Verb Sequence in Mk 6:36

clayton stirling bartholomew c.s.bartholomew at worldnet.att.net
Fri Mar 31 15:45:07 EST 2000


Is PROSEQHKEN KAI TOUTO EPI PASIN  an LXX Idiom?

Perhaps. 

One or two off list respondents seemed to wonder why I was suggesting that
PROSEQHKEN KAI TOUTO EPI PASIN in LK 3:20 might be seen as performing an
adverbial function limiting the scope of KATEKLEISEN.

This was idea came from I.H. Marshall's (NIGTC, Luke) discussion of Lk 3:20
where he suggests that we see PROSTIQHMI used  this way in the LXX. For an
extended discussion of this see N. Turner (M-H, III, page 227). Marshall
builds a good case for his position but A. Plummer (Luke, ICC, p97,
footnote) casts a few doubts by noting several significant differences
between the form of the idiom in the LXX and Luke 3:20.

This LXX idiom  using PROSTIQHMI takes several forms (see N. Turner,  page
227). In one form PROSTIQHMI is a participle followed by a finite verb. In
another form  PROSTIQHMI is a finite verb followed by an infinitive. In yet
another form both verbs are infinitives.  Marshall claims that in the LXX
(Jdg. 11:14, 2 Sa. 18:22) we see yet another form which is the one we find
in Luke 3:20. I have not studied these LXX examples to see if they
substantiate Marshall's argument.

The aspect of this question that was most central to my musings on verb
sequence was the fact that both PROSEQHKEN and  KATEKLEISEN are fully
inflected verbs and that there is no well attested clause marking particle
to indicate a nested or coordinate clause. One question I am asking is:  Can
a finite verb function like a prepostitive participle to limit the scope of
a second finite verb? Lk 3:20 may NOT be a good text for exploring this
question since there are a number of complications here which cloud the
issue somewhat. 

on 03/29/00 1:36 PM, clayton stirling bartholomew wrote:

> Lk 3:20
> 
> PROSEQHKEN KAI TOUTO EPI PASIN
> [KAI] KATEKLEISEN TON IWANNHN EN FULAKHi
> 
> If we remove the dubious [KAI] we end up with two fully inflected verbs
> (finite) with the same subject but with different objects. There are a number
> of ways to sort this out. Do we have two clauses here or one? Probably two
> clauses. How are the clauses related to each other?
> 
> #1 I would be tempted to see PROSEQHKEN KAI TOUTO EPI PASIN performing an
> adverbial function limiting the scope of KATEKLEISEN.

--  
Clayton Stirling Bartholomew
Three Tree Point
P.O. Box 255 Seahurst WA 98062





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