This blog can be placed in the category of the inconsistencies of formal equivalent translations, which try to keep Greek word order if possible. But what if the word order isn’t really incorrect grammar, but poor style?

Paul writes, “Or is it only I and Barnabas (ἐγὼ καὶ Βαρναβᾶς) who have no right to refrain from working?” Do you see the problem? Paul writes, “I and Barnabas,” but English style requires “Barnabas and I.”

What is interesting is that almost all the translations I check reverse the order to match English style (ESV, NASB, HCSB, Read more

ἧς in Eph 1:6 gives us a good opportunity to review our understanding of relative pronouns. Warning: 2nd year Greek ahead.

The prepositional phrase is ἧς ἐχαρίτωσεν ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷἠγαπημένῳ. What determines the number and gender of a relative pronoun? Antecedent. In your phrasing, be sure to draw a line from ἧς to its antecedent.

But what determines its case? Right, its function inside the relative clause. But this is  where it gets tricky. Inside the clause it is functioning as part of what appears to be a double accusative; just replace ἧς with its antecedent and you will see this. But in that case ἧς should be accusative, but it is genitive. Why?

This could be an example of “attraction.” Its case has been attracted to the case of its antecedent χάριτος (genitive)…

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