Re: hOTI in the beattitudes

From: Paul Zellmer (pzellmer@ix.netcom.com)
Date: Thu Nov 21 1996 - 11:42:50 EST


KULIKOVSKY, Andrew wrote:
>
> Fellow Greeks,
>
> I don't understand the sense of hOTI in the beattitudes (Matt 5:3-12).
> hOTI is a 'marker of cause or reason based on an evident fact'
> - Louw & Nida in sect. 89.33
>
> Now if this is the case, what is the casue or reason in the
> beattitudes?
>
> The way it is worded it sounds like the meek are blessed by God
> (have His approval and favour) because they will inherit the
> earth.
>
> Isn't it the other way round? The meek will inherit the earth
> BECAUSE they are blessed by God.
>
> Am I understanding this right? With hOTI which phrase is the
> cause of the other???
>

Andrew,

The logical argument goes something like this:

Normally to be meek or to be poor or to mourn or whatever is something
which is *not* associated with the feeling of blessing or happiness. (I
include both because the semantic domain of MAKARIOI in Greek seems to
stretch across parts of these to domains in English.) What Jesus is
saying here is that there *is* actually a reason to feel blessed or
happy in these "bad" situations because the state of being in the
situation is going to result in something which *is* desired.

In other words, if MAKARIOI is "A", the present state of the person is
"B", and the act of God is "C", then B results in C, which should cause
the person to be A. Your logic is that B results in A which results in
C.

> Big Greeks, HELP!

As this term has been used in the past, I don't qualify. Yet I still
felt I could answer you.

Paul Zellmer
Southern Methodist Missions



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