Adverbial KAI as thematic addition
I am working on the introduction to the Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament, describing what I am calling thematic addition. Here is the definition from the glossary.
Definition
The use of various means to create a connection between two things, essentially ‘adding’ the current element to some preceding parallel element. The most common means for accomplishing this is the use of καὶ as an adverb (i.e. also, even) instead of as a conjunction (i.e. and, but). Cf. Levinsohn (2000:100)
Explanation
When information is added to a discourse, there are a number of options available regarding how to relate the new information to what precedes. The most common approach is to simply add the information without explicitly specifying the kind of connection to make. Consider the effect of using thematic addition to create a tighter connection to the preceding context, compared to leaving it implicit.
| Luke 7:8 | καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπός εἰμι ὑπὸ ἐξουσίαν τασσόμενος ἔχων ὑπ ̓ ἐμαυτὸν στρατιώτας καὶ λέγω τούτῳ Πορεύθητι καὶ πορεύεται καὶ ἄλλῳ Ἔρχου καὶ ἔρχεται καὶ τῷ δούλῳ μου Ποίησον τοῦτο καὶ ποιεῖ | For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” |
The centurion has asked that Jesus not enter his house, but instead that he simply give the command for his servant to be healed. By stating that “I too” am under authority, his reason for asking Jesus not to enter his house is made clear: the centurion views Jesus as a man who carries authority, and all of the privilidges that go with it. Just as he can give a command, so can Jesus. If he had simply stated ‘I am a man under authority’, the assertion that he viewed Jesus as one carrying authority would have been much more difficult to discern. The use of thematic addition makes what would have been implit explicit.
The same principle holds true in the ‘golden rule’ in Matt 7:12, but is difficult to discern in translation.
| Matt 7:12 | Πάντα οὖν ὅσα ἐὰν θέλητε ἵνα ποιῶσιν ὑμῖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς ποιεῖτε αὐτοῖς οὗτος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ νόμος καὶ οἱ προφῆται | So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. |
One could paraphrase the verse using a rhetorical question: “You know how you want others to treat you? In the same way, you also do to them.” The point that Jesus is making here is that instead of waiting for others to treat you like you would want, quit waiting and you go ahead and do it. The ‘you’ is being added to ‘the ones’ who are doing things to you. This connection would have been implicit based on the content, but making it explicit through the use of thematic addition makes the connection much stronger.
One final example not using καὶ is found in Matt 4:21, where Jesus calls James and John to be disciples.
| Matt 4:21 | Καὶ προβὰς ἐκεῖθεν εἶδεν ἄλλους δύο ἀδελφούς Ἰάκωβον τὸν τοῦ Ζεβεδαίου καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ μετὰ Ζεβεδαίου τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν καταρτίζοντας τὰ δίκτυα αὐτῶν καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτούς | And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. |
Verses 18-20 describe the call of Peter and Andrew, who are also brothers, to follow Jesus. The use of the word ἄλλους (other) functions to create an explicit link where only an implicit one exists. Mark’s account in 1:19 does not make an explicit connection back to Peter and Andrew. Luke 5:10 does make an explicit connection, but using καὶ.
| Luke 5:10 | ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ Ἰάκωβον καὶ Ἰωάννην υἱοὺς Ζεβεδαίου οἳ ἦσαν κοινωνοὶ τῷ Σίμωνι καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς τὸν Σίμωνα ὁ Ἰησοῦς Μὴ φοβοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν ἀνθρώπους ἔσῃ ζωγρῶν | and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” |
The connection made is that James and John were also fisherman and also called, but does not highlight the family connection as in Matthew. Thus, we see the same device of thematic addition used to convey the same basic content, but used to highlight different connections based on the writers’ purposes.
Summary
Thematic addition describes the use of various means to create explicit connections in places where they otherwise would have remained implicit.
If you are interested in function-based approaches to grammar like this, then check out some other posts that Mike pointed to not too long ago here.
srunge @ May 9, 2008
[…] scholar calls exegesis or interpretation, Steven Runge calls grammar. And he’s right. And in Adverbial KAI as thematic addition, he challenges us to realize that grammar is more than words and clauses, so to paraphrase without […]