Friday, August 16, 2013

John 1:1 and The Sahidic Coptic


The Sahidic Coptic translators had a choice at John 1:1c as to which bound construction to use, a definite one or an indefinite one, in accordance with Sahidic syntax and grammar. If they understood the Greek text to say "the Word was God" they would have used the Coptic definite article bound with the count noun: p.noute. They did not have to use the Coptic indefinite article unless they understood the Greek to actually say "the Word was a god," i.e., ou.noute pe pSaje.

The Coptic translators rendered John 1:1c from the Greek text to say "the Word was a god" because that is exactly what they understood it to say, not because they were grammatically ignorant of Greek, or grammatically restrained by Coptic from doing otherwise.

See: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdMV3PIEUco

1 comment:

  1. Your treatise on identity of God and Jesus is great. Your appreciation for God's name is wonderful. Are you one of Jehovah's Witnesses?

    ReplyDelete