SFRAGIZW
Iver Larsen
iver_larsen at sil.org
Sat Oct 19 02:28:08 EDT 2002
Carl mentioned that he would interpret the MP form of this verb in Eph 1:13
as middle in sense.
I deleted the post, but now I'd like to address this question, because I
think there is a general grammatical point.
If I understand Carl correctly, he is normally looking for an explicit agent
or means for an MP form to be interpreted as passive. Whereas I agree with
this, I think one also should look at the verb in question and check how it
is normally construed. What are the usual semantic arguments attached to it?
The agent or means may well be implicit rather than explicit for various
reasons, and if so, the MP form could well be passive.
Let me look at the GNT occurrences of this verb. There are 15.
Of these, 7 are active. One is in Matt 27:66 where the chief priests sealed
the stone on the tomb of Jesus. Two are in John. In 3:33 it is the person
who believes who by this certifies or puts his stamp of approval on God as
truthful. In 6:27 it is God the Father who has put his stamp of approval on
the Son of Man. I think this refers to the Spirit descending on Jesus as a
dove, plus the words spoken on that occasion. The remaining four are in
revelation (7:3, 10:4, 20:3, 22:10).
2 occurrences are marked as middle by the Friberg tags, both in Paul. They
are
Rom 15:28 TOUTO OUN EPITELESAS KAI SFRAGISAMENOS AUTOIS TON KARPON TOUTON
(NIV: So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have
received this fruit.)
On this passage, BAGD says: "Ro 15:28 is perh. to be understood fr. the
practice of sealing sacks of grain (Dssm., NB 65f [BS 238f]). But the figure
is perh. rather hard to maintain, since the ‘fruit’ must not only be sealed,
but also forwarded to Jerusalem and delivered there. In any case the sense
of the expr. is easier to understand in some such wording as this: when I
have placed the sum that was collected safely (sealed) in their hands."
This appears to be an idiomatic, special use that we don't need to look at
as a parallel to the use in Eph 1:13.
2 Cor 1:21-2 hO DE BEBAIWN hHMAS SUN hUMIN EIS CRISTON KAI CRISAS hHMAS
QEOS, hO KAI SFRAGISAMENOS hHMAS KAI DOUS TON ARRABWNA TOU PNEUMATOS EN TAIS
KARDIAIS hHMWN
In this passage we have a construction where God puts a seal on believers by
means of the ARRABWN of the Spirit, and it is parallel in thought to Eph
1:13. I assume it is middle because God is sealing the believers as his
property and for his own benefit. It is parallel in thought but logically
consequential and additional to CRISAS hHMAS QEOS just preceding it.
The last six occurrences are marked as passive in the Friberg tags. I am
here giving the references and the RSV translation:
Eph 1:13: you ... were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit
Eph 4:30: do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in(with) whom you were
sealed
Rev 7:4(twice): I heard the number of the sealed (lit: the ones having been
sealed)
Rev 7:5 and 7:8: sealed (lit: the ones having been sealed) as above.
The uses of this verb that is relevant to Eph 1:13 all have God as agent,
the believers as patients (semantic objects) and the Holy Spirit as means or
instrument. God seals believers in/by/with the Spirit. So, when the
believers grammatically change from object to subject, it seems to me that
the verb must be understood as passive, as in Eph 1:13, with God as the
implied agent. A middle interpretation would require God as subject, not the
believers, as in 2 Cor 1:22.
Iver Larsen
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