[b-greek] Re: Gal 3:8 ( the dangling subject)

From: Moon-Ryul Jung (moon@saint.soongsil.ac.kr)
Date: Mon Feb 12 2001 - 10:47:21 EST


> >> > >[Moon]
> >> > >> >In Gal 3:8 we have:
> >> > >> >
> >> > >> >PROIDOUSA hH GRAFH hOTI EK PISTEWS DIKAIOI TA EQNH hO QEOS,
> >> > >> >PROEUANGGELISATO TWi ABRAHAM hOTI ENEULOGHQHSONTAI EN SOI
> >> > >> >PANTA TA EQNH.
> >> > >> >
>
> >> > >[Moon]
> >> > >Is there any reason why Paul did not write as follows?
> >> > >
> >> > > PROIDOUSA hOTI EK PISTEWS DIKAIOI TA EQNH hO QEOS,
> >> > >> >PROEUANGGELISATO hH GRAFH TWi ABRAHAM hOTI ENEULOGHQHSONTAI EN SOI
> >> > >> >PANTA TA EQNH.
> >> >
> >> >
> >[Iver]
> >> It seems to me that Moon' suggestion is more complex to process mentally
> >>than
> >> what Paul said, because then the subject GRAFH is missing from where it is
> >> needed most. Carl has a good point that Paul did not write the text down and
> >> then went back over it to push it into shape. He had to formulate his
> >>thoughts
> >> in his mind before saying/dictating them. Similarly, the letter was
> >>intended to
> >> be understood by people who heard it read.
> >>
> >> In this example, hH GRAFH is the semantic agent (subject) for both the
> >>finite
> >> clause and the fronted participial, dependent clause. Once the participle
> >> PROIDOUSA has been heard, the hearer is waiting for a feminine noun as
> >>subject.
> >> It is easier to connect PROIDOUSA with GRAFH if GRAFH occurs as soon as
> >>posible
> >> after PROIDOUSA, rather than having to keep a lot of other stuff in the mind
> >> until finally in the finite clause, you hear the subject GRAFH.
> >>
> >
> >[Moon]
> >I agree with you. The best way to convey the idea is to translate it as
> >follows:
> >
> >The scripture foreseeing that God will justify the Gentiles by faith,
> >it fore-evangelized to Abraham that all the gentiles will be blessed in
> >you.
> >
> [Carl]
> I'd re-write your sentence thus:
>
> "The scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith,
> fore-evangelized to Abraham: "All the Gentiles wil be blessed in you."
>
>
> [Moon] Now, what is the
> >reason
> >for denying hH GRAFH the status of the subject of the participial
> >clause? If we consider hH GRAFH the subject of the participial clause,
> >then this participial clause can be called "nominative absolute".
> >What do you think?
>
[Carl]
> Well, I'd say we don't HAVE a participial clause here; rather we have a
> subject, hH GRAFH and a circumstantial participle explaining WHY "scripture
> fore-evangelized to Abraham."
> --

[Moon]
I got it. I accept that hH GRAFH is not the grammatical subject of
the participle, but is moved up front to help the reader or hearer
identify the agent of the participle easily, as Iver argued.
But it is really amazing that Greek has this kind of flexibility.

Moon
Moon-Ryul Jung
Sogang Univ, Seoul, Korea
 

 
> 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
> cwconrad@ioa.com
> http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/

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