[B-Greek] Rev 1:10

Iver Larsen iver_larsen at sil.org
Thu Jun 24 17:47:37 EDT 2010


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Vasileios Tsialas
To: iver_larsen at sil.org ; B-Greek Lists
Sent: 24. juni 2010 22:21
Subject: RE: [B-Greek] Rev 1:10


>
> Well, I don't think EGENOMHN simply means "was", but points to being in a
> certain state at the same time as it implies a transition from not being in 
> that
> state.
>
> First, he came to be on this island, but that was not his normal location.
> Second, he came to be in the Spirit. This is a way of saying that he had a
> vision. The same expression is found in Rev 4:2:
> εὐθέως ἐγενόμην ἐν πνεύματι
> EUQEWS EGENOMHN EN PNEUMATI
> Right away I came to be in the Spirit (i.e. under the power of the Spirit)
>
> It is parallel in some ways to Acts 10:10:
> ἐγένετο δὲ πρόσπεινος καὶ ἤθελεν γεύσασθαι. παρασκευαζόντων δὲ αὐτῶν ἐγένετο 
> ἐπ᾽
> αὐτὸν ἔκστασις
> EGENETO DE PROSPEINOS KAI HQELEN GEUSASQAI. PARASKEUAZONTWN DE AUTWN EGENETO 
> EP'
> AUTON EKSTASIS.
> He came to be hungry and wanted to get a meal. While it was being prepared, he
> had an "outside-himself" experience.
> This means that the Holy Spirit came upon him and he saw a vision.

I don't think that your examples are relative to the construction we have in Re 
1:9, 10.

In Acts 10:10a εγένετο simply means "became" and we have after εγένετο an 
attribute (he became hungry). In 10b εγένετο means "took place". This is not the 
meaning of εγενόμην in Re 1:9.

John did not "become" or "took place" in Patmos. Here we have γίγνομαι + 
adverbial phrase (εν + place). So, John was found, was located in Patmos. (BDAD: 
to be in or at a place, be in, be there)

In the very next verse, Re 1:10, we have a similar structure (εν + time) and I 
find it very reasonable εγενόμην to be understood similarly. (BDAG: to be 
present at a given time, be there)
----------------------------
IL: I am not saying that EGENOMHN should be translated "I became" or "I took 
place". What I am saying is that "I was" misses a nuance of this verb because 
there is no exact equivalent in English.

The problem with your analysis is that you do not connect the parts correctly. 
EGENOMHN must be construed with EN PNEUMATI to give EGENOMHN EN PNEUMATI as we 
have it in Rev 4:2, and this expression means that he came under the power of 
the Spirit. The following prepositional phrase gives the time of this event, 
namely EN KURIAKHi hHMERAi = on the Lord's day. All translations agree on this, 
and there is no good reason to doubt that they are correct.

Iver Larsen 




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