[B-Greek] Re.. Imperfect and Aorist Aspects!

Webb webb at selftest.net
Wed Sep 6 12:46:12 EDT 2006


Dear Elizabeth,

JOHN 8:30 TAUTA AUTOU LALOUNTOS POLLOI EPISTEUSAN EIS AUTON.  31  
ELEGEN OUN hO IHSOUS PROS TOUS PEPISTEUKOTAS AUTWi IOUDAIOUS: EAN  
hUMEIS MEINHTE EN TWi LOGWi TWi EMWi, ALHQWS MAQHTAI MOU ESTE  32 KAI  
GNWSESQE THN ALHQEIAN, KAI hH ALHQEIA ELEUQERWSEI hUMAS.

I'm not sure I agree with this as an exception to the typical function of
the imperfect. Is there any particular reason not to take what is going on
here as follows: 

Lots of people believed in him when he said these things. So Jesus was
saying to the Jews who'd come to believe in him, ...

There's nothing dramatically different either in English or in Greek between
"So Jesus was saying" and "So Jesus said...", and there will inevitably be
contexts in which either could fill the bill more or less equally well. But
on what basis does one detect that the nuance is NOT there?

Webb Mealy





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