What is the word of god in greek

How do you say god in ancient Greek?

What is the meaning of Theos?

Theos Is the common word denoting a god especially one of the great gods (see olympian gods). Although often referring to an individual deity in his anthropomorphic representation the term is rarely used to address a god: no vocative exists.

Does Theos mean god?

Many names beginning with the root “Theo-” derive from the Ancient Greek word theos (θεός) which means god for example: Feminine names: Thea Theodora Theodosia Theophania Theophano and Theoxena. Masculine names: Theodore Theodoros/Theodorus Theodosius Theodotus Theophanes Theophilus Theodoret and …

What’s the word god in Greek?

Greek “θεός ” (theos) means god in English.

Is Theos plural?

1 Answer. The plural form of the word θεός is θεοί.

What is Zeus in Greek?

Zeus is the god of the sky in ancient Greek mythology. As the chief Greek deity Zeus is considered the ruler protector and father of all gods and humans.

What does logos mean in Greek?

Logos – Longer definition: The Greek word logos (traditionally meaning word thought principle or speech) has been used among both philosophers and theologians.

What are the 7 names of God?

The seven names of God that once written cannot be erased because of their holiness are the Tetragrammaton El Elohim Eloah Elohai El Shaddai and Tzevaot. In addition the name Jah—because it forms part of the Tetragrammaton—is similarly protected.

What does God mean in Greek mythology?

A god is a supreme being or deity and it’s spelled with a lowercase g when you’re not referring to the God of Christian Jewish or Muslim tradition. The ancient Greeks had many gods — including Zeus Apollo and Poseidon. A physical representation of a deity is also called a god.

Is Theo a biblical name?

Theodore is a masculine given name. It comes from the Ancient Greek name Θεόδωρος (Theódoros) meaning “gift of God” (from the Ancient Greek words θεός (theós) “God” and δῶρον (dṓron) “gift”).

Theodore (name)

Origin
Word/name Greek
Meaning “gift of God”
Other names
Related names Theodora Theodorus Dorothy

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What is the Greek word for Jesus?

Related names. Joshua Yeshua Isa. Jesus (IPA: /ˈdʒiːzəs/) is a masculine given name derived from the name IESVS in Classical Latin Iēsous (Greek: Ἰησοῦς) the Greek form of the Hebrew and Aramaic name Yeshua or Y’shua (Hebrew: ישוע‎).

How do you pronounce Theos?

What is God’s real name?

Yahweh name for the God of the Israelites representing the biblical pronunciation of “YHWH ” the Hebrew name revealed to Moses in the book of Exodus. The name YHWH consisting of the sequence of consonants Yod Heh Waw and Heh is known as the tetragrammaton.

What did the Greeks call gods?

In ancient Greek religion and mythology the twelve Olympians are the major deities of the Greek pantheon commonly considered to be Zeus Hera Poseidon Demeter Athena Apollo Artemis Ares Hephaestus Aphrodite Hermes and either Hestia or Dionysus.

Who created God?

We ask “If all things have a creator then who created God?” Actually only created things have a creator so it’s improper to lump God with his creation. God has revealed himself to us in the Bible as having always existed. Atheists counter that there is no reason to assume the universe was created.

What does Theo mean in the Bible?

Theo in Greek language means God. John 3:16 God so loved the world that he gave his only son…

Who was Elohim?

Elohim singular Eloah (Hebrew: God) the God of Israel in the Old Testament. … Thus in Genesis the words “In the beginning God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth ” Elohim is monotheistic in connotation though its grammatical structure seems polytheistic.

Who is Kronos?

Cronus also spelled Cronos or Kronos in ancient Greek religion male deity who was worshipped by the pre-Hellenic population of Greece but probably was not widely worshipped by the Greeks themselves he was later identified with the Roman god Saturn.

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What is Thor the god of?

Thor. Thor was the most popular of all the gods. He was a god of war and fertility. He created thunder and lightning as he rode over the clouds in a chariot drawn by goats swinging his hammer Mjöllnir.

Who is the strongest god?

