[B-Greek] Translation of Subjunctives in Parables (e.g., Mark 4:26-28)

Iver Larsen iver_larsen at sil.org
Wed Nov 14 02:50:37 EST 2007


BAGD has the following comment:
"Mk 4:26 is gravely irregular fr. a grammatical viewpoint; it is likely that AN (=EAN, which is read 
by the t.r.) once stood before ANQRWPOS and was lost inadvertently."

So, the simpler answer is that the text you cite is corrupted, and the original text was hWS EAN, 
and this would explain the subjunctives for the verbs governed by the EAN.

Iver Larsen

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Scott Allen Rauch" <scottallenrauch at gmail.com>
To: <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: 13. november 2007 19:08
Subject: [B-Greek] Translation of Subjunctives in Parables (e.g.,Mark 4:26-28)


   As I read the Parable of the Growing Seeds (Mk 4:26-28), I noticed that
(basically) in the first half the verbs are subjunctive (throw, lie down,
get up, sprout, grow), but the parable concludes with indicatives (bear
fruit, send off, is at hand).

   Is it reasonable to say that the subjunctives indicate a potential
reality and are in contrast to the very firm reality (of the indicatives) at
the end of the parable?

   Is this type of translation reasonable? (You have to read the first half
in a sing-song voice indicating stuff that may or may not happen.) "… like a
man who might cast his seeds on the earth. And he might lie down and get up
– night and day. And the [his?] seeds might sprout and grow – how, he knows
not [indicative => it is for certain he has no clue]. On its own the earth
[certainly] bears fruit. First …. But whenever the fruit might yield,
immediately he [surely] sends out the scythe, for the harvest [surely] is at
hand."

   This is ugly English, but is this the thrust of the Greek? Is the Greek
purposely contrasting the subjunctive against the indicative?

   If so, how DO you capture this meaning in translation?

Scott Rauch
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