[B-Greek] Passive Imperative

Harold R. Holmyard III hholmyard at ont.com
Sun Aug 14 18:15:00 EDT 2005


Dear Carl,

>>HH: I feel quite comfortable with the middle-passive classification
>>of verbs since Hebrew Niphal and Hithpael verbs can both be passive
>>or middle. Context gives guidance as to which it is. But what about
>>forms in Greek where there is a difference between middle and passive
>>forms? There I would not expect flexibility, since otherwise why have
>>a distinction in forms.
>
>The question is a fair one, but it is one that I have dealt with in 
>what I have written both on-list and in my writings listed at the 
>page noted in my initial response in this thread. Those who don't 
>want to take the trouble to read those writings may -- and 
>unquestionably will --  go right on believing that there is a 
>consistent difference between those forms.
>
>There are, indeed, some instances of verbs where there is a clear 
>distinction of meaning between middle and passive forms, but to a 
>considerable measure such a distinction is elusive, even imaginary. 
>There exist NT grammars that display in their appendices paradigms 
>of LUW with both middle and passive aorist forms, despite the fact 
>that the middle aorist of LUW does not appear in the Koine of the 
>GNT. The truth is that the "passive" forms in -QHN were in the 
>process of supplanting the older forms in -MHN and that the same 
>semantic ambivalence attached to the -QHN forms as does to the MAI 
>KTL. forms.
>
>Three significant instances (there are others) of GNT verbs that 
>display both a middle and a "passive" (-QH-) aorist form are pretty 
>revealing:
>
>     AGALLIAOMAI is really a middle-voice verb; there are two 
>instances of the active in the GNT, one of these aorist (HGALLIASEN) 
>in Lk 1:47; there are 8 instances of the middle voice, 4 in the 
>present tense and 4 in the aorist; there is one single instance of 
>the passive aorist (AGALLIAQHNAI in John 5:55); I challenge whoever 
>will to show me that there's any real difference of meaning between 
>AGALLIAQHNAI and a putative AGALLIASASQAI.

HH: The one passive aorist does seem to be functioning in a middle 
way. i believe the reference is John 5:35 though.

>     GINOMAI appears 492x in the GNT; it is middle in 447 instances, 
>"passive" (QH) in 45 instances; we have had threads on these aorists 
>of GINOMAI in the GNT; I have argued that EGENOMHN and EGENHQHN both 
>are used in the same way: each form may sometimes bear a sense that 
>is more "passive" while at other times it may bear a sense that is 
>more "middle."

HH: Yes, I remember this thread and remember being convinced by your 
arguments. See how we forget.

>     APOKRINOMAI appears 220x in the aorist tense in the GNT, of 
>these 7 instances are middle (APEKRINAMHN KTL.) while 213 are 
>"passive" (APEKRIQHN). Wallace in GGBB tries to argue that the 
>middle forms are in a forensic context and deliberately archaizing, 
>but in fact the forensic usage appears with forms of APEKRIQHN KTL. 
>just as much as with APEKRINAMHN KTL.

HH: Well, thanks for answering my question. You are kind to give so 
much detail.

					Yours,
					Harold Holmyard



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