From: Rolf Furuli (furuli@online.no)
Date: Tue Dec 23 1997 - 05:55:12 EST
Ben Crick wrote:
<The Greek genitive is the nearest available equivalent to the Hebrew
<(Aramaic) "construct relationship". If we translate EI hUIOS EI TOU QEOU
<back into Hebrew we get `iM BeN-Ha'eLoHiYM 'aTTaH. /BeN-Ha'eLoHiYM/ is a
<unit, and is definite; it contains the definite article Ha embedded after
<the maqqeph (hyphen). This is precisely where we find it in the Greek
<translation hUIOS... TOU QEOU. There cannot be an "extra" definite article
<with hUOIS, because there cannot be an extra definite article with BeN-,
<as it is a noun in the Construct State, *followed by* the Definite Article.
Dear Ben,
It is a very good suggestion to think of the original expression in Hebrew
or Aramaic when we wrestle with the Greek text. Your words above about the
construct relationship where something owned cannot take the definite
article but all the same is definite, are correct. I will, however, add
that there is a way to circumwent the "problem" that what is expressed by a
construct relationship is always definite.
We find an example in Ps 81:4 (5) (RSV) "For it is a statute for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob" The phrase "an ordinance of the God of
Jacob" is in Hebrew MISHPAT L«ELOHEY YA«AQOB. What makes MISHPAT indefinite
is the particle "L" which normally is used as a preposition (to), but also
may signal a possessive genitive, as in this case. Another good example is
1 Sam 3:20 "a prophet of the Lord". The LXX translates the mentioned
constructions with "L", also the possessive ones, with dative. But some of
them could better be rendered by a Greek genitive. A possible Hebrew
expression behind Matt 4:3 could have been `IM BEN L`ELOHIM `ATTA, and such
a clause could only be translated as "if you are a son of God". The Greek
text is ambiguous but a Hebrew Vorlage would be clear, either definite or
indefinite. The same could be said of an Aramaic Vorlage.
Regarding the translation of Matt 4:3 I think the interests of the readers
are best served by the rendering: "If you are a son of God" with a footnote
showing the alternatives. Both "the son of God" and "God`s son" are
definite expressions, and while this may be what the context shows, I think
the reader should have the opportunity to decide this rather than the
translator.
Regards
Rolf
Rolf Furuli
University of Oslo
furuli@online.no
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