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In addition to the compound ὅστις (ὅσ-τις) "whoever/anyone who" which stresses an indefinite or general subject, the particles ἂν and ἐὰν are often used with the relative pronoun ὃς in conditional or indefinite clauses, with subtle distinctions in their usage:
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ἂν: Typically used in combination with the subjunctive mood (and occasionally the optative), ἂν expresses potentiality, uncertainty, or condition. It is often used to convey conditional or hypothetical situations. It is not used with the indicative mood.
Example: ὃ ἐὰν ποιήσῃ ("whoever might do this" or "anyone who does this") — Here, ἐὰν introduces a conditional or indefinite action with the subjunctive.
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ἐὰν: This is a combination of ἐν ("if") and ἄν. It is used with the subjunctive to indicate conditional meaning or possibility in a general sense, typically translated as "if," "whenever," or "whoever." It is used when the action of the verb is indefinite or conditional.
Example: ὃ ἐὰν ἴδω ("whoever I see" or "whatever I see") — Here, ἐὰν introduces a conditional or indefinite sense with the subjunctive verb ἴδω ("I see").
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Without ἂν or ἐὰν: When the action is factual or indefinite in a more general sense, without the condition or hypothetical uncertainty, the relative pronoun alone can be used with the indicative mood.
Example: ὃ λέγω ("whatever I say") — Here, the verb λέγω ("I say") is in the present indicative and doesn't require ἂν or ἐὰν. Of course, ὃ λέγω can also be translated as "what I say" or "that which I speak" and thus the interpretation is ultimately up to the translator.
"Factual" Usage of the Relative Pronoun:
A phrase like ὃ δέδωκέν can be understood as expressing a factual meaning, and it differs from a conditional clause in that it does not require ἂν or ἐὰν.
- ὃ: The neuter singular relative pronoun, meaning "what/whatever" or "who/whomever", referring to an indefinite subject or object in a relative clause.
- δέδωκέν: The perfect tense of the verb δίδωμι (to give), meaning "he has given" (third person singular).
- ὃ δέδωκέν can be interpreted as "whatever he has given" or "whomever has given", depending on the context. It expresses a factual statement where the perfect tense of the verb indicates that the action of giving has already been completed but still holds relevance.
In this case, ἂν and ἐὰν are not needed because you're not expressing a condition or indefiniteness in the same way as you would with a subjunctive verb. The perfect tense already conveys a sense of completed action with continuing relevance:
- ὃ ἔγραψεν – "What he wrote" or "Whatever he wrote."
- ὃ ἔφαγεν – "What he ate" or "Whatever he ate."
What saith the translator?
Thus, When we read ἧς ἐγεννήθη, an aorist past tense verb with a feminine singular relative pronoun, it simply refers to the fact of someone that has been born and can be translated as "of whom he was born" or, "of whomever he was born" in a non-conditional or non-hypothetical sense.
Neither translation is incorrect. So which one is right? Context/bias dictates.
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