[B-Greek] John 3.12 to 3.13 transition
Steve Runge
srunge at logos.com
Wed May 25 00:42:26 EDT 2011
Hi Eddie,
There are several connections linking vv. 12-14 together in my view. Jesus makes the first statement contrasting earthly things with heavenly things in v. 12, the point being that Nicodemos can't understand either of them. How is he supposed to? This is where v. 13 comes in, where Jesus is the only one who's been there to be able to explain it. Verse 14 links back to a familiar OT picture, saying that Jesus will be lifted up in similar ways.
Take a look at the connectives in these clauses. Within reported speech, clauses are joined using asyndeton (i.e., no conjunction) unless there is some reason for doing so. If the relationship between the two is clear enough, no conjunction.
10απεκριθη ιησους και ειπεν αυτω συ ει ο διδασκαλος του ισραηλ και ταυτα ου γινωσκεις (ASYN) 11αμην αμην λεγω σοι οτι ο οιδαμεν λαλουμεν και ο εωρακαμεν μαρτυρουμεν και την μαρτυριαν ημων ου λαμβανετε (Previous 3 clauses added one to another by KAI, but the unit is linked to what follows by ASYN) 12ει τα επιγεια ειπον υμιν και ου πιστευετε πως εαν ειπω υμιν τα επουρανια πιστευσετε (End of Thought 1)
(Beginning of thought 2, added to the previous one with KAI) 13και ουδεις αναβεβηκεν εις τον ουρανον ει μη ο εκ του ουρανου καταβας ο υιος του ανθρωπου
(Beginning of thought 3, added to the previous one with KAI) 14και καθως μωυσης υψωσεν τον οφιν εν τη ερημω ουτως υψωθηναι δει τον υιον του ανθρωπου
This is not an argument that builds one layer upon another as in Paul or elsewhere in Jesus' teachings, but three related statements that are added one to another. KAI can join words, phrases, clauses and paragraphs. I'd view the connections between 12 and 13 as the latter, joining the paragraph of 10-12 to 13 and then to 14.
Steven E. Runge, DLitt
Scholar-in-Residence
Logos Bible Software
srunge at logos.com
www.logos.com
www.ntdiscourse.org
-----Original Message-----
From: b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Eddie Mishoe
Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2011 9:17 PM
To: B Greek
Subject: [B-Greek] John 3.12 to 3.13 transition
Please see below John 3.9-14 for context.
Most translations I checked do not see a paragraph break after John 3.12. The abrupt change in subject seems too severe to me to join verse 13 to 12 as if we are to read verse 13 as the next sentence in this paragraph. What would be the justification for NOT seeing a full break at this 90 degree turn by John at the conclusion of verse 12? There is no continuation of previously developed material, right? Does anyone have a translation that does make a paragraph break after 3.12?
9απεκριθη νικοδημος και ειπεν αυτω πως δυναται ταυτα γενεσθαι 10απεκριθη ιησους και ειπεν αυτω συ ει ο διδασκαλος του ισραηλ και ταυτα ου γινωσκεις 11αμην αμην λεγω σοι οτι ο οιδαμεν λαλουμεν και ο εωρακαμεν μαρτυρουμεν και την μαρτυριαν ημων ου λαμβανετε 12ει τα επιγεια ειπον υμιν και ου πιστευετε πως εαν ειπω υμιν τα επουρανια πιστευσετε
Full Break
13και ουδεις αναβεβηκεν εις τον ουρανον ει μη ο εκ του ουρανου καταβας ο υιος του ανθρωπου 14και καθως μωυσης υψωσεν τον οφιν εν τη ερημω ουτως υψωθηναι δει τον υιον του ανθρωπου
Eddie Mishoe
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