[B-Greek] The relative pronouns in Ephesians 6:17 and Revelation 5:8
Leonard Jayawardena
leonardj at live.com
Tue Oct 12 06:07:44 EDT 2010
A few days ago someone asked what the antecedents of the relative pronouns in Ephesians 6:17 (THN MACAIRAN TOU PNEUMATOS, hO ESTIN hRHMA TOU QEOU) and Revelation 5:8 (FIALAS CRUSAS GEMOUSAS QUMIAMATWN, hAI/ EISIN hAI PROSEUCAI TWN hAGIWN) were and some views were expressed.
The neuter relative hO in Ephesians 6:17 is either
(a) an instance of the use of the neuter relative in explanation (explanatory hO ESTIN), a usage quite common in the NT, and similar to the idiom TOUT' ESTIN, again commonly met with in the NT (see Robertson p. 411ff and pp. 713-714).
OR
(b) a case of the relative being assimilated in gender to the predicate substantive (vide Robertson p. 712). E.g., Mark 15:16, THS AULHS, hO ESTIN PRAITWRION (though Robertson lists this on page 411 also as illustrating explanatory hO ESTIN); Galatians 3:16, TWi SPERMATIi SOU, hOS ESTIN CHRISTOS.
In addition to hO ESTIN, there are also the "sister" idiomatic expressions hO hERMHNEUETAI and hO LEGETAI.Some examples illustrating all three expressions:
1. Ephesians 5:5--In the same book we have PLEONEKTHS, hO ESTIN EIDWLOLATRHS, where the ordinary relative would be hOS to agree with the masculine EIDOLOLATRHS.
2. Mark 3:17--ONOMA BOANHRGES, hO ESTIN hYIOI BRONTHS.
3. Matthew 1:23--hO MEQERMHNEUOMENON MEQ' hHMWN hO QEOS.
4. hRABBI, hO LEGETAI MEQERMHNEUOMENON DIDASKALE.
With respect to Revelation 5:8, I think that this is best understood as a case of the relative being assimilated in gender to the predicate (hAI PROSEUCAI TWN hAGIWN in this case ), which represents the main idea of the statement, i.e., the prayers of the saints.
Leonard Jayawardena
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