3 John Grammar and Translation Notes (Mgvh)

3 John – Grammar and Translation Notes (mgvh)

Inscriptio If you look in your NET Bible, you should see this as the title for 3 John:  What does the Γʹ mean?  The angle brackets around the title indicate that some ancient manuscripts have different titles to this document. At the bottom of your NET Bible you should see something like this:

See if you can figure out what each is saying. (The letters and numbers following a reading indicate which manuscripts have that reading. Note that abbreviations are used: I. = ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ; επ. = επιστολη in the previous entry, etc.) .and B are regarded as the ‘best’ ancient manuscripts א Don’t spend much time on this! Note that

1 BGT Ὁ πρεσβ ύ τερος Γα ΐῳ τ ῷἀ γαπητ ῷ , ὃ ν ἐ γ ὼἀ γαπ ῶἐ ν ἀ ληθε ίᾳ . NET From the elder, to Gaius my dear brother, whom I love in truth. NRS The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. KJV The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. NAU The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. NIV The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth. NJB From the Elder: greetings to my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in truth. NLT This letter is from John, the elder. I am writing to Gaius, my dear friend, whom I love in the truth. DRA The ancient to the dearly beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.  This is standard letter writing style introduction in place of our “Dear Gaius, … From the elder.”  How many times does a form of the stem αγαπ* occur in 3 John?  How many times does a form of the stem αληθ* occur in 3 John?  What do you understand ἐν ἀ ληθε ίᾳ to mean? 2 BGT Ἀ γαπητ έ , περ ὶ π ά ντων ε ὔ χομα ί σε ε ὐ οδο ῦ σθαι κα ὶ ὑ για ί νειν, καθ ὼ ς ε ὐ οδο ῦ τα ί σου ἡ ψυχ ή . NET Dear friend, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul. NRS Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul. KJV Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. NAU Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. NIV Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. NJB My dear friend, I hope everything is going happily with you and that you are as well physically as you are spiritually. NLT Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit. DRA Dearly beloved, concerning all things I make it my prayer that thou mayest proceed prosperously, and fare well as thy soul doth prosperously.  How do the various translations treat the phrase περὶ π ά ντων?  Following εὔ χομα ί, we can expect a shift to indirect discourse. (I pray that…) How is that expressed in the Greek here?  What case is σε? How is it functioning here?  Note the various ways that the translations render σε εὐ οδο ῦ σθαι κα ὶ ὑ για ί νειν. Which one most closely mirrors the Greek? Which one best expresses the sense of the text in contemporary English?

3 BGT ἐ χ ά ρην γ ὰ ρ λ ί αν ἐ ρχομ έ νων ἀ δελφ ῶ ν κα ὶ μαρτυρο ύ ντων σου τ ῇ ἀ ληθε ίᾳ , καθ ὼ ς σ ὺ ἐ ν ἀ ληθε ίᾳ περιπατες. ῖ NET For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, just as you are living according to the truth. NRS I was overjoyed when some of the friends arrived and testified to your faithfulness to the truth, namely how you walk in the truth. KJV For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. NAU For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. NIV It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. NJB It was a great joy to me when some brothers came and told of your faithfulness to the truth, and of your life in the truth. NLT Some of the traveling teachers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living according to the truth. DRA I was exceedingly glad when the brethren came and gave testimony to the truth in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.  Note the phrase: ἐρχομ έ νων ἀ δελφ ῶ ν κα ὶ μαρτυρο ύ ντων σου τ ῇ ἀ ληθε ίᾳ What is the mood of and ? What is their case? How are they functioning here?  How do you understand ἀδελφ ῶ ν here? Does the NET or the NRS provide a better rendering of the word?  Note that the phrase μαρτυρού ντων σου τ ῇ ἀ ληθε ίᾳ seems to give translators some difficulty. How do the NET, NRS, and NAU deal with it? 4 BGT μειζοτέ ραν το ύ των ο ὐ κ ἔ χω χαρ ά ν, ἵνα ἀ κο ύ ω τ ὰἐ μ ὰ τ έ κνα ἐ ν τ ῇ ἀ ληθε ίᾳ περιπατο ῦ ντα. NET I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are living according to the truth. NRS I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth. KJV I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. NAU I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. NIV I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. NJB It is always my greatest joy to hear that my children are living according to the truth. NLT I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth. DRA I have no greater grace than this, to hear that my children walk in truth.  Note the construction carefully. What does μειζοτέ ραν modify? Remember that “than” in Greek can be rendered by the use of the genitive. (i.e., τού των)  Does the ἵνα here answer the question “why?” (purpose) or “with what result?” (result) or “what?” (substantive)?  περιπατοῦ ντα – Note that this circumstantial participle is used to express indirect discourse following a verb of perception (ἀκο ύ ω).