[B-Greek] Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, Book III, Ch. 24, §6

yancywsmith at sbcglobal.net yancywsmith at sbcglobal.net
Mon Dec 13 04:00:18 EST 2010


Michael wrote:
> I can't seem to make sense of it. I'm not looking for English translations available online. I'm trying to get as literal of a translation as possible *without* sacrificing sense, style, and normal English word order.
>  
> This is my translation thus far:
> For before, Matthew preached to the Hebrews, as he was also about to go to other peoples, after he committed the Gospel according to him to writing in his native language...

The text  τὸ λεῖπον τῇ αὐτοῦ παρουσίᾳ τούτοις ἀφ᾿ ὧν ἐστέλλετο 
TO LEIPON TH AUTOU PAROUSIA TOUTOIS AF WN ESTELLETO
would be, literally,
"thereafter with its presence among those from whom he set out/was sent out."
The problem with a literal translation is that it won't make much sense unless you supply the verb:
TO LEIPON [EKHRUSSEN] TH AUTOU PAROUSIA TOUTOIS AF WN ESTELLETO
The tricky part is that you might expect the subject of the missing verb to be the same as the subject of the relative clause modifying TOUTOIS. That would make nonsense. Rather, the subject of the missing verb is TO EUANGELION, that is, "[the Gospel he wrote would preach] thereafter, K.T.L.

Yancy Smith, PhD
yancywsmith at sbcglobal.net
Y.W.Smith at tcu.edu
yancy at wbtc.com
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On Dec 12, 2010, at 4:46 PM, Michael Baber wrote:

> Ματθαῖός τε γὰρ πρότερον Ἑβραίοις κηρύξας, ὡς ἤμελλεν καὶ ἐφ᾿ ἑτέρους ἰέναι, πατρίῳ γλώττῃ γραφῇ παραδοὺς τὸ κατ᾿ αὐτὸν εὐαγγέλιον, τὸ λεῖπον τῇ αὐτοῦ παρουσίᾳ τούτοις ἀφ᾿ ὧν ἐστέλλετο
>  
> MATQAIOS TE GAR PROTERON hEBRAIOIS KHRUCAS HOS HMELLEN KAI EF hETEROUS IENAI, PATRIW GLWTTH GRAFH PARADOUS TO KAT AUTON EUANGELION, TO LEIPON TH AUTOU PAROUSIA TOUTOIS AF WN ESTELLETO.
>  
> My question is on the last clause, viz. TO LEIPON TH AUTOU PAROUSIA TOUTOIS AF WN ESTELLETO.
>  
> I can't seem to make sense of it. I'm not looking for English translations available online. I'm trying to get as literal of a translation as possible *without* sacrificing sense, style, and normal English word order.
>  
> This is my translation thus far:
> For before, Matthew preached to the Hebrews, as he was also about to go to other peoples, after he committed the Gospel according to him to writing in his native language...
>  
> Your thoughts and insights are appreciated,
> Mike
>  
> P.S. If you need more context, please see here:
> http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/03d/0265-0339,_Eusebius_Caesariensis,_Historia_Ecclesiastica,_GR.pdf
> 
> 
> 
> ---
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