[B-Greek] LABETE in John 20:22
David E. Kiefer, Registrar
dkiefer at fuller.edu
Tue Jan 23 23:47:06 EST 2007
I think it is a pronouncement. Of course the FORM is active, but the
there is a middle or passive meaning possible within the semantic range
of the word. Wallace simply didn't go far enough in explaining this use
of the imperative as a pronouncement. The passive sense can (and usually
is) communicated by the form of the word, but a few words have the
passive sense as a component of their meaning instead.
Bert de Haan wrote:
>
>
>
> John 20:22 reads:
> KAI TOUTO EIPWN ENEFUSHSEN KAI LEGEI AUTOIS, LABETE PNEUMA hAION.
>
>
> I am trying to understand the force of the imperative LABETE.
> Jesus breathing on them I would think is a sign of them receiving the
> Holy Spirit yet he commands them to receive the Holy Spirit.
> Is the imperative âEURoeLABETEâEUR? much more than a pronouncement?
> Wallace in GGBB on page 492 has a section on pronouncement imperatives.
> He says:
> âEURoeOccasionally an imperative in the passive voice is the
> equivalent of a statement that is fulfilled at the moment of speaking.
> Such usage is reserved for passives that cannot be fulfilled by the
> recipient of the imperative. On the surface, it looks like a command,
> but its nature is such that it cannot be obeyed by the recipient and
> yet it comes true at the moment it is uttered.âEUR?
> An example he gives is KAQARISQHTI in Mark 1:41. âEURoeBe cleansed.âEUR?
>
> The way I understand verse 22, all this seems to fit except the
> passive voice of the verb.
> LAMBANW in the passive voice does not make sense here but
> âEURoereceiveâEUR? can have a bit of a passive sense compared to the
> active âEURoetake.âEUR?
> Is it safe to say that this is a pronouncement?
> Thank you.
> Bert de Haan.
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> ---
> B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek
> B-Greek mailing list
> B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
>
--
__________________________
David E. Kiefer, Registrar
Fuller Theological Seminary
135 N Oakland Ave
Pasadena, CA 91182
dkiefer at fuller.edu
Phone 626-584-5409
Fax 626-584-5564
More information about the B-Greek
mailing list