[B-Greek] hINA in Jn 9:3, 11:4
Harold Holmyard
hholmyard3 at earthlink.net
Tue Feb 3 12:53:23 EST 2009
Iver,
>> JOHN 9:1 KAI PARAGWN EIDEN ANQRWPON TUFLON EK GENETHS. 2 KAI HRWTHSAN
>> AUTON hOI MAQHTAI AUTOU LEGONTES: hRABBI, TIS hHMARTEN, hOUTOS H hOI
>> GONEIS AUTOU, hINA TUFLOS GENNHQHi 3 APEKRIQH IHSOUS: OUTE hOUTOS
>> hHMARTEN OUTE hOI GONEIS AUTOU, ALL hINA FANERWQHi TA ERGA TOU QEOU EN
>> AUTWi.
>>
>> JOHN 11:4 AKOUSAS DE hO IHSOUS EIPEN: hAUTH hH ASQENEIA OUK ESTIN PROS
>> QANATON ALL hUPER THS DOXHS TOU QEOU, hINA DOXASQHi hO hUIOS TOU QEOU
>> DI AUTHS.
>>
>
> That hINA in the above examples from John do not indicate purpose is not an insight based solely on
> Relevance Theory. It is recognized now by most Greek scholars that hINA in Koine Greek is basically a consecutive
> marker that can indicate purpose, result or content, almost like the infinitive. In Classical Greek
> it was often, but not exclusively, used for purpose. Some scholars have wrongly assumed that what
> applied to Classical Greek also applies to Koine Greek, and this has caused misunderstandings and
> indeed mistranslations of hINA in most English bibles.
>
HH: Thanks for the insight, Iver. It is clear that the first hINA, in
John 9:2, is result. The parents or the person himself would not sin in
order that the person might become blind. The blindness would be the
unintended result of such sin, were it the case. Jesus is actually
saying that sin was not the cause of the blindness, so the blindness
could not be the result of it. But the hINA in verse 3 may be a bit
different. Jesus is looking ahead to the cure that he plans to bring. He
intends to bring God glory out of this man's blindness. The
manifestation of God's works would be the result of it. It seems hard to
know how to tag the usage. Likewise in John 11:4. Since the glory is
still future in both cases, Jesus seems to be talking of how God would
use the person's malady to bring glory. An element of purpose does seem
present. However, glory would also be the result of the occurrence of
the malady.
Yours,
Harold Holmyard
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