[B-Greek] Periphrastic construction in Jn 3:28

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Fri Feb 24 13:23:49 EST 2006


On Feb 24, 2006, at 12:35 PM, Robb Wallace wrote:

> Greetings,
>
> How would you translate the periphrastic construction in Jn 3:28
> (apestalmenos eimi)?


Text: Jn 3:28 AUTO hUMEIS MOI MARTUREITE hOTI EIPON [hOTI] OUK EIMI  
EGW hO CRISTOS, ALL' hOTI EIMI APESTALMENOS EMPROSQEN EKEINOU.

I would English it as "I've been sent (ahead of Him)."

> My understanding of periphrastics is that the purpose
> is to emphasize the aspect of the participle (i.e. I have been and  
> continue
> to be sent). Is that correct and if so what would be the added  
> emphasis in
> meaning for John to use a periphrastic construction instead of a  
> simple 1st
> person perfect indicative in verse 28?

I would not make such an assumption about periphrastics. The fact is  
that there are 104 instances of the MP ptc. immediately preceded by a  
form of EIMI and 38 instances of the MP ptc. followed immediately by  
a form of EIMI in the GNT; there are 234 MP indicative forms. My  
judgment would be that the periphrastic has no special emphasis but  
is simply an optional way of conjugating the perfect MP. Even in  
Classical Attic the 3 pl. is more commonly periphrastic or not. There  
are only 9 instances of a 3 pl. MP indicative in the GNT: 5 AFEWNTAI,  
1x HRIQHMNTAI, 1x KEKRATHNTAI, 1x KATHCHNTAI -- i.e., only verbs with  
vowel stems. Of the 132 instances of APOSTELLW in the GNT, all 10  
perfect MP forms are participles: there's not one instance of  
APESTALMAI, although that's the form you'd see in a grammar-book  
paradigm.

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/




More information about the B-Greek mailing list