[b-greek] Re: PRWTON in Rom 1.16

From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Thu Feb 21 2002 - 19:33:54 EST


At 1:55 PM -0800 2/21/02, Alan B. Thomas wrote:
>Iver wrote...
>
>> > > PRWTON then modifies the underlying semantic
>> verb SWiZW from
>> > SWTHRIAN, not
>> > > the whole sentence. The Jews are first in line
>> to be saved.
>
>This thread has been somewhat of a surprise.
>
>I think it would be a bit odd to take IOUDAIWi as an
>adverb here, modifying some verbal element.
>Grammatically, I think you simply must have an
>ADJECTIVE TE .... KAI NOUN.
>
>I think Iver is right that PRWTON modifies the
>verbal element inherent in EIS SWTHRIAN.
>
>Yielding this in some sense:
>
>It is the power of God
> resulting in salvation
> first, to the Jew
> and then the Gentile
>indeed, to all those who believe.

In English we put the limiting adverbs "first" and "then" in advance of
what they limit; but let's not be confused. The sense of the text is NOT:
"resulting in salvation first, for both Jew and Gentile" --and "then" isn't
in the Greek except by implication as a corollary of the PRWTON.

>Is not the ADJECTIVE of IOUDIAOS Jew or Jewish.

IOUDAIOS,A,ON is an adjective; it may of course, like just about any
adjective, be used substantivally.

>The ADVERB of IOUDAI- is IOUDAIKWS, like a Jew.
>
>How do we make grammatical sense out of "like a Jew?"

I'm afraid that this misses the point that PRWTON functions to limit
IOUDAIWi, not SWTHRIAN. And I never argued that IOUDAIWi was an adverb: it
is a noun in the dative case--BUT: the function of the dative case here is
adverbial (to SWTHRIAN, to be sure).

Moreover, the version above seems to take "all those who believe" as a sort
of summary appositive to IOUDAIWi TE PRWTON KAI hELLHNI, whereas in fact
this latter phrase must depend upon the grammatically prior PANTI TWi
PISTEUONTI.

Then there's Mark Wilson's additional query from shortly ago (Greenwich
time, Mark?):

At 10:34 PM +0000 2/21/02, Mark Wilson wrote:
>QLIYIS KAI STENOCWRIA PASAN YUCHN ANQRWPOU
>TOU KATERGAZOMENOU TO KAKON
>IOUDAIOU TE PRWTON KAI hELLHNOS
>
>What does PRWTON modify here?
>
>Is IOUDAIOU adjectival or adverbial?

Adjectival--and perhaps it should be called adjectival in 1:16 as well,
qualifying PANTI TWi PISTEUONTI. An adverb can limit either an verb, an
adjective, or another adverb. And there's hardly a question here of PRWTON
qualifying KATERGAZOMENOU rather than IOUDAIOU.

--

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
Most months:: 1647 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu OR cwconrad@ioa.com
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/

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