Duff's Greek textbook has the following phrase:
γαρ εστιν υμων ο διδασκαλος
Τhe above phrase is translated by Duff as follows:
"for you have one teacher"
Since this phrase is about "having" a teacher, shouldn't a derivative of εχω be used, instead of εστιν? Ιs εστιν sometimes used idiomatically to indicate possession instead of being?
Idiomatic Use of εστιν?
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Re: Idiomatic Use of εστιν?
The phrase appears to be taken from Matthew 23:8 and it is missing the first word.
PS. Yes, in Greek ἐστιν can be used to indicate possession, sometimes with the dative, sometimes with the genitive.
PPS: The "have" in "you have one teacher" doesn't express possession either.
As for the translation, it is not appear that Duff is being word-for-word literal, but what's the deep difference between, e.g., "the book is yours" and "you have a book"? Many languages without a verb for "have" use an expression with "be" like the former example.Matt 23:8 wrote:Ὑμεῖς δὲ μὴ κληθῆτε ῥαββί· εἷς γάρ ἐστιν ὑμῶν ὁ διδάσκαλος, πάντες δὲ ὑμεῖς ἀδελφοί ἐστε.
PS. Yes, in Greek ἐστιν can be used to indicate possession, sometimes with the dative, sometimes with the genitive.
PPS: The "have" in "you have one teacher" doesn't express possession either.
Stephen C. Carlson, Ph.D.
Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne, Australia
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Re: Idiomatic Use of εστιν?
It's also possible to take ὑμῶν here as an objective genitive with διδάσκολος.
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.
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.
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Re: Idiomatic Use of εστιν?
That's what I thought too, if that gives "your teacher". The most litetal translation would then be: "for your teacher is one". No "have" involved. That would need a dative I think, and then the definite article would be problematic.Barry Hofstetter wrote: ↑July 14th, 2017, 3:48 pm It's also possible to take ὑμῶν here as an objective genitive with διδάσκολος.
Another possibility is to take ὑμῶν as a partitive genitive with εἷς, "the teacher is one of you", but I think the first interpretation fits the context better.