[B-Greek] John 10:27 and the Present Tense/ Indicative Mood/ Active Voice

Eddie Mishoe edmishoe at yahoo.com
Wed Sep 23 16:31:53 EDT 2009


Joe,

The Present Tense does not denote on-going or continuous action. There is no basis for such an assertion. A Present Tense voice may be used in a context that means continuous action of the subject, but the 'continuousness' does not come from the Present Tense, but from a combination of other factors, most notably the lexeme and how it is being used. The Present Tense simply states that the action is currently 'in progress.' How long it will stay in progress is not an inherent part of the Present Tense.

Also, be sure to familiarize yourself with the correct transliteration scheme used out here on B-Greek. Your Greek transliteration was incorrect.

Eddie Mishoe

Pastor

--- On Wed, 9/23/09, Joe Zucker <natcamz at hotmail.com> wrote:

From: Joe Zucker <natcamz at hotmail.com>
Subject: [B-Greek] John 10:27 and the Present Tense/ Indicative Mood/ Active Voice
To: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2009, 3:50 PM




Hi everyone,

 

I’m new here and love the forum.
I figured that this may have been asked before, but since I could not find it,
I was hoping for clarity in understanding the use of the present action tense
of verbs and the causative effects it may or may not have on the noun/subject,
whether implicative or direct.

 

The question resides in John
10: 27

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and
they follow me 


The verbs “hear” (Akouo) and
“follow” (Akoloutheo), are present tense, indicative mood, active voice and connotate
a present tense continuous action (right now). 

 

I guess the question lies in
the fact that even though sheep, in reality, are more likely to be inconsistent
in manifesting these characteristics all the time, the verbs, nevertheless, are
a present tense continuous action condition, and would seem to put this continual
straightjacket qualification upon the subject as to whether or not they remain
a sheep.

 

Would this mean, then, that
the identity of a believer as a sheep
(the subject) is totally dependant upon their continuing in the action of
hearing and following every present moment they are alive in order to remain as
a sheep? 

 

Or is it more simply a
declarative statement describing a
characteristic that only a sheep has…even though a sheep may or may not be
consistent in expressing it? 

 

If the second explanation is
the correct interpretation, then please explain the logic behind the use of
continuous action verbs if the description bears no consequence upon the subject’s
continuance as a sheep in reality. Maybe a better way to ask, what’s the point
of using a present tense, continuous action of following and hearing in
describing a sheep if, in reality, they simply do not continually follow and
hear all the time? 

 

I was hoping to understand any
explanation from the translational view and not doctrinal (at least not yet)

 

 

Thanks

                           
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