Louis L Sorenson wrote:I think there is one place each the synoptic writers use a different case of ἐπί in the same passage referring to the same object, but I can't find that passage for now. Here are some more examples of ἐπί's case becoming irrelevant....the classical distinction is movement towards (acc.) and position on (gen./dat.). I personally find it hard to predict the use of the dative versus the genitive.
I think the relevance of the case depends on the semantic domain. For example it seems that only the accusative is used for "to (
destination / target)" (Mt 3:13, 6:27, 10:34, 12:49, 21:19, 22:9, 24:16, Mk 5:21, 6:53, 15:22, ...), including "επι το αυτο" = "together (
location)" (Mt 22:34, Lk 17:35, Acts 1:15, 2:1,44, 3:1, 4:26, 1 Cor 7:5, 11:20, 14:23), and "against (
opposition)" (Mt 10:21, 12:26, 24:7, 26:55, Mk 3:24,25,26, 10:11, 13:8,12, 14:48, ...).
Louis L Sorenson wrote:Anyways, here are some more examples:
Mk 6.48 ἔρχεται πρὸς αὐτοὺς περιπατῶν ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης *var. τὴν _ην
Mt 14.25 ἦλθεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς περιπατῶν ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν.
Jn θεωροῦσιν τὸν Ἰησοῦν περιπατοῦντα ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης *var. τὴν _ην
Mt 14.19 καὶ κελεύσας τοὺς ὄχλους ἀνακλιθῆναι ἐπὶ τοῦ χόρτου,
Mk 6.39 καὶ ἐπέταξεν αὐτοῖς ἀνακλῖναι πάντας συμπόσια συμπόσια ἐπὶ τῷ χλωρῷ χόρτῳ.
Mt 15.35 καὶ παραγγείλας τῷ ὄχλῳ ἀναπεσεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν
Mk 8.6 καὶ παραγγέλλει τῷ ὄχλῳ ἀναπεσεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς·
Thanks for this! I missed Mt 15:35 and Mk 8:6. I am guessing that there could be a slight difference between the dative and the genitive for location. I am guessing that perhaps the dative is used when specifying a position relative to another object, while the accusative and genitive are used interchangeably for generic location (when there are no ambiguities due to other semantic domains). Thus you should never see "επι τη γη". However, for some things like "grass" both mean essentially the same, "right on the grass" and "on the grassy place" respectively, thus the apparent interchangeability. I am compiling as complete a list, specifying which semantic domains are covered by which cases, and I will post it when I am done. This is what I have so far, covering all of Matthew and Mark and a few other places (parallels with different case, if any, are noted in the second line):
Accusative
{ onto / on } (direction of action)
(Mt 3:16, 5:39,45, 10:13,29, 12:28, 13:5,7,8,20,23,48, 17:6, 21:44, 23:36, 26:7,39, Mk 1:10, 4:5,16,20, 15:24?)
on (location of action or object)
(Mt 4:5, 5:15,23, 9:9,18, 7:24,25,26, 11:29, 12:18, 13:2, 14:19,28,29, 18:12, 21:5, 23:4, 24:2, 26:50, 27:25,29,45, Mk 2:14, 4:21,38, 8:25, 10:16, 11:13, 14:46, 15:33, 16:18, Jn 3:36)
(Mt 14:19(Byz); dat. in Mk 6:39; gen. in NU) (Mt 14:26(Byz); gen. in 25(Byz),26(NU), Mk 6:48) (Mt 15:35; gen. in Mk 8:6) (Mt 19:28; gen. in 28, Lk 20:30) (Mk 11:2; dat. in 7(Byz)) (Lk 5:36; dat. in Mt 9:16, Mk 2:21) (Rev 14:14; gen. in Rev 14:15)
to (destination / target)
(Mt 3:13, 6:27, 10:34, 12:49, 21:19, 22:9, 24:16, Mk 5:21, 6:53, 15:22,46, 16:2, Jn 19:33, Acts 11:21, 2 Tim 4:4)
against (hostile opposition)
(Mt 10:21, 12:26, 24:7, 26:55, Mk 3:24,25,26, 10:11, 13:8,12, 14:48)
before (in the presence of someone)
(Mt 27:27, 2 Thes 1:10)
(Mt 10:18; gen. in Mk 13:9)
for (period of time)
(Mt 9:15, 25:40,45)
upon (occasion in time)
(Mk 15:1(Byz), Lk 10:35, Acts 3:1, 4:5)
{ on / in } (object of thought)
(Mk 9:12,13, Acts 9:42, 11:17, 16:31, 22:19, 27:43, Rom 4:5,24)
(Mt 15:32, Mk 8:2, 9:22; dat. in Mt 14:14, Mk 6:34(Byz))
for (objective)
(Mt 3:7)
over (in authority)
(Mt 25:21; gen. in 21)
επι το αυτο
= together (location) (adv.)
