Paul Danove, «The Interpretation and Translation of Verbs of "Giving" in the New Testament», Vol. 23 (2010) 109-127
This article resolves the occurrences of the thirteen NT verbs of “giving” into seven usages and considers the interpretation and translation of the verbs with each usage. The introductory discussion develops the semantic and syntactic criteria for identifying verbal usages and the distinguishing characteristics of verbs of “giving”. The study identifies the semantic, syntactic, and lexical properties of all occurrences of each verb with each usage, clarifies potential difficulties for interpretation, and proposes procedures for translation that accommodate the interpretive constraints with each usage. The concluding discussion distinguishes the function of complements with the same lexical realizations in different usages.
124 Paul Danove
…the one making himself a ransom [[which becomes of all]] for all (1
Tim 2,6)
…ὁ δοὺς ἑαυτὸν ἀντίλυτρον ὑπὲρ πάντων
The Son of Man … to make his life a ransom [[which becomes of many]]
for many (Matt 20,28)
ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου … δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ
πολλῶν
But make [[for those in need]] the things inside alms [[which will
become the needy’s]] (Luke 11,41)
πλὴν τὰ ἐνόντα δότε ἐλεημοσύνην
7. Disposition
Two verbs (δίδωμι and παραδίδωμι) appear with the usage of
Disposition. With this usage, the verbs require completion by an Agent,
a Patient, and an Event. The action itself is for (1) the +animate entity
within the Event that is licensed by the verb of the Event and is not
co-referential to the Agent and Patient of the verb of “giving” or (2) the
+animate Benefactive of the –animate entity within the Event that is
licensed by the verb of the Event and is not co-referential to the Agent
and Patient of the verb of “giving”. That is, the Benefactive of the action
is the +animate entity within the Event not also licensed by the verb
of “giving”. The verb makes this +animate entity Benefactive of the
Patient. The Event is realized by a non-maximal infinitive whose first
complement is identical to the second (Patient) complement of δίδωμι or
παραδίδωμι (V-i2) or, on one occasion, by a ἵνα (that) clause (V+ἵνα) in
which the first complement of the verb is identical to the second (Patient)
complement of δίδωμι.
Translation of the two verbs with this usage is difficult because
English has no usage with comparable constraints on interpretation.
Disposition is similar to the Greek and English usage of Compulsion
(an Agent compels a Patient to accomplish an Event), which permits
the same realizations for verbal complements (N+acc Patient and V-i2
or V+ἵνα Event) and consistently has the interpretation that the Patient
entity accomplishes the Event. Disposition, however, differs from
Compulsion, which attributes the surety of the accomplishment of the
Event exclusively to the Agent’s action on the Patient and which tolerates
the interpretation that the Agent uses coercive force to compel the Patient
to act. Instead, with the usage of Disposition, the action of the Agent