Re: Luke 3:18 Syntax

From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Thu Oct 08 1998 - 19:12:33 EDT


<x-rich>At 3:39 PM -0500 10/8/98, G. Ross wrote:

<excerpt>I would appreciate it if someone would be kind enough to
explain to me the syntax of Luke 3:18.

 

POLLA MEN OUN KAI hETERA PARAKALWN EUHGGELIZETO TON LAON.

 

I am currently reviewing the form and use of present (continuous)
participles as presented in chapter 27 of Mounce's _Basics of Biblical
Greek_. The verse given above is part of a translation exercise in the
workbook that accompanies Mounce's BBG.

 

What puzzles me is the use of the middle voice of EUANGGELIZW. Do
POLLA and hETERA function as the grammatical subjects of EUHGGELIZETO
(neuter compound subject with a verb in the singular) and consequently
TON LAON as the direct object of PARAKALWN?

</excerpt>

Luke regularly uses the verb as EUAGGELIZOMAI--only in the middle
voice. POLLA and hETERA are best understood, I'd say, as objects of
PARAKALWN (or some might say that they are "adverbial" accusatives with
PARAKALWN). They are definitely NOT the subject of EUHGGELIZETO. Read
the sentence, I'd say: "So offering also many other exhortations, he
evangelized the people."

Carl W. Conrad

Department of Classics/Washington University

One Brookings Drive/St. Louis, MO, USA 63130/(314) 935-4018

Home: 7222 Colgate Ave./St. Louis, MO 63130/(314) 726-5649

cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu OR cconrad@yancey.main.nc.us

WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/

</x-rich>



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