[B-Greek] MONOU QEOU in John 5:44
Mark Lightman
lightmanmark at yahoo.com
Sat Mar 26 16:50:14 EDT 2011
Hi, Daniel,
This morning I read this in Euripides Alcestis 973 concerning the goddess
Destiny:
μόνας δ' οὔτ' ἐπὶ βωμοὺς ἐλθεῖν οὔτε βρέτας θεᾶς ἔστιν, οὐ σφαγίων κλύει.
(MONAS D' OUTE EPI BWMOUS ELQEIN BRETAS QEAS ESTIN, OU SFAGIWN KLUEI.)
Only to the altars and images of this god is it impossible to go. She doesn't
pay attention to offerings.
(μόνας is used by Euripides in choruses for μὀνης.)
Mark L
Φωσφορος
FWSFOROS MARKOS
________________________________
From: Daniel Buck <bucksburg at yahoo.com>
To: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Sat, March 26, 2011 2:03:47 PM
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] MONOU QEOU in John 5:44
Mark,
Thanks for your opinion; its not so popular here, but I'm getting the idea that
translating this clause is not so cut-and-dried as some think it to be. If MONOU
is used adverbially here, apparently its the only such use in Scripture.
Here's an interesting opion from Wieland Willker's Textual Commentary:
Zahn (Comm. Jo) notes that PARA TOU MONOU QEOU d
There's some good evidence that this is an ancient way of translating the
phrase. Here is how the Old Latin evidence breaks down:
from him who is God alone: r1
from God alone: e g1mg f l
from the only God: a d c
from him that is the only: b
from the only: a
HT to Barry Hofstetter, to whom Latin always sounds sweet.
Daniel Buck
________________________________
From: Mark Lightman lightmanmark at yahoo.com
from God who alone is: ff2 aur qoes not mean "from God alone", but "from the one
who alone is God."
Hi, Daniel,
As you know, quite often Greek uses adjectives, even in the nominative, where
English would use adverbs. This is such a basic feature of Greek that I don't
need to give any examples.
I think MONOU is functioning as an adverb here in John 5:44. I find Moulton's
reasoning plausible.
I only found two translations which bring this out, but they are two of the
oldest and two of the best:
"...and seek not the honor that comes from God only." (KJV)
"...and the glory which is from God alone you seek not." (Rheims)
Why the more modern translations choose to depart from this I don't know.
Mark L Φωσφορος FWSFOROS MARKOS
________________________________
Sent: Tue, March 22, 2011 2:21:48 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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