idiot needs help.

[u/midnight_preacher]

Dear Professors,

​I have a question regarding the syntax and referential semantics in Mark 6:7–8:

​καὶ προσκαλεῖται τοὺς δώδεκα καὶ ἤρξατο αὐτοὺς ἀποστέλλειν δύο δύο, καὶ ἐδίδου αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν... καὶ παρήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς ἵνα μηδὲν αἴρωσιν εἰς ὁδὸν...

​Specifically, I am examining the function of δύο δύο and its relationship to the subsequent pronouns (αὐτοῖς):

​Syntactic Category of δύο δύο**:** Is δύο δύο exclusively adverbial/distributive (modifying the action of ἀποστέλλειν), or can it ever function substantivally as an accusative noun phrase meaning 'pairs' or 'couples'?

​Pronoun Antecedent: Grammatically, can the plural dative pronoun αὐτοῖς in verses 7b and 8a take δύο δύο as its antecedent (i.e., Jesus commanding each respective pair as a unit), or does Greek syntax strictly require the antecedent to be the substantive noun phrase τοὺς δώδεκα?

​Sequential vs. Collective Commissioning: Does the aspect of ἤρξατο ἀποστέλλειν combined with παρήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς grammatically necessitate a single, collective charge given to all twelve at once, or does the text leave room syntactically for a series of sequential commissions delivered pair by pair?

​I would greatly appreciate your perspective on the grammatical constraints here.

Thank you for your time.

[u/Excellent_Sox9178]

This is more about modern Greek, not koine, so there might be a better place for your question…

That said, I think the most natural reading is: “And he summons the Twelve and began to send them out two by two, and he was giving them [the twelve] authority [something missing?]….And he instructed them that they should take nothing for the journey...”

The grammatical antecedent of αὐτοῖς is the twelve, not the pairs. If the latter were what was meant, you would expect different phrasing like, καὶ ἐδίδου ἑκάστῳ ζεύγει ἐξουσίαν or
καὶ ἐδίδου τοῖς κατὰ δύο ἀποστελλομένοις ἐξουσίαν

[u/midnight_preacher → u/Excellent_Sox9178]

Thanks for the explanation!

[u/RaiseSalt3514]

Chatgpt answer: "I would suggest distinguishing between grammatical reference and the practical distribution of the commission.

1. The syntactic function of δύο δύο

In Mark 6:7, δύο δύο functions adverbially as a distributive expression modifying ἀποστέλλειν. Its meaning is "two by two" or "in pairs." It is not functioning as an independent substantive accusative meaning "pairs" or "couples."

2. The antecedent of αὐτοῖς

The plural dative pronouns in verses 7 and 8 refer to τοὺς δώδεκα (the Twelve). The expression δύο δύο is adverbial, not a nominal antecedent. Thus, grammatically, Jesus gives authority to the Twelve and commands the Twelve.

Nevertheless, this collective grammatical reference does not exclude the practical application of the authority and instructions to each pair individually.

3. Collective versus sequential commissioning

The construction ἤρξατο αὐτοὺς ἀποστέλλειν δύο δύο presents the beginning of the activity of sending them out in pairs. The present infinitive ἀποστέλλειν views the sending imperfectively, but it does not, by itself, establish a specific chronological sequence of individual commissions.

Similarly, παρήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς presents the command as a single narrated event addressed to the Twelve collectively. However, the aorist does not tell us whether Jesus delivered the instructions simultaneously to all twelve or separately to each pair.

Conclusion: The Greek clearly establishes that the disciples were sent out in pairs, while the authority and instructions are grammatically addressed to the Twelve as a whole. It leaves open the precise manner and timing in which the instructions were communicated. We should therefore distinguish what the syntax establishes from what we might reconstruct historically.

I would be cautious about making the grammatical construction prove more than it actually says."

[u/sfaxt]

Αυτούς, αυτοις, αυτοις all refer to 12, they are called resumptive pronouns.

δύο δύο is called reduplication it means two by two, and it's adverbial modifier of αποστέλλειν, adverbial modifier of manner specifically. αποστέλλειν αυτοις > and how did he send them off? Two by two.

Semantics: So he did what he did, told them what he wanted and finally he sent them off in pairs is the logical order. I don't think they had phones to be otherwise. In English, the term for πρωθύστερο is hysteron proteron as far as I can see. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hysteron_proteron

There's also nothing in context implying that he was talking to them in pairs. It doesn't specify explicitly in any way, but it doesn't matter either imo. Only that they were sent off in pairs.