Phil 2:6 - aspect

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Peter Streitenberger
Posts: 224
Joined: June 3rd, 2011, 10:45 am

Phil 2:6 - aspect

Post by Peter Streitenberger »

BG-Friends,

in Phil 2:6 we read: "hOS EN MORFH QEOU hUPARCWN OUC hARPAGMON hHGHSATO TO EINAI ISA QEW" (Sorry, I can't export the right greek font out of BibleWorks).

I try to understand the combination of hUPARCWN (present) and hHGHSATO (aorist). The aspect of present is imperfective and the aspect of an aorist perfective. Is it possible so to take this passage this way:
At some point (aorist) while being in the form of god (present), Christ thought, it's not robbery to be equal with god?

Thank you for any comment !
Yours
Peter, Germany
cwconrad
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Re: Phil 2:6 - aspect

Post by cwconrad »

Peter Streitenberger wrote:BG-Friends,

in Phil 2:6 we read: "hOS EN MORFH QEOU hUPARCWN OUC hARPAGMON hHGHSATO TO EINAI ISA QEW" (Sorry, I can't export the right greek font out of BibleWorks).

Phil. 2:6 ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ, (from Accordance)

I try to understand the combination of hUPARCWN (present) and hHGHSATO (aorist). The aspect of present is imperfective and the aspect of an aorist perfective. Is it possible so to take this passage this way:
At some point (aorist) while being in the form of god (present), Christ thought, it's not robbery to be equal with god?

Thank you for any comment !
Yours
Peter, Germany
ὑπάρχων is present ASPECT in the participle, not present TIME. That means that it indicates a continuing state; when a present participial phrase is linked to a clause with an aorist verb, it indicates the state of the subject when the action of the main verb takes place. Such a present-participial phrase is comparable to a circumstantial clause with a verb in the imperfect (e.g. When he was ..., while he was ..., although he was ..., since he was ...").

Actually, there's nothing wrong with your formulation above; you've restated the content in a slightly different structure, but your structure certainly represents that content accurately.
οὔτοι ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς πάντα θεοὶ θνητοῖς ὑπέδειξαν,
ἀλλὰ χρόνῳ ζητέοντες ἐφευρίσκουσιν ἄμεινον. (Xenophanes, Fragment 16)

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
Peter Streitenberger
Posts: 224
Joined: June 3rd, 2011, 10:45 am

Re: Phil 2:6 - aspect

Post by Peter Streitenberger »

Prof. Conrad, I understand your answer very well, thank you indeed ! That was helpful for me....

Yours
Peter, Germany
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