First question

B.J. Williamson hellen_ic at hotmail.com
Mon May 8 15:13:10 EDT 2000




This is my first posting request.

Question: Mark 3:29

Passage:

3:28 I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies people may speak 
will be forgiven them.
3:29 But whoever (OS D’ AN) blasphemes against the Holy Spirit (OUK ECEI 
AFESIN) will never be forgiven. He is liable for an eternal sin (singular).

Regarding: OUK ECEI AFESIN

Issue: who or what has no forgiveness?

“he has no forgiveness” (the individual)

“it has no forgiveness” (the act)


I am looking for syntactical considerations that would preclude my 
translating OUK ECEI AFESIN as “it (the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit) has no 
forgiveness. I think that most take this to be “he has no forgiveness.”

Would this translation (it) be forced or awkward?

Are there any syntactical indicators that would suggest “he” as the more 
likely reading, as opposed to “it?”

Note that “whoever” (OS D’ AN) refers to those in verse 28 whose sins and 
blasphemies will be forgiven. That is, all “other” sins and blasphemies will 
be forgiven; verse 29 identifies, therefore, the only exception to the 
blasphemies of verse 28.

All comments are more than welcome!

Thank you,

B.J. Williamson

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