[B-Greek] Gal 5:16 OU MH TELESHTE, 5:17 hINA MH hA EAN QELHTE TAUTA POIHTE

Ann Nyland accuratebibles at ozemail.com.au
Tue Mar 16 18:43:18 EST 2004


The subjunctive is commonly used for particular prohibitions, that is,
negative imperatives.

GENERAL commands
MH + Present imperative
eg. never do those things, do not kill (in general)

but for PARTICULAR commands, it is the subjunctive
MH + Aorist subjunctive
don't do that (now)
don't kill that person (now)

At any rate, that's the case for classical Greek, got a bit more sloppy by
NT times, but still the subjunctive is a common way of expressing a
prohibition.

Btw, as for "walk" translating PERIPATEW, sure it's part of its semantic
range, but so is "behave", "act", "live one's life".

Ann Nyland

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jonathan Robie" <jonathan.robie at datadirect.com>
To: "b-greek" <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 10:26 AM
Subject: [B-Greek] Gal 5:16 OU MH TELESHTE,5:17 hINA MH hA EAN QELHTE TAUTA
POIHTE


> I have a question about Gal 5:16-5:17:
>
>    LEGW DE PNEUMATI PERIPATEITE KAI EPIQUMIAN SARKOS OU MH TELESHTE. hH
>    GAR SARX EPIQUMEI KATA TOU PNEUMATOS, TO DE PNEUMA KATA THS SARKOS;
>    TAUTA GAR ALLHLOIS ANTIKEITAI, hINA MH hA EAN QELHTE TAUTA POIHTE.
>
> In Gal 5:16, TELESHTE is subjunctive, and I assume that OU MH TELESHTE,
> in contrast to PERIPATEITE, makes this come out something like "if you
> walk in the Spirit then there ain't no way you're gonna fulfil the
> desires of the flesh." Strongly emphatic negative, stating that a
> possible future state, in the subjunctive, will not arise. Right?
>
> But some translations say "walk in the Spirit, and do not satisfy the
> desires of the flesh." Can OU MH TELESHTE have the force of an
> imperative in this verse?
>
> In Gal 5:17, the phrase TAUTA GAR ALLHLOIS ANTIKEITAI, hINA MH hA EAN
> QELHTE TAUTA POIHTE seems to have similar force.
>
> Jonathan
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