Re. PISTEI VOOUMEN KATHRTISQAI TOUS AIWNAS... Heb. 11:3

Ben Crick ben.crick at argonet.co.uk
Thu Jul 2 21:23:41 EDT 1998


On Wed  1 Jul 98 (12:08:19), evans at wilmington.net wrote:
> This is a mouthful for a under-achieving Greek student!

 Dear Paul:
 Don't sell yourself short!  You're doing just fine.

> PISTEI    VOOUMEN        KATHRTISQAI            TOUS AIWNAS...
  by faith  we understand  to have been arranged  the worlds

> I cannot sort out the use of the infinitive KATHRTISQAI.  Is it forming
> a noun phrase with TOUS AIWNAS?  In which case I assume that TOUS
> AIWNAS is the subject of the infinitive.

 You're right: and it is the Perfect Passive Infinitive of KATARTIZW to put
 in order, arrange, complete, perfect. TOUS AIWNAS is the subject of the
 infinitive, in the Accusative+Infinitive construction. Look up "Accusative
 Infinitive" in the index or Table of Contents of your Greek Grammar.

>                    However, how is that to be
> understood in the larger context with what follows... particularly the
> infinitive GEGONENAI?

 EIS plus the accusative and Infinitive indicates Purpose; as if it were
 hINA plus the Subjunctive. GEGONENAI is the 2nd-Perfect Active Infinitive
 of GINOMAI: to have become, to have been, to have been made.
 EIS TO   MH EK FAINOMENWN        TO BLEPOMENON       GEGONENAI.
 so that  not of things visible   the things seeable  have been made.
 In other words, creation /ex nihilo/.

> A more practical question...
 *More* practical??? 
> How is the articular noun to be understood (TOUS AIWNAS)?  Is this some
> sort of idiomatic expression for the universe?

 Yes, basically. The Creation is the outward expression of the Creator, and
 is as eternal as He is, or wants it to remain. An AIWN is an Age, or an
 Age-long creature such as the Universe. It can be of Time and Eternity, or
 of Space and Eternity. Compare the Doxology hWi H DOXA EIS TOUS AIWNAS TWN
 AIWNWN, AMHN (Galatians 1:5, and similarly elsewhere). Latin /cui est
 gloria in saecula saeculorum. Amen/. [Disclaimer: I don't mean Pantheism!]

> I am totally confused.  The Greek of Hebrews is harder than anything
> else in the NT to me.  (Yes I know why, it is some of the best!)

 Stick at it!  No gains without pains!

 CAIREIN
 Ben
-- 
 Revd Ben Crick, BA CF
 <ben.crick at argonet.co.uk>
 232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK)
 http://www.cnetwork.co.uk/crick.htm






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