[B-Greek] SIGATW in 1Cor 14:30

bitan buth ybitan at mscc.huji.ac.il
Tue Sep 27 09:18:40 EDT 2005


>Thank you for your comments. If Greek literature avoids aorist imperatives
of 
this verb, it means that the present would be the unmarked choice even in 
cases one already talks, and then the case is as you suggested: we cannot 
read much anything into the verb form.
 
Does anyone have means to get any statistics about the ratio between aorist 
and present imperatives of SIGAW in Greek literature (wider than just NT & 
Homer)? Any examples of aorist imperatives?>
 
Shalom Kimmo,
One practical means of getting your answer is to look at all non-indicative
examples in order to see if it is strongly/absolutely one aspect or another.
Optatives, subjunctives and infinitives also help you get a feel for how the
word was being used idiomatically. (EUKTIKA RHMATA KAI UPOTAKTIKA KAI
APAREMFATA. Naturally, you must exclude participles in a narrative account,
as well as infinitive structures that are in a sequential account.)
[If you don't own, you purchase such useful tools as Rengstorf Josephus
concordance, and Hatch-Redpath. These two alone cover almost a million words
and will get you 'in the ballpark', or at least as close as you need to be.]

 
Josephus: 9 out of 9 non-indicatives are SIGAN EN OPSEI continuative aspect.

Including ARXAIOLOGIAS 19,92 


SIGA, MH TIS t' ALLOS AXAIWN MUQON AKOUSH! 


'be quiet, so none of the Greeks hear a word!'(roughly, I haven't checked
the context).
 
Then you check LXX: 4 out of 5 SIGAN.
Ps 82:1 (83) MH SIGHSHS 'Don't be silent!' (AORISTOS OPSIS!)
[PARATATIKH OPSIS: Tob 10:6,7 (SIGA!, SIGA!-PROSTATKIKH), Amos 6:11 SIGA!,
Ekk 3:7 TOU SIGAN]
 
So, could an aorist be used? Yes, Ps 82:1. 
Can you use SIGA as something almost generic, unmarked? 
MALISTA.
MH SIGHS!
 
ERRWSO
Randall Buth
 

Randall Buth, PhD
Biblical Language Center

www.biblicalulpan.org

c/o margbuth at gmail.com

also, Director, Biblical Studies in Israel
under Rothberg International School,

Hebrew University

ybitan at mscc.huji.ac.il

 




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