Re: 1 Jn 5:16, hAMARTANONTA hAMARTIAN

From: Ben Crick (ben.crick@argonet.co.uk)
Date: Sat Sep 20 1997 - 21:36:23 EDT


On Sat 20 Sep 97 (02:37:47), dixonps@juno.com wrote:
> My question is two-fold: does anybody recall other such "doublings" in
> scripture, and secondly, is there any particular meaning to this? Is
> it merely a duplication for emphasis? What bearing, if any, does
> Classical Greek have?

 Well, Paul, the Hebrew infinitive-absolute construction comes to mind at once;
 e.g. Genesis 22:17, H MEN EULOGWN EULOGHSW SE, KAI PLHQUNWN PLHQUNW TO SPERMA
 SOU (LXX); Hebrew /KiY-BaReKh 'aBhaReKheKha: WeHaRBaH 'eRBeH 'eTh-ZeRa`Kha/
 "That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy
 seed" (KJV). This is repeated in Hebrews 6:14, EI MEN EULOGWN EULOGHSW
 SE KAI PLHQUNWN PLHQUNW SE.

 This is a very common construction, serving to emphasize the verbal action,
 and to underline the certainty of it taking place. The stock English hack
 translation is "Blanking I will blank". The standard periphrasis is "I will
 surely blank".

 The apostolic writers, whose upbringing was thoroughly Semitic, would
 easily slip into Aramaisms and Hebraisms when writing in Greek rather than
 in their native tongue.

-- 
 Revd Ben Crick, BA Bristol, 1963 (hons in Theology)
 <ben.crick@argonet.co.uk>
 232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK)
 


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