[B-Greek] Tendential impf in 2Cor 7:8?
Carl W. Conrad
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Wed Oct 8 17:15:15 EDT 2003
At 4:43 PM -0400 10/8/03, Randy Leedy wrote:
>The text reads EI KAI ELUPHSA hUMAS EN THi EPISTOLHi, OU METAMELOMAI: EI
>KAI METEMELOMHN...
>
>I find myself wanting to read METEMELOMHN with a tendential sense here:
>"though I'd been rather inclining to regret it [the 'severe letter']." My
>motive isn't theological (that is, trying to avoid some suggestion of
>attributing error or vacillation to an apostle); I don't have a
>theological problem here myself. I'm just seeing Paul as being in an
>uncertain state of mind about how best to handle whatever the problem may
>have been in Corinth. While he was awaiting Titus' return with news, the
>idea of not being quite sure whether to regret the letter or not is
>appealing to me. Perhaps even an ingressive idea: "I was beginning to
>regret it (as I continued to think about the situation in Titus' absence)."
>
>But none of the 6 or 8 versions I've checked translate it so, nor do any
>of the 8 or 10 commentators and grammars I've checked read it that way. I
>usually at least find an oddball SOMEWHERE who thinks he sees what I see!
>But in this case not even a hint of sympathy do I find.
>
>Anyone else out there see any merit to the idea?
>
>Please CC me on any responses, since I get the list only in digest.
Randy, I think you're right on this because EI KAI METEMELOMHN is the
protasis of a counter-factual condition; I'd English it as "And even if I
should (be inclined to) regret it, I note that letter upset you only
temporarily ..."
--
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/
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