AITHSHi (John 11:22)
B. Ward Powers
bwpowers at optusnet.com.au
Thu Apr 25 06:43:20 EDT 2002
B-greekers all:
We were cogitating last night over AITHSHi in John 11:22. This form is
third person singular aorist subjunctive active. But the required form has
to be second person - we felt that this should have been AITHSHiS, for, in
context, Martha says to Jesus: "but even now I know that whatever you would
ask God for, God will give you." And in fact Nestle-Aland records a few
manuscripts which do have this reading AITHSHiS (so we are not the first to
prefer this form, though our UBS does not indicate a variant for this word
in this verse).
There is of course another explanation: AITHSHi must here be second person
ditto ditto MIDDLE. And this must be it. But why middle? Martha can't be
saying, "I know that whatever you ask God for FOR YOURSELF, God will give
you." So why middle here, instead of the active (which we expected)?
Any light to throw upon why this middle form?
Regards,
Ward
http://www.netspace.net.au/~bwpowers
Rev Dr B. Ward Powers Phone (International): 61-2-8714-7255
259A Trafalgar Street Phone (Australia): (02) 8714-7255
PETERSHAM NSW 2049 email: bwpowers at optusnet.com.au
AUSTRALIA. Director, Tyndale College
More information about the B-Greek
mailing list