[B-Greek] John 11:4 and the Middle/Passive of DOXAZW

Iver Larsen iver_larsen at sil.org
Sat Feb 19 00:28:26 EST 2011


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bryant J. Williams III" <bjwvmw at com-pair.net>
To: "'B Greek'" <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: 19. februar 2011 05:45
Subject: [B-Greek] John 11:4 and the Middle/Passive of DOXAZW


> Dear List,
>
> I am curious about the following:
>
> Ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν, Αὕτη ἡ ἀσθένεια οὐκ ἔστιν πρὸς θάνατον, ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ 
> τῆς
> δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα δοξασθῇ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ διʼ αὐτῆς.
>
> AKOUSAS DE hO IHSOUS EIPEN, AUTH hH ASQENEIA OUK ESTIN PROS QANATON, ALL' 
> hUPER
> DOXHS TOU QEOU, hINA DOXASQHi hO hOIOS TOU QEOU DI' AUTHS.
>
> My question concerns δοξασθῇ DOXASQHi. The lexicons give it as Aorist Passive
> Subjunctive 3rd Person Singular. Thus, after hINA + Subjunctive we have a
> purpose clause, but my question is it really a Passive or more like a
> Middle/Passive giving it the idea of "for the purpose of the Son of God
> glorified in Himself through it"? This may be a stretch, but with the QH 
> ending
> I really wonder if this is not a Middle.
>
> En Xristwi,
>
> Rev. Bryant J. Williams III

But again, we don't have a purpose clause here. We do have the ellipsis with 
ALL'. This particular sickness (emphasis on THIS) is not towards death. However, 
now that is has happened, it will be for the glory of God, resulting in the Son 
of God being honored/raised up/glorified/seen as great through it (the 
sickness).

I see no reason to take the verb as anything but passive. Jesus did not glorify 
himself. It was God's intervention, so it first brings glory to God, but by 
extension also glory to his Son.

CEV: "His sickness won't end in death. It will bring glory to God and his Son."

Iver Larsen 




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