[B-Greek] some lingustic questions on Jn 7:8

Polycarp66 at aol.com Polycarp66 at aol.com
Wed Jan 28 09:00:29 EST 2004


In a message dated 1/28/2004 7:59:34 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
iver_larsen at sil.org writes:
Furthermore, OUK means "not" rather than "never". Jesus says: "YOU, you can
go to feast, but I, I am not going to the feast". In the phrase EIS THN
hEORTHN TAUTNH the word "this" is in the non-emphatic position after the
head of the noun phrase which means that it does not focus on THIS
particular feast in contrast to the next or another feast, but it is a
simple back reference to the feast being talked about, and this nuance is
more accurately represented in English by "the feast" than "this feast".
There is a somewhat similar incident in John 2:4 where the mother of Jesus
asks him to help out with the wine problem. His first response looks very
much like a refusal ("stay away from me, mother") on the grounds that "my
'hour' has not yet come". But soon after he does the miracle anyway. The
refusal is not meant in the sense that he would not do it, but he would not
do it in a way that was imposed on him and at a time and in a manner that
was not right. Jesus' mother understood that principle of Jesus, but the
scribes who changed OUK to OUPW did not. But then, Mary knew Jesus better
than the scribes.
_____________

Yes, TAUTHN is in the FINAL position of this clause.  I believe it was Carl 
who some time ago argued for the final position as bearing emphasis.  I think 
this is what we have here.  That is why it seemed to stand out to me -- it was 
almost like being slapped in the face.  It comes immediately before hOTI used 
as a causal conjunction, "I'm not going up to THIS feast because . . ."  The 
sequence of the narrative seems to reinforce the contrast between THIS feast 
which was the Feast of Tabernacles with the Feast of Passover.  Our author has 
Jesus appear at the feast incognito only to leave Jerusalem and almost promptly 
return for Passover.  What could more clearly contrast the two?  One is 
inclined to ask, "If he's only going to turn around and go back, why does he 
leave?"  We must remember that these are carefully constructed documents, not simply 
haphazardly thrown-together reminiscences.  The structure is there for a 
purpose.

gfsomsel



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