[B-Greek] hOTI clause in 1 Pet 4:1
Jon Boyd
boyd at huxcomm.net
Mon Apr 26 15:26:14 EDT 2004
Dear friends,
I've been working on 1 Pet 4:1 and am having trouble determining whether the
hOTI clause should be taken as giving an additional reason (because) for
obedience to the imperative hOPLISASQE, or providing further content
("that," or "namely that") for the proper ENNOIA ("way of thinking") of
those enduring suffering.
1 Pet 4:1
CRISTOU OUN PAQONTOS SARKI KAI hUMEIS THN AUTHN ENNOIAN hOPLISASQE, hOTI hO
PAQWN SARKI PEPAUTAI hAMARTIAS
I know this is a difficult exegetical decision to make. I just wondered if
anyone had some helpful thoughts for me.
Achtemeier argues that parallel expressions in non-biblical Greek (Philo
Praem. poen. 42; Fug. 99; Spec. leg. 4.71; Josephus Ant. 15.200) and "the
causative force already present in the genitive absolute clause with which
the verse begins, throw the weight of probability in the direction of
explanatory force. That is, the hOTI clasue provides further information on
the content of the ENNOIA" (_1 Peter: A Commentary on First Peter_,
Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1996: 278).
I looked at the Josephus passage, and I confess that its syntax confuses me.
Should the hOTI clause in Ant. 15.200 be construed as explanatory or causal?
I'll list that text below for anyone who wants to comment on it too.
. . . KAI PARESTHSEN hAPASIN ENNOIAN LABEIN hOTI THS BASILEIAS HS EICEN
POLU MEIZW KAI LAMPROTERA KATA TAS hUPOURGIAS EPEDEIKNUTO . . . (Ant.
15.200).
It looks like Whiston translated it with a "because," but I'm not sure if
that's right.
"He also provided them with what they should need, as they passed over the
dry desert, insomuch that they lacked neither wine nor water, which last the
soldiers stood in the greatest need of; and besides, he presented Caesar
with eight hundred talents, and procured to himself the goodwill of them
all, *because* he was assisting them in a much greater and more splendid
degree than the kingdom he had obtained could afford;"
Jonathan Boyd
Huxley, IA
www.BoydHome.com
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