[B-Greek] James 1:4 and imperatives
Polycarp66 at aol.com
Polycarp66 at aol.com
Tue Dec 30 19:59:43 EST 2003
In a message dated 12/30/2003 6:24:21 PM Eastern Standard Time,
colby at solutions2000.net writes:
Thank you for your help with James 1:3. I find James to have different Greek
than I am used to. The first part of James 1:4 reads:
hH DE hUPOMONH ERGON TELEION ECETW
My question concerns the imperative. I would translate this, "Now *let*
endurance *have* perfect work" or "Now endurance *must have* perfect work. The
typical translation of a present imperative third person singular verb is like
this (how I have learned): ECETW- let he/she/it have. This is confusing to me,
because it sounds like: *you* let he/she/it have. But this is a active and third
person. My first translation sounds like you are allowing endurance have
perfect work. Is this right? Or is the sense more like my second translation,
giving an statement that endurance must have perfect work? I am not as concerned
about this verse as I am understanding the third person imperative (active and
also mp, middle, and passive). I would be glad if someone would help me
understand this and/or point me to some online resources.
______
"Let X <verb>" is one normal way to translate a 3rd person imperative, but
you are correct that it can also be translated as "X must <verb>." I think
though that you might want to choose another term for ERGON. "Work" just doesn't
seem to quite fit here. BAGD has " let endurance show itself perfectly in
practice Js 1:4." In regard to another text it says "perh. also the bringing of
the law into effect " Personally, I think "Let hUPOMONH have its full effect"
wouldn't be bad or "hUPOMONH must have its full effect." Some of the glosses
for hUPOMONH are "endurance, patience, steadfastness" so you are in the
proper area there. I'm calling attention to the word here since I think that in
Revelation it doesn't have that meaning but approaches the idea of "confession."
That, however, is the subject for another discussion.
gfsomsel
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