[B-Greek] Progressive Future
George F. Somsel
gfsomsel at juno.com
Mon Aug 23 19:00:43 EDT 2004
On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 17:53:38 -0400 "Darrell Broking"
<dbroking at earthlink.net> writes:
> I recently read a commentary on Romans 8:11 wherein the commentator
> took the
> position that ZWOPOIHSEI is actually progressive future. None of my
> grammars
> deal with a category called the progressive future. The commentator
> gave
> Dana and Mantey, which I do not have, as his source for the
> progressive
> future usage. I have two questions about this. 1) Is the
> "progressive
> future" a legitimate usage of the future tense in the indicative
> mood, and
> 2) is it possible that ZWOPOIHSEI is looking at the progressive
> future.
>
> Darrell Broking
> 206 Willow Circle
> Mountain City, TN 37683
> (423) 727-5703
>
> ---
EI DE TO PNEUMA TOU EGEIRANTOS TON IHSOUN EK NEKRWN OIKEI EN hUMIN, hO
EGEIRAS XRISTON EX NEKRWN SWMATA hUMWN DIA TOU ENOIKOUNTOS AUTOU
PNEUMATOS EN hUMIN.
First, regarding the grammars. Dan Wallace in _GGBB_, pp. 500, 501
states,
Perhaps an illustration might help. More than one grammar has suggested
the parade analogy to describe the various aspects. To sit in the
stands as a spectator and watch a parade as it is passing by is an
internal perspective: One views the parade in its progression, without
focusing on the beginning or end. To view the parade from a blimp as a
news commentator several hundred feet in the air is an external
perspective: One views the whole of the parade without focusing on its
internal makeup. To walk down the street after the parade is over as part
of the clean-up crew is a perfective-stative view: While recognizing that
the parade is completed (external), one stands in the midst of the
ongoing results (internal)!
1. Internal (or Progressive)
The internal portrayal focuses on [the actions] development or progress
and sees the occurrence in regard to its internal make-up, without
beginning or end in view. This is the detailed or open-ended portrayal
of an action. It is sometimes called progressive; it basically
represents an activity as in process (or in progress).
The tense-forms involved are the present and imperfect.
2. External (or Summary)
The external portrayal presents an occurrence in summary, viewed as a
whole from the outside, without regard for the internal make-up of the
occurrence.
The tense-form involved is the aorist. As well, the future apparently
belongs here.(16)
In the note to #2 he states
16. The future is often listed by grammarians as having an internal
portrayal at times. Thus its aspect is listed as occasionally internal,
occasionally external. This tense is still something of an enigma. It is
the only tense that is always related to time, regardless of mood. And
although its forms were no doubt derived from the aorist (note, for
example, the sixth principal part), there are occasions in which an
internal idea seems to take place (thus it appears to share some
similarities with the present). However, it is probably best to see the
future as the temporal counterpart to the aorist: Both are summary tenses
that can be used to describe an iterative or progressive action, but only
in collocation with other linguistic features. The future tenses
unaffected meaning does not appear to include an internal portrayal.
So it does appear that a progressive is recognized by him in the future
though It is only "in collocation with other linguistic features." The
question is regarding what these other features might be and whether they
are present here. It should be noted that what we have here is a simple
condition (called by the uninformative term "1st class condition"). If A
is true, then B. If the spirit inhabits (present tense thus having a
progressive sense) THEN the spirit will vivify . . . . I therefore would
agree that this carries a progressive sense since it depends upon a
progressive action in the protasis.
george
gfsomsel
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