From: Ben Crick (ben.crick@argonet.co.uk)
Date: Mon Feb 09 1998 - 14:14:54 EST
On Sun 8 Feb 98 (11:44:06 +0000), c.s.bartholomew@worldnet.att.net wrote:
> This does not really answer your question however, since I have not put
> forth an argument supporting the translation of THS PROFHTEIAS in
> Revelation 19:10 as the abstract "prophecy". I leave that to the
> experts who seem to be taking Sunday off from b-greek.
Well, I'm not an "expert", but like many b-greekers, I do have a "Sunday-
job" in Church! 8-)
ISTM that in TO PNEUMA THS PROFHTEIAS we are dealing with a phrase, not
with an article+noun. The /phrase/ is definite; THE [Spirit-of Prophecy].
The Semitism of this phrase is glaringly obvious: RuWaCh-HaNNeBuW'aH was
the phrase in the writer's mind -- "the Prophecy-Spirit". The definite
article attaches to the noun in absolute state, not to the noun in construct
state (which is where the English puts it).
Compare also the normal noun+adjective combination TO PHEUMA TO hAGION.
The Greek requires two definite articles, whereas English only requires one:
"The Holy Spirit".
I've said it before; a little knowledge of Classical Hebrew is a practical
necessity for the interpretation of the Greek NT, whose writers (barring
Dr Luke) were of a Semitic mind-set.
-- Revd Ben Crick, BA CF <ben.crick@argonet.co.uk> 232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK) http://www.cnetwork.co.uk/crick.htm
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