Zeus
Zeus would help the other gods goddesses and mortals if they needed help but would also invoke his wrath upon them if he felt they weren’t worthy of his help. This made Zeus the strongest Greek god in Greek mythology.Nov 26 2019

How is Jesus the word?

Jesus is the Word because through him all things are made ” says Jonathan 8. … Through the words of Jesus the Earth and man were made. So he is the Word.” When we read “In the beginning was the Word” in John’s Gospel we should immediately think of another Bible text that begins with the same introductory phrase.

What does ethos mean in Greek?

Ethos (Greek for “character”) • Focuses attention on the writer’s or speaker’s trustworthiness. • Takes one of two forms: “appeal to character” or “appeal to credibility.” • A writer may show “ethos” through her tone such as taking care to show more.

What is the words of God?

Word of God – the sacred writings of the Christian religions “he went to carry the Word to the heathen” Christian Bible Good Book Holy Scripture Holy Writ Scripture Bible Book Word.

Is it gods or God’s?

One of the most common questions people ask about religious words is whether to capitalize the word “god.” The name or title of any specific deity is capitalized just like any other name so when “God” is used to refer to “the one God” (in other words in any monotheistic religion) it is capitalized.

What does the name Ezra mean?

help
Ezra is a biblical name meaning “help” or “helper” in Hebrew. … Origin: Ezra comes from the Hebrew word azar meaning “help ” “aid ” or “protect.” The original long form of the name may have been Azaryahu meaning “God helps” or “God protects.” Gender: Ezra is traditionally a masculine name.Jul 5 2021

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Is Theodore biblical?

Is Theodore a biblical name? A biblical name it is derived from the elements ‘theos’ meaning god ‘doron’ gift. Theodoros (Old Greek) and Theodorus (Latinized) are old forms of Theodore. The name was popular among early Christians and it was borne by more than twenty saints.

Is Todd short for anything?

Todd is a male given name. The name originated from Middle English where it means “fox“.

Todd (given name)

Gender Male
Origin
Word/name English
Other names
Related names Toddy Tod

Is Jesus a Jojo?

And yes Jesus did in fact have a Stand in the Steel Ball Run/Jojolion universe. … Since Jesus’ name could be anglicized to Joshua Son of Joseph… he’s technically a Jojo and likely the first Jojo.

What are the 12 names of Jesus?

Names

  • Jesus.
  • Emmanuel.
  • Christ.
  • Lord.
  • Master.
  • Logos (the Word)
  • Son of God.
  • Son of man.

Is Jesus and Zeus the same?

No. “Zeus” is descended from a Proto-Indo-European word that means both “sky” and “god” (and also gave us many languages’ word for “god”). “Jesus” is the Latin-alphabet spelling of an originally Hebrew name that was first transliterated into Greek.

How do you pronounce Archibald?

How do you spell Theios?

What did Jesus call God?

The essential uses of the name of God the Father in the New Testament are Theos (θεός the Greek term for God) Kyrios (i.e. Lord in Greek) and Patēr (πατήρ i.e. Father in Greek). The Aramaic word “Abba” (אבא) meaning “Father” is used by Jesus in Mark 14:36 and also appears in Romans 8:15 and Galatians 4:6.

Who is God’s dad?

The Proper Way to Pronounce the 12 Greek Gods of Mount Olympus

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Greek Gods – SNL

Table of Contents

  1. What is Rhema Word and logos word?
  2. Where did Jesus say I am the word?
  3. What is longest verse in the Bible?
  4. What is the first verse in the Bible?
  5. Why is God called Elohim?
  6. When did God create earth?
  7. How does the Bible begin?
  8. What book of the Bible is good for anxiety?
  9. Where does anxiety come from?
  10. When I am afraid I will put my trust in you Bible verse?
  11. What saint do you pray to for anxiety?

theos

What is Rhema Word and logos word?

Both logos and rhema are the Word of God, but the former is God’s Word objectively recorded in the Bible, while the latter is the word of God spoken to us at a specific occasion. According to Nee a passage of the logos can move into being rhema if it becomes shown to apply to the specific individual.

Where did Jesus say I am the word?

