From: Mike Sangrey (msangrey@BlueFeltHat.org)
Date: Sat Mar 24 2001 - 14:55:09 EST
Anh Michael <saigon_christ@hotmail.com> said:
> Was it common for Ancient writers to make long sentances like Col
> 1:9-20 or Heb 1;1-4...ect????
> Is there any significant reason the author may have wanted to convey
> in doing such a long sentance?
Yes, long sentences are NOT the norm, so they are `marked'.
I wonder what other long sentences there are in the GNT? This would
be an interesting list to develop. Eph 1:3-14 as has been noted
(though, this may be two.)
Anyway, the author has one and only one precise thought to say;
however, the single thought needs to be shaped and molded. So, he or
she makes it perfectly clear to the audience that they should focus on
the single thought AND know that this single thought is precisely
defined as he or she has defined it.
I believe, though I haven't the evidence at my fingertips, that we
have difficulty with long sentences today because we've been
conditioned by fast, impact, image oriented media, for example,
television.
Hebrews 1:1-4 essentially says that God has spoken to us by His son.
But, the author packs--very tightly--around that statement precisely
what that statement means.
So, long single sentences do two things:
1. Focus the reader on one and only one thought,
2. Precisely define what that thought is (ie. removes ambiguity).
Cliches can do the same thing with fewer words since they are already
understood. Certain other statements can also do the same; however,
in these cases there exists enough associations ALREADY fleshed out
inside the reader's head, so the reader can fill in the details. The
statements left (which are full of meaning) are relatively more
ambiguous. These statements frequently come up for discussion on
email lists, BTW <chuckle>.
Lastly, an author's motivation is revealed more by the meaning then by
the package in which it comes. Jim West's statements MAY be true, but
there is certainly no reason to think a long sentence DETERMINES a
self-focused motivation. I happen to think the Bible authors went out
of their way to avoid pretension. If I'm right, then we would expect
to find long sentences in places where EXTREMELY important material is
being said. And that, in deed, is what we find. If the NT authors
wished to show pretension, they would NOT have chosen such a koine
form of Greek.
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