From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Wed May 19 1999 - 07:48:56 EDT
At 12:43 PM -0700 5/19/99, Ltwist wrote:
>Hi Carl-
>
>My question is regarding the translation of huper in Cor. 4:6. It seems
>that
>the word is
>used with the accusative case to mean "over, above or beyond" according to
>Dana
>and
>Mantey and would be translated as "to not be learned or wise beyond what
>(the
>Scriptures)
>is written."
>
>Is this an acceptable rendering?
The text: TAUTA DE, ADELFOI, METESCHMATISA EIS EMAUTON KAI APOLLWN DI'
hUMAS, hINA EN hHMIN MAQHTE TO 'MH hUPER hA GEGRAPTAI.'
Yes, I do think that hUPER here is indeed used with the accusative,
although it's not clear that the antecedent of hA, the subject of
GEGRAPTAI, has been distinctly articulated; this is fairly common that an
antecedent is understood and made implicit in a relative pronoun. A
stickler might argue that the real object of hUPER is an implicit EKEINA or
some other neuter plural pronoun which is picked up in the nom. plural hA
functioning as the subject of GEGRAPTAI. Most literally then: " ... so that
you may discern (MAQHTE) in us (myself and Apollos) the (meaning of the
dictum): '(Do NOT overstep) the things which have been written.'" I think
that we must assume some implicit imperative verb in the proverbial dictum,
one that construes with hUPER in the context).
Now the question may further be raised: does hA GEGRAPTAI necessarily refer
to scripture? I wouldn't assert that it can NOT possibly refer to
scripture, but I think it could refer just as easily to "guidelines" that
have been drawn (since that's what GRAFW actually means) within which one
should move--such as the lines running down the first-base line between the
home plate and first base in baseball, within which the batter running to
first base MUST run in order to allow the catcher room to throw a ball to
the first baseman without obstruction: so we say, "Stay within bounds," or
"Don't exceed the guidelines." I think it may well be that Paul is
referring to that sort of a proverbial dictum rather than to scripture as
such. There's a kind of parallel to this in Phil 3:15-16 (15) hOSOI OUN
TELEIOI, TOUTO FRONWMEN; KAI EI TI hETERWS FRONEITE, KAI TOUTO hO QEOS
APOKALUYEI;(16) PLHN EIS hO EFQASAMEN, TWi AUTWi STOICEIN. The last
expression means something like: "But to keep moving on at the same level
to which we have attained."
I may be wrong on this one, but that's the way I'm more inclined to read hA
GEGRAPTAI.
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University
Summer: 1647 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/
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