In John 8:24 Jesus states: “For unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins”, and later the crowd attempts to stone Jesus in response to his statement in John 8:58: “Before Abraham was, I am.”.

What is longest verse in the Bible?

Esther 8:9 is the longest verse in the Bible.

What is the first verse in the Bible?

Genesis 1:1 is the first verse of the first chapter in the Book of Genesis in the Bible and the opening of the Genesis creation narrative, in English usually rendered “In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth”.

Why is God called Elohim?

Like most words in English, Elohim can mean several things. Sometimes Elohim refers to plural “gods,” as in “You shall have no other gods before me” (Deuteronomy 5:7). At other times it refers to the singular “God,” as in “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

When did God create earth?

In the first, Elohim (the Hebrew generic word for God) creates the heavens and the Earth in six days, then rests on, blesses and sanctifies the seventh (i.e. the Biblical Sabbath).

How does the Bible begin?

First there is history, then poetry, then the writings of the prophets in the Old Testament. In the New Testament the order begins with four biographies of Jesus, then the history of the early Christians, then letters of early Christian leaders. … The entire Bible revolves around Jesus as mankind’s access to God.

What book of the Bible is good for anxiety?

“An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up” (Proverbs 12:25, NIV). “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4). “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Where does anxiety come from?

A big event or a buildup of smaller stressful life situations may trigger excessive anxiety — for example, a death in the family, work stress or ongoing worry about finances. Personality. People with certain personality types are more prone to anxiety disorders than others are. Other mental health disorders.

When I am afraid I will put my trust in you Bible verse?

When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. … On no account let them escape; in your anger, O God, bring down the nations.

What saint do you pray to for anxiety?

Dymphna

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Earliest attestation of the Germanic word in the 6th-century Codex Argenteus (Mt 5:34)

The English word god comes from the Old English god, which itself is derived from the Proto-Germanic *ǥuđán. Its cognates in other Germanic languages include guþ, gudis (both Gothic), guð (Old Norse), god (Old Saxon, Old Frisian, and Old Dutch), and got (Old High German).

Etymology[edit]

The Proto-Germanic meaning of *ǥuđán and its etymology is uncertain. It is generally agreed that it derives from a Proto-Indo-European neuter passive perfect participle *ǵʰu-tó-m. This form within (late) Proto-Indo-European itself was possibly ambiguous, and thought to derive from a root *ǵʰeu̯- «to pour, libate» (the idea survives in the Dutch word, ‘Giet’, meaning, to pour) (Sanskrit huta, see hotṛ), or from a root *ǵʰau̯- (*ǵʰeu̯h2) «to call, to invoke» (Sanskrit hūta). Sanskrit hutá = «having been sacrificed», from the verb root hu = «sacrifice», but a slight shift in translation gives the meaning «one to whom sacrifices are made.»

Depending on which possibility is preferred, the pre-Christian meaning of the Germanic term may either have been (in the «pouring» case) «libation» or «that which is libated upon, idol» — or, as Watkins[1] opines in the light of Greek χυτη γαια «poured earth» meaning «tumulus», «the Germanic form may have referred in the first instance to the spirit immanent in a burial mound» — or (in the «invoke» case) «invocation, prayer» (compare the meanings of Sanskrit brahman) or «that which is invoked».

Gaut[edit]

A significant number of scholars have connected this root with the names of three related Germanic tribes: the Geats, the Goths and the Gutar. These names may be derived from an eponymous chieftain Gaut, who was subsequently deified.[citation needed] He also sometimes appears in early Medieval sagas as a name of Odin or one of his descendants, a former king of the Geats (Gaut(i)), an ancestor of the Gutar (Guti), of the Goths (Gothus) and of the royal line of Wessex (Geats) and as a previous hero of the Goths (Gapt).

Wōdanaz[edit]

Some variant forms of the name Odin such as the Lombardic Godan may point in the direction that the Lombardic form actually comes from Proto-Germanic *ǥuđánaz. Wōdanaz or Wōđinaz is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of a god of Germanic paganism, known as Odin in Norse mythology, Wōden in Old English, Wodan or Wotan in Old High German and Godan in the Lombardic language. Godan was shortened to God over time and was adopted/retained by the Germanic peoples of the British isles as the name of their deity, in lieu of the Latin word Deus used by the Latin speaking Christian church, after conversion to Christianity.

