Re: 1 Peter 1:7
James H. Vellenga (jhv0@mailhost.viewlogic.com)
Tue, 7 Oct 1997 10:04:26 -0400 (EDT)
> From: "Martin Arhelger" <martin.arhelger@metronet.de>
> Date: Tue, 7 Oct 1997 09:47:31 +0200
>
>
> <snip>
>
>
> 2 nd posibillity:
>
> DOKIMION
> \ \ \_____________PISTEWS
> \ \_____hUMWN \___THS
> \__TO
>
> "the appraisal of you, [that is,] of the faith"
>
> I still think that this would be an awkward splitting of thoughts
> (see my last e-mail). But it is interesting to find, that the famous
> conservative German exegete A. Schlatter (1852-1938) seems to
> understand it that way. In his commentary on James 1:3 (Der Brief
> des Jakobus, Stuttgart 1932 - I don't know, whether there exists an
> English translation), he writes:
> "Es genuegt auch kaum zu sagen, der Genetiv hUMWN sei vor sein
> Nomen THS PISTEWS gestellt. Zunaechst ist wohl TO DOKIMION hUMWN
> zusammengedacht. (...) Ein Geschulter haette fuer das, was Jakobus
> wollte, gesagt: TO DOKIMION hUMWN TO THS PISTEWS. Dass Petrus die
> Ordnung der Worte nicht veraendert hat, 1,7, spricht auch dafuer,
> dass fuer beide hUMWN als Suffix an TO DOKIMION hing ..."
>
> Translation by Martin Arhelger:
> "It does not suffice to say, that the genitive hUMWN is set before
> his noun THS PISTEWS. First of all TO DOKIMION hUMWN seems to bee a
> unit. (...) A learned man, wanting to say, what James did, would
> have written: TO DOKIMION hUMWN TO THS PISTEWS. Seeing that Peter
> (1:7) did not change the order of words proves, that for both hUMWN
> was the suffix of TO DOKIMION ..."
>
> I don't agree with Schlatter, here. But I respect his view, seeing,
> that I'm only a "Little Greek" with respect to Schlatter's profound
> knowledge.
>
Even with this sentence diagram -- and Schlatter's interpretation
-- would it be possible to regard hUMWN as a subjective genitive,
and so translate as
"your proving-out of the faith"
That is, Peter would then be saying that it is our proving-out
of the faith -- demonstrating its validity by the way we live
and depend on it -- that results in praise, glory, and honor
at the unveiling of Jesus Christ.
Translating it this way reminds me of Rom. 12.2:
EIS TO DOKIMAZEIN hUMAS TI TO QELHMA TOU QEOU ...
for [the sake of] your proving-out what God's desire [is] ...
Regards,
Jim V.
"We all work with partial information."