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Acts 1:2 Deponent Verb

Posted: June 7th, 2014, 1:27 pm
by Jeremiah Zych
Greetings Biblical Greek community.

I'm having a hard time understanding why this verb deponent (as I've been researching)is translated the way it is, the verb is "enteilamenos" or ἐντειλάµενος and it's located in Acts 1:2. The full verse is... ἄχρι ἧς ἡµέρας ἐντειλάµενος τοῖς ἀποστόλοις διὰ πνεύµατος ἁγίου οὓς ἐξελέξατο ἀνελήµφθη·

From the sources I'm finding is has several characteristics. It's a Verb Particle, it's a Aorist Middle-Deponent, a Nominative Passive-Deponent, it's Singular, and Masculine. I cant find any source to properly explain why this verb is translated as "having given commands" I know entello or ἐντέλλω (in it's middle form) means "to command" but what are the reasons for dropping the ω(omega) and adding the άµενος(amenos). Any help would be greatly appreciated and an excellent learning experience for me.

Thanks. ^.^

Re: Acts 1:2 Deponent Verb

Posted: June 8th, 2014, 8:58 pm
by Barry Hofstetter
Jeremiah, welcome to b-Greek. I have moved your question to the Beginner's Forum, since it seems to me to be very much a beginner's question.

This is the type of question that is best answered through a systematic study of the language, starting with the alphabet and working your way on up. I'm guessing that you are using software or some other resource to look up the parsing of the verb? You need a broader knowledge framework in order fully to understand and appreciate the answer to your question, and particularly how the aorist of this particular verb is formed. The simple answer now is that this happens to be how you form the aorist middle participle for this verb (btw, the middle form as it would be listed in a dictionary or lexicon is ἐντέλλομαι). Now, without going into the big debate around here about what deponents really are, all you have to know at the moment is what I call the "working student definition": a deponent is a form which is middle and/or passive in form, but active in meaning. That's why the translations use translations such as you cite above.

Let me encourage you to begin that systematic study of the Greek language, if you haven't already begun to do so. Actually learning the language is the best way to get the answers to your questions. We are here to help along the way...

Re: Acts 1:2 Deponent Verb

Posted: June 9th, 2014, 4:30 am
by Stephen Carlson
The verb is not technically "deponent" since the active ἐντέλλω exists, though it is usually found as a middle that can take the same complements (objects, infinitives) as the active.

The reason why this verb is usually found in the middle is for the same reason that many speech act verbs like ἀπολογοῦμαι ("to defend oneself"), ψεῦδομαι ("to lie") are found in the middle. With speech acts, the speaker is felt to be so involved in the action that Greek speakers thought the middle was appropriate. This usage is a little strange to English speaker because it is not a passive or reflexive usage, but something else.

Re: Acts 1:2 Deponent Verb

Posted: June 9th, 2014, 5:46 am
by Barry Hofstetter
Stephen Carlson wrote:The verb is not technically "deponent" since the active ἐντέλλω exists, though it is usually found as a middle that can take the same complements (objects, infinitives) as the active.

The reason why this verb is usually found in the middle is for the same reason that many speech act verbs like ἀπολογοῦμαι ("to defend oneself"), ψεῦδομαι ("to lie") are found in the middle. With speech acts, the speaker is felt to be so involved in the action that Greek speakers thought the middle was appropriate. This usage is a little strange to English speaker because it is not a passive or reflexive usage, but something else.
ἐντέλλω (s. ἔνταλμα; Pind. et al.) but usu., and in our lit. exclusively, mid. dep.

Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

I think you are right, Stephen, but I wonder if a Koine speaker from our period would have "felt" that he was involved in the speech act, or if for him this was simply the normal way of expressing the concept?

Re: Acts 1:2 Deponent Verb

Posted: June 9th, 2014, 5:54 am
by Stephen Carlson
Barry Hofstetter wrote:I think you are right, Stephen, but I wonder if a Koine speaker from our period would have "felt" that he was involved in the speech act, or if for him this was simply the normal way of expressing the concept?
I don't really see the difference in that. I suspect analogy to other speech acts in the middle is a major factor.

Re: Acts 1:2 Deponent Verb

Posted: June 9th, 2014, 8:56 am
by Barry Hofstetter
Stephen Carlson wrote: I don't really see the difference in that. I suspect analogy to other speech acts in the middle is a major factor.
I'm probably asking an unanswerable question, more thinking out loud on the subject than anything else. By way of English example, if I say "I stopped at the stop sign, officer" (ἐπαυσάμην) or "I washed my hands" (έλουσάμην) I'm not thinking about my involvement in the process, it's just the normal way of expressing the concept. The subject-affectedness is in English a function of context, in Greek a function of form and context, but I'm not normally aware of the subject-affectedness of the verbs when used in that way. I just do it...

But, that's getting into the esoterica on the subject that we want our beginners to avoid... :o