[B-Greek] TARASSW/TARASSOMAI subject-agent affected
Carl Conrad
cwconrad2 at mac.com
Fri Feb 22 06:30:50 EST 2008
My own impression is that this reflexive usage of TARASSEIN hEAUTON is
exceptional, although perfectly intelligible: the middle is the normal
usage. Of 17 instances of the verb in John's gospel, 6 are active ,
the remaining 11 are middle-passive. Of the 6 active forms all but
that in John 11:33 have external objects.
In the LXX there are 114 instances of TARASSW/TARASSOMAI, of which 23
are active (causative) and 91 are middle-passive (intransitive). The
active forms in the LXX all have external objects. Clearly the middle
(intransitive) form is standard, while the active is regularly used
only in a transitive causative sense. The usage in John 11:33 with
transitive active verb combined with a reflexive seems altogether
exceptional in that subject-affectedness is clearly indicated, but not
in the normal manner. This is something different from the usage of
EGEIRE/EGEIRETE in the intransitive sense of "rise" (16x in the GNT)
while the other 42 instances of the active EGEIRW all are transitive
causative with an external object; the standard form of this verb is
middle-intransitive (86x).
On Feb 21, 2008, at 5:53 PM, Elizabeth Kline wrote:
> Looking for TARASSW where the subject is the agent and is also
> affected. The active being *unmarked* for subject affectedness can
> function like the middle voice.
>
> John 11:33 Ἰησοῦς οὖν ὡς εἶδεν αὐτὴν
> κλαίουσαν καὶ τοὺς συνελθόντας
> αὐτῇ Ἰουδαίους κλαίοντας,
> ἐνεβριμήσατο τῷ πνεύματι καὶ
> ἐτάραξεν ἑαυτὸν
>
> JN 11:33 IHSOUS OUN hWS EIDEN AUTHN KLAIOUSAN KAI TOUS SUNELQONTAS
> AUTHi IOUDAIOUS KLAIONTAS, ENEBRIMHSATO TWi PNEUMATI KAI ETARAXEN
> hEAUTON
>
>
> In Jn. 11:33 ETARAXEN hEAUTON, IHSOUS is the subject/agent of
> ETARAXEN and IHSOUS is also affected hEAUTON.
>
> Soph.Ant.
>
> 1095 {ΚΡ.}
> Ἔγνωκα καὐτὸς καὶ ταράσσομαι
> φρένας·
>
> 1095 KR.
> EGNWKA KAUTOS KAI TARASSOMAI FRENAS:
>
> In Soph.Ant. 1095b Creon is the subject/agent of TARASSOMAI and Creon
> is also affected FRENAS.
>
>
> The middle voice in Soph.Ant. 1095b makes subject affectedness
> explicit whereas in Jn. 11:33 hEAUTON makes subject affectedness
> explicit.
>
>
>
> Elizabeth Kline
>
>
>
>
> ---
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Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
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