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Chapter 30 · Lesson 30.4 · Preposition
Preposition – σύν + Dative
ObjectivesLearning objectives
- The semantics of the preposition σύν
VocabularyVocabulary
| Greek | Gloss | Part of speech | Paradigm |
|---|---|---|---|
| ἡ ῥομφαία, -ας | the sword | noun | B.a.α.ii |
| ἡ κοινωνία, -ας | the sharing | noun | B.a.α.ii |
| θεᾶται τινά | (he) sees something/one (acc) | verb | C.a.γ |
| συνέρχομαι ἐν τόπῳ | (I) gather in a place (dat) | verb | C.a.α |
| μετανοεῖ ἔκ τινος | (he) repents from something (gen) | verb | C.a.β |
| πανταχοῦ | everywhere | adverb |
SemanticsSemantics: Preposition - σύν + dative
The meaning of σύν usually involves the idea of accompaniment. One person accompanies another in an eventuality. This may involve doing the same action as another person with them, such as going somewhere:
ἐρχόμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς σὺν σοί (John 21:3)
We also are coming with you
Along with actions that are done together, σύν is also used with states when someone is physically with someone else:
καὶ σὺν Χριστῷ εἶναι (Phil 1:23)
NoteAnd to be with Christ
Paul is contrasting being physically in two different places here, either present on earth or present with Christ.
Sometimes the idea of accompaniment with someone is more abstract. It means that you are someone’s companion or you are for someone:
καὶ οὗτος σὺν αὐτῷ ἦν (Luke 22:56)
This man also was with him
The claim here is not simply that Peter was in the presence of Jesus at some point, but that he was Jesus’s companion.
These examples demonstrate the difference between σύν and μετά with the genitive (17.4.3.2). The latter preposition is often used for actions that are done that require two people, such as speaking with someone. These examples with σύν, on the other hand, refer to actions that can be done independently, but someone accompanies someone else in the action.
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New Testament text shown on hover: Greek from the SBLGNT, © 2010 Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0; English from the Berean Standard Bible (public domain).