Re: Jn. 10:10, PERISSON EXWSIN

From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Tue Aug 22 1995 - 11:49:43 EDT


At 10:24 AM 8/22/95, David Moore wrote:
>"Carl W. Conrad" <cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu> wrote:
>
>>I don't really think the meaning of [Jn. 10:10] differs significantly from
>>one way of reading it to the other, and it may well be that you are right,
>>David, in this interpretation, but I'm not sure that the classical examples
>>cited are sufficient to prove PERISSON/PERITTON was actually used
>>substantivally rather than adverbially.
>
> Thanks, Carl, for the analysis of the classical references. In
>the citation from the LXX, however (Prov. 14:23), PERISSON translates the
>Hebrew word _mothar_ which means "abundance," "plenty," according to BDBG
>lexicon, although Halliday has it "profit," "benefit."
>
> The change in meaning, as you point out, is slight whether one
>interprets it as a substantive or an adverb, but I think the immediate
>context favors the substantive meaning. Also, I'm wondering why you say
>that PERISSON is neuter in Jn. 10:10. Couldn't it as easily be masculine.

Theoretically it could be masculine, but that would yield the idea
"superfluous person," hardly what we want in the context, I think. For the
sense "superabundance," we really ought to have the neuter. Let me
reiterate that I'm not sure we ARE, in fact, dealing with an adverbial
usage here; I was just saying that I didn't think the classical references
cited definitely PROVED that we were dealing with a substantive.

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University
One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO, USA 63130
(314) 935-4018
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu OR cwc@oui.com
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/



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