[B-Greek] Joel 3:1-2 (LXX) & Acts 2:17-18 - Why EKCEW APO TOUPNEUMATOS MOU instead of EKCEW TO PNEUMA MOU?

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Tue May 11 05:31:58 EDT 2010


On May 10, 2010, at 7:53 PM, Blue Meeksbay wrote:
> Here is another verse to throw into the mix.
>  
>  
> KAI KATABHSOMAI KAI LALHSW EKEI META SOU KAI AFELW APO TOU PNEUMATOS TOU EPI SOI KAI EPIQHSW EP᾽ AUTOUS KAI SUNANTILHMYONTAI META SOU THN hORMHN TOU LAOU KAI OUK OISEIS AUTOUS SU MONOS  Numbers 11:17

Well, if your intent is simply to add another instance of LXX usage of APO with genitive in a partitive sense, I might as well cite the relevant Conybeare & Stock entry for APO:

§92. ἀπό. a. ἀπό in the LXX is often little more than a sign of the genitive, like our English ‘of,’ provided that the genitive be partitive.
	Ex 12:46 καὶ ὀστοῦν οὐ συντρίψετε ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ.
	Josh 9:8 οὐκ ἦν ῥῆμα ἀπὸ πάντων ὧν ἐνετείλατο Μωυσῆς τῷ Ἰησοῖ ὃ οὐκ ἀνέγνω Ἰησοῦς.
	3 K. [2 Kings.] 18:13 ἔκρυψα ἀπὸ τῶν προφητῶν Κυρίου ἑκατὸν ἄνδρας.
	Joel 2:28 ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου.
	2 Esd. [Ezra] 11:2 εἷς ἀπὸ ἀδελφῶν μου.
	So in N.T. -
	Lk 6:13 ἐκλεξάμενος ἀπ’ αὐτῶν δώδεκα.
	Jn 21:10 ἐνέγκατε ἀπὸ τῶν ὀψαρίων ὧν ἐπιάσατε νῦν.

[§92. APO. a. APO in the LXX is often little more than a sign of the genitive, like our English ‘of,’ provided that the genitive be partitive.
	Ex 12:46 KAI OSTOUN OU SUNTRIYETE AP' AUTOU.
	Josh 9:8 OUK HN hRHMA APO PANTWN hWN ENETEILATO MWUSHS TWi IHSOI hO OUK ANEGNW IHSOUS.
	3 K. [2 Kings.] 18:13 EKRUYA APO TWN PROFHTWN KURIOU hEKATON ANDRAS.
	Joel 2:28 EKCEW APO TOU PNEUMATOS MOU.
	2 Esd. [Ezra] 11:2 hEIS APO ADELFWN MOU.
	So in N.T. -
	Lk 6:13 EKLEXAMENOS AP' AUTWN DWDEKA.
	Jn 21:10 ENEGKATE APO TWN OYARIWN hWN EPIASATE NUN.]

For what it's worth, English "of" is in fact etymologically cognate with Greek APO, according tot he dictionary:
"ORIGIN Old English , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch af and German ab, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin ab and Greek apo."

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)






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