From: Edward Hobbs (EHOBBS@wellesley.edu)
Date: Fri Oct 13 1995 - 18:24:45 EDT
"Epexegetic" this or that
Zerwick indeed uses the term "Exegetic genitive" (SECTIONS [not pages]
45-46 of his grammar). He calls it "<<Epexegetic>> genitive or genitive
of apposition". The term no where appears in Smyth-Messing, but Goodwin-
Gulick (1930) [my first reference grammar, before Smyth-Messing] write of
the "epexegetic infinitive" (limiting meaning to a particular action).
Debrunner refers to the "Epexegetic use of the infinitive and of hina,
ean, hotan; of the infinitive with tou, and of kai" (I have only the
original German at hand, but I'm sure Funk's translation wouldn't have
changed this), in sections 394, 400,8, and 442,9. Robertson (1914, using 3rd edition, 1923) under Apposition, speaks of "epexegetical apposition" (p. 399),
and writes at some length (pp. 1086f.) about the "Epexegetical Infinitive."
This is a somewhat confusing section to me, and he clearly says that Blass
considered "epexegetical" and "appositional" infinitives to be the same.
I'm suspicious of the term, as is Carl. It seems to have no agreed-on meaning,
and is not in Smyth-Messing. Blass seems to have influenced Robertson (thuis
the Southern Baptist tradition of grammarians), and Zerwick (at the Biblicum!).
I've never used the term myself, in teaching or in writing, mainly because
I haven't been certain of its meaning. But doesn't it sound just GREAT?!
Edward Hobbs
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