[B-Greek] EPI with acc. ( was ACTS 20:13 PROELQONTES/ PROSELQONTES)

Elizabeth Kline kline_dekooning at earthlink.net
Fri Mar 16 01:50:11 EST 2007


On Mar 15, 2007, at 12:03 PM, Carl W. Conrad wrote:

>> Another issue here is EPI used to mark a GOAL (see BDAG p.364 #4). I
>> was tempted to read EPI TO PLOION as "on the boat"
>
> but how could it mean that? EPI with acc. must indicate movement  
> onto something.


MATT. 19:28 ... hOTAN KAQISHi hO hUIOS TOU ANQRWPOU EPI QRONOU DOXHS
AUTOU, KAQHSESQE KAI hUMEIS EPI DWDEKA QRONOUS KRINONTES TAS DWDEKA
FULAS TOU ISRAHL.


Carl,

Looking at KAQISHi ... EPI QRONOU DOXHS AUTOU followed by KAQHSESQE  
EPI DWDEKA QRONOUS sent me to the grammars to see what was going on.  
Reading G.Cooper 1.68.42 (Attic Syntax) he took a very strong  
position that EPI with the acc. is used for movement toward something  
or onto something and not of something resting or being in a location  
on something.

Then I looked at A.T.Robertson pages 600-601 while speaking of EPI  
with the cases he quotes some ancient source "... the accusative  
implies motion with a view to superposition ... " and then comments  
"There is some truth in this distinction and the case-idea must  
always be observed. But the growth of the accusative in the later  
language at the expense of the other cases caused some confusion in  
the usage according to the standard of earlier Greek. Simcox  
considers it 'almost a matter of indifference' whether in the N.T. on  
uses the locative, genitive or accusative."  Robertson then does not  
totally agree with this.

More on this later.


Elizabeth Kline






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