Future Passives categorized (LONG)
Carl W. Conrad
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Sat Dec 14 11:55:59 EST 2002
At 3:01 PM -0600 12/13/02, Paul S Dixon wrote:
>Hi, Carl. Thanks for the work. I just spent some time examining some of
>your cited middles. I disagree with you on 8 or 9 of your first 15
>middles. Not that it matters, but the translations do take most of your
>rendered middles as passives.
This, of course, depends very much on which translations you consult. I
don't find much unanimity among translators and my own judgments are not
based upon what I see the institutional translators doing.
>Anyhow, I'll give you what I have so far. It is probably a pretty fair
>sampling of the rest, which means I may not have to examine all of them.
>I interact with your work below.
That's up to you, Paul, but there are only a couple in your list that I
would consider toss-ups. Of course, being retired, I'm not subject to the
restraints on time that you are.
>On Thu, 12 Dec 2002 16:39:58 -0600 "Carl W. Conrad"
><<mailto:cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu>cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu> writes:
>
>
>(Sequence of entries: Verb, Simple Definition, #MP2 forms, # mid, *notes)
>
>AISCUNW, be ashamed, 2 hits, 2m; although AISCUNW may conceivably mean
>"cause to feel shame," the verb never appears in the GNT except in MP1 or
>MP2 forms.
>
>I take both of these as passives, as do the translations. In Phil 1:20
>the parallel with the second half, that Christ may be exalted in my body,
>almost requires a passive, I will not be put to shame in anything (NAS).
>
>In 2 Cor 10:8 AISCUNQHSOMAI should be taken passively, as Paul seems to be
>saying that he will not be put to shame by either his presence or his
>writings (v. 9-11). So, the translations. The passive here is at least a
>toss up with the middle: I will not shame myself either in presence or in
>my writings.
I'll just have to disagree with you on this one, Paul, while noting that
BDAG and L&N seem to feel about the verb as I do, that it means "feel a
sense of shame." In fact, the active doesn't appear in our literature.
>ALLASSW, change, exchange, 3 hits, 3m (1Cor. 15:51, 52, Heb. 1:12); I
>believe these MP2 forms bear the sense "undergo a change."
>
>The translators again render these passively and with good reason. The
>contexts indicate that the changing at the last trumpet is not something
>we do by ourselves, but that is done by God (1 Cor 15:57, Heb 1:10).
On the other hand, the explanatory verses that follow immediately upon 1
Cor 15:51 use the middle ENDUSASASQAI of TO FQARTON TOUTO putting on
AFQARSIA and the mortal flesh putting on AQANASIA. So while there's no
question but that divine control governs the events of the end-time, I
don't really think it's necessary to appeal to "the divine passive" to
explain the usage here. I think this is more like an adult changing from
formal to leisure clothing than like a baby having a change of diaper.
>ANAKLINW, sit down, recline, 2 hits, 2m; even conventional translations
>don't convert this MP2 form to "be caused to lie down."
>
>I agree.
>
>ANAPAUW, stop, give rest, refresh, 1 hits, 1m; Rev 4:13 ANAPAHSONTAI is
>surely middle and is usually translated "rest."
>
>I agree.
>
>APARNEOMAI, deny, renounce, 1 hits, 1p; in Lk 12:9 APARNHQHSETAI must be
>understood as passive, although this verb never appears in "active" form.
>
>Oops, what is this doing here with the middles?
Paul, as I thought I had explained (but perhaps not clearly enough), I
first separated out from the 287 hits for MP2 forms all those that I felt
were pretty obviously authentic passives in sense and then took the
remaining forms for closer analysis, discovering in the course of it that
some of these, even though they have no active (as is the case with
APARNEOMAI, usually classed as a "deponent"), are nevertheless
authentically passive in their context. And THAT's what this is doing here
with the middles. In my tally below I have NOT included it in the total of
instances I think are middle in sense.
>APOKRINOMAI, answer, 3 hits, 3m; these are unquestionably middle.
>
>I agree.
>
>ARKEW, be content, be enough, 1 hits, 1m; ARKESQHSOMEQA in 1 Tim 6:8 is
>surely middle.
>
>Questionable, at least. I can take it as: we shall be (made) content with
>these things (godliness, food, shelter and clothing).
You might want to look at BDAG and L&N on this, Paul. I think it is also
worth pointing out that "be content" or "be satisfied" is not really
passive in English but is rather a compound of predicate adjective and verb
"to be."
>DIAMERIZW, divide, 1 hits, 1m; DIAMERISQHSONTAI in Lk 12:53 points to
>squabbles arising in the family; it's not a matter of someone setting them
>at odds against each other.
>
>This has to be a passive, as the divisions are the result of the Christ's
>coming to bring not peace, but divisions (v. 51). So the translations.
This may be a toss-up; I would suggest checking BDAG; I personally think
that the DIAMERISMOS here is a matter of violently hostile reactions within
the family to the gospel rather than a matter of dissension directly
intended by Jesus.
>DIASKORPIZW, scatter, squander, 2 hits, 2m; DIASKORPISQHSONTAI Mk 14:27,
>Lk 26:31 the sheep scatter abroad of their own accord because they have no
>shepherd to restrain them.
>
>Again these are passives, because the scattering is the result of God
>striking down the Shepherd. The necessary cause-effect relationship in
>the verses demands the rendering of the translations: and the sheep shall
>be scattered.
Actually it's Mt 26:31; I goofed. (Luke has only 24 chapters!) I suggest
you look at the verse as a whole, Paul: TOTE LEGEI AUTOIS HO IHSOUS: PANTES
hUMEIS SKANDALISQHSESQE EN EMOI EN THi NUKTI TAUTHi, GEGRAPTAI GAR: PATAXW
TON POIMENA, KAI DIASKORPISQHSONTAI TA PROBATA THS POIMNHS. I discuss
SKANDALISQHSESQE later in the list: it's worth checking BDAG and especially
L&N §25.180 on this. If you want to make God's striking of the shepherd the
secondary cause of the scattering of the sheep, I won't object, but I still
think that the desertion of Jesus by the disciples in the gospels is
represented as cowardly and blameworthy, albeit forgivable: it is they who
are responsible for their actions. So with the sheep: they stampede, NOT
because God wants them to do so but because it is their nature to do so
when suddenly disturbed. I'll hold out for the middle here.
>Where you had 15 middles and no passives, I get 6 middles, 8 passives and
>one toss-up. You are probably not surprised. At that rate I'd probably
>get less than half the middles you got. I wonder what others get.
Well, as yet there haven't been any other stabs. I appreciate your
review--that's why I spread the figures and discussion on the list; I never
expected or intended my hypothesis about the -QH- morphoparadigms being
ambivalent between middle and passive sense to be accepted without evidence.
--
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu OR cwconrad at ioa.com
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/
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