[B-Greek] "monon" - I Cor. 15:19

Harold Holmyard hholmyard3 at earthlink.net
Wed Mar 28 11:01:14 EST 2007


Dear Ken,
> Your point is well taken: must we translate, "not only do I ask concerning these, but also concerning those who believe," rather than, "I ask concerning not only these but also those who believe"?
> MONON does often stretch the rules regarding agreement. BDAG lists some examples under 2(b). Josephus does this with MONON quite a bit (e.g., Antiquities 1.88 let no one inquire into the deaths of these men ... ALLA TAS GENESEIS AUTWN MONON ORATW rather, one should only look at their births.)
>   

HH: MONON does not modify "these" in John 20:7, as Dave thinks. The 
usage in John 20:7 is adverbial like that in 1 Cor 15:19. I don't know 
if BDAG point 2 is the same as BAGD point 2, but BAGD point 2 is the 
neuter MONON used as an adverb. The idea of agreement is irrelevent in 
such cases. In the example you give from Antiquities 1.88 , MONON can 
modify ORATW. BAGD point 2 lists 1 Cor 15:19 under this adverbial use of 
MONON as limiting the action or state to the one designated by the verb. 
In 1 Cor 15:19 the action of the verb is "hoping in Christ in this 
life." The prepositional phrases are part of the predicate, and MONON 
can modify this action or state. But adverbs can modify other adverbs, 
so the precision in the BAGD definition seems based on how MONON is 
ordinarily used as an adverb.

HH: The word "this" with "life" can be important, even if ZWHi stands 
before it. Life can be contrasted to death, which is prominent in the 
context. The word VEKROS occurs in verses 12, 13, 15, and 16. And the 
idea of death is present in hOI KOIMHQENTES and APWLONTO in verse 18, 
and in every reference to Christ not rising from the dead (vv. 13, 14, 
15, 16, 17). So even if ZWHi stands before TAUTHi in 15:19, that does 
not mean that "this" is not significant and cannot suggest a contrast 
with what is not this life. The context cries out that it does because 
the issue is whether this life is all there is. The resurrection refutes 
that idea.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard
>
> Ken M. Penner, Ph.D. (McMaster)
> Acadia/Greek&Hebrew
> Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic vocabulary memorization software: 
> http://purl.org/net/kmpenner/flash
>
>   
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org 
>> [mailto:b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Dave
>> Sent: March 27, 2007 5:52 PM
>> To: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
>> Subject: Re: [B-Greek] "monon" - I Cor. 15:19
>>
>> "Monon" in Jn. 17:20 doesn't agree in gender, number or case 
>> with the nominal element "these," does it?  But it modifies 
>> "these," doesn't it?
>> Couldn't "monon" in I Cor. 15:19 likewise modify a 
>> noun/pronoun? ("life" or
>> "we"?)
>>
>> Thank you for your patience.
>>
>> Dave    :)
>>     
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