[B-GREEK] MT 16:13 Example of indirect discourse?

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Tue Mar 23 17:17:42 EST 2004


At 3:47 PM -0600 3/23/04, Josh Henry wrote:
>I am a novice, and have a question about indirect discourse.  My question
>pertains to the last bit of Matthew 16:13.  I have provided the entire verse
>in case that is useful in answering my question.
>
>MT 16:13
>ELQWN DE hO IHSOUS EIS TA MERH KAISAREIAS THS FILIPPOU hHRWTA TOUS MAQHTAS
>AUTOU LEGWN, TINA LEGOUSIN hOI ANQRWPOI EINAI TON hUION TOU ANQRWPOU;
>
>This is the part I'm focusing on:
>
>TINA LEGOUSIN hOI ANQRWPOI EINAI TON hUION TOU ANQRWPOU;
>
>Is this an example of indirect discourse?  If so why?
>Is the EINAI  the key to identifying this construction?
>
>Thank you for helping out a beginner.

Yes, this is an example of indirect discourse, but the fact that it is also
an interrogative construction complicates matters a bit. The introductory
clause is LEGOUSIN hOI ANQRWPOI; the clause of indirect discourse has TON
hUION TOU ANQRWPOU as its subject, EINAI as its verb, and TINA as a
predicate word, in this instance accusative because the subject of EINAI is
accusative. The key elements in a clause of indirect discourse are:
	1: an introductory verb of speech, assertion, etc.
	2: an infinitive functioning as the verb of the i.o. clause
	3. a subject which will be accusative if different from the subject
of the introductory verb, nominative if identical with the subject of the
introductory verb (look at the discussion of Acts 8:20B earlier today for a
clause where the nominative subject of indirect discourse has been left
unexpressed).

-- 

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/



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