[B-Greek] Periphrastic imperatives
Harold R. Holmyard III
hholmyard at ont.com
Wed Nov 16 08:05:17 EST 2005
Dear Jon,
>I've had particular trouble thinking about the third-person
>imperatives in 1 Timothy (where they seem to be more packed in than
>anywhere else!).
>
>For example: 1 Timothy 4:12
>
>MHDEIS SOU THS NEOTHTOS KATAFRONEITW ALLA TUPOS GINOU TWN PISTWN EN
>LOGW EN ANASTROFH EN AGAPH EN PISTEI EN AGNEIA
>
>"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an
>example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." ESV
>
>In English it comes accross as a 2nd person command to Timothy "do not
>allow anyone to despise you", and this seems to make sense in that the
>following 2nd person imperative instruction expands on how he might do
>that; is that a valid use of the 3rd person imperative, a second
>person command with special reference to a 3rd person or is that
>missing the point?
HH: It is a rhetorical comment, not really aimed to a third person
addressee but at Timothy. "May no one despise your youth, [which they
might do if you are not a model of believers in word, conduct, love,
faith, and purity]."
Yours,
Harold Holmyard
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