Translatum Greek Translation Forum

[Jim1]

Hello,

Could someone please tell me what the Greek words anwteroV and edafioV mean in English?

Jim  


The context of these two words is the following sentence in a letter that was written in 1780.

Oi autoi ekeinoi en tw ouranw marturounteV, peri wn en tw anwterw edafiw eirhtai dhladh, o Pathr, o LogoV kai to Pneuma.

http://books.google.com/books?...6#v=onepage&q=&f=false (page 207)

Also, is the Greek word dhladh in this sentence an inflection of the verb dhlow (I manifest)--If so, then what inflection?--or is it an adverb (manifestly)?

[billberg23]

Oi autoi ekeinoi en tw ouranw marturounteV, peri wn en tw anwterw edafiw eirhtai dhladh, o Pathr, o LogoV kai to Pneuma.

Τhe noun here in the dative case is ἐδάφιον, Jim, and it means "a bit of text," "a passage."  Τhe adjective ἀνώτερος means "upper," "above." "earlier."  So the phrase in bold type means "in the above passage." The whole sentence seems to mean "Those same witnesses in heaven, namely those about whom mention has been made in the above passage — the Father, the Word, and the Spirit — ..."

Δηλαδή, like δηλόω, derives from δῆλος, "clear," "obvious."  It's still the normal expression for "that is (to say)," "namely."

[Jim1]

Thank you, billberg23.

Jim