From: Daniel Ria–o (danielrr@mad.servicom.es)
Date: Fri Dec 05 1997 - 07:58:32 EST
>On the plane back from Austin, I found myself staring at this verse:
>
>Rev 11:3 KAI DWSW TOIS DUSIN MARTUSIN MOU
>
>Robertson's Word Pictures, which is often helpful for this kind of thing,
>says "dative after DWSW", which it is, of course, but I already *knew*
>that. The speaker is not giving something *to* the two witnesses, he is
>sending the two witnesses. In the phrase DWSW SOI TAS KLEIDAS THS BASILEIAS.
>
>Or perhaps the speaker *is* giving something to the two witnesses? Perhaps
>what is given is the ability to prophecy (KAI PROFHTEUSOUSIN hHMERAS XILIAS
>DIAKOSIAS EKSHKONTA PERIBEBLHMENOI SAKKOUS)? Would that be a legitimate
>reading? If so, is it the authority to prophecy that is given, or a time in
>which they may prophecy?
>
>Can the direct object of DWSW ever occur in the dative? Normally, I think
>of dative complements of DIDWMI as reserved for the indirect object...
In my opinion, a dative direct object of di/dwmi is simply not
Greek: only desperate cases of illiteracy (as exemplified in Humbert, Jean.
1930. La disparition du datif en grec. Paris: Klincksieck p. 16 ss.) could
produce such monster (NB: the reverse, i.e. an accusative 2nd complement of
di/dwmi is however not impossible: several cases in the volumes of MAMA and
one possible instance in Pindar (!)).
The construction is awkward: kai/ + future indicative where we
should expect a subordinative + finite verb or better an infinitive
construction, and di/dwmi with a pregnant meaning: "concede" or maybe
"order" (?) "I will order / concede my two witnesses to prophetise"
(O'Callaghan: Y dar'e orden a mis dos testigos y profetizar'an").
___________________________________________________________________
Daniel Rian~o Rufilanchas
c. Santa Engracia 52, 7 dcha.
28010-Madrid
Espan~a
e-mail: danielrr@mad.servicom.es
Tel./Fax. 34-1-4482027
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