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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. 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." For one
translator has it, per vestram juro gloriam, 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.
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