μοιχευθῆναι (Matt 5:32) passive

[deborahewitt]

What difference does the passive voice make here: "ποιεῖ αὐτὴν ⸀μοιχευθῆναι"? Any suggestions appreciated.
Debbie Hewitt

[cwconrad]

What difference does the passive voice make here: "ποιεῖ αὐτὴν ⸀μοιχευθῆναι"? Any suggestions appreciated.
Debbie Hewitt

I think that there are a couple things to note here:

1) Although the verb usage is not wholly consistent, μοιχεύειν/μοιχεύεσθαι functions in terms of voice usage much as does γαμεῖν/γαμεῖσθαι; that is to say, the active form is used of the man who marries or commits adultery, while the middle form is used of the woman entering into a marriage or committing adultery.

2) The -θη- "passive" forms in the era of NT Koine are in the process of supplanting the older "middle" μην/σο/το personal endings in the aorist. So the tense-forms for the middle voice used for a woman committing adultery are: μοιχεύεσθαι, μοιχεύσεσθαι, μοιχευθῆναι. The sense of ποιεῖ αὐτὴν μοιχευθῆναι is "causes her to commit adultery" or "brings her into an adulterous relationship"; that is to say, his own divorce and remarriage brings his erstwhile wife into an adulterous relationship with himself -- his behavior has dissolved her legal and moral status.