[b-greek] Re: Galatians 2:16 EAN MH

From: Glenn Blank (glennblank@earthlink.net)
Date: Fri Mar 29 2002 - 15:24:43 EST




>From: "Michael Abernathy" <mabernat@cub.kcnet.org>
>Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 11:16:39 -0800
>
>EIDOTES hOTI OU DIKAIOUTAI ANQRWPOS EX ERGWN NOMOU EAN MH DIA PISTEWS
IHSOU
>CRISTOU
>
>In another forum we have been discussing whether EAN MH should be
translated
>as adversative or exceptive. What does EAN MH modify in Galatians 2:16 OU
>DIKAIOUTAI ANQRWPOS or EX ERGWN NOMOU?

I assume you mean what does the clause under the scope of EAN MH modify?
EAN is a subordinating conjunction governing a clause, in this case, an
elliptical clause:

EAN MH [ DIKAIOUTAI] DIA PISTEWS IHSOU CRISTOU,

and ISTM that what a subordinate clause modifies is the entire matrix
clause, and not merely one of its constituents: thus, it modifies

OU DIKAIOUTAI ANQRWPOS EX ERGWN NOMWN.

Manolis Nikolaou wrote:

>The confusion in this case is apparently due to the double function of OU
>DIKAIOUTAI ANQRWPOS:

>OU DIKAIOUTAI ANQRWPOS EX ERGWN NOMWN.
>OU DIKAIOUTAI ANQRWPOS EAN MH DIA PISTEWS IHSOU CRISTOU.

>I guess either EX ERGWN NOMWN should have been omitted, or EAN MH should
>have been replaced by some more appropriate word (e.g. ALLA).

Should it have been? ISTM that both of these renditions say something
different from what the text actually says. Also, either omitting EX ERGWN
NOMOU or changing EAN MH to ALLA makes the text say something different than
what it does, while the meaning as it stands seems quite straightforward . .
. "A man will not be justified by the works of the law unless it is on the
basis of faith in Christ." Now, we might would rather it say what it would
say with ALLA than with EAN MH, but is that any reason for assuming the
former is what Paul meant to say?

But now to jump to your side of the argument, Manolis, the context of this
chapter does seem to be saying what verse 16 would say with ALLA rather than
what it seems to say with EAN MH, and certainly in light of Ephesians 2.9,
one would expect to see ALLA rather than EAN MH here. So should I conclude
that EAN MH and ALLA share a logical structure in Greek in a way that "but"
and "if not" do not in English? Or did Paul choose EAN MH instead of ALLA
for some type of rhetorical effect? Or?

glenn blank
Pensacola FL

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