7/28/2019 Grammar - Genitive Absolute

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THE GENITIVE ABSOLUTE

! It is a phrase which is not connected syntactically with the rest of its sentence.

! Its subject is a NOUN or PRONOUN, and its verb is a CIRCUMSTANTIAL PARTICIPLE. Both of these are in the

GENITIVE CASE:

Mt 26:21 kai.evsqiontwn autwn ei=pen\ avmh.n le,gw umi/n o[ti ei-j evx umw/n paradw,sei meAnd while they were eating, he said, "Amen I say to you, that one of you will betray me."

! The rest of the genitive absolute phrase may include other elements and modifiers:

prepositional phrase

Mk 5:18 Kai.evmbai,nontoj autou eij to. ploion pareka,lei auvto.n o` daimonisqei.j i[na metV auvtou/ h=|And as he was embarking into the boat, the one who had been possessed begged him that he might be with him

dative of respect

2 Pt 4:1 Cristou oun paqontoj sarki. kai. umei/j th.n auvth.n e;nnoian opli,sasqeSince, therefore, Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same intention

direct object indirect object

Mt 9:18 Tauta autou lalountoj autoi/j( ivdou. a;rcwn ei-j evlqw.n proseku,nei auvtw/| le,gwn o[ti hquga,thr mou a;rti evteleu,thsen\ avlla. evlqw.n evpi,qej th.n cei/ra, sou evpV auvth,n( kai. zh,setaiWhile he was saying these things to them, behold, one leader came and reverenced him, saying,

"My daughter just died; but come lay your hand on her, and she will live."

object infinitive

Acts 19:30 Paulou de. boulome,nou eiselqei/n eij ton dhmon ouvk ei;wn auvto.n oi` maqhtai,Now, although Paul was wishing to enter into the populace, the disciples were not allowing him

! The verb functions like any other participle with respect to aspect and time (e.g., apresent participle has a

progressive/repeated aspect and usually indicates action simultaneous with the main verb of the sentence).

! The genitive absolute phrase can be used to indicate any of the 8 circumstances associated with all

circumstantial participles. Context will indicate which circumstance is the most appropriate. For example,

the temporal use makes the most sense in Mt 26:21 (above), but theoretically, it could be translated in any of

the following ways:

! Both Zerwick (#49) and Blass-Debrunner-Funk (#423) point out that the Semitic way of thinking favors

juxtaposing ideas against one another, while the Greek mind-set prefers to specificy how individual

elements are linked or subordinated to one another. Thus, in many instances where NT authors coming

from a Semitic context would tend to use the genitive absolute (in juxtaposition to the rest of the sentence),

Classical or Hellenistic writers would normally use a circumstantial participle agreeing in case, gender

and number with its antecedent, as in this example of good, literary Hellenistic prose:

accusative case

First Apology 10:2 Kai. pa,nta th.n avrch.n avgaqon onta dhmiourgh/sai auvto.n dedida,gmeqa(Justin Martyr) And we have been taught that in the beginning, he created all things because (he) is good

Temporal: "And when/while/as/after they were eating, he said"

Causal: "And because/since/as/inasmuch as they were eating, he said"

Purpose: "And for/in order for them to eat, he said" (more common with future participle)

Means: "And by/through/by means of their eating, he said"

Manner: "And with them eating, he said"

Condition: "And if/ as long as they were eating, he said"

Concessive: "And though/although they were eating, he said"

Attendant Circumstance: "They were eating, and he said"