Luke 11.8

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Alan Patterson
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Joined: September 3rd, 2011, 7:21 pm
Location: Emory University

Luke 11.8

Post by Alan Patterson »

This is from the parable of the man (Mr. 1) persistently trying to get his neighbor (Mr. 2) awake in order to get some bread from him. Verse 8 seems somewhat straightforward but some see the antecedent of αυτου referring to the awakened neighbor, Mr. 2, and some see it referring to Mr. 1 who is desperately trying to wake up Mr. 2. to borrow some bread.

Luke 11.8 reads

λεγω υμιν ει και ου δωσει αυτω αναστας δια το ειναι φιλον αυτου δια γε την αναιδειαν αυτου εγερθεις δωσει αυτω οσων χρηζει

Who is the antecedent of the first αυτου? Mr. 1 or Mr. 2?

I added the titles Mr. 1 and Mr. 2 simply because one is referred to as a neighbor, and that would mean Mr. 1 and Mr 2 are both neighbors.
χαρις υμιν και ειρηνη,
Alan Patterson
Stephen Carlson
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Location: Melbourne
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Re: Luke 11.8

Post by Stephen Carlson »

Sometimes the ambiguity doesn't matter. Being neighbors is a reflexive property, so if A is B's neighbor, then B is A's neighbor. Thus the same relationship is indicated, no matter how the antecedent of αὐτοῦ is resolved.

Not that it matters in this case, but I'd take the highlighted αὐτοῦ to refer to the subject of εἶναι and δώσω (Mr. 2?).
Stephen C. Carlson, Ph.D.
Melbourne, Australia
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