I John 3:2 and I John 2:28

Daniel L Christiansen dlc at multnomah.edu
Fri Dec 17 01:47:06 EST 1999


Bill Ross wrote:

> Ean is intrinsically conditional, whereas when is not conditional, so it is
> not the best translation.
>
> Since it opposes the phrase OUPW EFANERWQH the idea of "when" seems to be
> implied.

    Perhaps this is quibbling, but it seems to me that just because a term falls
within the temporal category, it is not thereby disqualified from also being in the
conditional category.  In the sentence "When I am hungry, I eat," the "when"
indicates the [temporal] conditions under which the action of eating takes place.
In the same way, EAN may indicate a more general condition that implied by the
English "if" or "since."  Perhaps we ought to be looking further afield in context
for a translation of EAN ( such as the OUPW phrase mentioned by Bill).

    FWTQIW   (For What The Quibble Is Worth)
--
Daniel L. Christiansen . . . Happy as a clam, since all my grades are turned in
early!  :)
Department of Bible
Multnomah Bible College
8435 NE Glisan Street
Portland, OR  97220
(Also Portland Bible College, Prof of Biblical Languages)
e-mail: dlc at multnomah.edu





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