Re: MEN OUN

From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Wed Jan 07 1998 - 15:52:48 EST


At 5:47 AM -0600 1/7/98, clayton stirling bartholomew wrote:
>Acts 8:4 has: hOI MEN OUN . . .
>
>Trying to determine the exact force of MEN OUN, I checked Smyth (#2901),
>Denniston (p. 470ff), and BAGD (p503.2.e). Smyth and Denniston give quite a
>range of meanings for combination MEN OUN, where as BAGD gives "continuation."
>
>In light of the activity of Paul in Acts 8:3 it seems like reading MEN ON as
>indicating only "continuation" is rather bland. I wonder if some of the
>earlier diversity of meaning has survived into the Koine period. If Luke
>wanted to indicate merely continuation why didn't he use DE or KAI? I think
>Luke probably intended something a little more lively but I am not sure
>exactly what.
>
>Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

I will "essay an opinion": it certainly should be said that this is not the
combination that would be printed together as MENOUN. Rather I think it is
a MEN coordinated with the DE in 8:5 accompanied by a continuative OUN. I'd
translate the pair of verses somewhat: "Now those who had been scattered
went every which way proclaiming the gospel word, but Philip, upon his
arrival in Samaria, ..."

I would add that I think the context is not just the activity of Paul in
8:3 but rather the dispersion and aftermath of the stoning of Stephen as a
whole sequence in 8:1b-3.

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics/Washington University
One Brookings Drive/St. Louis, MO, USA 63130/(314) 935-4018
Home: 7222 Colgate Ave./St. Louis, MO 63130/(314) 726-5649
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu OR cconrad@yancey.main.nc.us
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/



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