-The Kingdom Interlinear Of The Greek Scriptures - Appendix 2A
These translations use such words as "a god," "divine," or "godlike" because the Greek word Θεὸς (theos) is a singular predicate [part of a sentence containing a verb] noun [a person, place, thing, or group] occurring before the verb [describes an action] and is not preceded by the definite article [the]. This is an anarthrous [a word without an article (a, an, or the) attached to it] Θεὸς theos. The God with whom the Word, or Logos, was originally is designated here by the Greek expression Θεὸς, that is, theos preceded by ho. This is an articular [of or pertaining to the joints] theos. The articular construction of the noun points to an identity, a personality, whereas a singular anarthrous predicate noun preceding the verb points to a quality about someone. Therefore, John's statement that the Word, or Logos, was "a god" or "divine" or "godlike" does not mean that he was the God with whom he was. It merely expresses a certain quality about the Word, or Logos, but it does not identify him as one and the same as God himself.
In the Greek text there are many cases of a singular anarthrous [a word without an article (a, an, or the) attached to it] predicate [part of a sentence containing a verb] noun [a person, place, thing, or group] preceding the verb [describes an action] , such as those listed in the accompanying chart. In these places translators insert the indefinite article "a" before the predicate noun in order to bring out the quality or characteristic of the subject. Since the indefinite article is inserted before the predicate noun in such texts, with equal justification the indefinite article "a" is inserted before the anarthrous Θεὸς in the predicate of John 1:1 to make it read "a god." The Sacred Scriptures confirm the correctness of this rendering. In his article "Qualitive Anarthrous Predicate Nouns: Mark 15:39 and John 1:1," published in Journal of Biblical Literature, Vol. 92, Philadelphia, 1973, on p. 85 Philip B. Harner said that such clauses as the one in John 1:1, "with an
anarthrous predicate preceding the verb, are primarily qualitative in meaning. They indicate that the logos has the nature of theos. There is no basis for regarding the predicate theos as definite." On p. 87 of his article, Harner concluded: "In John 1:1 I think that the qualitative force of the predicate [part of a sentence containing a verb] is so prominent that the noun cannot be regarded as definite."
Following is a list of instances in the gospels of Mark and John where various translators have rendered singular anarthrous predicate noun occurring before the verb with an indefinite article to denote the indefinite and qualitative status of the subject nouns: [from NIV]
Mark 6:49 a ghost, 11:32 a prophet, John 4:19 a prophet, 6:70 a devil, 8:44 a murderer, & a liar, 8:48 a Samaritan, 9:17 a prophet, 10:1 a thief, 10:13 a hired hand, 10:33 a mere man, 12:6 a thief, 18:37 a king, & a king.
-There are a total of four (4) occurences in the New Testament where the singular predicate, theos, precedes the verb and does not have the article. Let us look at each of these verses to see how the New World Translation has translated them.
1. Luke 20:38. "He is a God, not of the dead, but of the living" (NWT)
theos de ouk estin nekron
a God—not he is of the dead
or
He is not a God of the dead.
In this verse, we have theos appearing as a singular predicate before the verb, "is," and is not preceded by the article. "He" is implied and is the subject. "A God" is the predicate because it describes the subject. "He [subject] is [verb] a God [predicate]." Although indefinite [i.e., without the Greek article], the NWT rightly translates theos as "a God" with a big "G," meaning Jehovah.
2. John 8:54. "It is my Father that glorifies me, he who you say is your God." (NWT)
theos hemon estin
God of you he is
or
He is your God.
Theos again is a singular predicate occurring before the verb, "is," and is not preceded by the article. "He [subject] is [verb] your [pronoun] God [predicate]." Yet, the NWT again correctly translates "God" with a big "G."
3. Philippians 2:13. "For God is the one that, for the sake of [his] good pleasure, is acting within you." (NWT)
theos gar estin ho energon en hymin
God for is the one working in you
or
For God is the one working in you.
Theos is a singular predicate occurring before the verb, "is," and is not preceded by the article. "The one working" has the article (ho) and is considered to be the subject. The predicate, "God," further describes who the subject is, "The one working [subject] in you [prepositional phrase] is [verb] God [predicate]." "God" appears first in the sentence for emphasis. Again, the NWT correctly renders "God" with a big "G."
4. John 1:1. "the Word was a god." (NWT)
theos en ho logos
God was the Word.
Theos is a singular predicate occurring before the verb, "was," and is not preceded by the article. "The Word [subject] was [verb] God [predicate]." The inconsistency of the New World Translation here is clear. Of the four occurrences in the New Testament where the Greek theos is a predicate occurring before the verb and is not preceded by the article, this is the only time the NWT has not translated it "God" with a capital "G." John uses the term, "God," to describe the Word. Deity is the certain character or quality described of the subject.