[B-Greek] 1 Peter 1:15"
Carl W. Conrad
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Sat Jan 1 13:14:12 EST 2005
Eddie Mishoe wrote:
"Dr. Conrad:
"I think your two examples support more so the
condition that with impersonal subjects (like the two
Charles has given) they BECOME something, rather than
DO something, or ACT in some way. In your examples,
others are acting, not the subjects.
"The wine becomes ruined, and the stones become bread,
but notice in the example it was suggested that JESUS
convert the stone to bread, not the stone to convert
itself. Right?"
What I think needs to be understood is that, when a
middle-passive morphoparadigm is used, whether it's
technically speaking middle or passive (i.e. -QH-),
the focus is upon what the subject undergoes or experiences,
NOT upon the agent. Satan tells Jesus not to turn the stone
into a loaf of bread but to COMMAND the stone to turn into
a loaf of bread. Unless we have a hUPO + genitive construction
(or some other indication of agent or instrument) the verb
doesn't really tell us anything about how or why the subject
undergoes the process or alteration; rather the verb form
indicates the focus is on what the subject is experiencing
or undergoing. That is why the same form--whether it's the
"middle" morphoparadigm or the "passive" morphoparadigm can
function to indicate middle or passive MEANING: the verb-form
simply indicates what's happening to the subject; interpretation
of the verb-form as middle or passive in MEANING in particular
cases depends on the perspective of the reader/hearer.
--- "Carl W. Conrad" <cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu>
wrote:
> At 6:27 AM -0800 1/1/05, Mitch Larramore wrote:
> >Charles:
> >
> >I am no expert, but something tells me you have
> >misunderstood the full definition of Middle Voice.
> >Your English gloss is overly simplistic and
> >restrictive (for example, what about the Causative
> >Middle?) and it does not take into consideration an
> >impersonal subject. I note that your only two
> examples
> >use impersonal subjects (table, homestead). But I'm
> >excited they are because it makes for a good
> question
> >for the scholars out here.
> >
> >Does the Middle Voice function differently when the
> >subject is impersonal?
>
> No. Here are a couple of examples:
>
> Mk 2:22 nobody puts new wine into old skins; EI DE
> MH, hRHXEI hO; OINOS TOUS
> ASKOUS KAI hO OINOS APOLLUTAI KAI hOI ASKOI ...
> ------------------
> "the wine goes to waste"
>
> Lk 4:3 The slanderer said to him, if you are the Son
> of God, EIPE TWi LIQWi
> TOUTWi hINA GENHTAI ARTOS
> ------------------
>
> " ... tell this stone to turn into a loaf of bread."
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/
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