[b-greek] PAUW in the middle

From: Jay Anthony Adkins (Jadkins26438@cs.com)
Date: Wed Oct 10 2001 - 08:03:26 EDT


Last Nov. Carl had prepared a 13 page PDF. document explaining his view on
the Greek voice system, which I had downloaded but not really read in
depth until recently. For the most part it concentrated on why the Greek
middle sometimes has a passive force and how most middle passive forms
were subject- intensive if not reflexive in his view. Just to show my
continued confusion, in looking at the term PAUW.
Luke 5:4 (GNT) hWS DE EPAUSATO LALWN, EIPEN PROS TON SIMWNA......
Luke 5:4 (NASU) When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon,......
 
Luke 11:1 (GNT) KAI EGENETO EN TW EINAI AUTON YOPW TINI PROSEUCOMENON, hWS
EPAUSATO, EIPEN TIS TWN MAQHTWN AUTOU PROS AUTON,....
Luke 11:1 (NASU) It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain
place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him,....

Acts 13:10 (GNT) EIPEN hW PLHRHS PANTOS DOLOU KAI PASHS RADIOURGIAS, UIE
DIABOLOU, ECQRE PASHS DIKAIOSUNHS, OU PAUSH DIASTPEFWN TAS ODOUS [TOU]
KURIOU TAS EUQEIAS;
Acts 13:10 (NASU) and said, "You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you
son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to
make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?

Luke 8:24 (GNT) PROSELQONTES DE DIHGEIRAN AUTON LEGONTES EPISTATA
EPISTATA, APOLLUMEQA. hO DE DIEYERQEIS EPETIMHSEN TW ANEMW KAI TW KLUDWNI
TOU hUDATOS KAI EPAUSANTO KAI EGENETO GALHNH.
Luke 8:24 (NASU) They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, "Master,
Master, we are perishing!" And He got up and rebuked the wind and the
surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.

1Cor 13:8 (GNT) hH AGAPA OUDEPOTE PIPTEI: EITE DE PROFHTEIAI,
KATARGHQHSONTAI: EITE GLWSSAI, PAUSONTAI: EITE GNWSIS, KATARGHQHSONTAI.
1Cor 13:8 (NASU) Love never fails; but if [there are gifts of] prophecy,
they will be done away; if [there are] tongues, they will cease; if [there
is] knowledge, it will be done away.

The term PAUW prefers the middle, as it is middle voice 14 out of 15 of
the NT uses according to Gramcord (1Pet 3:10 it is active). The NT uses
this term all but 4 times in connection to speech of some sort (Prayer,
Speech, Admonishment, Crowd noise). The four other uses include stopping
wind (Luke 8:24); stopped beating (Acts 21:32) stopping sacrifices (Heb
10:2); stopping sin (1Pet 4:1). So while, the end result is the same,
PAUW would appear the more natural term to use in referring to the
cessation of tongues as opposed to its synonym KATARGEOMAI, thus creating
a natural stylistic variation.

The difference in the passive tense and the middle tense in this last
verse is the cause for this search for understanding. D.A. Carson has
said;

"In verse 8, the verb with prophecies and with knowledge is in the passive
voice: prophecies and knowledge "will be destroyed," apparently in
connection with the coming of "perfection" (v.10). But the verb with
"tongues," PAUSONTAI (pausontai), is in the middle; some take this to mean
that tongues will cease of themselves. There is something intrinsic to
their character that demands they cease - apparently independently of the
cessation of prophecy and knowledge. This view assumes without warrant
that the switch to this verb is more than a stylistic variation. Worse,
it interprets the middle voice irresponsibly. In Hellenistic Greek, the
middle voice affects the meaning of the verb in a variety of ways; and not
only in the future of some verbs, where middles are more common, but also
in other tenses the middle form may be used while the active force is
preserved. At such points the verb is deponent. One knows what force the
middle voice has only by careful inspection of all occurrences of the verb
being studied. In the New Testament, this verb prefers the middle; but
that does not mean the subject "stops" under its own power. For instance,
when Jesus rebukes the wind and the raging waters, the storm stops (same
verb, middle voice in Luke 8:24) - and certainly not under its own power."

In an attempt to review the other NT uses of this term, I am at a loss to
understand rather or not the usage in the other passages listed, as well
as the rest, are reflexive, as they appear they could be or rather they
are merely subject-intensive or even transitive. Any help in clearing the
fog would be appreciated. If there is an example in the NT of the term
being reflexive, how would one determine if it is or is not reflexive
here. Am I not correct in assuming that just because it is not reflexive
in one context does not mean in another it can not be reflexive.

Sola Gratia,
         Jay Adkins
Always Under Grace!

---
B-Greek home page: http://metalab.unc.edu/bgreek
You are currently subscribed to b-greek as: [jwrobie@mindspring.com]
To unsubscribe, forward this message to leave-b-greek-327Q@franklin.oit.unc.edu
To subscribe, send a message to subscribe-b-greek@franklin.oit.unc.edu




This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Sat Apr 20 2002 - 15:37:09 EDT