In 1 John 4:8 what is the role of ἐστίν?

How do I work out the meaning of a Greek text? How can I best understand the forms and vocabulary in this particular text?
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Bill Ross
Posts: 244
Joined: August 12th, 2012, 6:26 pm

In 1 John 4:8 what is the role of ἐστίν?

Post by Bill Ross »

This question arose here: https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/ ... r-god-is-l

While I have an intuitive sense of what this might mean I am wondering how it would be explained using a proper linguistic analysis:

[1Jo 4:8 MGNT] (8) ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν οὐκ ἔγνω τὸν θεόν ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη [b]ἐστίν[/b]
What I lack in youth I make up for in immaturity.
Barry Hofstetter
Posts: 2159
Joined: May 6th, 2011, 1:48 pm

Re: In 1 John 4:8 what is the role of ἐστίν?

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

It's simply the man verb in the ὅτι clause. The use is copulative, equating θεός with ἀγάπη.
N.E. Barry Hofstetter, M.A., Th.M.
Ph.D. Student U of FL
Instructor of Latin
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy
καὶ σὺ τὸ σὸν ποιήσεις κἀγὼ τὸ ἐμόν. ἆρον τὸ σὸν καὶ ὕπαγε.
Bill Ross
Posts: 244
Joined: August 12th, 2012, 6:26 pm

Re: In 1 John 4:8 what is the role of ἐστίν?

Post by Bill Ross »

Thanks Barry. So would you say that ἐστίν indicates that "love" is just another name for God? IE: There is no other way to read this other than a marker of identity?
What I lack in youth I make up for in immaturity.
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