[B-Greek] Luke 4:7
Iver Larsen
iver_larsen at sil.org
Thu Jun 14 15:33:18 EDT 2007
> Luke 4:5 Καὶ ἀναγαγὼν αὐτὸν ἔδειξεν
> αὐτῷ πάσας τὰς βασιλείας τῆς
> οἰκουμένης ἐν στιγμῇ χρόνου 6 καὶ
> εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ διάβολος· σοὶ δώσω
> τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην ἅπασαν καὶ
> τὴν δόξαν αὐτῶν, ὅτι ἐμοὶ
> παραδέδοται καὶ ᾧ ἐὰν θέλω δίδωμι
> αὐτήν· 7 σὺ οὖν ἐὰν προσκυνήσῃς
> ἐνώπιον ἐμοῦ, ἔσται σοῦ πᾶσα.
>
> LUKE 4:5 KAI ANAGAGWN AUTON EDEIXEN AUTWi PASAS TAS BASILEIAS THS
> OIKOUMENHS EN STIGMHi CRONOU 6 KAI EIPEN AUTWi hO DIABOLOS: SOI DWSW
> THN EXOUSIAN TAUTHN hAPASAN KAI THN DOXAN AUTWN, hOTI EMOI
> PARADEDOTAI KAI hWi EAN QELW DIDWMI AUTHN: 7 SU OUN EAN PROSKUNHSHiS
> ENWPION EMOU, ESTAI SOU PASA.
...
> 4:7 ... SU OUN EAN PROSKUNHSHiS ENWPION EMOU, ESTAI SOU PASA.
...
> In 4:7 I have some
> reservations about saying that SU is in focus, because in the
> conditional construction the focus naturally falls on the apodosis.
> However, SU is clause initial and preverbal which is a marked
> position. In other words, a constituent may be clause initial, it may
> mark switched reference, it may be prominent by virtue of its
> position, but the most salient information may fall somewhere else. I
> would argue that the focus in 4:7 is the entire clause ESTAI SOU PASA.
But then, isn't this condition the crux of the temptation? IF YOU, Jesus, would only worship me,
then....
After all, Jesus' response is about worship, and only God is to be worshipped. He doesn't comment on
the offered reward.
Why would the "focus" naturally fall on the apodosis? If you have a condition at all, it seems
natural for that condition to be in "focus". (I am reluctant to use the word "focus", because it is
used in so many different ways in different theories.) It is actually quite rare for a clause with
EI or EAN to follow the main clause.
I would consider the conditional clause in 4:7 (and in 4:3 and 4:9) more salient than the main
clause. The previous text has introduced the reward, and Satan has already said that he would give
this reward/authority to Jesus. So, the clause "it will be yours" contains no new information, only
a rewriting and recapitulation of SOI DWSW THN EXOUSIAN TAUTHN hAPASAN with some emphasis on the
fulfilment of the promise. The new and crucial information is found in the condition which is placed
before the "apodosis".
Interestingly, Matt 4:9 has the opposite order:
TAUTA SOI PANTA DWSW, EAN PESWN PROSKUNHSHiS MOI.
I interpret this to mean that Matthew chose to make the promise of reward more salient than the
condition. This could in part be caused by the fact that Matthew has not used DWSW until here in v.
9. A text must be interpreted pragmatically on the basis of the context leading up to it.
Iver Larsen
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