From: Rbsads@aol.com
Date: Mon Jul 30 2001 - 07:35:24 EDT
hOTI OUK EN TW PERISSEUEIN TINI hH ZWH AUTOU ESTIN EK TWN hUPARXONTWN AUTW.
There seem to be various ways in which this verse might be translated given
different use for EN TW PERISSEUEIN and TINI; none of which seems to me to
give any significant difference in meaning. But being a beginner, I am
trying, probably too hard, to understand some of these different
constructions.
Richard Young gives EN TW PERISSEUEIN as the example of the epexegetical use
of EN TW plus an infinitive. With this function, the prepositional
infinitive construction would seem to explain what life is not.
The dative form, TINI, would then have what function? Does it act as a
possessive for the infinitive PERISSEUEIN? This might be translated as "life
is not in anyone's increasing of his possessions."
It seems possible, maybe even better, to me that TINI could be associated
with the verb ESTIN, and thereby understood to function as a predicate dative
of possession for hH ZWN AUTOU. This might be translated as "his life is not
to anyone in the increasing of his possessions." This of course makes a
redundant expression, but would seem to be acceptable if rendered in English
as something like, "No one has his life in the increasing of his possessions."
And to return to consideration of the infinitive construction, is it possible
that it could be understood as expressing means, rather than as explanation?
If the construction is understood to have an epexegetical function it might
be translated as "life is not in the increasing of possessions" It seems
possible to translate the construction with a function of means - "life is
not by the increasing of possessions."
It is plain that there is no real semantic difference among these varying
interpretations, but it has helped me to consider the different possibilities.
My translation variations are:
His life is not in anyone's increasing of his possessions.
His life is not by anyone's increasing of his possessions.
No one has his life in the increasing of his possessions.
No one has his life by the increasing of his possessions.
(BTW, I prefer the last translation. That is if it is one of the possible
renderings.)
First, please let me know if my considerations of the possible structures and
functions are in a reasonable direction.
Second, please let me know if persons fluent in Greek can actually speak
sentences with such difficult ordering as this verse has.<g>
Thanks,
Richard Smith
Chattanooga, TN
PS
Please let me know if I am sending duplicate messages. I have again tried the
AOL fix.
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