During the complex christianization of the Germanic tribes of Europe, there were many linguistic influences upon the Christian missionaries. One example post downfall of the western Roman Empire are the missionaries from Rome led by Augustine of Canterbury. Augustine’s mission to the Saxons in southern Britain was conducted at a time when the city of Rome was a part of a Lombardic kingdom. The translated Bibles which they brought on their mission were greatly influenced by the Germanic tribes they were in contact with, chief among them being the Lombards and Franks. The translation for the word deus of the Latin Bible was influenced by the then current usage by the tribes for their highest deity, namely Wodan by Angles, Saxons, and Franks of north-central and western Europe, and Godan by the Lombards of south-central Europe around Rome. There are many instances where the name Godan and Wodan are contracted to God and Wod.[2] One instance is the wild hunt (a.k.a. Wodan’s wild hunt) where Wod is used.[3][4]

The earliest uses of the word God in Germanic writing is often cited to be in the Gothic Bible or Wulfila Bible, which is the Christian Bible as translated by Ulfilas into the Gothic language spoken by the Eastern Germanic, or Gothic, tribes. The oldest parts of the Gothic Bible, contained in the Codex Argenteus, are estimated to be from the fourth century. During the fourth century, the Goths were converted to Christianity, largely through the efforts of Bishop Ulfilas, who translated the Bible into the Gothic language in Nicopolis ad Istrum in today’s northern Bulgaria. The words guda and guþ were used for God in the Gothic Bible.

Influence of Christianity[edit]

God entered English when the language still had a system of grammatical gender. The word and its cognates were initially neuter but underwent transition when their speakers converted to Christianity, «as a means of distinguishing the personal God of the Christians from the impersonal divine powers acknowledged by pagans.»[5]: 15  However, traces of the neuter endured. While these words became syntactically masculine, so that determiners and adjectives connected to them took masculine endings, they sometimes remained morphologically neuter, which could be seen in their inflections: In the phrase, guþ meins, «my God,» from the Gothic Bible, for example, guþ inflects as if it were still a neuter because it lacks a final -s, but the possessive adjective meins takes the final -s that it would with other masculine nouns.[5]: 15 

God and its cognates likely had a general, predominantly plural or collective sense prior to conversion to Christianity. After conversion, the word was commonly used in the singular to refer to the Christian deity, and also took on characteristics of a name.[5]: 15–16 [6]

Translations[edit]

The word god was used to represent Greek theos and Latin deus in Bible translations, first in the Gothic translation of the New Testament by Ulfilas. For the etymology of deus, see *dyēus.

Greek «θεός » (theos) means god in English. It is often connected with Greek «θέω» (theō), «run»,[7][8] and «θεωρέω» (theoreō), «to look at, to see, to observe»,[9][10] Latin feriae «holidays», fanum «temple», and also Armenian di-k` «gods». Alternative suggestions (e.g. by De Saussure) connect *dhu̯es- «smoke, spirit», attested in Baltic and Germanic words for «spook» and ultimately cognate with Latin fumus «smoke.» The earliest attested form of the word is the Mycenaean Greek te-o[11] (plural te-o-i[12]), written in Linear B syllabic script.

Capitalization[edit]

KJV of 1611 (Psalms 23:1,2): Occurrence of «LORD» (and «God» in the heading)

The development of English orthography was dominated by Christian texts. Capitalized, «God» was first used to refer to the Abrahamic God and may now signify any monotheistic conception of God, including the translations of the Arabic Allāh, Persian Khuda, Indic Ishvara and the Maasai Ngai.

