[B-Greek] Acts 2:17 dream: deponens or passive?

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Tue Apr 27 17:11:28 EDT 2004


Forwarded for: "Hessel + Coby Visser" <hessel.visser at sil.org>
To: "Carl W. Conrad" <cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu>
Subject: Acts 2:17 dream: deponens or passive?
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 18:46:24 +0200

hOI PRESBUTEROI hUMWN ENUPNIOIS ENUPNIASQHSONTAI
(Acts 2:17)

The word ENUPNIASQHSONTAI is usually taken as a deponens, so the meaning
would be "they dream". But in a translation I found ""I will make them
dream" - apparently based on the interpretation as a (divine) passive. Which
interpretation is the more probable one? I would welcome your ideas.

For your interest: Bauer says it is a "Deponens seit Hippokrates".

It is interesting that the LXX (in Joel) has the accusative for "dreams"
("they will dream dreams"), while Acts 2:17 has a dative ("they will be made
to dream with dreams")! So I have the impression that Luke may have seen it
as a passive.

Hessel Visser

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