§ 12. THE GEN. AFTER VERBS.

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(1.) It will be impossible that the reader should obtain an adequate idea of the nature of this idiom, unless he first obtain a correct view of the nature of the relations designed to be expressed by the Gen. case. The general statement is made in § 10. It is proper to add some things in this place, for the better understanding of the matter.

(a) The person or thing to which any thing belongs, as property, attribute, power, usage, duty, etc., is put in the Gen.; for in this way the relation of the property, etc., is defined.

(b) The Gen. marks the whole, to which parts or portions of any thing belongs; for thus the relation of the parts is defined.

(c) All those cases, viewed subjectively or objectively, in which a word has an incomplete meaning in itself, and needs another word to shew its relation; or in which the object, the

reason, the source or ground, of an action or state must needs be expressed; in a word, all those cases in which, to complete the expression of the idea, in respect to, in relation to, on account of, by reason of, must be added, admit of the

Gen. in order to shew what this respect, relation, or account is.

to (d.) Even time and place may be considered as having a relation to that which happens in them; and therefore words designating these, may be put in the Genitive.

NOTE 1. Under some of these general heads may be arranged not only the use of the Gen. after verbs, but also after adjectives, participles, prepositions, adverbs, and indeed after nouns, as already represented.

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(2.) The student will more easily obtain a proper view of the Gen. after verbs in Greek, if he compares the very numerous class of verbs in English, which are in like manner followed by the Genitive.

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E. g. The verbs ἀκούω and γεύομαι (verba sensus) govern the Gen., and in English we often say: hear of, taste of Often too we leave out the of; and so does the Greek, for dzouw and nearly all other verbs which govern a Gen. may and do sometimes govern other cases, i. e. the Acc., or Dat., as may be necessary. Compare our English, thought of, smell of, cat of, take of, give of, partake of, drink of, to be of, to be glad of, to be full of, to be emptied of, to complain of, to accuse of, to convince of, to buy of, to sell of, to learn of, to rob of, to make of, to require of, to take hold of,

to beg of, and so of a multitude of other verbs. In nearly all these cases, there is an agreement with the Greek idiom as to the genitive; and also in the fact, that nearly all these verbs, and most others which govern the Gen., may also govern other cases.

(3.) It may be seen by the above exhibitions, that ideas indicated by verbs of this nature divide themselves into several classes; e. g.

(a) Such as designate the relation of property.

This is confined principally to siμí and yívouai, for the obvious reason, that other verbs designate action, state, etc., which would be inappropriate to the purpose under consideration; e. g. τοῦτ ̓ ἔστιν Ἰωάννου, this is John's; Toλλñs dvoías šorì it belongs to consummate folly; ori dinaíov dvdgòs, it belongs to a good man, or a good man must, should, may, can, etc., do thus and so. And so of yivouar, which is often equivalent to εἰμί.

(3) Verbs which have a partitive sense, i. e. which indicate action that can be supposed to relate only to a part or portion of the object to which it is directed.

NOTE 1. The predominant part of the regimen of the Gen. by verbs, is where a partitive sense is meant to be designated. Of course such verbs as METEXEIV, μεταλαμβάνειν, κοινωνεῖν, μεταλαγχάνειν, μεταδίδωμι ἀποKaber, and all others of the like character, will be included among those which govern the genitive. By

an extension of this principle that is natural enough, verbs signifying to obtain, acquire, etc., i. e. to have a part in or of, often conform to the same idiom, such ας τυγχάνειν, λαγχάνειν, κυρεῖν, κληρονομεῖν, etc. Matt. § 325. seq. See in New Testament, 1 Cor. ix. 10, x. 21. Heb. v. 13. Rev. ii. 17, al.

¡NOTE 2. But any verbs whatever, even those which are usually construed with the Acc., may take a Gen. where a partitive sense is meant to be conveyed; as Odys. 6, 98, iπтñoaι ngewv, to roast, [some] flesh; Thucyd. II. 56, rñs yñs ereμov, they destroyed [a part of] the country; Plato, Symp. p. 213, λaẞóvтa Tuv Tawv, taking [some] fillets; Soph. Oed. Tyr. 709, pavτinñs Exov TÉXuns, having [something] of the prophetic art, etc. Matth. § 323. See Acts xxvii. 36. Matt. xvi. 28. 24, al.

Luke ix. 27; xiv.

NOTE 3. Kindred to the above constructions seems to be that in which verbs signifying to seize, grasp, take hold of, hold fast, touch, manage, etc., e. g. λaμβάνομαι, δράττομαι, ἅπτομαι, ἔχω, etc. (specially when in the Mid. voice,) govern the genitive; Matth. § 330. When the whole of a thing grasped, etc., is meant, the Acc. is used, and not the Genitive; Matth. §331. See Mark ix. 27; v. 30. Matt. xiv, 31. Heb. xii. 20. Luke viii. 54. For seizing the whole, see Matt. xiv. 3; xviii. 28. Mark iii. 21,

al.

NOTE 4. As the antithesis of this, and by one of those peculiarities not uncommon in language, the same usage is extended to verbs (mostly of the Mid.

voice) of the opposite character; e. g. uedispar, àpieμar and so to ἁμαρτάνομαι to miss the mark, ψεύδεσθαι το fail in meeting expectations, opáλhoda to be frustrated, etc. to rastin arr

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NOTE 5. Verbs such as ἄρχειν, ὑπαρχειν, etc., which signify to begin, commence, introduce, etc., govern the Gen.; for here the action is as it were partitive, i. e. commenced but not completed. So οἱ ὑπῆρξαν τῆς XevDegías, who introduced liberty; Matth. § 335.

(c) When a noun must be added, in order to shew in respect to, or in regard to, what person or thing, or circumstance, the action, etc., of the verb is to be understood, this noun may be put in the Gen. after any kind of verb.

02 NOTE 1. E. g. s τodãν εixov, as they were able in respect to their feet, i. e. as fast as they could run ; exeiv ogεvŵv, to be sound in respect to understanding; Eurip. El. s ȧyvos йnquev; how do we come off as to the contest? Kaλws neîtai Tou nλíov, it lies well in respect to the sun; Matth. §§ 337, 338. This is a construction widely diffused, and deserving of particular attention.

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(d) All verbs that necessarily imply a relation to something in the action, etc., which they express, but which relation is not designated by the verb itself, take a genitive in order to indiBut this Gen. is not the direct object

cate it.