In the English language, capitalization is used for names by which a god is known, including ‘God’. Consequently, its capitalized form is not used for multiple gods or when referring to the generic idea of a deity.[13][14]

Pronouns referring to a god are also often capitalized by adherents to a religion as an indication of reverence, and are traditionally in the masculine gender («He», «Him», «His» etc) unless specifically referring to a goddess.[15][16]

See also[edit]

  • Anglo-Saxon paganism
  • Allah (Arabic word)
  • Bhagavan (Hindi word)
  • El (deity) (Semitic word)
  • Elohim
  • Goddess
  • Jumala (Finnish word)
  • Khuda (Persian word)
  • Names of God
  • Tanri (Turkish word)
  • Yahweh
  • YHWH

References[edit]

  1. ^ Watkins, Calvert, ed., The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, 2nd ed., Houghton Mifflin Co., 2000.
  2. ^ A New System of Geography, Or a General Description of the World by Daniel Fenning, Joseph Collyer 1765
  3. ^ See the chant in the Medieval and Early Modern folklore section of the Wikipedia entry for Wōden.
  4. ^ Northern Mythology, Comprising the Principal Popular Traditions and Superstitions of Scandinavia, North Germany and the Netherlands: Compiled from Original and Other Sources. In Three Volumes. North German and Netherlandish Popular Traditions and Superstitions, Volume 3, 1852
  5. ^ a b c Green, D. H. (1998). Language and History in the Early Germanic World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521794237.
  6. ^ «god». Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  7. ^ Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
  8. ^ Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
  9. ^ θεωρέω, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
  10. ^ Dermot Moran, The Philosophy of John Scottus Eriugena: A Study of Idealism in the Middle Ages, Cambridge University Press
  11. ^ Palaeolexicon, Word study tool of ancient languages
  12. ^ Palaeolexicon, Word study tool of ancient languages
  13. ^ Webster’s New World Dictionary; «God n. ME < OE, akin to Ger gott, Goth guth, prob. < IE base * ĝhau-, to call out to, invoke > Sans havaté, (he) calls upon; 1. any of various beings conceived of as supernatural, immortal, and having special powers over the lives and affairs of people and the course of nature; deity, esp. a male deity: typically considered objects of worship; 2. an image that is worshiped; idol 3. a person or thing deified or excessively honored and admired; 4. [G-] in monotheistic religions, the creator and ruler of the universe, regarded as eternal, infinite, all-powerful, and all-knowing; Supreme Being; the Almighty»
  14. ^ Dictionary.com; «God /gɒd/ noun: 1. the one Supreme Being, the creator and ruler of the universe. 2. the Supreme Being considered with reference to a particular attribute. 3. (lowercase) one of several deities, esp. a male deity, presiding over some portion of worldly affairs. 4. (often lowercase) a supreme being according to some particular conception: the God of mercy. 5. Christian Science. the Supreme Being, understood as Life, Truth, Love, Mind, Soul, Spirit, Principle. 6. (lowercase) an image of a deity; an idol. 7. (lowercase) any deified person or object. 8. (often lowercase) Gods, Theater. 8a. the upper balcony in a theater. 8b. the spectators in this part of the balcony.»
  15. ^ The New York Times Guide to Essential Knowledge. The New York Times. 25 October 2011. ISBN 9780312643027. Retrieved 27 December 2011. Pronoun references to a deity worshiped by people in the present are sometimes capitalized, although some writers use capitals only to prevent confusion: God helped Abraham carry out His law.
  16. ^ Alcoholic Thinking: language, culture, and belief in Alcoholics Anonymous. Greenwood Publishing Group. 1998. ISBN 9780275960490. Retrieved 27 December 2011. Traditional biblical translations that always capitalize the word «God» and the pronouns, «He,» «Him,» and «His» in reference to God itself and the use of archaic forms such as «Thee,» «Thou,» and «Thy» are familiar.

External links[edit]

Look up God in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

  • Use of guþ n the Gothic Bible.
  • Use of guda n the Gothic Bible.
  • Gothic language and its relation to other Germanic languages such as Anglish (English) and Saxon

Don Stewart

In the New Testament, the common word for God is the Greek word theos. Theos is the basis of the word theology, «the study of God.» Theos is used a number of different ways in the New Testament.

It Can Speak Of The True God

When the true God is spoken of, the word theos is used.

