not relate either to punctuation or pronunciation, are to be
CIIAr. IV.] AMBIGUITIES SOLVED BY THE CONTEXT. 85 the passage in better Latin, but the sense less clear. But sometimes when the sound of a syllable is doubtful, it is decided by a word near it belonging to the same sentence.
As, for example, that saying of the apostle, " Of the which I tell you before [p?TtYZ^co], as I have also told you in time past
[prcedixi], that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." ^ N"ow if he had only said, " Of the which
I tell you before [qucc 2^rcvcUco xohis\'' and had not added, " as
I have also told you in time past [sicut prcedixi],'* we could not know without going back to the original whether in the word prcedico the middle syllable should be pronounced long or short. But as it is, it is clear that it should be pronounced long ; for he does not say, sicut jprcedicavi, but sicut jprcedixi.
Chap, iv,—How ambiguities may he 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 : Proioterea consolati sumus fratres in vobis? 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 cliosen to say, proptcrca consolationcm hctbuimus 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 jpropterea consolati siimns fratres nostri in vohis. 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 [2Jer vestram gloriam] which
I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily." ^ Por one translator has it, ^;c?' vestram juro gloriam, the form of adjuration appearing in the Greek without any ambiguity. It is
1 Gal. V. 21.
2 1 Thess. iii. 7. " Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you" (A. V.).
"" 1 Cor. XV. 31.