hWSTE in 1 Cor 5.1--epexegetical?

Carl Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Mon Dec 23 12:24:36 EST 2002


> In a message dated 12/23/02 12:20:31 AM, slovullo at mac.com writes:
> 
> >Hi all:
> >
> >Just a quick question regarding hWSTE in 1 Cor 5.1, which reads:
> >
> >hOLWS AKOUETAI EN hUMIN PORNEIA, KAI  hHTIS OUDE EN TOIS
> >
> >EQNESIN, hWSTE GUNAIKA TINA TOU PATROS ECEIN.
> >
> >BDAG lists this use of hWSTE as a marker of actual result followed by 
> >accusative and infinitive (2.a.beta). However, after referencing 1Cor 
> >5.1, they have in parentheses the gloss "of such a kind that." Since 
> >hWSTE does not seem to be subordinate to AKOUETAI (which is explicit in
> >
> >the first clause and understood with the coordinate clause and the 
> >relative clause), my initial hunch was that it should be taken as 
> >epexegetical to TOIAUTH. This *appears* to be what BDAG is saying with
> >
> >the gloss "of such a kind that." The only other reference tool I 
> >consulted that suggested epexegesis was _The New Linguistic and 
> >Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament_. Do you think hWSTE is 
> >indeed epexegetical here? If so, why would BDAG list it under actual 
> >result, though their gloss seems to indicate something else?
> >============
> >
> >Steven R. Lo Vullo
> 
> Steven, I think that the complicating factor in understanding this use of the
> infinitive is the presence of hWSTE. Because of hWSTE some might try and
> explain the function of the infinitive as result (certainly not purpose).
> However, it seems to me that the infinitive structure introduced by hWSTE
> clearly does explain the PORNEIA. Hence, while it is rare in the NT, I would
> say that it does function like an expexegetic infinitive relating to a noun
> (Funk, Hellenistic Greek Vol II,p. 655ff.). I think the first occurance of
> PORNIA is modified by three structures, the repeat of the noun with the
> adjective (apposition), the relative clause introduced by hHTIS, and the
> structure introduced by hWSTE with the infinitive.  The rarity is the 
> epexegetic infinitive buried in a hWSTE clause, so it seems to me.

If I may offer a tentative suggestion, I think I'd rather see the hWSTE
clause dependent upon the hHTIS, which seems to me to have the force of
hOIAUTH: "sexual immorality, and such as [isn't found] even among
Gentiles, such that ..."  I think that hHTIS can and does get used this
way, although I'm far from the resources to check it.



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