From: Ben Crick (ben.crick@argonet.co.uk)
Date: Wed Aug 12 1998 - 21:11:37 EDT
On Wed 12 Aug 98 (11:37:54 +0000), steve@allegrographics.com wrote:
> the text reads PANTA SYNERGEI EIS AGAQON in H&F, but N-A reads PANTA
> SYNERGEI {hO QEOS} EIS AGAQON. My question is how does hO QEOS fit in
> the sentence? The NASB translates it "God causes all things to work
> together for good", but where does "causes" come from? Where is the verb
> for hO QEOS?
Dear Steve,
BM Metzger, in his invaluable /A Textual Commentary on the GNT/, 2nd Ed.,
UBS, 1994, writes:
"Although the reading SUNERGEI hO QEOS (P^46 A B 81 cop^sa (eth)
Origen^gr2/5) is both ancient and noteworthy, a majority of the Committee
deemed it too narrowly supported to be admitted into the text, particularly
in view of the diversified support for the shorter reading (Aleph C D G K
P Psi 33 614 1739 /Byz Lect/ it^d,g,61 vg syr^p,h cop^bo arm Clement
Origen^gr3/5,lat Eusebius Lucifer Cyril-Jerusalem Chrysostom Augustine
/al/). Since SUNERGEI may be taken to imply a personal subject, hO QEOS
seems to have been a natural explanatory addition made by an Alexandrine
editor." [op cit p 458].
OIDAMEN DE hOTI TOIS AGAPWSIN TON QEON
For we know that to them loving God
PANTA SUNERGEI EIS AGAQON,
everything works together for good,
TOIS KATA PROQESIN KLHTOIS OUSIN
to those [who] according to [His] purpose are called.
SUNERGEI is singular, but has a plural subject [TA] PANTA, everything.
Neuter plurals, especially generic terms, quite often are found with the
verb in the singular. Evidently Metzger's Alexandrine editor construed
PANTA as accusative, not nominative, and as the object, not the subject,
of SUNERGEI.
That's how it seems to me. And yes, I am familiar with the type of preacher
for whom Romans 8:28 is a favourite verse! I'm quite fond of it myself
too 8-)
ERRWSQE,
Ben
-- 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--- B-Greek home page: http://sunsite.unc.edu/bgreek You are currently subscribed to b-greek as: [cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu] To unsubscribe, forward this message to leave-b-greek-329W@franklin.oit.unc.edu To subscribe, send a message to subscribe-b-greek@franklin.oit.unc.edu
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Sat Apr 20 2002 - 15:39:56 EDT