[B-Greek] 1Jn 5:15 - EAN + OIDAMEN

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Mon Jun 30 11:05:35 EDT 2008


On Jun 30, 2008, at 10:48 AM, Mitch Larramore wrote:

> After reading this BDAG entry, I wondered: isn't this saying we  
> don't know what this usage means? I'm not assuming a clear  
> distinction with every use, but I find this comment in BDAG  
> worrisome. Are we suppose to stop there or are we suppose to keep  
> searching for a possible variant with this usage?

Others may think differently about this, but I don't think there's  
anything involved here other than a Koine weakening of a distinction  
that was sharp(er) in the older language. We really ought to take  
seriously the proposition that Koine Greek is a language in flux; I  
know I've said this before, but perhaps it bears repeating: the notion  
that we should understand Koine Greek usage synchronically can be  
valid ONLY if we concede that EAN, although ordinarily used with a  
subjunctive, nevertheless quite frequently is used with an indicative.

>
> --- On Mon, 6/30/08, Carl Conrad <cwconrad2 at mac.com> wrote:
>
>> From: Carl Conrad <cwconrad2 at mac.com>
>> Subject: Re: [B-Greek] 1Jn 5:15 - EAN + OIDAMEN
>> To: "Vasile Stancu" <stancu at mail.dnttm.ro>
>> Cc: "'B-Greek B-Greek'" <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
>> Date: Monday, June 30, 2008, 3:46 AM
>> On Jun 29, 2008, at 9:46 PM, Vasile Stancu wrote:
>>
>>> ἐὰν οἴδαμεν EAN OIDAMEN (1Jn 5:15)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I would have expected that EAN be followed by a
>> Subjunctive form.
>>> How to explain that EAN is used here in conjunction
>> with a Present/
>>> Perfect form, i.e. OIDAMEN?
>>
>> See BDAG s.v. EAN, 1.b. for use with indicative, β for use
>> with the
>> present tense, including OIDAMEN (which is a present in
>> usage). One
>> gets the impression that the distinction between EAN and EI
>> became
>> fuzzy in some Koine usage.
>>
>> Carl W. Conrad
>> Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
>>
>>
>>
>> ---
>> B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek
>> B-Greek mailing list
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>
>
>


Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)






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