(Mt 22:34, Lk 17:35, Acts 1:15, 2:1,44, 3:1, 4:26, 1 Cor 7:5, 11:20, 14:23)
Dative
upon (on the basis of / in reliance on) (basis)
(Mt 4:4, 16:18, 18:5, 19:9, 24:5, Mk 1:22, 9:37,39, 13:6, Lk 5:5)
(Heb 10:28; gen. in 1 Tim 5:19, 2 Cor 13:1)
on (position of the object)
(Mt 14:8,11, Mk 6:25,28,39,55, 13:2)
(Mt 9:16, Mk 2:21(Byz); acc. in Lk 5:36, Mk 2:21(NU)) (Mk 2:4(Byz); not in NU) (Mk 5:33(Byz); not in NU) (Mk 6:39; acc. in Mt 14:19(Byz); gen. in Mt 14:19(NU)) (Mk 11:7(Byz); acc. in 2,7(NU))
just at (location)
(Mt 24:33, Mk 13:29, Jn 5:2)
{ upon / besides } (in addition to) (addition)
(Mt 25:20,22)
{ on account of / over } (reason)
(Mt 7:28, 18:13, 22:33, Mk 3:5, 10:22,24, 11:18, 12:17, Acts 13:12, Rom 10:19, 2 Cor 7:13)
{ on / in } (object of thought)
(Mt 18:26,29, 27:42, Mk 6:52?, Lk 24:25, Rom 9:33, 10:11, 1 Tim 1:16, 1 Pet 2:6)
(Mt 14:14, Mk 6:34(Byz); acc. in Mt 15:32, Mk 6:34(NU), 8:2, 9:22)
for (objective)
(Mt 26:50(Byz); acc. in NU)
over (in authority)
(Mt 24:47; gen. in 45)
upon (occasion in time)
(Jn 4:27)
Genitive
on (location of action or object)
(Mt 4:6, 6:10,19, 9:2,6, 10:27, 16:19, 18:18,19, 21:19, 23:2,9,35, 24:3,17,30, 25:31, 26:12,64, 27:19, 28:18, Mk 2:10, 4:1,26,31, 6:47, 7:30, 8:4, 9:3,20, 11:4, 13:15, 14:35,51)
(Mt 14:25(Byz), Mk 6:48,49; acc. in Mt 14:25(NU),26(Byz)) (Mt 19:28; acc. in 28) (Mk 8:6; acc. in Mt 15:35) (Rev 14:15; acc. in Rev 14:14)
upon (on the basis of / in reliance on) (basis)
(Mt 18:16, Mk 12:14,32, 2 Cor 13:1)
(1 Tim 5:19, 2 Cor 13:1; dat. in Heb 10:28)
before (in the presence of someone)
(Mt 28:14)
(Mk 13:9; acc. in Mt 10:18)
in the time of (era of time)
(Mt 1:11, Mk 2:26)
over (in authority)
(Mt 2:22)
(Mt 24:45; dat. in 47) (Mt 25:21; acc. in 21)
on (topic)
(Mk 12:26)