subjunctive contingency

From: Jon R. Venema (104412.344@compuserve.com)
Date: Mon May 03 1999 - 11:43:19 EDT


Message text written by "Mark House"

>A student raised a question the other day that I told him I would research
>further. It relates to the use of the subjunctive mood, which I told my
>students typically introduces a mild element of contingency.
Specifically,
>we're reading 1 John 1, and the question arose concerning the use of the
>subjunctive in v. 9, where the writer promises that (pardoning any
>transliteration flubs) EAN hOMOLOGWMEN TAS hAMARTIAS hHMWN, PISTOS ESTIN
KAI
>DIKAIOS, hINA AFHi HMIN TAS AMARTIAS.... The question concerned the hINA
>clause, which I explained as a result rather than a purpose clause.
>Wouldn't the use of a future indicative (without hINA) have made the
promise
>more reliable? Something like: If we confess..., he is faithful...and he
>WILL forgive.... Put another way, doesn't the subjunctive here lend to
the
>uncertainty of a promise that the writer seems to want to drive home to
his
>readers with certainty?

>I ventured the guess that the INA clause is a standard way of expressing
>results (or, more frequently, purpose), and doesn't necessary carry with
it
>any implicit uncertainty. But that answer did seem to run contrary to my
>prior definition of the subjunctive as communicating contingency.

>Any comments will be greatly appreciated.

>Mark House
>Adjunct Greek Prof.
>Fuller Theological Seminary

Mark,

I have tended to treat this hINA clause as equivalent to an infinitive
which,
after adjectives denoting ability fitness, capacity, etc, may serve to
define
the meaning of the adjective (Smyth ¤2002), and could be classified as an
explanatory/expexegetical use of hINA. Result is not out of the question
(given his PISTOS ESTIN KAI DIKAIOS, we can expect . . .). I render it in

English like an infinitive with "to" (often used with a sense of to
complete or
explain).

Jon R. Venema
Western Seminary

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