From: Eric Weiss (eweiss@acf.dhhs.gov)
Date: Fri Aug 25 1995 - 05:00:03 EDT
John 6:55 says:
hey gar sarx mou alethes estin brosis, kai to haima mou alethes estin
posis. "For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink."
Are the uses of alethes attributive or predicate? There is no article
immediately before alethes, and the equative or copulative verb estin may
indicate a predicate usage. If attributive, this seems to be an odd way of
saying this--wouldn't estin brosis alethes/posis alethes or estin alethes
brosis/alethes posis be a more normal attributive structure?
The reason I'm asking is: If it's predicate, how would you translate it: "For
my flesh is food that is true, and my blood is drink that is true"? (This is a
moot point if alethes is in fact attributive.) Is the meaning a little
different if alethes is in fact used predicatively rather than attributively?
If so, how would you bring this out in translation?
Thanks!
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