[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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