Re: Summary: Something from Nothing (longish)

From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Wed Feb 21 1996 - 09:01:22 EST


On 2/21/96, James H. Vellenga wrote:

> I find this discussion of thinginess and unthinginess relative to
> creation fascinating. But if the concept of "no-thing-ness" was
> the order of the day, can it be generalized in translation?
> For example, in 1 Cor. 13.2-3, when Paul says "I am nothing" and
> "I gain nothing," is he really saying "I am unsubstantial" and
> "I gain no tangible benefits"? Or is OUDEN/OUQEN a different kind
> of fish?

There's "nothing" (nor "any thing," for that matter, either) in this
suggestion. OUQEN is simply a common Boeotian dialect equivalent of OUDEN
that became more common in the Hellenistic era.

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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