[B-Greek] Jam 3:7 FUSIS
Iver Larsen
iver_larsen at sil.org
Tue Mar 15 02:37:51 EDT 2011
----- Original Message -----
From: "Oun Kwon" <kwonbbl at gmail.com>
To: <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: 15. marts 2011 05:15
Subject: [B-Greek] Jam 3:7 FUSIS
> Jam 3:7 πᾶσα γὰρ φύσις θηρίων
> τε καὶ πετεινῶν ἑρπετῶν τε καὶ ἐναλίων
> δαμάζεται καὶ δεδάμασται
> τῇ φύσει τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ:
>
> PASA GAR FUSIS QHRIWN TE KAI PETEINWN ERPETWN TE KAI ENALIWN
> DAMAZETAI THi FUSEI THi ANQRWPINHi
>
> The sense of this verse is quite simple. However, what sense the word
> FUSIS in this verse carries? I like to see what it means by saying
> 'PASA FUSIS' (?all nature of such creatures) and 'TH FUSEI THi
> ANQRWPINHi' (? by those partaking the nature of man'). It would be
> much easier for me if I find the Greek text with this FUSIS, e.g. by
> simply saying 'the creatures' and 'by man' (e.g. hUPO~).
>
> Thank you for your help.
>
> Oun Kwon
Even though there is no hUPO or EN, the dative phrase THi FUSEI THi ANQRWPINHi
seems to refer to the agent for the preceding two passive verbs for taming.
ἀνθρώπινος ANQRWPINOS is an adjective that modifies the head noun. The whole
sentence highlights the power of humans over beasts in the sense of their
ability to tame all kinds of animals. I don't see a problem with understanding
both instances of FUSIS here as "species". The human species is taming and has
tamed all animal species.
BUT, as the next verse says, while the human species has the faculty of speech,
which no animal has, the human has not be able to tame that "animal". Tongue is
a common metonym for speech.
Iver Larsen
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