[B-Greek] AGE NUN (Jas 4)

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Tue Jan 23 14:44:06 EST 2007


Actually, in this instance Webb is certainly right on target.

BDAG:

"AGE present impv. of AGW, used as an interjection (since Hom., w.  
sg. or pl.; LXX; SibOr 3, 562; B-D-F §144. ἄγε μέν) come!  
ἄγε νῦν (esp. oft. in comedy) w. impv. foll. (Hom.) Js 5:1; w.  
anacoluthon foll. 4:13; AGE DH (Aeschyl. et al.) come then Dg 2:1."

It's sort of like IDOU and EGEIRE and DEURO, all of which are  
interjections as much or more than they are real imperatives: "Ha!"  
or "Hey!"(Voilà!), "Up!", "Over here!"

On Jan 23, 2007, at 1:04 PM, George F Somsel wrote:

> Jas 4.13
>
> AGE NUN hOI LEGONTES, "SHMERON H AURION PROEUSOMEQA EIS THNDE THN  
> POLIN KAI POIHSOMEN EKEI ENIAUTON KAI EMPOREUSOMEQA KAI KERDHSOMEN."
>
> To equate this with the English expression "Come on now!" is  
> tempting, but probably wrong.  The only instance of AGW as a 2nd  
> impv I have found in either the LXX or the NT other than here is in  
> 2 Tim 4.11 which has
>
> LOUKAS ESTIN MONOS MET' EMOU.  MARKON ANALABWN AGE META SEAUTOU,  
> ESTING GAR MOI EUXRHSTOS EIS DIAKONIAN.
>
> Notably, this is a transitive usage.  It is not simply "(You) come"  
> but "bring . . ." so I don't think that one can be certain that it  
> would not have the sense of the English phrase, but I would be  
> cautious in maintaining that it does.  Perhaps Carl would know of  
> its usage outside the Biblical texts.  It sounds as though it might  
> be something that Plato would have Socrates say to one of his  
> interlocutors.
>
> george
> gfsomsel
> _________
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Webb <webb at selftest.net>
> To: B-Greek <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 12:36:00 PM
> Subject: [B-Greek] AGE NUN (Jas 4)
>
>
> James uses the expression AGE NUN to address worldy-minded  
> businesspeople and the rich in Jas. 4. Is there a reproving or  
> chiding tone in these words, as there would be in the English  
> expression "Come on now!" or are they simply a formula for  
> addressing a sub-group of his broad audience?
>
> Webb Mealy
>
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Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad2 at mac.com
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/





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