[B-Greek] Revisiting John 9:3

Iver Larsen iver_larsen at sil.org
Sun Feb 27 01:38:15 EST 2011


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Blue Meeksbay" <bluemeeksbay at yahoo.com>
To: <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: 26. februar 2011 22:04
Subject: [B-Greek] Revisiting John 9:3
>
> JOHN 9:3-6 APEKRIQH IHSOUS• OUTE hOUTOS hHMARTEN OUTE hOI GONEIS AUTOU. ALL᾽
> hINA FANERWQHi TA ERGA TOU QEOU EN AUTWi, EME DEI ERGAZESQAI TA ERGA TOU
> PEMYANTOS ME hEWS hHMERA ESTIN• ERCETAI NUX, hOTE OUDEIS DUNATAI ERGAZESQAI.
> hOTAN EN TWi KOSMWi W, FWS EIMI TOU KOSMOU. TAUTA EIPWN, EPTUSEN CAMAI, KAI
> EPOIHSEN PHLON EK TOU PTUSMATOS, KAI EPECRISEN TON PHLON EPI TOUS OFQALMOUS 
> TOU
> TUFLOU (BYZ)
>
> Forgive me if this is a silly question, but one cannot learn if one does not 
> ask
> questions. I realize this might be awkward, but why cannot we construe verse 4
> to be the main clause for ALL᾽ hINA FANERWQHi TA ERGA TOU QEOU EN AUTWi ? This
> way one would take *ALL᾽ hINA...* as a result clause. It would then read
> something like this –
>
> Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned! Nevertheless, so
> that the works of God might be fully shown in him, it is necessary for me to
> work, (while it is day), the work of the one who sent me, (for when the night
> comes no one will be able to work). As long as I am in the world, I am the 
> light
> of the world. Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made clay 
> out
> of the saliva… etc.
>
> Or,
>
> Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned! Nevertheless, so
> that the works of God might be revealed in him, it becomes essential for me to
> work the work of the one who sent me while it is still day, (for when the 
> night
> comes no one will be able to work). As long as I am in the world, I am the 
> light
> of the world. Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made clay 
> out
> of the saliva… etc.
>
> Since no one has understood it this way, I assume I am forgetting something.
>
> Blue Harris

One of the things you may be forgetting is that ALL' hINA in most cases requires 
the reader or hearer to access and supply the scenario that has already been 
opened. Try to look again at all the ALL' hINA constructions in John (or the NT) 
and put in the words or scenario from the previous context. But you are right, 
that hINA in many passages in John indicates a consequence that most likely is 
result.

There are other reasons why no NT Greek editor has suggested the punctuation 
that you suggest.

Iver Larsen 




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