An Exegetical Study of the Syntactic Function of ὅσοι in Romans 6:3
This exegetical study of hOSOI in Rom 6.3 is based on a b-greek discussion from Sat Jan 19 22:59:41 EST 2002. The initial inquiry concerned the grammatical role of the correlative pronoun ὅσοι (hOSOI) in Romans 6:3. Specifically, the question raised was whether ὅσοι serves as the explicit subject for both occurrences of the verb ἐβαπτίσθημεν (ebaptisthēmen) in the verse, or if an alternative, implied subject is present for the second instance of the verb, beyond the inherent “we” signified by the verb’s inflection.
The main exegetical issue centers on the precise syntactic relationship between the correlative pronoun ὅσοι and the first-person plural aorist passive verb ἐβαπτίσθημεν, particularly in its repeated use within the parallel structure of Romans 6:3. The ambiguity arises from the potential for ellipsis or zero anaphora in the second clause, prompting a discussion on whether a demonstrative or personal pronoun is implicitly understood as the antecedent or explicit subject, and how this grammatical structure impacts the verse’s meaning regarding the believer’s identification with Christ’s death through baptism.
ὅσοι ἐβαπτίσθημεν εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν, εἰς τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ ἐβαπτίσθημεν;
(Nestle 1904, corrected for standard Greek orthography from input)
Key differences with SBLGNT (2010):
- For the specific clause under consideration, ὅσοι ἐβαπτίσθημεν εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν, εἰς τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ ἐβαπτίσθημεν;, the Nestle 1904 text and the SBLGNT (2010) are identical in wording and order. Variations, if any, would be limited to orthography (e.g., capitalization, breathing marks, accents), which are standardized in modern critical editions.
Textual Criticism (NA28) and Lexical Notes
Textual Criticism (NA28): The Nestle-Aland 28th edition (NA28) apparatus shows no significant textual variants for this specific clause in Romans 6:3, affirming its stability across major manuscript traditions.
Lexical Notes:
- ὅσοι (hOSOI): A masculine plural correlative/relative pronoun, meaning “as many as,” “all who,” or “whoever.” BDAG defines it as “as many as, all who.” In this context, it refers to a collective group of individuals, establishing the scope of Paul’s statement.
- ἐβαπτίσθημεν (ebaptisthēmen): The aorist passive indicative, first person plural, of the verb βαπτίζω (baptizō), meaning “to immerse, plunge, wash, baptize.” The aorist tense indicates a completed action in the past, while the passive voice highlights that the subjects (“we”) underwent this action. The first person plural signifies “we were baptized.”
- εἰς (eis): A preposition meaning “into,” “to,” “unto,” or “for.” BDAG highlights its use to express motion or direction into something, or a resultant state of identification with something. Here, it indicates incorporation or identification with Christ Jesus and with his death.
- Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν (Christon Iēsoun): “Christ Jesus.” The accusative direct object of the preposition εἰς, signifying the object of identification in the baptismal act.
- θάνατον (thanaton): The accusative singular of θάνατος (thanatos), “death.” Also a direct object of εἰς, indicating the state or event into which believers are baptized.
- αὐτοῦ (autou): The genitive singular masculine personal pronoun, meaning “his.” It refers back to Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν, specifying “his death.”
Translation Variants with Grammatical & Rhetorical Analysis
The core of the discussion revolves around the syntactic function of ὅσοι and its relationship to the repeated verb ἐβαπτίσθημεν. Grammatically, ὅσοι functions as a correlative or generalized relative pronoun, meaning “as many as” or “all who.” It introduces a clause that defines the group of people (“we”) being discussed. The verb ἐβαπτίσθημεν itself contains the first-person plural subject (“we”) within its inflection.
In the first clause, ὅσοι ἐβαπτίσθημεν εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν, ὅσοι establishes the population being addressed. It serves to identify the “we” of ἐβαπτίσθημεν. In the second clause, εἰς τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ ἐβαπτίσθημεν, the subject “we” is understood implicitly from the verbal inflection. Rhetorically, this demonstrates a common Greek practice of ellipsis or “zero anaphora” in parallel structures, where constituents easily inferred from a preceding clause are omitted for conciseness and stylistic elegance (as noted by Bartholomew). Smyth’s Greek Grammar (§2509) supports this by illustrating the frequent omission of a demonstrative pronoun antecedent to a relative pronoun, especially when the relative clause precedes.
The suggestion that an elliptical demonstrative pronoun (e.g., οὗτοι, “these”) or a personal pronoun (e.g., ἡμεῖς, “we”) could be the “missing” antecedent/subject for the second verb is explored. However, as Carl Conrad and Iver Larsen argue, directly inserting such a pronoun (like οὗτοι or ἡμεῖς) would introduce an unnecessary contrastive emphasis that is not naturally present in the Greek construction of Rom 6:3. For example, in Romans 8:14, Paul explicitly uses οὗτοι (ὅσοι γὰρ πνεύματι Θεοῦ ἄγονται, οὗτοι υἱοὶ Θεοῦ εἰσιν) to provide emphasis or distinction (“these ones, and not others, are sons of God”). Its absence in Rom 6:3 suggests that such emphasis is not intended.
Therefore, ὅσοι acts as the defining element for the first-person plural subject, which is inherently present in the verb ἐβαπτίσθημεν. It limits or characterizes the “we” who were baptized into Christ, and subsequently, into his death. The cohesion between the two clauses is maintained through the verbal inflection and the implicit understanding of the shared subject, rather than through a repeated pronoun. ὅσοι, while agreeing in gender and number, does not carry person-marking and thus seamlessly refers to the first-person plural subject.
Conclusions and Translation Suggestions
Based on the grammatical and rhetorical analysis, ὅσοι in Romans 6:3 functions as a general relative pronoun that specifies the “we” who are the subject of the baptismal act. The omission of an explicit subject in the second clause is a natural Greek construction, relying on verbal inflection for coherence. There is no need to posit a separate or explicitly stated demonstrative or personal pronoun as the subject of the second verb; the “we” is understood throughout.
- “As many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus, we were baptized into his death.”
This translation maintains the correlative force of ὅσοι with “as many of us as” and explicitly retains “we” for clarity in the second clause, emphasizing the communal aspect. - “All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death.”
This rendition adopts a more idiomatic English expression for ὅσοι as “All of us who,” naturally connecting the two clauses with the implied continuity of the subject. - “All who were baptized into Christ Jesus were thereby baptized into his death.”
This translation emphasizes the consequence and identification, using “All who” for ὅσοι and introducing “thereby” to highlight the inherent link between the two aspects of baptism.