How would you interpret the force of the imperfect in ἐπίστευεν? In apposition to the aorist ἐπίστευσαν, I would expect the difference in tense to be significant.John 2 wrote:23 Ὡς δὲ ἦν ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐν τῷ πάσχα ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ, πολλοὶ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, θεωροῦντες αὐτοῦ τὰ σημεῖα ἃ ἐποίει· 24 αὐτὸς δὲ Ἰησοῦς οὐκ ἐπίστευεν αὑτὸν αὐτοῖς διὰ τὸ αὐτὸν γινώσκειν πάντας 25 καὶ ὅτι οὐ χρείαν εἶχεν ἵνα τις μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐγίνωσκεν τί ἦν ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ.
John 2:23-25 ἐπίστευσαν / ἐπίστευεν
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John 2:23-25 ἐπίστευσαν / ἐπίστευεν
ἐξίσταντο δὲ πάντες καὶ διηποροῦντο, ἄλλος πρὸς ἄλλον λέγοντες, τί θέλει τοῦτο εἶναι;
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http://jonathanrobie.biblicalhumanities.org/
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Re: John 2:23-25 ἐπίστευσαν / ἐπίστευεν
I think it's similar to the difference between "run a car" (for convenience) and "run into a car" (as in crash). The difference in aspect that is made clear in Greek is sort of understood from the English. There is a different degree of transitivity in those two constructions.
Γελᾷ δ' ὁ μωρός, κἄν τι μὴ γέλοιον ᾖ
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
Re: John 2:23-25 ἐπίστευσαν / ἐπίστευεν
I think the sense of πιστεύειν differs in the two instances: in verse 23 ἐπίστευσαν is intransitive, "came to believe", i.e. came to the state of belief; in verse 24 οὐκ ἐπίστευεν αὑτὸν αὐτοῖς is "would not entrust himself to them" is transitive, reflexive, and habitual or continuing behavior.Jonathan Robie wrote:How would you interpret the force of the imperfect in ἐπίστευεν? In apposition to the aorist ἐπίστευσαν, I would expect the difference in tense to be significant.John 2 wrote:23 Ὡς δὲ ἦν ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐν τῷ πάσχα ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ, πολλοὶ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, θεωροῦντες αὐτοῦ τὰ σημεῖα ἃ ἐποίει· 24 αὐτὸς δὲ Ἰησοῦς οὐκ ἐπίστευεν αὑτὸν αὐτοῖς διὰ τὸ αὐτὸν γινώσκειν πάντας 25 καὶ ὅτι οὐ χρείαν εἶχεν ἵνα τις μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐγίνωσκεν τί ἦν ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ.
οὔτοι ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς πάντα θεοὶ θνητοῖς ὑπέδειξαν,
ἀλλὰ χρόνῳ ζητέοντες ἐφευρίσκουσιν ἄμεινον. (Xenophanes, Fragment 16)
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
ἀλλὰ χρόνῳ ζητέοντες ἐφευρίσκουσιν ἄμεινον. (Xenophanes, Fragment 16)
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
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Re: John 2:23-25 ἐπίστευσαν / ἐπίστευεν
Well, "force" means a variety of things, but one of the things going on here is a difference in discourse mode, specifically narrative/plot, which prefers perfectives, and description, which prefers imperfectives.Jonathan Robie wrote:How would you interpret the force of the imperfect in ἐπίστευεν? In apposition to the aorist ἐπίστευσαν, I would expect the difference in tense to be significant.John 2 wrote:23 Ὡς δὲ ἦν ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐν τῷ πάσχα ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ, πολλοὶ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, θεωροῦντες αὐτοῦ τὰ σημεῖα ἃ ἐποίει· 24 αὐτὸς δὲ Ἰησοῦς οὐκ ἐπίστευεν αὑτὸν αὐτοῖς διὰ τὸ αὐτὸν γινώσκειν πάντας 25 καὶ ὅτι οὐ χρείαν εἶχεν ἵνα τις μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐγίνωσκεν τί ἦν ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ.
Stephen C. Carlson, Ph.D.
Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne, Australia
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Re: John 2:23-25 ἐπίστευσαν / ἐπίστευεν
That makes a lot of sense here, using the aorist to describe an event that happened, and using imperfectives to paint the scene.Stephen Carlson wrote:Well, "force" means a variety of things, but one of the things going on here is a difference in discourse mode, specifically narrative/plot, which prefers perfectives, and description, which prefers imperfectives.
ἐξίσταντο δὲ πάντες καὶ διηποροῦντο, ἄλλος πρὸς ἄλλον λέγοντες, τί θέλει τοῦτο εἶναι;
http://jonathanrobie.biblicalhumanities.org/
http://jonathanrobie.biblicalhumanities.org/