GENDER, 46, 47

46. Elliptical Use of the Feminine Adjective. There is nothing about the feminine gender which should make ellipse more frequent with it than with the masculine or neuter. Only it happens that some of the words which can be most easily supplied are feminine. This elliptical use of the feminine adjective (or of adv. = adj.) is a feature of Greek generally. It is not very common in the LXX. Instances are -

ἐπ’ εὐθείας (ὁδοῦ) Josh. 8:14.

ἐν τῇ εὐθείᾳ Ps. 142:10.

τῆς πλατείας Esther 4:1.

τὴν σύμπασαν (γῆν) Job 2:2, 25:2.

ἕως τῆς σήμερον (ἡμέρας) 2 Chr. 35:25.

τὴν αὔριον 3 Mac. 5:38.

ἐβόησεν μεγάλῃ (τῇ φωνῇ) 4 K. [2 Kings] 18:28.

εἰς τὴν ὑψηλήν (χώραν) 2 Chr. 1:3.

In the N.T. this idiom occurs much more frequently. Take for instance Lk. 12:47, 48 δαρήσεται πολλάς . . . ὀλίγας (πληγάς).

Cp. also -

τὴν πρὸς θάνατον (ὁδόν) Eus. H.E. 2.23.

οὐκ εἰς μακράν Philo Leg. ad C. 4.

ἐπ’ εὐθείας Philo Q.O.P.L. 1.

ἐπὶ ξένης (χώρας or γῆς) Philo Leg. ad C. 3.

πεδιάς τε καὶ ὀρεινή ibid. 7.

τῇ πατρίῳ (γλώσσῃ) Jos. B.J. Prooem. 1.

τὰς περιοίκους (πόλεις) ibid. 8.

47. Feminine for Neuter. The use of the feminine for the neuter is a pure Hebraism, which occurs principally in the Psalms.

Jdg. 15:7 ἐὰν ποιήσητε οὕτως ταύτην, 21:3 εἰς τί . . . ἐγενήθη αὕτη;

1 K. [1 Sam.] 4:7 οὐ γέγονεν τοιαύτη ἐξθὲς καὶ τρίτῆ. Ps. 26:3 ἐν ταύτῃ ἐγὼ ἐλπίζω, 26:4 μίαν ἦτησάμην . . . ταύτην ἐκζητήσω, 31:6 ὑπὲρ ταύτης προσεύξεται πᾶς ὅσιος, 117:23 παρὰ Κυρίου ἐγένετο αὕτη, 118:50 αὕτη με παρεκάλεσεν, 118:56 αὕτη ἐγενήθη μοι.

In the N.T. this license only occurs in Mk. 12:11, Mt. 21:42 in a quotation from Ps. 117:23.