[B-Greek] Complimentary Infinitive + Direct Object?

Elizabeth Kline kline_dekooning at earthlink.net
Mon Jun 1 18:20:12 EDT 2009


On Jun 1, 2009, at 9:59 AM, Matthew Hauck wrote:

> I am studying Ephesians 1:10 and trying to figure out the use of the  
> aorist
> infinitive ANAKAFALAIWSASQAI. It seems to either be 1) epexegetical /
> appositional; 2) purpose; or 3) complimentary. My first read was to  
> take it
> as a complimentary of the verb PROEQETO, completing the idea: "God  
> purposed
> ... to sum up all things in Christ". Hoehner also seems to take this  
> view.
>
> However, my question is whether or not it is possible to have a
> complimentary infinitive of a verb that has a direct object already.  
> I can't
> seem to get it to make much sense in my mind. "He purposed / planned  
> his
> good pleasure to sum up all things", that makes it a purpose I  
> suppose.
>
> Thoughts? Should I rule out the complimentary use?

Eph. 1:9 γνωρίσας ἡμῖν τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ  
θελήματος αὐτοῦ, κατὰ τὴν εὐδοκίαν  
αὐτοῦ ἣν προέθετο ἐν αὐτῷ  10 εἰς  
οἰκονομίαν τοῦ πληρώματος τῶν  
καιρῶν, ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι τὰ πάντα  
ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ, τὰ ἐπὶ τοῖς οὐρανοῖς  
καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐν αὐτῷ.

EPH. 1:9 GNWRISAS hHMIN TO MUSTHRION TOU QELHMATOS AUTOU, KATA THN  
EUDOKIAN AUTOU hHN PROEQETO EN AUTWi  10 EIS OIKONOMIAN TOU PLHRWMATOS  
TWN KAIRWN, ANAKEFALAIWSASQAI TA PANTA EN TWi CRISTWi, TA EPI TOIS  
OURANOIS KAI TA EPI THS GHS EN AUTWi.

This is not a simple question and I will not pretend to give a  
definitive answer. According to Alford,  ANAKEFALAIWSASQAI belongs to  
and specifies THN EUDOKIAN but Meyer disagrees, connecting it with  
OIKONOMIAN.

> my question is whether or not it is possible to have a
> complimentary infinitive of a verb that has a direct object already.

The short answer is yes. But is that what is going on in Ephesians 1:10?

One aspect of the question which I find interesting is the semantic  
framework established by O MUSTHRION TOU QELHMATOS AUTOU and KATA THN  
EUDOKIAN AUTOU hHN PROEQETO EN AUTWi. It seems to me that at least  
some notion of purpose would be suitable in this context for  
ANAKEFALAIWSASQAI.

In light of the current critique of the analytical approach to reading  
NT Greek, it might be worthwhile to note that forcing this infinitive  
ANAKEFALAIWSASQAI into one of the suggested categories of your  
metalanguage could result in a misunderstanding what what the text is  
saying.

Elizabeth Kline







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