[B-Greek] Acts 3:19 - when the times of refreshing
Carl W. Conrad
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Sun Oct 12 20:31:25 EDT 2003
At 5:13 PM -0400 10/12/03, Schmuel wrote:
>Hi B-Greek,
>
>The usage of hopws in Acts 3:19 is a question I would like to pose for our
>Greek experts.
>
>>Acts 3:19 - KJB
>>Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may
>>be blotted out, *when* the times of refreshing shall come from the
>>presence of the Lord;
More to the point, since the question doesn't concern the KJV, is to cite
the Greek text in question:
Acts 3:19 METANOHSATE OUN KAI EPISTREYATE EIS TO EXALEIFQHNAI hUMWN TAS
hAMARTIAS, 20 hOPWS AN ELQWSIN KAIROI ANAYUXEWS APO PROSWPOU TOU KURIOU KAI
APOSTEILHi TON PROKECERISMENON hUMIN CRISTON IHSOUN.
What we have here, I surmise, is a shift from one mode of purpose clause
conveyed in the infinitive phrase EIS TO EXALEIFQHNAI hUMWN TAS hAMARTIAS
to a different kind with hOPWS AN followed by two clauses ELQWSIN KAIROI
... and APOSTEILHI ...
I dont think anything more is involved in this hOPWS (AN) clause than
PURPOSE: "do x in order that y may happen." hOPWS sometimes has AN attached
to it with a subjunctive of purpose (probably because AN is coming to be
thought of as a natural accompaniment of a subjunctive) although more often
it does not. Cf. BDAG hOPWS 2.a.alpha and beta. The Koine has several
different ways of expressing purpose; the interesting thing is that two
different modes are employed here. I don't think that the "when" of KJV is
the most felicitous choice for hOPWS.
>This word is usually translated as "that", in other verses, and in other
>translations of this verse.
>
> From a friend -- Will Kinney --
>
>... according to Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon, 7th
>Edition 1887 on page 494 they tell us that the word hopws has
>several uses, one of which is in reference to Time and that it can
>have the meaning of "WHEN, AS SOON AS, or as".
>
>..... Robertson's massive work of A Grammar of The Greek
>New Testament, mentions on page 980 that the word hopws is a
>relative adverb that can be used to express a number of different
>ideas including that of "the temporal, final or consecutive".
>
>I would be interested in hearing whether the Greek, in context, supports
>both "when" and "that" from a grammatical perspective.
>
>Thank you.
>
>Shalom,
>Steven Avery
>Queens, NY
>
>Schmuel at bigfoot.com
>www.messiahresearch.com
>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Messianic_Apologetic/
>
>
>
>
>---
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--
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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