[B-Greek] 2Cor 3:15-16 hHNIKA ... AN

Elizabeth Kline kline_dekooning at earthlink.net
Wed Feb 3 16:08:05 EST 2010


Thank you, Carl, Donald, Bryant, Brian. Having read all your comments ... 


On Feb 3, 2010, at 10:51 AM, Brian Abasciano wrote:

> I actually think it is pretty certain that a causal/conditional relationship 
> is implied. From my book Paul's Use of the Old Testament in Romans 9.1-9: An 
> Intertextual and Theological Exegesis (JSNTSup/LNTS, 301; London: T & T 
> Clark, 2005), 111-12 (see especially the footnote):
> 
> 3.15-18 speaks of the possibility of Jews (especially, but not exclusively) 
> turning to the Lord in conversion, as Paul rewrites Exod. 34.34 in 
> application to the individual Jew with Moses as the type of the one who 
> turns to the Lord and finds her hardness of heart removed. Significantly, 
> the hardening is removed when (hHNIKA) a person turns to the Lord (3.16), 
> that is, as a result of conversion, for it is only removed 'in Christ' 
> (3.14).[1] Therefore it is not the removal of hardening that leads to 
> conversion, but conversion that leads to the removal of hardening.
> 
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> [1] hHNIKA occurs only in 2 Cor. 3.15-16 in the NT. In the LXX, hHNIKA with 
> EAN and the subjunctive always presents the associated action as in some way 
> determinative for a subordinate contingent action (Gen. 20.13 [without 
> subjunctive]; 24.41; 27.40; Exod. 13.5; Lev. 5.23; Deut. 25.19; 27.3; Josh. 
> 24.20; 24.27; Jdt. 14.2). Moreover, hHNIKA is so used in every one of its 
> five occurrences in Exodus 32-34 (32.19; 33.8, 22; 34.24, 34), with Exod. 
> 34.34 providing the basis of Paul's use in 2 Cor. 3.16.

On Feb 2, 2010, at 11:23 PM, Donald Cobb wrote:

> ἡνίκα δὲ ἐὰν ἐπιστρέψῃ πρὸς κύριον, περιαιρεῖται τὸ κάλυμμα. hHNIKA DE EAN EPISTREYHi PROS KURION, PERIAIREITAI TO KALUMMA.
> 
> 
> V. 16 is generally considered to be a re-worked quote of Ex 34:34, though no longer applied to Moses but to New Covenant believers generally (note that in NA27 the verse is in italics):
> 
> ἡνίκα δ᾽ ἂν εἰσεπορεύετο Μωυσῆς ἔναντι κυρίου λαλεῖν αὐτῷ περιῃρεῖτο τὸ κάλυμμα ἕως τοῦ ἐκπορεύεσθαι καὶ ἐξελθὼν ἐλάλει πᾶσιν τοῖς υἱοῖς Ισραηλ ὅσα ἐνετείλατο αὐτῷ κύριος. hHNIKA D᾽ AN EISEPOREUETO MWUSHS ENANTI KURIOU LALEIN AUTWi PERIHiREITO TO KALUMMA hEWS TOU EKPOREUESQAI KAI EXELQWN ELALEI PASIN TOIS hUIOIS ISRAHL hOSA ENETEILATO AUTWi KURIOS.
> 
> 
> I think that explains the unusual use of hNIKA.

On Feb 2, 2010, at 11:23 PM, Donald Cobb wrote:

> ἡνίκα δὲ ἐὰν ἐπιστρέψῃ πρὸς κύριον, περιαιρεῖται τὸ κάλυμμα. hHNIKA DE EAN EPISTREYHi PROS KURION, PERIAIREITAI TO KALUMMA.
> 
> 
> V. 16 is generally considered to be a re-worked quote of Ex 34:34, though no longer applied to Moses but to New Covenant believers generally (note that in NA27 the verse is in italics):
> 
> ἡνίκα δ᾽ ἂν εἰσεπορεύετο Μωυσῆς ἔναντι κυρίου λαλεῖν αὐτῷ περιῃρεῖτο τὸ κάλυμμα ἕως τοῦ ἐκπορεύεσθαι καὶ ἐξελθὼν ἐλάλει πᾶσιν τοῖς υἱοῖς Ισραηλ ὅσα ἐνετείλατο αὐτῷ κύριος. hHNIKA D᾽ AN EISEPOREUETO MWUSHS ENANTI KURIOU LALEIN AUTWi PERIHiREITO TO KALUMMA hEWS TOU EKPOREUESQAI KAI EXELQWN ELALEI PASIN TOIS hUIOIS ISRAHL hOSA ENETEILATO AUTWi KURIOS.
> 
> 
> I think that explains the unusual use of hNIKA.


2Cor. 3:15 ἀλλ᾿ ἕως σήμερον ἡνίκα ἂν ἀναγινώσκηται Μωϋσῆς, κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν κεῖται·  16 ἡνίκα δὲ ἐὰν ἐπιστρέψῃ πρὸς κύριον, περιαιρεῖται τὸ κάλυμμα. 

2Cor. 3:15 ALL᾿ hEWS SHMERON hHNIKA AN ANAGINWSKHTAI MWUSHS, KALUMMA EPI THN KARDIAN AUTWN KEITAI·  16 hHNIKA DE EAN EPISTREYHi PROS KURION, PERIAIREITAI TO KALUMMA. 



It seems to me that 2Cor. 3:15 undermines Brian's reading:

On Feb 3, 2010, at 10:51 AM, Brian Abasciano wrote:

> I actually think it is pretty certain that a causal/conditional relationship 
> is implied. 


There doesn't seem to be any conditional or causal element in 2Cor. 3:15

 ALL᾿ hEWS SHMERON hHNIKA AN ANAGINWSKHTAI MWUSHS, KALUMMA EPI THN KARDIAN AUTWN KEITAI·

Paul isn't saying that the KALUMMA EPI THN KARDIAN AUTWN KEITAI is somehow contingent on ANAGINWSKHTAI MWUSHS, as if the veil was lifted when they stopped reading. In English, a straight reading of  v16 appears to make  PERIAIREITAI TO KALUMMA contingent of EPISTREYHi PROS KURION. However, because "we do this in English" it is a good idea to be skeptical about reading it that way in Greek. It is far too easy to read our native language habits in to the text.     

Re: the Exodus passage, not sure what to do with that. It explains the use of  hHNIKA AN but I not certain how it helps to resolve the issue of conditional and/or causal semantic features in  2Cor. 3:15-16.


Elizabeth Kline
 






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