μείζων tagged as superlative in Matt. 23:11

[Elijah]

I was wondering why in Matt. 23:11 μείζων is tagged as superlative. Shouldn't it be comparative even if the meaning maybe "greatest"?

 

Matt. 23:11 ὁ δὲ μείζων ὑμῶν ἔσται ὑμῶν διάκονος.

[Λύχνις Δαν]

Well morphologically it's a comparative. Interestingly of the 26 occurrences of that word it is the only one tagged as super. All the others are tagged as comp.

I'd be inclined to report it as a correction on the module myself. In the LXX1 there are an additional 7 occurrences but all are marked comp.

 

Thx

D

[Ken Simpson]

I think this issue is probably one of meaning, though it probably should be of form...

 

From Wallace

 

Finally, elative is a term used of either the comparative or superlative adjective to describe an intensification of the positive notion (with the translation very before the positive form). That is, like a positive adjective, an elative adjective focuses on kind rather than degree. Although the form of such an adjective is either comparative or superlative, in meaning it does not make an explicit comparison. For example, μείζων (comparative in form, “greater”) may on occasion have an elative force, “very great.”

Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: an Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament (Accordance electronic ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), 296.

[Λύχνις Δαν]

Agreed. Incidentally, Wallace on P299 (a few pages on) discusses μείζων specifically in the context of comparative for superlative.

 

Thx

D