From: Jason Hare (parousia_occ@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Jun 13 2000 - 15:01:55 EDT
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<P> Mike,</P>
<P>Thanks for your comments, but I would have to (in some way) disagree. To say that DIA (w/gen) is referring to the span of time in this instance does not make sense. That would make Paul say: "Over the next fourteen years I went up (several times) with Barnabas." In fact, it seems that Paul mentions his return to Jerusalem <EM>after</EM> fourteen years, not <EM>during the span of </EM>those years. I think that there really should be no difference between META (w/acc + time) and DIA (w/gen + time). It seems that they are the same. Does anyone have any other references for this use of DIA? I would appreciate them.</P>
<P>Jason<BR></P>
<P> <BR><B><I>Mike Sangrey <MIKE@SOJURN.LNS.PA.US></I></B>wrote: <BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px"><BR><BR>parousia_occ@yahoo.com said:<BR>> 2. In the second chapter (verse 1) it says EPEITA DIA DEKATESSARWN<BR>> ETWN. I wonder about the use of DIA. I have not seen it used before<BR>> as "after... years/days/hours/etc." Is this just a use I have<BR>> overlooked? Or could it be a use of variation because he had just<BR>> used EPEITA META ETH TRIA (1.18)? <BR><BR>If you check the archives, around 28 Sep 1999, you will find this very<BR>question discussed. FWIW, I said:<BR><BR>Mike Sangrey <MIKE@SOJURN.LNS.PA.US>said:<BR>> The accusative brings out the notion of 'extent'. I see Paul standing<BR>> before an audience and as he speaks, I picture him raising his right<BR>> hand in the air as if he is holding a grapefruit sized ball--"this<BR>> three year span." I think of META with the accusative in this way.<BR>> That's the first picture. There is not a strong emphasis on the time,<BR>> but,
at least there is 3 years to account for.<BR><BR>> However, the second phrase is in the genitive. This case would bring<BR>> emphasis to the 'kind of thing'--this was a 14-year kind of span. And<BR>> DIA brings emphasis to a 'through' or 'spanning' idea. So I picture<BR>> Paul, hands raised, index fingers extended, touching and to his left.<BR>> He pulls his right hand away from his left as he says, "fourteen year<BR>> span." In other words, he is getting his readers to focus on the span<BR>> itself and not just the extent of the time. By this he strongly<BR>> emphasizes the length of time. The fact that he contrasts (and I<BR>> think of this as contrast and not that the one time segment is within<BR>> the other) META with DIA appears to me to add additional emphasis to<BR>> that time span. <BR><BR>Different people will differ and the others may very well may be right.<BR>:-)<BR><BR>Some will say, there's no big difference here; think of them as<BR>interchangeable. Others, my
self included, will relish the beautiful<BR>precision of the Greek. <BR><BR>-- <BR>Mike Sangrey<BR>mike@sojurn.lns.pa.us<BR>Landisburg, Pa.<BR>Every Christian library should have a plaque which states:<BR>"There is one book that explains all of these."<BR><BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><p><br><hr size=1><b>Do You Yahoo!?</b><br>
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