[B-Greek] Potential Opt. Acts 17:18
Iver Larsen
iver_larsen at sil.org
Thu Oct 19 02:53:54 EDT 2006
Thanks George,
I have looked at all the references cited in the quote from Robertson. It is often somewhat of an interpretation to
decide whether a certain reference implies a contemptuous sense. This is primarily a pragmatic issues, so it depends on
the kind of lexical items use, the word order, the possible other ways the person could be referred to and the whole
context.
Many of the passages cited have hOUTOS used as a substantive. Therefore it does not apply to ask whether the
demonstrative occurs before the head noun or after it. In some of these cases hOUTOS may be used in a derogatory sense,
but this is not a property of the word hOUTOS, It is derived from the context.
I have already mentioned that when hOUTOS is used with a proper name, it is likely that a derogatory sense is implied.
This leaves me with a few examples:
John 9:24 hOUTOS hO ANQRWPOS hAMARTWLOS ESTIN
Here a derogatory sense is likely because hOUTOS occurs before the head noun. The function of a preposed hOUTOS is to
put relatively more emphasis on the demonstrative than the noun. A similar effect is obtained in English by stressing
"this/that" rather than the noun.
John 12:34 TIS ESTIN hOUTOS (,) hO hUIOS TOU ANQRWPOU
Here we have two possible syntactical analyses, either "Who is this (person), the Son of Man?" or "Who is THIS Son of
Man?"
In the first case, I think a derogatory sense is unlikely, but it is likely with the second option.
Acts 5:28 MH DIDASKEIN EPI TWi hONOMATI TOUTWi ...TO hAIMA TOU ANQRWPOU TOUTOU
I don't see a derogatory sense indicated here. It is a strong warning, but that is not marked by hOUTOS. One could
argue, that since the speaker probably knew Jesus by name, then the choice of NOT referring to him by name suggests
contempt.
Acts 28:4 FONEUS ESTIN hO ANQRWPOS hOUTOS
I don't see a derogatory sense here, either. The focus is on this unknown person being a murderer.
Iver Larsen
----- Original Message -----
From: "George F Somsel" <gfsomsel at yahoo.com>
To: "Iver Larsen" <iver_larsen at sil.org>; "BG" <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2006 7:09 PM
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] Potential Opt. Acts 17:18
Glad to oblige regarding Robertson. I quote only the section dealing with hOUTOS as derogatory
2. The Contemptuous Use of hOUTOS. It is merely one variation of the purely deictic idiom due to the relation of the
persons in question. It is rather common in the N. T. So in Mt. 26:61 hOUTOS EFH we find a “fling” of reproach as the
witnesses testify against Jesus. Cf. Mt. 26:71 (parallel Lu. 22:56 KAI hOUTOS), the maid about Peter; Mk. 2:7, the
Pharisees about Jesus; Lu. 15:2; Jo. 6:42; 9:24; 12:34; Ac. 7:40, Jews about Moses; 19:26; 28:4, about Paul; Lu. 15:30,
the elder son at the younger; 18:11, the Pharisee at the publican, etc. A striking example occurs in Ac. 5:28.
Robertson, A. (1919; 2006). A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research (697). Logos.
george
gfsomsel
_________
More information about the B-Greek
mailing list