Infinitives and ditransitive verbs

From: Micheal Palmer (mwpalmer@earthlink.net)
Date: Wed May 21 1997 - 00:24:36 EDT


I'm working on a paper on infinitival clauses in hellenistic Greek and a
puzzle has occurred to me. I need some help trying to resolve it.

First, a little background:

The verb THELW, like many others in the New Testament, is transitive (not
ditransitive), taking one object as in Matthew 9:13

        ELEOS QELW
        I want mercy

The role played by ELEOS (mercy) here is usually played by an infinitival
clause, though, as in Mark 9:35

        EI TIS QELEI PRWTOS EINAI...
        If anyone wants to be first...

PRWTOS EINAI (to be first) is what is wanted. It is the complement (object)
of QELW.

Occassionally, a *ditransitive* verb (a verb which takes two objects,
usually one in the accusative case and one in the dative) allows one of its
complements (objects) to be an infinitival clause, as with DIDWMI in Acts
2:4

        TO PNEUMA EDIDOU APOFQEGGESQAI AUTOIS
        The Spirit gave them [ability] to speak

When DIDWMI is made passive, if one of its complements is an infinitival
clause, that clause is always made the subject, as in Luke 8:10

        UMIN DEDOTAI GNWNAI TA MUSTHRIA THS BASILEIAS TOU QEOU
        To you has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God
        [To know the mysteries of the kingdom of God] has been given to you

The other complement (object) is never made subject while leaving the
infinitival clause as a complement.

Now, here's my puzzle:

Are there any ditransitive verbs which *do* make the non-infinitve
complement the subject when they are passive, and leave the infinitival
clause as a complement? This would be something like:

        You have been given the ability to know the secrets of the kingdom...

with 'you' in the nominative case.

I have been able to find no examples of this. Why is that? Are there none
in the New Testament? What about outside the New Testament?

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Micheal W. Palmer mwpalmer@earthlink.net
Religion & Philosophy
Meredith College

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