[B-Greek] Acts 3:25; LXX - Gen 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14

Elizabeth Kline kline_dekooning at earthlink.net
Thu Jul 10 22:44:31 EDT 2008


On Jul 10, 2008, at 3:21 PM, George F Somsel wrote:

> In Hebrew the hithpael is a reflexive so that someone does something  
> to or for themselves (sound familiar in Greek?).  The niphal is  
> frequently a passive of the qal (light) form but can also be a  
> reflexive.

However Waltke/O'Connor 23.6.4 speaking in regard to Gen 22:18 & Gen  
12:3 state: "Since the Hithpael historically tends to take on the  
passive functions of the the Niphal ... it is not surprising that the  
stems are occasionally confounded. [citations Gen 22:18 & Gen 12:3]  
The passive import of both verbs is clear from the context: it is God  
who blesses ... albeit through an agent."

John W. Wevers on Gen 12:3  [Notes Grk Text Genesis, p. 164] "Since  
the Hithpael is usually reflexive in sense, it is argued (e.g by  
Rashi) that the Niphal must be reflexive here as well. But this need  
not be the case since the Hithpael can occasionally be understood in a  
passive sense as well."

Wevers notes that Genesis LXX isn't doubtful on this since it uses the  
passive in each case. He also points out that the passive  
EULOGHQHSONTAI   renders a Hithpael in Isa 65:16 LXX and Psa 72(71):17  
LXX.



Elizabeth Kline







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