John 17:3 ινα + subjunctive = to an infinitive?
Posted: December 15th, 2016, 4:34 pm
I'm wrestling with John 17:3. Specifically the ἵνα clause. It seems ἵνα γινώσκωσιν substitutes for an infinitive, which BDAG confirms, but how?
John 17:3 αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωὴ ἵνα γινώσκωσιν σὲ τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν.
BDAG:
e. ἵνα can also take the place of the explanatory inf. after a demonstrative (B-D-F §394; Rdm. 192.—Wsd 13:9; Just., D. 14, 2 τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ σύμβολον τῶν ἀζύμων, ἵνα μὴ . . .) Mk 11:28. πόθεν μοι τοῦτο ἵνα ἔλθῃ (for τὸ ἐλθεῖν τὴν κτλ.) Lk 1:43 (cp. GJs 12:2). τοῦτο προσεύχομαι ἵνα Phil 1:9. cp. 1 Cor 9:18. This is a favorite usage in J: τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ ἔργον τοῦ θεοῦ ἵνα πιστεύητε (for τὸ πιστεύειν ὑμᾶς) 6:29; cp. vs. 50. μείζονα ταύτης ἀγάπην οὐδεὶς ἔχει ἵνα . . . θῇ (for τοῦ θεῖναι) 15:13; cp. 3J 4.—J 6:39 17:3; 1J 3:11, 23; 4:21; 5:3; 2J 6a. ἐν τούτῳ: ἐν τούτῳ ἐδοξάσθη ὁ πατήρ μου ἵνα . . . φέρητε (for ἐν τῷ φέρειν ὑμᾶς ἐδοξάσθη) J 15:8; cp. 1J 4:17.—S. also Hs 9, 28, 4, and ποταπὴν ἀγάπην ἵνα 1J 3:1
Caragounis has some comments that may shed light on why ινα + subjunctive can be used as a substitute for an infinitive. I welcome help in exegeting Caragounis' comments. Do his comments give an explanation for why ινα + subjunctive may function as an infinitive? - See pics below.
Accepting that ινα + subjunctive can substitute for an infinitive then we would use γινώσκειν resulting in αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωὴ το γινώσκειν σὲ.
In our restructured sentence γινώσκειν is a substantival infinitive in apposition to the demonstrative pronoun αὕτη. Wallace says that apposition differs slightly from epexegetical in that it typically defines the noun rather than describing it. Also, the appositional infinitive can stand in for the noun or pronoun whereas the epexegetical infinitive cannot. But the two are so closely related that Wallace says if the distinction between the two categories is too fuzzy to discern then likely it will make little or no different for exegesis. GGBB pgs 606-607
But we can go a step further in restructuring our sentence by replacing the demonstrative pronoun with το γινώσκειν we get το γινώσκειν σε ἡ αἰώνιος ζωὴ ἐστιν.
Perhaps the above circumlocutions are unnecessary since it is obviously that an oblique mood cannot work in a subset proposition since it states a fact.
A couple more questions remain 1) Does the present tense form of γινώσκω/γινώσκειν imply continuous action? 2) Is the sense of "acquiring knowledge" present in γινώσκω at J17:3?
BDAG:
2. to acquire information through some means, learn (of), ascertain, find out a. w. acc. as obj. (1 Km 21:3; 1 Ch 21:2; 4 Macc 4:4) τοῦτο (1 Km 20:3) Mk 5:43. τὰ γενόμενα what has happened Lk 24:18. τὸ ἀσφαλές Ac 21:34; 22:30. τὰ περὶ ἡμῶν our situation Col 4:8; your faith 1 Th 3:5. Pass. become known to someone w. or without dat. of the pers. who is informed: of secret things Mt 10:26; Lk 8:17; 12:2. Of plots Ac 9:24 (cp. 1 Macc 6:3; 7:3, 30 al.). b. w. ὅτι foll. (PGiss 11, 4 [118 AD] γεινώσκειν σε θέλω ὅτι; 1 Esdr 2:17; Ruth 3:14) J 4:1; 5:6; 12:9; Ac 24:11 v.l. c. abs. (1 Km 14:29; 3 Km 1:11; Tob 8:12 al.) μηδεὶς γινωσκέτω nobody is to know of this Mt 9:30. ἵνα τις γνοῖ that anyone should obtain knowledge of it Mk 9:30. d. γ. ἀπό τινος ascertain fr. someone 15:45.
