[B-Greek] question about Matthew 17:5

CWestf5155 at aol.com CWestf5155 at aol.com
Thu Feb 3 02:13:10 EST 2005


Margaret,

I believe that this is a textbook example of the "abused aorist".  

The theory of verbal aspect in Hellenistic Greek takes the aorist as 
"perfective" rather than based on past time or punctiliar action.  That is, the aorist 
tense is chosen to portray a process as complete and undifferentiated  
regardless of when or how it occurs, or length of time.  

Cindy Westfall
Denver Seminary

In a message dated 2/2/2005 10:38:08 PM Mountain Standard Time, 
MPAymerNYC at aol.com writes:
yes but...

If eudokew means: I AM content (in him/through him--dative of means) your 
response still doesn't answer my question...

Why the aorist tense?  

Does the voice mean to say "I WAS content (in/through him)" in that 
punctiliar sense?  This doesn't seem to make sense given the following 
command--"listen 
to him: akouete autou." 

If the best translation is not I WAS but rather I AM, how does one get that 
with an aorist...

And if the answer reverts back to the matter of the punctiliar aorist, then 
doesn't the same question hold: I AM pleased with him "right now--but may not 
be later?"  At the very least, I would expect an imperfect or present tense 
verb--denoting continuous action--here...

M. Aymer

Rev. Margaret Aymer, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of New Testament
The Interdenominational Theological Center, Atlanta, GA
404-527-7731



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