Tuesday, March 03, 2015

DIA--How to Translate It (Revision of Post)

Rom 11:36 has διά + the genitive which can be translated "through" or "by." Either translation is able to communicate the notion of intermediate agency.

Col 1:16 is also διά + genitive and Heb 2:10 has this construction too (δι’ οὗ). Compare Heb 1:2.

What will determine how one renders the construction should be context or translator preference. But, as I see it, nothing is wrong with communicating agency with "through" or "by." BDAG shows that διά may be used as a "marker of instrumentality or circumstance whereby someth. is accomplished or effected, by, via, through" (224); διά can also be a "marker of pers. agency, through, by" (225).


In John 1:3, 10; 1 Cor 8:6; Col 1:16, διά is applied to "Christ as intermediary in the creation of the world" (225).

2 comments:

JimSpace said...

Thanks for compiling this. As you doubtlessly saw, I also quoted from BDAG 225 in my post A Rebuttal of Trinitarianism.

Edgar Foster said...

Yes, Jim, I see that you quoted BDAG. Good piece you wrote there. :)