[b-greek] Re: Punctuation query

From: Mark DelCogliano (cassian@dellepro.com)
Date: Mon Dec 10 2001 - 17:57:19 EST


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<DIV><FONT face=Garamond>Augustine notes several punctuation-ambiguities in De
Doctrina Christiana III.2-5, one of which involves John 1:1-2:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Garamond></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Garamond>The so-called 'heretics' punctuate it thus:
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Garamond>In principio erat Verbum et Verbum erat apud Deum et
Deus erat. Verbum hoc erat in principio apud Deum.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Garamond></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Garamond>while the 'orthodox' thus: </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Garamond></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Garamond>In principio erat Verbum et Verbum erat apud Deum et
Deus erat Verbum. Hoc erat in principio apud Deum.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Garamond></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Garamond>Augustine says the 'heretical' punctuation denies that
the Word is God, whereas the 'orthodox' confesses the equality of the three
divine persons.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Garamond></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Garamond>I suppose a similar ambiguity could be ascribed to the
Greek text as well, i.e. KAI QEOS. HN hO LOGOS hOUTOS... vs. KAI QEOS HN hO
LOGOS. hOUTOS...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Garamond></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Garamond>I dont know if this ambiguity is transferrable to
English but the other examples Augustine cites may be so...check them
out.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Garamond></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Garamond>Hope this is helpful,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Garamond></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Garamond>Mark DelCogliano</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV
  style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
  <A title=rdecker@bbc.edu href="mailto:rdecker@bbc.edu">Decker, Rodney</A>
  </DIV>
  <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=b-greek@franklin.oit.unc.edu
  href="mailto:b-greek@franklin.oit.unc.edu">Biblical Greek</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, December 10, 2001 4:26
  PM</DIV>
  <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [b-greek] Punctuation
query</DIV>
  <DIV><BR></DIV>
  <P><FONT size=2>&nbsp;Could anyone offer an example (or a few such) in which
  the *punctuation* of a NT text (i.e., a punctuation variant) changes the
  meaning? I'm looking for clear examples in which the text could be read
  (legitimately, not humorously!) in at least two different ways depending on
  the way the text is punctuated--and which readings clearly result in a
  different meaning (not just a different emphasis or two different way to say
  essentially the same thing).</FONT></P>
  <P><FONT size=2>The primary impetus for this query is an English teacher's
  query for such an example as she teaches punctuation. I've run across such
  examples before (often involving questions, as I recall--though I'd prefer
  exs. which hinge on a colon vs coma vs period), but I can't pull up any off
  the top of my head at the moment--and I don't have the time to do a lot of
  work tracking it down. Who better to ask, I thought, than the b-greek
  community where such knowledge is readily available?!</FONT></P>
  <P><FONT size=2>============================================</FONT> <BR><FONT
  size=2>Rodney J. Decker, Th.D.</FONT> <BR><FONT size=2>Associate
  Prof./NT</FONT> <BR><FONT size=2>Baptist Bible Seminary</FONT> <BR><FONT
  size=2>Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania</FONT> <BR><FONT size=2><A target=_blank
  href="http://faculty.bbc.edu/rdecker/">http://faculty.bbc.edu/rdecker/></FONT>
  <BR><FONT size=2>============================================</FONT>
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