John 17:3 αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωὴ ἵνα γινώσκωσιν σὲ τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν.
BDAG:
e. ἵνα can also take the place of the explanatory inf. after a demonstrative (B-D-F §394; Rdm. 192.—Wsd 13:9; Just., D. 14, 2 τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ σύμβολον τῶν ἀζύμων, ἵνα μὴ . . .) Mk 11:28. πόθεν μοι τοῦτο ἵνα ἔλθῃ (for τὸ ἐλθεῖν τὴν κτλ.) Lk 1:43 (cp. GJs 12:2). τοῦτο προσεύχομαι ἵνα Phil 1:9. cp. 1 Cor 9:18. This is a favorite usage in J: τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ ἔργον τοῦ θεοῦ ἵνα πιστεύητε (for τὸ πιστεύειν ὑμᾶς) 6:29; cp. vs. 50. μείζονα ταύτης ἀγάπην οὐδεὶς ἔχει ἵνα . . . θῇ (for τοῦ θεῖναι) 15:13; cp. 3J 4.—J 6:39 17:3; 1J 3:11, 23; 4:21; 5:3; 2J 6a. ἐν τούτῳ: ἐν τούτῳ ἐδοξάσθη ὁ πατήρ μου ἵνα . . . φέρητε (for ἐν τῷ φέρειν ὑμᾶς ἐδοξάσθη) J 15:8; cp. 1J 4:17.—S. also Hs 9, 28, 4, and ποταπὴν ἀγάπην ἵνα 1J 3:1
Caragounis has some comments that may shed light on why ινα + subjunctive can be used as a substitute for an infinitive. I welcome help in exegeting Caragounis' comments. Do his comments give an explanation for why ινα + subjunctive may function as an infinitive? - See pics below.
Accepting that ινα + subjunctive can substitute for an infinitive then we would use γινώσκειν resulting in αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωὴ το γινώσκειν σὲ.
In our restructured sentence γινώσκειν is a substantival infinitive in apposition to the demonstrative pronoun αὕτη. Wallace says that apposition differs slightly from epexegetical in that it typically defines the noun rather than describing it. Also, the appositional infinitive can stand in for the noun or pronoun whereas the epexegetical infinitive cannot. But the two are so closely related that Wallace says if the distinction between the two categories is too fuzzy to discern then likely it will make little or no different for exegesis. GGBB pgs 606-607
But we can go a step further in restructuring our sentence by replacing the demonstrative pronoun with το γινώσκειν we get το γινώσκειν σε ἡ αἰώνιος ζωὴ ἐστιν.
Perhaps the above circumlocutions are unnecessary since it is obviously that an oblique mood cannot work in a subset proposition since it states a fact.
A couple more questions remain 1) Does the present tense form of γινώσκω/γινώσκειν imply continuous action? 2) Is the sense of "acquiring knowledge" present in γινώσκω at J17:3?
BDAG:
2. to acquire information through some means, learn (of), ascertain, find out a. w. acc. as obj. (1 Km 21:3; 1 Ch 21:2; 4 Macc 4:4) τοῦτο (1 Km 20:3) Mk 5:43. τὰ γενόμενα what has happened Lk 24:18. τὸ ἀσφαλές Ac 21:34; 22:30. τὰ περὶ ἡμῶν our situation Col 4:8; your faith 1 Th 3:5. Pass. become known to someone w. or without dat. of the pers. who is informed: of secret things Mt 10:26; Lk 8:17; 12:2. Of plots Ac 9:24 (cp. 1 Macc 6:3; 7:3, 30 al.). b. w. ὅτι foll. (PGiss 11, 4 [118 AD] γεινώσκειν σε θέλω ὅτι; 1 Esdr 2:17; Ruth 3:14) J 4:1; 5:6; 12:9; Ac 24:11 v.l. c. abs. (1 Km 14:29; 3 Km 1:11; Tob 8:12 al.) μηδεὶς γινωσκέτω nobody is to know of this Mt 9:30. ἵνα τις γνοῖ that anyone should obtain knowledge of it Mk 9:30. d. γ. ἀπό τινος ascertain fr. someone 15:45.