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God [theos] and the Word was God (John 1:1).

It Can Refer To False Gods

The plural form of theos can refer to false Gods.

Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods [theos] in heaven or on earth — as in fact there are many gods and many lords (1 Corinthians 8:5)

The Greek word translated gods is the plural of theos.

The Word Also Can Mean Humans

Jesus used the word «gods» to refer to human rulers.

Jesus answered, «Is it not written in your law, «I said, you are gods’? If those to whom the word of God came were called «gods’-and the scripture cannot be annulled — can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, «I am God’s Son (John 10:34-36).

Summary

Theos is the common word for God in the Greek New Testament. It normally refers to the true God. However it can also refer to false gods and even humans. The context must determine how it is to be understood.

Bert wrote:

Iacobus wrote:
In the Greek text there are many cases of a singular anarthrous predicate nouns preceding the verb (e.g. Mark 6:49,11:32; John 4:19, 6:70, 8:44, 8:48, 9:17, 10:1, 10:13, 10:33, 12:6, 18:37). In these places, translators insert the indefinite article «a» before the predicate noun in order to bring out the quality or characteristic of the subject. Since the indefinite article is inserted before the predicate noun in such texts, with equal justification the indefinite article «a» is inserted before the anarthrous θεός in the predicate of John 1:1 to make it read «a god.» The Sacred Scriptures confirm the correctness of this rendering.

Would you suggest translating ….ὁ θεος φῶς ἐστιν in 1 John 1:5 as ….God is a light?

Well, according to Philip B. Harner (previously quoted): «. . . anarthrous predicate preceding the verb, are PRIMARILY qualitative in meaning.» So, not always is there understood an «a». For further explanation, read the following, quoted from the 11/15/75 Watchtower (especially noting the fifth paragraph down from the question).

«Questions from Readers

• Does the rendering of John 1:1 in the New World Translation violate rules of Greek grammar or conflict with worship of only one God?

The New World Translation renders John 1:1 as follows: “In the beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.” Some have objected to the translation “a god,” which appears in the final clause of this verse. They claim that the translators were wrong in putting an “a” in there before “god.” Is this really a mistranslation?

While the Greek language has no indefinite article corresponding to the English “a,” it does have a definite article ho, often rendered into English as “the.” For example, ho Khristos´, “the Christ,” ho Ky´ri·os, “the Lord,” ho The·os´, literally, “the God.”

Frequently, though, nouns occur in Greek without the article. Grammarians refer to these nouns as “anarthrous,” meaning “used without the article.” Interestingly, in the final part of John 1:1, the Greek word for “god,” the·os´, does not have the definite article ho before it. How do translators render such anarthrous Greek nouns into English?

Often they add the English indefinite article “a” to give proper sense to the passage. For example, in the concluding portion of John 9:17 the Greek text literally states, according to the interlinear literal translation by clergyman Alfred Marshall, D.Litt: “And he said[,] — A prophet he is.” There is no definite article before the Greek word for “prophet” here. The translator, therefore, rendered the word as “a prophet,” as do many other English translations.—Authorized Version, New American Standard Bible, also translations by Charles B. Williams and William F. Beck.

This does not mean, however, that every time an anarthrous noun occurs in the Greek text it should appear in English with the indefinite article. Translators render these nouns variously, at times even with a “the,” understanding them as definite, though the definite article is missing. At Matthew 27:40, for instance, several English Bible versions have the phrase “the Son of God,” though the Greek word for “son” is without the definite article.

What about John 1:1? Marshall’s interlinear translation of it reads: “In [the] beginning was the Word, and the Word was with — God, and God was the Word.” As noted above, no “the” appears before “God” in the final clause of this verse. The New World Bible Translation Committee chose to insert the indefinite article “a” there. This helps to distinguish “the Word,” Jesus Christ, as a god, or divine person with vast power, from the God whom he was “with,” Jehovah, the Almighty. Some persons familiar with Greek claim that in doing so the translators violated an important rule of Greek grammar. Why so?

