[B-Greek] MONOU QEOU in John 5:44
Carl Conrad
cwconrad2 at mac.com
Sat Mar 26 18:15:40 EDT 2011
On Mar 26, 2011, at 4:50 PM, Mark Lightman wrote:
> 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.)
Interesting passage, but I don't think the English version is sufficient to demonstrate that MONAS,
gen. sg. fem. in agreement with QEAS as noted, is adverbial. It could as well be converted as,
"She (i.e. Ananke) is the only goddess whose altars, whose cult image one cannot approach; she heeds not
sacrifices." Nevertheless, the emphasis on the fronted MONAS is marked.
But I'd be wary of taking a pattern from usage in Classical Attic verse as evidence for
analysis of NT Koine prose.
> ________________________________
> 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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Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
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