Appendix II - The resumptive pronoun

Summary

We now make an excursus to study another Semitic characteristic of relative clauses, the resumptive pronoun, and to survey the recent work of W.F. Bakker of the University of Amsterdam, who has made a significant contribution to our understanding of the resumptive pronoun in Greek relative clauses. His study includes a rich selection of occurrences, arranged chronologically from Homer through the classical period, to Hellenistic Greek. Although tacitly confessing a lack of knowledge of Semitic languages, the author does not hesitate to deal with Greek of the LXX (including the apocrypha) and the NT, and to contend with the closely-debated issue of Semitic influence on the frequently-occurring resumptive pronouns there.

His primary contribution, stated in briefest form, is the distinction made for the first time between non-essential versus essential relative clauses. A non-essential (non-restrictive) relative clause is one which ‘is not essential to the meaning of the sentence, but merely adds an idea. Such a clause does not determine the antecedent, but is almost independent.’

Into this category fall the resumptive pronouns in both ancient and Koine Greek, but it excludes most (not all) from biblical Greek. Thus the author can conclude that in ancient Greek the term pronomen abundans is a misnomer, because where the pronoun is employed it is not redundant, but serves a definite purpose. The situation in Koine Greek differs, since in at least some cases the pronomen abundans serves to reinforce the relative pronoun, which had been reduced to a mere connective.