[B-Greek] Using future as imperative?

Donald R. Vance, Ph.D. donaldrvance at mac.com
Wed Nov 9 15:42:08 EST 2005


As Carl has pointed out, this phenomenon is quite common in Hebrew.  
If I may be so bold as to quote my own grammar (as is now standard in  
Semitics, I use the morphologically descriptive term "prefix  
conjugation" instead of "imperfect" since Hebrew is aspectual, not  
temporal):

<begin quote>
14.3.4
The prefix conjugation also serves to express the will of the speaker
(hence the name volitional) with regard to the action of the subject of
the verb. The force of the volitional use depends on the social  
status of
the speaker in relation to that of the subject of the verb. If the  
speaker is
a superior to the subject of the verb, the prefix conjugation may  
express
a command. English has an analogous use of the future. Imagine a parent
speaking to a child: “You will clean up your room.” The parent is
the speaker, and the child is the subject of the verb. This command use
of the prefix conjugation is negated by the negative particle lô.

Your grain offerings you will season with salt. (Lev 2:13)

You shall not steal. (Exod 20:15 [LXX 20:14])

If the speaker is in an inferior social position to the subject of the
verb, the prefix conjugation probably functions more like a request.

“O LORD, in the morning hear my voice. (Ps 5:4)
<end quote>

In all three examples, the LXX has future indicatives. Note the  
importance of the relative status of the participants. As I point  
out, we have a similar use of the future in English. In Carl's  
quotation from Conybeare and Stock, the implication is that this use  
of the future is rare in Attic Greek. Is it really? Wouldn't this be  
a universal? When a superior tells a subordinate what will occur, is  
that not as good as a command?


Donald R. Vance, Ph.D.
Professor of Biblical Languages and Literature
Oral Roberts University
dvance at oru.edu
donaldrvance at mac.com


On Nov 9, 2005, at 4:40 AM, Carl W. Conrad wrote:

>
> On Nov 9, 2005, at 2:16 AM, Waldemar Martens wrote:
>
>> Hello List,
>> I have a question about the following passage:
>> KURION TON QEON SOU PROSKUNHSEIS KAI AUTW MONW LATREUSEIS (Luke 4,8b)
>>
>> The grammatical form of the two verbs ist future. So why this is
>> commonly translated as:
>> "You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.
>> " (AKJV) ?
>> I would translate this as.
>> "You WILL worship the Lord your God and will serve him only"
>>
>> Did I missunderstand something?
>
> As Curtis Hinson has shown without enunciating the principle, this
> use of the future as imperative is characteristic of the LXX, where
> passages from the Hebrew original with Hebrew imperfects used for
> imperatives are carried over into Greek future-tense forms. I cite
> Conybeare and Stock, _Grammar of Septuagint Greek_:
>
> §74.  The Jussive Future.
>      a.  The Jussive Future is rare in Attic Greek, and,  when it
> does occur, is regarded as a weak form of imperative.  In the LXX, on
> the other hand, it is very common, and is employed in the most solemn
> language of legislation.  From the nature of the case it is not used
> in the first person.  It may be employed in command or in
> prohibition.  As instances of the former we may take — Lvt. 19:18
> AGAPHSEIS TON PLHSION SOU hWS SEAUTON.  Cp. Ex. 34:18,20: 3 K. [2
> Kings.] 17:11. Lvt. 19:19  τὸν νόμον μου
> φυλάξεσθε.  Cp. Lvt. 11:44. Lvt. 19:22  καὶ
> ἐξιλάσεται ὁ ἱερεύς.  Cp. Lvt. 19:20,21.
>      b.  Very often the jussive future follows an imperative. Gen
> 40:14  MNHSQHTI MOU ... KAI POIHSEISς.  Cp. Gen 44:4: Ex 7:26, 9:1,
> 13: Nb. 15:2, 17: 3 K. [2 Kings.] 17:13. Josh 8:4  μMH MAKRAN
> GINESQE ... KAI ESESQE PANTES hETOIMO.  Cp. Nb. 13:18.
>      c.  Of the use of the jussive future in prohibition we have a
> conspicuous example in the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:13-17: Dt.
> 5:17-21) - Οὐ MOICEUSEIS. OU KLEYEIS KTL.  So also — Dt. 6:16
> OUK EKPEIRASEIS KURION TON QEON SOU.  Cp. Nb. 22:12: Ex 22:28: Lvt.
> 19:12-19.
>      d.  In the case of the jussive future we have οὐ in
> prohibition, because the formula was originally one of prediction.
>      e.  Occasionally there is a transition from the jussive future
> to οὐ μή with subjunctive — Nb. 23:25  OUTE KATARASIS
> KARATASHi MOI AUTON, OUTE EULOGWN MH EULOGHSHiS AUTON.
>      f.  In the N.T. the jussive future is often used in passages
> quoted from the LXX.  In Matthew it is employed independently. Mt
> 5:48  ἔσεσθε οὖν ὑμεῖς τέλειοι,  6:45  OUK
> ESESQE hWS hOI hUPOKRITAI,  20:26-28  OUC hOUTWS ESTAI EN hUMIN ...
> ESTAI hUMWN DOULOS,  21:3  KAI EAN TIS hUMIN EIPHi TI, EREITE KTL.
>
> Carl W. Conrad
> Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
> 1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
> cwconrad2 at mac.com
> WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/
>
> ---
> B-Greek home page: http://metalab.unc.edu/bgreek
> B-Greek mailing list
> B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek




More information about the B-Greek mailing list