The problem, they say, is word order. Back in 1933 Greek scholar E. C. Colwell published an article entitled “A Definite Rule for the Use of the Article in the Greek New Testament.” In it he wrote: “A definite predicate nominative has the article when it follows the verb; it does not have the article when it precedes the verb. . . . A predicate nominative which precedes the verb cannot be translated as an indefinite or a ‘qualitative’ noun solely because of the absence of the article; if the context suggests that the predicate is definite, it should be translated as a definite noun in spite of the absence of the article.”

At John 1:1 the anarthrous predicate noun the·os´ does precede the verb, the Greek word order being literally: “God [predicate] was [verb] the Word [subject].” Concerning this verse Colwell concluded: “The opening verse of John’s Gospel contains one of the many passages where this rule suggests the translation of a predicate as a definite noun.” Thus some scholars claim that the only really correct way to translate this clause is: “And the Word was God.”

Do these statements of Colwell prove that “a god” is a mistranslation at John 1:1? Perhaps you noticed this scholar’s wording that an anarthrous predicate noun that precedes the verb should be understood as definite “if the context suggests” that. Further along in his argument Colwell stressed that the predicate is indefinite in this position “only when the context demands it.” Nowhere did he state that all anarthrous predicate nouns that precede the verb in Greek are definite nouns. Not any inviolable rule of grammar, but context must guide the translator in such cases.

The Greek text of the Christian Scriptures has many examples of this type of predicate noun where other translators into English have added the indefinite article “a.” Consider, for example, Marshall’s interlinear translation of the following verses: “Says to him the woman: Sir, I perceive that a prophet [predicate] art [verb] thou [subject].” (John 4:19) “Said therefore to him—Pilate: Not really a king [predicate] art [verb] thou [subject]? Answered—Jesus: Thou sayest that a king [predicate] I am [verb, with subject included].”—John 18:37.

Did you notice the expressions “a prophet,” “a king” (twice)? These are anarthrous predicate nouns that precede the verb in Greek. But the translator rendered them with the indefinite article “a.” There are numerous examples of this in English versions of the Bible. For further illustration consider the following from the Gospel of John in The New English Bible: “A devil” (6:70); “a slave” (8:34); “a murderer . . . a liar” (8:44); “a thief” (10:1); “a hireling” (10:13); “a relation” (18:26).

Alfred Marshall explains why he used the indefinite article in his interlinear translation of all the verses mentioned in the two previous paragraphs, and in many more: “The use of it in translation is a matter of individual judgement. . . . We have inserted ‘a’ or ‘an’ as a matter of course where it seems called for.” Of course, neither Colwell (as noted above) nor Marshall felt that an “a” before “god” at John 1:1 was called for. But this was not because of any inflexible rule of grammar. It was “individual judgement,” which scholars and translators have a right to express. The New World Bible Translation Committee expressed a different judgment in this place by the translation “a god.”

Certain scholars have pointed out that anarthrous predicate nouns that precede the verb in Greek may have a qualitative significance. That is, they may describe the nature or status of the subject. Thus some translators render John 1:1: “The Logos was divine,” (Moffatt); “the Word was divine,” (Goodspeed); “the nature of the Word was the same as the nature of God,” (Barclay); “the Word was with God and shared his nature,” (The Translator’s New Testament).

Does the idea that Jesus Christ is “a god” conflict with the Scriptural teaching that there is only one God? (1 Cor. 8:5, 6) Not at all. At times the Hebrew Scriptures employ the term for God, ’elo·him´, with reference to mighty creatures. At Psalm 8:5, for example, we read: “You also proceeded to make him [man] a little less than godlike ones.” (Hebrew, ’elohim´; “a god,” New English Bible, Jerusalem Bible) The Greek Septuagint Version renders ?elo·him´ here as “angels.” The Jewish translators of this version saw no conflict with monotheism in applying the term for God to created spirit persons. (Compare Hebrews 2:7, 9.) Similarly, Jews of the first century C.E. found no conflict with their belief in one God at Psalm 82, though verses 1 and 6 of this psalm utilize the word ’elo·him´ (the·oi´, plural of the·os´, Septuagint) with reference to human judges.—Compare John 10:34-36.»»

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