[B-Greek] 1 Corinthians 12:30 and Logos user's guide
Jeffrey T. Requadt
jeff at requadt.com
Fri Aug 27 12:19:44 EDT 2004
I'm new to this list, but I can't find this question in the archives. Does
anyone know why in 1 Corinthians 12:31, ZHLOUTE ("desire, seek") is
translated/interpreted as an imperative in every version I can find except
The Message? (I use the "Every Version" tool in Logos, which has 20-odd
English versions) According to Mounce's Analytical Lexicon, this form can be
either indicative, imperative, or subjunctive. I have cautiously ruled out
the subjunctive because I can't think of a way in context that it would make
sense (unless as a rhetorical question? But there are no other words which
would indicate this), but it seems to make more sense to me in the context
of the themes of the epistle, and especially in light of Paul's point that
every part is necessary to the body, and the toe shouldn't try to be an eye,
etc., that he would be using ZHLOUTE DE TA CHARISMATA TA MEIZONA ("(you)
seek the greater gifts") in an indicative sense. I.e., not "this is what you
should do" but "this is what you are doing." Then the meaning would be
ironic, such as, "All of you have your own gift and purpose in the church,
but you continue to seek (or are seeking) the 'greater' gifts. And yet I
will show you a better way." Maybe I'm missing some detail in the parsing,
but as far as I can tell this is a 2nd person plural, present active
indicative/imperative/subjunctive. So my question comes down to, what in the
text leads translators to believe that this an imperative, not an
indicative? It seems to me that this could affect one's exegesis of the
passage. Thanks for any help. And by the way, there is no NET note on this
word, so I'm lost.
Also, I've noticed that some discussion concerns Logos. There is a
downloadable user's guide available at www.swcaz.edu <http://www.swcaz.edu/>
, but please note that it is not done by the company themselves or by the
programmers, but by people who have had to use Logos without a manual or
guide and got frustrated and wrote their own for other people like them.
There is a chapter on using Logos with the original languages. I'm sure they
would appreciate feedback if you have it.
Jeffrey T. Requadt
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