[B-Greek] Present imperative in Matt. 7:1
Blue Meeksbay
bluemeeksbay at yahoo.com
Mon Dec 7 19:57:06 EST 2009
Thank you Dr. Conrad -
Your answer made me wonder if, perhaps, this was an idiomatic expression of which we are not aware, and, therefore, in this case, should not be open to such literal scrutiny. Therefore, your suggestion “Don’t be judgmental” would be spot on.
B.Harris
________________________________
From: Carl W. Conrad <cwconrad2 at mac.com>
To: Blue Meeksbay <bluemeeksbay at yahoo.com>
Cc: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Mon, December 7, 2009 4:38:16 PM
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] Present imperative in Matt. 7:1
On Monday, December 07, 2009, at 03:06PM, "Blue Meeksbay" <bluemeeksbay at yahoo.com> wrote:
>Knowing that in negative situations, generally the aorist imperative seeks to stop an act before it occurs, and the present imperative seeks to stop an act from continuing, or to stop an act that is occurring, does the present imperative in Matt. 7:1 MH KRINETE INA MH KRIQHTE equate to “Stop judging, so that you might not be judged, or “Don’t be judging all the time, so that you will not be judged? It does not seem to be the former because in verse 5 a judgment is still made after the removal of one’s own log in one’s own eye. Is the idea behind this verse - do not be known as critical person, or do not act as a judge at all?
>
>I know sometimes with our analysis of Greek one might miss the forest for the trees, but sometimes it seems we can miss the trees because of the forest. Any thoughts?
One thought (out of ten? Nine others will respond differently?): "Don't be judgmental." It seems to me that forgiveness is something Jesus emphasizes be restating the imperative in several different ways (even if one questions the autenticity of the episode of the woman taken in adultery). It is one of the singularly difficult sayings of Jesus.
Carl W. Conrad
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