John 1:5

Trevor and Margaret Nicholls tmjpbn at ihug.co.nz
Wed Jan 12 00:55:18 EST 2000


Hi

> I'm not sure one can avoid theologizing in offering any
> interpretation of this passage. But yes; I've always understood
> FAINEI as indicating the ongoing, continual shining of the Light
> (of revelation from the cross) and that KATELABEN has a dual
> potential sense, the primary one being that of "quench" with the
> negative: Darkness didn't succeed in snuffing out the light, with
> at least perhaps a secondary sense of KATALAMBANW in the
> Stoic sense of "apprehend,"grasp intellectually"--in which sense
> I'd understand the aorist to have the sense, "and the Darkness has
> not succeeded at grasping it."

I wonder if this secondary sense is not implied by what looks
to me like an intentional parallel and/or contrast (and which of
those is primary or secondary?!) in verse 11

v5   KAI H SKOTIA AUTO OU KATALABEN
v11 KAI OI IDIOI AUTON OU PARELABON

And maybe also in verse 10?
 v10 KAI O KOSMOS AUTON OUK EGNW

Cheers

Trevor and Margaret Nicholls
e-mail: tmjpbn at ihug.co.nz




More information about the B-Greek mailing list