Re: Tense of TETAGMENOI in Acts 13:48

From: clayton stirling bartholomew (c.s.bartholomew@worldnet.att.net)
Date: Thu Jul 01 1999 - 00:47:32 EDT


> Greetings everyone:
>
> I would appreciate some help in understanding the use of verb tense in
> dependent clauses. The text reads; ...KAI EPISTEUSAN OSOI HSAN
> TETAGMENOI EIS ZWHN AIWNION. I take the dependent clause as an
> adverbial relative clause, either of condition or possibly comparison
> (yes?). Is the use of the periphastic pluperfect relative to the main
> verb, implying the action occurred prior to the action of the main verb,
> or is this only true with participles (non-periphrastic, that is)? I'm
> just interested in the grammar, please.
>
> Thanks
>
> Jim
>
> Jim Murray
> Racine, WI

Jim,

Why adverbial? I have not spent hours pouring over this text but at
first glance OSOI HSAN TETAGMENOI EIS ZWHN AIWNION appears to limit the
subject of EPISTEUSAN. The relative clause tells me something about the
agents not something about the action.

Your second question about the time of TETAGMENOI is one for the aspect
geeks. I would say yes, for sure, prior to the action of the main verb
but no sooner would I get the words out of my mouth than some advocate
of systemic functional linguistics would jump all over me and point out
that I just don't understand how all this stuff works.

In the morning there will be some mega greeks back on line after a good
nights sleep and they can help you with both of these questions.

--
Clayton Stirling Bartholomew
Three Tree Point
P.O. Box 255 Seahurst WA 98062

PS

Your final comment: >I'm just interested in the grammar, please.

I assume by this you mean you don't want comments like: TETAGMENOI is the eternal pluperfect indicating that this action took place in the eternal councils of the ontological Trinity . . . electing . . .

No danger. I wouldn't make a comment like that because it would violate b-greek rules. :-)))))))))

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