From: Iver Larsen (alice-iver_larsen@wycliffe.org)
Date: Wed Jan 24 2001 - 03:58:27 EST
> Any thoughts on the use of the genitive THS KTISEWS in Rev 3:14 (hH ARCH THS
> KTISEWS TOU QEOU)? Possibly objective, He begins God's creation? This could
> significantly affect the way we interpret hH ARCH.
>
> Charles E. Powell, Ph.D.
> (h) cep7@aol.com
> (w) cpowell@dts.edu
> (h) 972-231-4166
> (w) 214-841-3763
Dear Charles,
I am afraid you are putting the cart before the horse.
Linguistically speaking a genitive is a linguistic notion in many languages. It
has the function of linking two nouns or nominal constructions together without
them being arguments in a full proposition (predicate).
In descriptive linguistics we would often call such a thing an "associative
marker". Many languages have a specific word like "of" in English or a suffix to
show that association. Other languages have a genitive (or construct) form that
indicates that two nominal expressions are linked together. The exact nature of
the association depends on the semantic content of the nominal expressions
linked together as well as other words in the sentence.
There is a long tradition in Greek grammar to invent numerous descriptive names
for such associations. This is dangerous, because many people then wrongly
assume that we somehow have a host of different genitives with each their own
meaning. The nature of the association is not part of the genitive itself. Some
of the names are helpful as a shorthand notation for a relationship or
association that one has deduced from the words linked together, but not more
than that.
It may be useful to give a name to a genitive, but that is the last thing you do
after you have finished your interpretation of the sentence.
Iver Larsen
Kolding, Denmark
alice-iver_larsen@wycliffe.org
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