Does anyone know or have a way to know whether the action described by κακοῦν / κάκωσις refers to (a) brief or (b) protracted bouts of bad things happening?
I am hoping that someone has come to a conclusion about this point from their own way of discovering nuance and meaning can share their conclusion.
So far as understanding is concerned, the place where it will be most relevant to shaping understanding is in the Israel in Egypt story. Either, (a) they suffered bad things from time to time throughout the 400 year period, or (b) they suffered bad things for 400 years.
For your convenience, the relevant verses are:
Acts 7:6 wrote:Ἐλάλησεν δὲ οὕτως ὁ θεός, ὅτι ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ πάροικον ἐν γῇ ἀλλοτρίᾳ, καὶ δουλώσουσιν αὐτὸ καὶ κακώσουσιν, ἔτη τετρακόσια.
Acts 7:19 wrote:Οὗτος κατασοφισάμενος τὸ γένος ἡμῶν, ἐκάκωσεν τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν, τοῦ ποιεῖν ἔκθετα τὰ βρέφη αὐτῶν, εἰς τὸ μὴ ζῳογονεῖσθαι.
Acts 7:34 wrote:Ἰδὼν εἶδον τὴν κάκωσιν τοῦ λαοῦ μου τοῦ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, καὶ τοῦ στεναγμοῦ αὐτῶν ἤκουσα· καὶ κατέβην ἐξελέσθαι αὐτούς· καὶ νῦν δεῦρο, ἀποστελῶ σε εἰς Αἴγυπτον.
Acts 12:1 wrote:Κατ’ ἐκεῖνον δὲ τὸν καιρὸν ἐπέβαλεν Ἡρῴδης ὁ βασιλεὺς τὰς χεῖρας κακῶσαί τινας τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας.
Acts 14:2 wrote:Οἱ δὲ ἀπειθοῦντες Ἰουδαῖοι ἐπήγειραν καὶ ἐκάκωσαν τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν ἐθνῶν κατὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν.
Acts 18:10 wrote:διότι ἐγώ εἰμι μετὰ σοῦ, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐπιθήσεταί σοι τοῦ κακῶσαί σε· διότι λαός ἐστίν μοι πολὺς ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ.
1 Peter 3:13 wrote:Καὶ τίς ὁ κακώσων ὑμᾶς, ἐὰν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ μιμηταὶ γένησθε;
In all cases the understanding of the length of time