Re: Impv in Mk 5:34

From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Sun Jul 13 1997 - 08:41:40 EDT


At 6:15 PM -0400 7/12/97, Clayton Bartholomew wrote:
>Rod Decker Wrote
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> {snip}
>
>In Mk 5:34 the pres. impv. ISQI is used in reference to something that had
>_already_ taken place. Jesus says to the woman, H PISTIS SOU SESWKEN SE.
>hUPAGE EIS EIRHNHN KAI *ISQI* UGIHS APO THS MASTIGOS SOU. (Your faith
>has healed you; fo in peace and be healed from your affliction.)
>
>{snip}
>
>But I don't remember ever seeing an imperative
>that confirms a *previous _condition_*.
>{snip}
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
>Take a look at Matt. 2:13. Specifically:
>
>. . . FEUGE EIS AIGUPTON KAI ISQI EKEI EWS . . .
>
>Here we have a case were all the commanded actions are still future. But
>take a close look at KAI ISQI EKEI EWS. As the commanded actions unfold
>FEUGE EIS AIGUPTON leads to the state of being in Egypt. Relative to that
>state, the command KAI ISQI EKEI EWS is an imperative to remain in the
>current state. This doesn't really solve all the problems with MK 5:34 but it
>illustrates how ISQI can be used to *confirm a previous condition*, i.e.,
>being in Egypt.
>
>Note that the English translations are a hinderence in this case. If you were
>to read these two passages in English you would miss the point. The
>similarity between them gets lost in the paraphrasing of ISQI EWS
>and ISQI UGIHS.

I agree with Clayton here, and I'd add that English translations may more
often be a hindrance than a help in understanding a Greek construction
(isn't that what Edward would want me to say here?!).

Moreover, isn't it really true, if you think about it, that the imperative,
whether it be present, aorist, or perfect, has aspect but not tense--and
that it is ALWAYS directed to the future? And as for the imperative here in
question, it occurs to me that my wife has been told by her doctor on more
than one occasion (when he doubted that she would take his advice and use a
pain-killer): "Go forth and be healthy!" And isn't that exactly what Jesus
is saying to the woman in Mk 5:34?

You might even compare a parallel healing narrative, the paralytic, to whom
Jesus says in Mk 2:5, TEKNON, AFIENTAI SOU hAI hAMARTIAI, explaining this
statement in 2:9ff.: TI ESTIN EUKOPWTERON, EIPEIN TWi PARALUTIKWi,
'AFIENTAI SOU hAI hAMARTIAI' H EIPEIN, 'EGEIRE KAI ARON TON KRABATON SOU
KAI PERIPATEI'--and concluding with the command to the paralytic in 2:11
SOI DE LEGW, EGEIRE ARON TON KRABATTON SOU KAI hUPAGE EIS TON OIKON SOU.'
AFIENTAI,in fact, strikes me as parallel to the hIATAI of Mk 5:29: AFIENTAI
is present passive, and I still really wonder whether hIATAI isn't also
present passive. I'll probably get burned on this one!

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics/Washington University
One Brookings Drive/St. Louis, MO, USA 63130/(314) 935-4018
Summer: 1647 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(704) 675-4243
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu OR cconrad@yancey.main.nc.us
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/



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