[B-Greek] PEPOIHKEN in Heb. 11:28

Iver Larsen iver_larsen at sil.org
Mon Jun 4 17:20:26 EDT 2007


----- Original Message ----- 

> PISTEI PEPOIHKEN [MWUSHS] TO PASCA KAI THN PROSCUSIN TOU hAIMATOS (Heb.
> 11:28).
>
> Zerwick-Grosvenor says that PEPOIHKEN, as perfect, refers to "inauguration
> of a rite still observed". This seems reasonable to me, but I also find
> perfect forms tossed in as though they were aorists occasionally in the GNT.
> Is Zerwick-Grosvenor over-interpreting the perfect here?
>
> Webb Mealy

In my opinion, the description of the perfect as an act with enduring results is somewhat 
misleading. I prefer to think of the perfect as a marked "perfective" in general linguistic terms 
compared to the unmarked aorist. So I agree that the "still observed" is an over-interpretation.

Moses is the one who "has made/created/instituted" the Passover. There was no Passover celebration 
before Moses obeyed God by asking the Israelites to slaughter sheep and smear the blood on the 
doorposts. Exo 12,21 is the first time the word (and event) occurs, and Moses was the one 
introducing it. It took faith to do that, because it was basically "irrational", and this act of 
faith is the point made in Hebrews 11:28.

I think the perfect is essentially like the aorist, but with a greater emphasis on the completedness 
of the action.

Iver Larsen 




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