[B-Greek] Luke 21:24 and the trampling of Jerusalem

A Becker ABecker at nerdshack.com
Mon Jan 21 20:06:00 EST 2008


Hello All,

 

I have a question concerning the following clause from Luke 21:24:

 

Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἔσται πατουμένη ὑπὸ ἐθνῶν

IEROUSALHM ESTAI PETOUMENH UPO EQNWN

 

A translation of this clause is simple enough: “Jerusalem will be trampled by [the] Gentiles”. My question concerns the future periphrastic construction ἔσται πατουμένη (ESTAI PETOUMENH) here. I have recently come across an interpretation that seems to think that idea behind the verb tense here is that the trampling began at some point previous to Jesus’ speaking and will continue until some point in the future, e.g. “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled”. (see Ernest De Witt Burton, Syntax of the Moods and Tenses in New Testament Greek. 1892, p. 36 who has “and will [continue] to be trampled”). I, however, am unable to see how the future periphrastic could be understood in this way. So my questions are:

 

1. Could the future periphrastic construction be understood this way? If so, what are some examples of this usage?

 

2. If Luke had wished to convey the idea that Jerusalem’s trampling had begun at some point previous to Jesus’ speaking and would continue until some point in the future, what would verb would he have used here?

 

Anthony

 




More information about the B-Greek mailing list