[B-Greek] QEOU BASILEAN in 1 Cor 6:9
Elizabeth Kline
kline_dekooning at earthlink.net
Tue Mar 9 13:55:44 EST 2010
On Mar 9, 2010, at 6:55 AM, Alex Poulos wrote:
> I'm curious about the word order at the beginning of 1 Cor 6:9,
>
> "η ουκ οιδατε οτι αδικοι θεου βασιλεαν ου κληρονομησουσιν;"
> "H OUK OIDATA OTI ADIKOI QEOU BASILEAN OU KLHRONOMHSOUSIN"
>
> This was the first time I can recall running across a genitive that preceded
> the noun it modified: θεου βασιλεαν QEOU BASILEAN. 1 verse later the order
> shifts back to the standard βασιλεαν θεου BASILEAN QEOU, which is the same
> order as after a similar list in Gal 5:21.
>
> As a Greek newbie, I'm wondering what the significance of the genitive
> preceding the word it modifies. Is Paul just emphasizing that it's GOD'S
> kingdom that won't be inherited, or is there not really much significance to
> the switch in the order?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Alex Poulos
> Student - NC State University
There are several issues here. Modifiers in noun phrases prefer to follow the head noun (substantive). This isn't a "rule", it is just a statistical observation. No "rule" is broken when a modifier outranks (comes first) the head noun/substantive.
Hebrew word order isn't so flexible. In a construct chain, the head noun always precedes the genitive. So assuming our author reads Hebrew, there would be a added preference for a noun genitive order.
ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ hH BASILEIA TOU QEOU is a technical term (or is it ?) in the GNT.
QEOU BASILEAN in 1 Cor 6:9 is unique in the GNT.
Some scribes didn't like this word order. The Byzantine Textform (2005 Robinson & Pierpont) shows the normal word order.
So what do we make of this word order? Most commentators make little or nothing of it. I found it mentioned in Alford's textual notes but no mention of it in his comments. H.A.W. Meyer and Robertson-Plummer (ICC) both suggest that the word order brings together ADIKOI QEOU to heighten the contrast. G.Fee and A.Thiselton say nothing at all about it.
Given the issues raised above, it seems reasonable to suggest that we have a marked word order here. It probably isn't very important, but it is an eye catcher.
Elizabeth Kline
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