by davidmccollough » June 28th, 2012, 5:36 pm
In analyzing Acts 8:18, I have taken on board the critique that didotai is in a subordinate clause and thus influenced by the main verb of that clause. I have looked at similar constructions with verbs of perception in the LXX and NT. The following are my results.
In a subordinate clause Greek can present action in the present tense but with the time orientation understood to be that of the main verb. However, depending upon the context, I observe that the sentence can move beyond the level of the narration and into the level of the narrator. This phenomenon of metalepsis (à la Gerard Genette, I do not mean transumption) is a function of the context and not simply of the grammar. The following examples of present tense verbs in subordinate clauses with main verbs being verbs of perception illustrate the continuum:
1) Present tense used to state a fact valid in the storyworld at a particular time in the storyworld:
a. (Gen 29:31). “And the Lord, having seen that Leah is hated, opened her womb….” In this case, no one would think that the narrator hates Leah. The narrator uses the present tense to state a fact valid in the storyworld at a specific time in the storyworld. There is no metalepsis.
b. (Ruth 1:18). “And Naomi, having seen that she is determined to go with her, stopped speaking to her anymore.” Again, the narrator uses the present tense to state a fact valid in the story world at a particular time in the storyworld.
c. (Lk 7:37). “…and having known that he is reclining in the house of the Pharisee….” A Lukan example of the same idea.
2) A general statement of fact valid in the story world and unrelated to any specific point in time. (Mark 2:16) “And the scribes of the Pharisees, having seen that he eats with the sinners and tax collectors, were saying to his disciples….” The idea here is not that his eating occurred at the time of their seeing, but that they recognized a characteristic – he eats with sinners.
3) A statement of fact unrelated to any specific point in time and valid for both the storyworld and narrator’s world.
a. (Acts 28:1). “And having been brought safely through, we then recognized that the island is called Malta.” The island is called Malta, both at the time of the event narrated in the story and at the time of the narration of the story.
b. (Acts 8:18). “And Simon, having seen that through the laying on of the hands of the apostles the Spirit is given, offered them money….” Simon, at a specific point in storytime observed a general principle which the narrator himself considers valid. This shift from reality in the storyworld to reality in the narrator’s world is metalepsis.