositional phrase with conjunctions- 
rule or coincidence?


> I have noticed when two prepositional phrases containing EIS are written back 
> to back “without” any connecting conjunction it generally refers to two 
> different things (e.g. Eph. 4:12; Col. 2:2). When they are written back to 
> back “with” a conjunction, it seems it refers to two different but related 
> items (Eph. 5:32; II Thess. 3:5). And when EIS is used as one prepositional 
> phrase with two objects connected by a conjunction, it refers to one thing 
> understood through two aspects (Phil 1:1; I Tim. 6:9).
>
> Is this just a coincidence, or does some rule apply to this structure?
>
> Sincerely,
> B.Harris





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