The Dative Case

The case of personal interest. It expresses the indirect object.

This use is closest to the root idea of personal interest. The one from whom or in whose interest an act is done is indicated.

This use is very similar to the Dative of Indirect Object. The personal interest expressed by the indirect object is intensified. The Dative of Advantage indicates the person for whose benefit something is done. The Dative of Disadvantage indicates the person who will be adversely affected as the result of the action. “Against” will often be used in this translation of the Dative of Disadvantage, “for” the Dative of Advantage and “to” the indirect object. This is sometimes referred to as the “Ethical Dative”.

Personal interest is particularized to the point of ownership. There is no exact equivalent in English.

The idea of personal interest is reduced to mere reference. This use deals mostly with things, though occasionally it may deal with people. it may be rendered “in the interest of,” “with reference to,” “concerning.” or “about.”

The Dative is used with nouns only where personal interest is expressed.

When used with adjective, the Dative has the personal flavor just like it does with nouns.

The Dative with prepositions and adverbs is rare in the N.T.

The Dative is most frequently used with verbs. The idea of personal interest is clear with many verbs.

Does not require an object.

This is a special application of the Dative with Reference.

The Dative case is often used as the direct object of transitive verbs (requires an object) which express personal relations. The verb is close to the Dative idea. Therefore, they take their direct object in the Dative rather than in the Accusative case.

Compound verbs often have the Dative where the simple verb does not. This use of the Dative is due to the total idea of the compound verb.

This construction expresses purpose.

This use does not occur very often in the N.T. it indicates place.

© 2017 Luther Walker | All Rights Reserved | ISBN-10: 0-9993211-0-2, ISBN-13: 978-0-9993211-0-2 | This book or any potion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.