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| How Ambiguities May Be Solved.
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Chapter 4.—How Ambiguities May Be
Solved.
8. And not only these, but also
those ambiguities that do not relate either to punctuation or
pronunciation, are to be examined in the same way. For example,
that one in the Epistle to the Thessalonians: Propterea
consolati sumus fratres in vobis.1852
Now it is doubtful whether
fratres [brethren] is in the vocative or accusative case, and
it is not contrary to faith to take it either way. But in the
Greek language the two cases are not the same in form; and
accordingly, when we look into the original, the case is shown to
be vocative. Now if the translator had chosen to say,
propterea consolationem habuimus fratres in vobis, he would
have followed the words less literally, but there would have been
less doubt about the meaning; or, indeed, if he had added
nostri, hardly any one would have doubted that the vocative
case was meant when he heard propterea consolati sumus fratres
nostri in vobis. But this is a rather dangerous liberty to
take. It has been taken, however, in that passage to the
Corinthians, where the apostle says, “I protest by your
rejoicing [per vestram gloriam] which I have in
Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.”1853
For one translator has it,
per vestram jurogloriam, the form of adjuration
appearing in the Greek without any ambiguity. It is therefore
very rare and very difficult to find any ambiguity in the case of
proper words, as far at least as Holy Scripture is concerned, which
neither the context, showing the design of the writer, nor a
comparison of translations, nor a reference to the original tongue,
will suffice to explain.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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