[B-Greek] Subjunctive Aorist
Iver Larsen
iver_larsen at sil.org
Wed Apr 30 03:54:29 EDT 2003
> ...Greggory writes
> Does anybody know whether or not a subjuctive aorist can ever be
> translated as a future (will or would)? The Greek seems to imply
> that the subjunctive aorist be translated as "should."
Only if you think of Greek subjunctive in terms of English "should" - and
you shouldn't.
> Specifically in terms of Phil. 2:10-11 where the newer
> translations say every knee will bow and every tongue will
> confess while the older translations have should bow and should
> confess. (See NASB 1995 ed. & NASB 1977 ed). The newer forms
> appear to be a form of "passionate" eisegesis.
No, I wouldn't say so. As others have already mentioned, the problem is with
English modals and the change of the English language, not with the Greek
text, since hINA pretty much requires a subjunctive (if we ignore Johannine
writings).
>
> Well it is quite clear that the text of Phil. 2:10-11 uses the
> subjunctive for PAN GONU(KAMYHi)=every knee shall bend--KAI PASA
> GLWSSA(EXOMOLOGHSHTAI)= and every toungue shall profess(acknowledge).
> We have the use of the subjunctive which does indicate the aspect
> of futurity but with the possibility that this may not happen,
Since the subjunctive is as good as required after hINA, it does not
indicate the possibility that this may not happen, nor does it indicate that
it will necessarily happen.
I am actually wondering if the future indicative would indicate a higher
degree of uncertainty than the aorist subjunctive after hINA? Or maybe just
a greater focus on the purpose idea of hINA rather than the result idea?
Confer Gal 2:4 hINA hHMAS KATADOULWSOUSIN - that they might enslave us
(This was the only clear example I could find of hINA with future outside of
the Johannine corpus. hINA KERDANW in 1 Cor 9:21 could be either aorist
subjunctive or future indicative, I think.)
Would it help if we translated "for every knee to bow and every tongue to
confess"? I am not suggesting that for a real translation, only to indicate
that the hINA plus subjunctive is close to the infinitive, and it is often
not clear whether purpose or result was intended, and I don't think it is
important to make such a distinction every time. One of the problems is
whether to classify "intended result" under result of purpose.
Iver Larsen
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