[B-Greek] MONOU QEOU in John 5:44

Daniel Buck bucksburg at yahoo.com
Tue Mar 22 22:11:30 EDT 2011


So, are you saying that in order to get the traditional meaning we would expect 
a reading along the lines of τοῦ θεοῦ μόνον οὐ ζητεῖτε TO QEOU MONON OU ZHTEITE?

Daniel Buck



________________________________
From: George F Somsel <gfsomsel at yahoo.com>
To: Daniel Buck <bucksburg at yahoo.com>; b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Tue, March 22, 2011 5:44:01 PM
Subject: Re: [B-Greek]   MONOU QEOU in John 5:44


πῶς δύνασθε ὑμεῖς πιστεῦσαι δόξαν παρὰ ἀλλήλων λαμβάνοντες, καὶ τὴν δόξαν τὴν 
παρὰ τοῦ μόνου θεοῦ οὐ ζητεῖτε;
PWS DUNASQE hUMEIS PISTEUSAI DOCAN PARA ALLHLWN LAMBANONTES, KAI THN DOCAN THN 
PARA TOU MONOU QEOU OU ZHTEITE?
 
Μόνου MONOU is not used adverbially.  It is clearly an adjective as it is in 
agreement with θεοῦ QEOU.  We find an instance of μόνος  used as an adv in Jn 
8.29 
 
καὶ ὁ πέμψας με μετʼ ἐμοῦ ἐστιν· οὐκ ἀφῆκέν με μόνον
KAI hO PEMYAS ME MET' EMOU ESTIN; OUK AFHKEN ME MONON
 
Note that as an adv it appears as an neut acc.  Note also the position of μόνου 
MONOU.  It is sandwiched between the article and the noun.  While θεοῦ QEOU is 
a noun and not an adjective, note what the same author says regarding the 
position of the adverb as following
 "An adverb usually follows the adj. or verb which it determines, in NT. Mt 2:16 
ἐθυμώθη λίαν, 4:8 ὑψηλὸν λίαν, Lk 12:28 ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ τὸν χόρτον ὄντα σήμερονwhich 
exists to-day not which is in the field to-day."
 george
gfsomsel 



________________________________
 From: Daniel Buck <bucksburg at yahoo.com>
To: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Tue, March 22, 2011 1:21:48 PM
Subject: [B-Greek] MONOU QEOU in John 5:44

KAI THN DOXAN THN PARA TOU MONOU QEOU OU ZHTEITE --John 5:44
" . . . and seek not the honour that comes from God alone?"

"A Grammar of New Testament Greek," by James Hope Moulton, Vol.  III-Syntax, by 
Nigel Turner, pg. 225-226: "There is therefore not  surprisingly some confusion 
of monos with the adv. monon . . . In Jn 5:44 monou is best  TAKEN ADVERBIALLY; 
not from him who alone is God, but only from God  (Jewish monotheism was 
unimpeachable; Jesus was referring to their love  of human praise), in spite of 
the word order. Lk 5:21 adv.  monos."

Bible translators generally appear not to agree that MONOU should be taken 
adverbially here; can anyone comment on why?

Daniel Buck


      


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