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Title: Κεχαριτωμένη en Lc 1,28
Subtitle: Étude philologique
Author(s): DE LA POTTERIE, Ignace
Journal: Biblica
Volume: 68    Issue: 3   Date: 1987   
Pages: 357-382
DOI: 10.2143/BIB.68.3.3217922

Abstract :
Even though much has been written on Luke 1,28, no one has ever undertaken an exhaustive philological study of the verb χαριτοῦν. Our survey will perhaps help to get out of the impasse we find ourselves in: Protestants see the χάρις implied in κεχαριτωμένη only as applied to God (Mary's divine election); Catholics consider its effect in Mary (she is filled with grace). The article proceeds in three stages: 1) it first underlines the importance of the fact that χαριτοῦν as almost all verbs in -οῦν, is a 'factitive'. 2) It then presents a virtually exhaustive documentation of the uses of this rare verb (from the first known example and the only one in the LXX, Sir 18,17, up to the end of the Byzantine era – a total of 34 texts without counting the patristic commentaries on Luke 1,28 or liturgical texts; the causative meaning of χαριτοῦν is found in a wide variety of contexts. 3) These parallel cases, along with other philological reasons, suggest that the beginning of the angel's greeting be translated: 'Rejoice to have been transformed by grace', A later study will show the exegetical and theological implications of this translation.

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