Re: PISTEUW + EPI + dative

From: clayton stirling bartholomew (c.s.bartholomew@worldnet.att.net)
Date: Sun Jul 19 1998 - 14:45:33 EDT


Carl W. Conrad wrote:
>
> Well, in the first place, I think the word-order IS ordinary enough and
> points to the usual interpretation of this passage. I like to get students
> to retain the word-order so far as possible in translation; in this
> instance, I'd make it: "Then the proconsul, upon seeing what had happened,
> believed, astounded at the teaching of the Lord."
>
> As for the linkage of verb, participle, and the EPI phrase, I rather think
> that PISTEUW here is used in an absolute sense and that the linkage of EPI
> THi DIDACHi to EKPLHSSOMENOS is not really unusual.

Carl and David Moore,

I wasn't suggesting that there was anything odd about the word order, nor was
I suggesting that the traditional translation was wrong. What I was asking was
can the verse be read a different way, specifically the last half of it. I was
particularly interested in knowing if word order is the controlling issue in
deciding how to analyze the syntactical function of EKPLHSSOMENOS and EPI THi
DIDACHi . . . .

It seems very plausible to consider EKPLHSSOMENOS as the beginning of a
subordinate clause and then connect the clause adverbially to EPISTEUSEN or
adjectivally to ANQUPATOS. This is how the traditional translations read. I
was just wondering out loud whether this is the only way this could be read.
And if it is the only way, what are the key syntactical factors that point to
this reading. If I read Carl correctly, the key syntactical factor is word
order, right?

Also somewhat of an aside,
David Moore, even though he retracted his original post on this subject
inadvertently raised a question worth consideration. How common is it for a
participle to be use as a modifier of another participle. I don't see any
reason why this could not take place. However, I don't think that agreement in
aspect would be an issue here, would it? A participle does not need to agree
in aspect with a verb when it is functioning adverbially, does it?

-- 
Clayton Stirling Bartholomew
Three Tree Point
P.O. Box 255 Seahurst WA 98062

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