Θεός

Semantic Range, Lexicography, and other approaches to word meaning - in general, or for particular words.
Barry Hofstetter
Posts: 2159
Joined: May 6th, 2011, 1:48 pm

Re: Θεός

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

Scott Lawson wrote:Barry,
Here is the footnote after the phrase "predicative term." I'm not sure it is any more helpful in answering the question. I posted the TDNT entry more as informational than explanatory and also to indicate Harris' source. Sorry for the confusion. And thank you so much for your participation in helping me find answers to my question.



Hes. Op., 764 of the φήμη: θεός νύ τίς ἐστι καὶ αὐτή. Aesch. Choeph., 59 f.: τόδʼ εὐτυχεῖν, τόδʼ ἐμ βροτοῖς θεός τε καὶ θεοῦ πλέον. Eur. Hel., 560; cf. U. v. Wilamowitz, Der Glaube der Hellenen, I (1931), 17 f.
Thanks. Of course these examples only prove that the noun may be used as a predicate, not that somehow it was originally predicative by nature. And no confusion or problems -- very much appreciate your efforts.
N.E. Barry Hofstetter, M.A., Th.M.
Ph.D. Student U of FL
Instructor of Latin
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy
καὶ σὺ τὸ σὸν ποιήσεις κἀγὼ τὸ ἐμόν. ἆρον τὸ σὸν καὶ ὕπαγε.
D Ryan Lowe
Posts: 31
Joined: June 25th, 2012, 1:45 am

Re: Θεός

Post by D Ryan Lowe »

Scott Lawson wrote:With a little help from my fiends (Sounds Beatle-ish in my ears.) I've learned that evidently Harris got the idea that θεός was originally a predicative term from TDNT

A. The Greek Concept of God.

1. θεός in the Usage of Secular Gk.

The question of the etym. of θεός has never been solved. It can thus tell us nothing about the nature of the Gk. concept of God.1 θεός2 is originally a predicative term;3 hence its use is as broad and varied as the religious interpretation of the world and of life by the Gks. Homer already uses both the plur. (οἱ) θεοί and the indefinite sing. θεός (τις).4 In this use he is sometimes thinking of divine being and work in general,5 sometimes of a particular god,6 and sometimes specifically of Zeus.7 There is similar variation between θεός and ὁ θεός with no obvious distinction of sense. We also have variations, often close together, between “the gods,” “the god,” “god,” and “the godhead,” as though they were all monistic terms referring to a single power.8
Maybe something was lost in translation. Anyone have the German TDNT to compare?
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