[B-Greek] Eph 3:2 EI GE HKOUSATE

Clwinbery at aol.com Clwinbery at aol.com
Thu Mar 6 21:23:31 EST 2003


In a message dated 3/6/03 3:17:57 PM, jwest at highland.net writes:

>At 02:35 PM 3/6/03 -0600, you wrote:
>>
>>Is this expressing uncertainty or certainty that they had heard?  That
>>is, what is the force of the EI GE?
>
>andrew linconln's commentary (WBC) suggests that a reasonable rendering
>is
>"assuming..."  he says ei ge occurs  only here, eph 4:21, gal 3:4, 2 cor
>6:3, and col 1:23 and "introduces a statement which makes explicit an
>assumption lying behind a preceding assertion..." demonstrating "confident
>assumption".
>
>lincoln is most likely correct.
>
BDAG has the following entry for GE following EI.

    a. EI GE if indeed, inasmuch as (Kühner-G. II 177c) Eph 3:2; 4:21; Col 
1:23. TOUSAUTA EPAQETE EIKHi; EI GE KAI EIKHi Ø have you experienced so many 
things in vain? If it really was in vain Gal 3:4. EI GE KAI EKDUSAMENOI OU 
GUMNOI hEUREQHSOMEQA  assuming, of course, that we shall not be found naked 
after having put off (our earthly habitation) (sim. NRSV; difft. REB) 2 Cor 
5:3. S. also AcPl Ha 8, 24f s.v. ei˙ 6b.

This would seem to support the concept of a positive assumption.

Carlton Winbery
Louisiana College


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