[B-Greek] Matt 3:17 - import of 1 per sing aorist EUDOKHSA

Elizabeth Kline kline_dekooning at earthlink.net
Fri Nov 30 15:59:04 EST 2007


On Nov 29, 2007, at 12:19 PM, Randall Buth wrote:

> καὶ ἰδοὺ φωνὴ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν
> λέγουσα· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ
> ἀγαπητός, ἐν ᾧ εὐδόκησα.
> KAI IDOU FWNH EK TWN OURANWN LEGOUSA: hOUTOS ESTIN hO hUIOS MOU hO
> AGAPHTOS, EN hWi EUDOKHSA.
>>
>
> This is a Greek word that was popular in the LXX and Jewish religious
> contexts. However, Josephus, Philo, and Plutarch do not use the word.
>
> The aorist is easily explained as a carryover from Hebrew where
> ratsiti and Hafatsti (he`avar, typically past tenses) were used for
> present situations (like the Greek perfect PARAKEIMENOS). One could
> call these Semitisms or perfective aorists.
>
> A contributing factor in the choice of the aorist is the irregularity
> and rarity of the perfect form of this verb.
> would one say EYDEDOKHKA? EYDEDOGMAI? HUDOKHKA?
> The simple choice for the ancient author was to use a form in current
> use in their circles and this was the aorist.


The verb aspect terminology that seems to be generally in use among  
NT linguists these days (R.A. Young 1994:106, McKay 1972:44, Porter  
1989:208-209) breaks down the asepctual system into:

perfective - aorist
imperfective - present, imperfect
stative - perfect, pluperfect

When R.Buth says "One could call these Semitisms or perfective  
aorists." I suspect that he is not using aspect terminology as it is  
defined above. What he seems to be saying is that the greek aorist is  
functioning like a semitic perfect, contra Porter (Idioms 2nd ed.  
1994:39, 1989:126-129) in regard to EUDOKHSA in Mk 1:11. These issues  
have been discussed before many times.

What can we say about the lexical semantics of EUDOKHSA in:

2PET. 1:17 LABWN GAR PARA QEOU PATROS TIMHN KAI DOXAN FWNHS  
ENECQEISHS AUTWi TOIASDE hUPO THS MEGALOPREPOUS DOXHS: hO hUIOS MOU  
hO AGAPHTOS MOU hOUTOS ESTIN EIS hON EGW EUDOKHSA,

Does EUDOKHSA refer to an action or a state? R.Bauckham (2Pet/Jude  
WBC p220) reads it as an action that takes place in the past "on whom  
I have set my favor". It seems that two issues need to be resolved  
with regard to EUDOKHSA, one having to do with the referent (action/ 
state) and another having to do with the aspect (perfective/stative/ 
imperfective). A decision about the referent would appear to  
constrain the decision about the aspect or the other way around.

Danker BDAG p404 on this word group. Under EUDOKIA the first two  
definitions begin "state or condition of being ...". Under EUDOKHSIS  
we read "the quality or state of being ... ". Under EUDOKEW 2 "to  
take pleasure or find satisfaction in someth., be well pleased, take  
delight ..." with examples found in MT 3:17, 12:18, 17:5, Mk 1:11, Lk  
3:22, 2PET. 1:17 and so forth.

The Hebrew verb found in Isa 42:1 ratzeta (rtzh) HALOT p1281 #1 to  
take pleasure in, to be favorable to someone, be well disposed a.  
with God (Yahweh) as a subj. (28 times) i. with acc. of the person  
(individual or the people) 2Sam24:13, Isa 42:1 and so forth.

It seems that both the greek and hebrew verbs can refer to either an  
action or a state. Picking up on Bauckham's suggestion, we might  
understand EUDOKHSA as an action taking place in the past "I have set  
my favor" the result of this action may be understood as a state of  
favor toward the person current at the time of speaking but the verb  
refers to an action in the past.


On Nov 30, 2007, at 11:59 AM, Carl Conrad wrote:
> My own thinking, and I confess that I don't actually find this stated
> in what I've read, is that the phraseology of the utterance in Matthew
> 3:17 is intended to suggest the language of coronation psalms and the
> acknowledgement of the Lord that this new scion of the lineage of
> David is indeed the one whom He has chosen.

Carl,

This is interesting in light of Bauckham's reading. We have an act of  
choosing in the past with a resultant state of favor implied, but the  
verb refers to the past action not the state.

Elizabeth Kline







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