100 Jan van der Watt & Chrys Caragounis precisely as English, German, French, Swedish, Dutch, Spanish, Ita- lian, etc. It is impossible to use the indefinite ἐν ἀρχῇ in Demotic Neohellenic. But a Greek understands both ἐν ἀρχῇ and στὴν ἀρχὴ(ν) in this context as saying the same thing. ‣ Finally, ἐν ἀρχῇ as such is indefinite. However, its close relation to a noun27 or a verb28, of which noun or verb (action) it is the beginning, lends to it a certain definiteness. Thus, the absolute ἐν ἀρχῇ (in Jn 1,1), referring, as it does, to the state that existed before the beginning of creation (Gen 1,1), can never be understood merely of “a beginning” (as though there were many beginnings) but “of the beginning”. It may be said that the phrase has almost crystallized into a set formula or even that it has acquired a kind of adverbial force29. 2.2 The meaning of πρὸς τὸν θεὸν 2.2.1 The status of the research on πρὸς τὸν θεόν in John 1:1b. Jan v.d. Watt: The translation of πρὸς τὸν θεόν seems to be evident and indisputable,30 although closer scrutiny points to considerable vague- ness when a more accurate description of the meaning should be given. Part of the vagueness lies in the wide variety of different meanings the word πρός (+ acc.) may be used for.31 The preposition πρός is used with E.g. LXX Judg 7,17 (B): ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς παρεμβολῆς; Ruth 1,22: τοῦ θερισμοῦ; 4 Kgds 27 17,25: τῆς καθέδρας; 2 Esdr 4,6: τῆς βασιλείας; Ps 136,6: τῆς εὐφροσύνης μου; Isa 51,9: ἡμέρας; Jer 33,1: βασιλέως; Ez 21,24: ὁδοῦ πόλεως; Ez 42,10. περιπάτου; Dan 9,23: τῆς δεήσεως σου. E.g. LXX a Chron 16,7: ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ αἰνεῖν. 28 The expression ἐν ἀρχῇ functions as a temporal adverb, like ἀρχήν, τὴν ἀρχήν (see 29 C. C. Caragounis, “What Did Jesus Mean by τὴν ἀρχήν?”, NovT 49 (2007), 129-47, esp. 137-47). Other temporal adverbs include: ἐν ἡμέρᾳ, ἐν νυκτί, ἐν θέρει, ἐν τάχει, ἐν βραχεῖ, ἐν ὀπώρῃ, ἐν χρόνῳ, ἐν πολέμῳ, ἐν εἰρήνη, etc. (see R. Kühner, Ausführliche Grammatik der griechischen Sprache (Gr. tr.) Part II, Vol. 1, p. 319, 387,464 and E. Schwyzer, Grie- chische Grammatik, Band II: Syntax und syntaktische Stilistik, München: C.H. Beck’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 5 Aufl. 1988, 458. Considering different translations, the following pattern emerges: Nearly all trans- 30 lations translate, “The Word was with God”, for instance, ESV, 1890 Darby, ASV, CEV, GNT, ISV, KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLV, NCV, KJV, NKJV, RSV, NRSV, NAU, NJB, WEB, DRA, TNT, MNT, Young’s, German Einheitsüberstetzung (bei), Luther 1984, Elberfelder, Gute Nachricht (bei), Bibelen kanoniske Bøger (hos), Dutch 1951, Dutch Statenvertaling (bij), Dutch GNB, Leidse vertaling (bij), Afrikaans Old and New Translation, Afrikaans Living Translation, Die Boodskap. Except for paraphrases, there are basically no excep- tions. BBE (1949/64) however translates, “the Word was in relation with God”. The following summary reflects the use of πρός in the Gospel according to John: 31 * Movement towards somebody: 1,19,29,42,47; 3,2,20,21,26; 4,30,40,47; 5,33,40; 6,5,17,35,37, 44,45,65,68; 7,33,37,45,50; 8,2; 9,13; 10,41; 11,3,15,19,29,45,46; 12,32; 13,1,3,6; 14,3,6,12,18,23,28; 16,5,7,10,28; 17,11,13; 18,13,24,29,38; 19,3,39; 20,2,10,17;