Use of the article with abstract nouns (Col 3:14)

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Stephen Carlson
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Use of the article with abstract nouns (Col 3:14)

Post by Stephen Carlson »

Both Greek and English are article languages and the overlap in their usage goes a long way. But not all the way. One of the biggest "impedence mismatches" between the two language is that Greek uses the article with abstract nouns a lot more than English.

Here, I want to look at Col 3:14. Let's give it some context:
Col 3:12-14 wrote:12 Ἐνδύσασθε οὖν, ὡς ἐκλεκτοὶ τοῦ θεοῦ ἅγιοι καὶ ἠγαπημένοι, σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμοῦ χρηστότητα ταπεινοφροσύνην πραΰτητα μακροθυμίαν, 13 ἀνεχόμενοι ἀλλήλων καὶ χαριζόμενοι ἑαυτοῖς ἐάν τις πρός τινα ἔχῃ μομφήν· καθὼς καὶ ὁ κύριος ἐχαρίσατο ὑμῖν, οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς· 14 ἐπὶ πᾶσιν δὲ τούτοις τὴν ἀγάπην, ὅ ἐστιν σύνδεσμος τῆς τελειότητος.
In v.12, the Colossians are told to clothes themselves with various virtues, all anarthrous (heart of mercy, kindness, humility, etc.), and then at the beginning of v.14, "on top of all these" (ἐπὶ πᾶσιν δὲ τούτοις), "love" (τὴν ἀγάπην). But this time, the virtue is arthrous. Why?

The usual suspects for the article are not present here. For example, there's no anaphora to a prior mention of love in the context. The Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament ventures "The art. with ἀγάπη suggests that concrete expressions of love, love dramatized, is in mind (cf. Z § 146)." -- but this seems to be grasping at straws since the context is general not concrete. What gives?
Stephen C. Carlson, Ph.D.
Melbourne, Australia
Eeli Kaikkonen
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Re: Use of the article with abstract nouns

Post by Eeli Kaikkonen »

Is it possible that it could be understood something like "that love which is.." (ὅ ἐστιν)?
Barry Hofstetter
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Re: Use of the article with abstract nouns

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

Eeli Kaikkonen wrote: November 3rd, 2020, 11:39 am Is it possible that it could be understood something like "that love which is.." (ὅ ἐστιν)?
That's rather how I took it, with the relative clause clarifying the specificity of the definite article.
N.E. Barry Hofstetter, M.A., Th.M.
Ph.D. Student U of FL
Instructor of Latin
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy
καὶ σὺ τὸ σὸν ποιήσεις κἀγὼ τὸ ἐμόν. ἆρον τὸ σὸν καὶ ὕπαγε.
Stephen Carlson
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Re: Use of the article with abstract nouns

Post by Stephen Carlson »

Eeli Kaikkonen wrote: November 3rd, 2020, 11:39 am Is it possible that it could be understood something like "that love which is.." (ὅ ἐστιν)?
A defining relative clause would expect the article, but the neuter is a challenge for that interpretation. Rather, ὅ ἐστιν is just an equivalent of τουτέστιν and refers to the general concept of love being on top all the other virtues. At least that's how the EGGNT and other sources I've consulted take it.
Stephen C. Carlson, Ph.D.
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Barry Hofstetter
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Re: Use of the article with abstract nouns

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

Stephen Carlson wrote: November 3rd, 2020, 6:31 pm
Eeli Kaikkonen wrote: November 3rd, 2020, 11:39 am Is it possible that it could be understood something like "that love which is.." (ὅ ἐστιν)?
A defining relative clause would expect the article, but the neuter is a challenge for that interpretation. Rather, ὅ ἐστιν is just an equivalent of τουτέστιν and refers to the general concept of love being on top all the other virtues. At least that's how the EGGNT and other sources I've consulted take it.
That's a good point, "something which" or "a thing which..." But I still think it might be sufficient to trigger the article.
N.E. Barry Hofstetter, M.A., Th.M.
Ph.D. Student U of FL
Instructor of Latin
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy
καὶ σὺ τὸ σὸν ποιήσεις κἀγὼ τὸ ἐμόν. ἆρον τὸ σὸν καὶ ὕπαγε.
Daniel Semler
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Re: Use of the article with abstract nouns

Post by Daniel Semler »

Stephen Carlson wrote: November 3rd, 2020, 3:28 am
The usual suspects for the article are not present here. For example, there's no anaphora to a prior mention of love in the context. The Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament ventures "The art. with ἀγάπη suggests that concrete expressions of love, love dramatized, is in mind (cf. Z § 146)." -- but this seems to be grasping at straws since the context is general not concrete. What gives?
Two thoughts occur to me but I've not done anything in particular to investigate.

Could the article merely be emphatic, highlighting further the distinction between a list of generally good characteristics and the greatest, the one above all the others ?

Secondly, I am wondering whether the odd one out is not τὴν ἀγάπην but the list of virtues. Do similar lists have the article for each element in the list or does that simply sound too repetitive or unwieldy.

Thx
D
Stephen Carlson
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Re: Use of the article with abstract nouns

Post by Stephen Carlson »

Daniel Semler wrote: November 4th, 2020, 11:41 am Two thoughts occur to me but I've not done anything in particular to investigate.
Thanks for these ideas. It's always good to brainstorm. Nevertheless, I'm not quite satisfied (yet).
Daniel Semler wrote: November 4th, 2020, 11:41 am Could the article merely be emphatic, highlighting further the distinction between a list of generally good characteristics and the greatest, the one above all the others ?
As far as I can tell, the article isn't emphatic and doesn't have an emphatic form, like English the when we emphasize it. There is a sense of article, called par excellence in some grammars, which does point to the greatest example of a sort. Dan Wallace gives the example of John 1:21, where the Jews ask John the Baptist, “Are you the prophet?” (ὁ προφήτης εἶ σύ;). The key to this usage is that the nominal refers to a class and the article points to the best instance of it. But here, we're not really dealing with different kinds of love and picking out the exemplary one.
Daniel Semler wrote: November 4th, 2020, 11:41 am Secondly, I am wondering whether the odd one out is not τὴν ἀγάπην but the list of virtues. Do similar lists have the article for each element in the list or does that simply sound too repetitive or unwieldy.
As best I recall, lists of abstract things, like the fruits of the spirit in Gal 5, don't articulate the items of the list. Here is an example parallel in at least some respects.. Compare, for example, 1 Tim 6:11 δίωκε δὲ δικαιοσύνην, εὐσέβειαν, πίστιν, ἀγάπην, ὑπομονήν, πραϋπαθίαν ... with 1 Cor 14:1 Διώκετε τὴν ἀγάπην, ζηλοῦτε δὲ τὰ πνευματικά, .... But in contrast to Col 3:14, I can see how love in 1 Cor 14 :1 is anaphoric, following immediately upon Paul's paean to love in chapter 13.
Stephen C. Carlson, Ph.D.
Melbourne, Australia
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