[B-Greek] hHRMOSAMHN 2COR. 11:2 middle voice

Elizabeth Kline kline_dekooning at earthlink.net
Fri Nov 13 16:35:16 EST 2009


2Cor. 11:1 Ὄφελον ἀνείχεσθέ μου μικρόν  
τι ἀφροσύνης· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνέχεσθέ  
μου.  2 ζηλῶ γὰρ ὑμᾶς θεοῦ ζήλῳ,  
ἡρμοσάμην γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἑνὶ ἀνδρὶ  
παρθένον ἁγνὴν παραστῆσαι τῷ  
Χριστῷ·  3 φοβοῦμαι δὲ μή πως, ὡς ὁ  
ὄφις ἐξηπάτησεν Εὕαν ἐν τῇ  
πανουργίᾳ αὐτοῦ, φθαρῇ τὰ νοήματα  
ὑμῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἁπλότητος [καὶ τῆς  
ἁγνότητος] τῆς εἰς τὸν Χριστόν.

2COR. 11:1 OFELON ANEICESQE MOU MIKRON TI AFROSUNHS· ALLA KAI ANECESQE  
MOU.  2 ZHLW GAR hUMAS QEOU ZHLWi, hHRMOSAMHN GAR hUMAS hENI ANDRI  
PARQENON hAGNHN PARASTHSAI TWi CRISTWi· 3 FOBOUMAI DE MH PWS, hWS hO  
OFIS EXHPATHSEN hEUAN EN THi PANOURGIAi AUTOU, FQARHi TA NOHMATA hUMWN  
APO THS hAPLOTHTOS [KAI THS hAGNOTHTOS] THS EIS TON CRISTON
Is the choice of the middle aorist here semantically motivated? I  
think it is. I would venture to disagree with M.Thrall [1] who states  
that the middle here is being used "with the force of the active." I  
would suggest that Moulton [2] has come closer to getting it right. In  
other words, Paul is not presenting himself here as merely an agent in  
the process but someone who is personally affected by the outcome. The  
citation from Philo might be used as evidence to support M.Thrall's  
position on this so I will quote it:

2 “LA”, 1.2.67.1
(Num. 12, 14); ὄντως γὰρ ἀναίσχυντος καὶ  
θρασεῖα ἡ αἴσθησις, ἣ 2  
ἐξουθενηθεῖσα ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ  
πατρὸς παρὰ τὸν πιστὸν ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ 3  
οἴκῳ (ibid. 7), ᾧ τὴν Αἰθιόπισσαν, τὴν  
ἀμετάβλητον καὶ κατακορῆ 4 γνώμην,  
αὐτὸς ὁ θεὸς ἡρμόσατο, τολμᾷ  
καταλαλεῖν Μωυσῆ καὶ κατηγορεῖν,  
ἐφ’ ᾧ ὤφειλεν ἐπαινεῖσθαι (ibid. 1)·  
τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ἐγκώμιον 6 αὐτοῦ  
μέγιστον, ὅτι τὴν Αἰθιόπισσαν  
ἔλαβε, τὴν ἄτρεπτον καὶ πεπυρωμένην  
καὶ δόκιμον φύσιν· ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν  
ὀφθαλμῷ τὸ βλέπον μέλαν

2 “LA”, 1.2.67.1 (Num. 12, 14); ONTWS GAR ANAISCUNTOS KAI QRASEIA  
hH AISQHSIS, hH 2 EXOUQENHQEISA hUPO TOU QEOU TOU PATROS PARA TON  
PISTON EN hOLWi TWi 3 OIKWi (ibid. 7), hWi THN AIQIOPISSAN, THN  
AMETABLHTON KAI KATAKORH 4 GNWMHN, AUTOS hO QEOS hHRMOSATO, TOLMAi  
KATALALEIN MWUSH KAI KATHGOREIN, EF' hWi WFEILEN EPAINEISQAI (ibid.  
1)· TOUTO GAR ESTIN EGKWMION 6 AUTOU MEGISTON, hOTI THN AIQIOPISSAN  
ELABE, THN ATREPTON KAI PEPURWMENHN KAI DOKIMON FUSIN· hWSPER GAR EN  
OFQALMWi TO BLEPON MELAN


Elizabeth Kline


[1] M.Thrall 2Cor v.2 ICC p660 n.33, T&T Clark 2000
[2] J.H.Moulton A Grammar NT Greek, v1. Prolegomona p160





More information about the B-Greek mailing list