A "Timeless" Aorist?

Ben and Jo Crick ben.crick at argonet.co.uk
Fri Sep 13 17:22:31 EDT 2002


On Fri 13 Sep 2002 (12:17:33), bounce-b-greek-454 at franklin.oit.unc.edu wrote:
> I do have a question regarding Mark's use of Isaiah in Mark 1:3. I'm 
> wondering about the significance of the verb hETOIMASATE (1 Aorist 
> Active Imperative, 2 Person Plural) and the following verb POIEITE 
> (Present Active Imperative, 2 Person Plural). My question is why would 
> the aorist tense be used initially followed up by a present tense verb?
> 
> That both are imperatives is likely the most important consideration to
> note; but why an aorist tense followed by the present? I have not 
> checked to see if the quote is taken from the Septuagint (which I 
> presume it likely is) and whether that has something to contribute to 
> the question (i.e. a type of Semiticism etc).

 Yes, the quotation is from the LXX of Isaiah 40:3 with one difference:
 FWNH BOWNTOS
 EN THi ERHMWi hETOIMASATE THN hODON KURIOU,
 EUQEIAS POIEITE TAS TRIBOUS [TOU QEOU hHMWN] (AUTOU in Mark 1:3)

 The Hebrew structure gives the sense
 A Voice [is] crying:
    In the wilderness make clear the way of YHWH:
    Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

 hETOIMASATE translates the Pi'el (intensive) Imperative PaNNuW; the Greek
 Aorist Imperative seems the appropriate way to do this.

 EUQEIAS POIEITE translates Ya$$:RuW, another Pi'el Imperative. Why Present
 and not Aorist?  My guess is that hETOIMASATE is the initial command to 'Get
 started' whilst POIEITE is the ongoing command to 'Keep on with the good work'
 until it is finished.

 Mark claims that John the Baptizer's ministry is this Preparation; that his is
 the Voice crying in the wilderness, etc., even thought the Hebrew connects "in
 the wilderness" EN THi ERHMWi [BaMMiD:BaR] with what follows, not with what
 precedes.

 ERRWSQE
 Ben
-- 
 Revd Ben Crick BA CF, and Mrs Joanna (Goodwin) Crick
 <ben.crick at argonet.co.uk>
 232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK)
 http://www.cnetwork.co.uk/crick.htm






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