# Greek closing formula?



## Torontal

This is a closing from a 18th century "Friendship book", just above the signature of the author. I hope the transcription is more or less correct, but I'm not sure about its meaning, google translate wasn't really my friend.






κανονα τουτον του θεου του υψιστου παρα ανερος νεανιου τουτου Βιβλιου φιλω μου κρατιστω τετηρημενον παρακαλει.

Can you please translate it to me? Thank you


----------



## sotos

Does the one who signed knew good greek? The words are about correct but the syntax very strange. Possibly (after re-arranging the words):
"This book of lines, kept by a young man, prays to the Almighty God for a very strong friend of mine." Or "this book of lines (or verses) prays to the God, while is being kept by a strong friend of mine". 

I believe it is not written by a Greek, otherwise the word θεού should be with capital Θ. Also there are no accents and aspirations.


----------



## Torontal

sotos said:


> Does the one who signed knew good greek? The words are about correct but the syntax very strange. Possibly (after re-arranging the words):
> "This book of lines, kept by a young man, prays to the Almighty God for a very strong friend of mine." Or "this book of lines (or verses) prays to the God, while is being kept by a strong friend of mine".
> 
> I believe it is not written by a Greek, otherwise the word θεού should be with capital Θ. Also there are no accents and aspirations.



Thank you very much!
I don't know how good was his Greek, all I know he was an ethnic German theology student in a Protestant German university, I guess he only learnt some Greek for Biblical studies.


----------



## shawnee

That would explain the 'τ' facing the wrong way.


----------



## Αγγελος

I don't see why a "book of _lines_" should be meant.
The syntax is indeed strange, but it could be an attempt (by a foreigner, as was explained) to say "This rule of the Supreme God by this young man of the book to my excellent friend pray [that it be] kept", i.e. "by this young [student] of the Book to my best friend; pray that you may be given strength to observe God's law". Probably a dedication by somebody offering his friend a volume of edifying literature!


----------



## Torontal

Αγγελος said:


> I don't see why a "book of _lines_" should be meant.
> The syntax is indeed strange, but it could be an attempt (by a foreigner, as was explained) to say "This rule of the Supreme God by this young man of the book to my excellent friend pray [that it be] kept", i.e. "by this young [student] of the Book to my best friend; pray that you may be given strength to observe God's law". Probably a dedication by somebody offering his friend a volume of edifying literature!



In the "inscription" section of the friendship book entry he was quoting a verse from the Bible (again in Greek), so it must be a reference to it?

Here is the full page btw
http://iaa.bibl.u-szeged.hu/pictures/larges/20200123212051_92209.jpg


----------



## Αγγελος

Torontal said:


> In the "inscription" section of the friendship book entry he was quoting a verse from the Bible (again in Greek), so it must be a reference to it?
> 
> Here is the full page btw
> http://iaa.bibl.u-szeged.hu/pictures/larges/20200123212051_92209.jpg


This is indeed a direct quotation from John, 7:24 (Μη κρίνετε κατ' όψιν, αλλά την δικαίαν κρίσιν κρίνατε = Don't judge according to appearances, but pass just judgment), but I fail to see the connection with the dedication to the "excellent friend", unless it is this particular precept that he is exhorted to observe. It would be interesting to know what book this was written on.
The Hebrew letters in the lower left part of the picture, below the date, read "Elohim yir'eh" = God will provide (From Genesis 22:8)


----------



## sotos

Before I see the gospel verse I understood "kanona" as a kind of text, verses or "lines of text". I remind you the liturgical "Kanon" of the Church, which is a collection of hymns, not rules.


----------

