[B-Greek] please explain

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Thu Sep 17 05:50:16 EDT 2009


On Sep 17, 2009, at 12:02 AM, Herb Picoski wrote:

> Hi All,
> I'm finding some inconsistencies with Verbs.
> That is,  Why is the verb CREATED in second person plural, AORIST  
> MIDDLE?  Col.1:16.
> That would translate, " for in him ye set forth (created) for  
> yourself all things", as if speaking in a prayer.
> And then at the end of the verse, the same verb, third person  
> singular, FUTURE MIDDLE,
> Translated - "unto him he will set forth (create) for himself all  
> things".
> At least the end verb should be in third person plural if "all  
> things" is the subject.
> Please explain verb usage for ektisqh, and ektistai, both translated  
> as aorist by KJV.

The inconsistencies are not in the verb-forms in the text but in your  
parsing. You confuse the middle-passive verb-ending -SQE with the  
combination of the passive marker -QH- with the verb-stem form KTIS-

Text: Col. 1:16 	ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη τὰ  
πάντα
	ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς,
	τὰ ὁρατὰ καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα,
	εἴτε θρόνοι εἴτε κυριότητες
	εἴτε ἀρχαὶ εἴτε ἐξουσίαι·
	τὰ πάντα δι᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν  
ἔκτισται·
	[hOTI EN AUTWi EKTISQH TA PANTA
	EN TOIS OURANOIS KAI EPI THS GHS,
	TA hORATA KAI TA AORATA,
	EITE QRONOI EITE KURIOTHTES
	EITE ARCAI EITE EXOUSIAI·
	TA PANTA DI᾿ AUTOU KAI EIS AUTON EKTISTAI·]

The verb forms in quesation are EKTISQH and EKTISTAI
Both are 3 sg. passive; EKTISQH is aorist; EKTISTAI is perfect tense.



Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)






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