While I read this text in trying to comment on another thread, I paid some attention to the structure of 4:11-12, which is
not simple. Please comment on my analysis.
4:11 Και σημεῑον ελαβεν περιτομῆς σφραγῖδα τῆς δικαισυνης τῆς πιστεως τῆς εν τῇ ακροβυστια
--------- εισ εῖναι αυτον ταπερα παντων τω̄ν πιστευοντον δι ακροβυστιας (a1)
------------------------------------------------------------------ εις το λογισθῆναι αυτοῖς την δικαιοσυνην
---------------------------- και παπερα περιτομῆς (a2)
----------------------------------- τοῖς ουκ εκ περιτομῆς μονον αλλα (b1)
----------------------------------- και τοῖς στοιΧοῦσιν τοῖς ιΧνεσιν τῆς εν ακροβυστια πιστεως τοῦ πατρος ημῶν Αβρααμ (b2)
(1) πατερα ταντων των πιστευσοντον (Gentiles) and παπερα περιτομῆς (Jews) are parallel as complements of verb ειναι
(2) a1-a2 and b1-b2 forms a ABBA pattern (chiastic structure):
[τοῖς ουκ εκ περιτομῆς] μονον αλλα [ to not only those of circumcision ] (not only to Jews)
και τοῖς στοιΧοῦσιν τοῖς ιΧνεσιν τῆς εν ακροβυστια πιστεως [ also to those who walks in the path of faith]
The two dative phrase go with εῖναι αυτον ταπερα.
This analysis fits well to 4:16:
εισ το ειναι βεβαιαν τημ επαγγελιαν παντι τῷ σπερματι
ου τῷ εκ του νομου μονον αλλα [ not only to those of the law, Jews]
και τῷ εκ πιστεως Αβρααμ. [ also to those of faith of Abraham, Gentile believers]
This analysis contrasts to the majority of English translations:
And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. (Rom 4:12 KJV)
NAB Romans 4:12 as well as the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised, but also follow the path of faith that our father Abraham walked while still uncircumcised. (Rom 4:12 NAB)
NIV Romans 4:12 And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
(Rom 4:12 NIV)
They take
και παπερα περιτομῆς τοῖς ουκ εκ περιτομῆς μονον αλλα και τοῖς στοιΧοῦσιν τοῖς ιΧνεσιν τῆς εν ακροβυστια πιστεως τοῦ πατρος ημῶν Αβρααμ
to refer to a single group, that is, those Jews who walks in the path of the faith of Abraham.
Is there any problem with my parsing?
Moon Jung
The structure of Rom 4:11-12
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Andrew Chapman
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Re: The structure of Rom 4:11-12
Sanday and Headlam (also Meyer) say that the article in τοῖς στοιχοῦσιν is a solecism ie a grammatical error. They suggest a corruption or dictation error. I don't have recent commentaries to hand, but at a guess they might be following the same line of thinking.
Darby's translation: and father of circumcision, not only to those who are of [the] circumcision, but to those also who walk in the steps of the faith, during uncircumcision, of our father Abraham.
11 καὶ σημεῖον ἔλαβεν περιτομῆς σφραγῖδα τῆς δικαιοσύνης τῆς πίστεως τῆς ἐν τῇ ἀκροβυστίᾳ, εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν πατέρα πάντων τῶν πιστευόντων δι’ ἀκροβυστίας, εἰς τὸ λογισθῆναι [καὶ] αὐτοῖς [τὴν] δικαιοσύνην, 12 καὶ πατέρα περιτομῆς τοῖς οὐκ ἐκ περιτομῆς μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς στοιχοῦσιν τοῖς ἴχνεσιν τῆς ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ πίστεως τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἀβραάμ.
Meyer implies that if there were two groups then it should read καὶ πατέρα περιτομῆς οὐ τοῖς ἐκ περιτομῆς μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς στοιχοῦσιν ie inverting the article and the negative particle. As it happens he uses Romans 4.16 as an illustration of normal syntax:
οὐ τῷ ἐκ τοῦ νόμου μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ ἐκ πίστεως Ἀβραάμ, with the negative particle before the article,
which does seem much more natural, as he says. So reading it as two groups - as Theodoret, Luther et al did, according to Meyer - is not without its difficulties, it would appear.
Andrew
Darby's translation: and father of circumcision, not only to those who are of [the] circumcision, but to those also who walk in the steps of the faith, during uncircumcision, of our father Abraham.
11 καὶ σημεῖον ἔλαβεν περιτομῆς σφραγῖδα τῆς δικαιοσύνης τῆς πίστεως τῆς ἐν τῇ ἀκροβυστίᾳ, εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν πατέρα πάντων τῶν πιστευόντων δι’ ἀκροβυστίας, εἰς τὸ λογισθῆναι [καὶ] αὐτοῖς [τὴν] δικαιοσύνην, 12 καὶ πατέρα περιτομῆς τοῖς οὐκ ἐκ περιτομῆς μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς στοιχοῦσιν τοῖς ἴχνεσιν τῆς ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ πίστεως τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἀβραάμ.
Meyer implies that if there were two groups then it should read καὶ πατέρα περιτομῆς οὐ τοῖς ἐκ περιτομῆς μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς στοιχοῦσιν ie inverting the article and the negative particle. As it happens he uses Romans 4.16 as an illustration of normal syntax:
οὐ τῷ ἐκ τοῦ νόμου μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ ἐκ πίστεως Ἀβραάμ, with the negative particle before the article,
which does seem much more natural, as he says. So reading it as two groups - as Theodoret, Luther et al did, according to Meyer - is not without its difficulties, it would appear.
Andrew