[b-greek] He who has ears

From: virgil newkirk (virgilsalvage1@email.msn.com)
Date: Tue Jan 23 2001 - 01:31:46 EST


Paul said,

hO ECWN WTA AKOUETW (Mt. 11:15).

I've always thought this meant something
like: "Let those who have the spiritual capacity to understand use that
capacity to grasp the significance of what is being
said." However, it seems to me that
some versions (e.g., Phillips, CEV, TEV) make it sound


more like: "If you have ears on your head, use
them!" Where does the actual meaning lie; somewhere between
these two extremes?

    There have been some possibilities presented as to what this phrase is
indicating...

    Some of those are... if someone is having ears, as in maybe some do,
maybe some don't. And if some do...here's what to do.

    That there are some there who unlike the rest have been given the
ears...

    That it is a call to listen up...pay attention

    What does the Greek say? First there is the...THE " hO " ...something
that is the THE is here. THE WHAT? THE ECWN..present participle
active...nominative...singular. Jesus said...here is the subject....THE one
who is ( active voice..this one is doing the action of ) "present"
continually and repeatedly obtaining and thus furnishing to himself,
resulting in the fact that he is having "ears" that are AKOUEIN...(present
infinitive active) continually and repeatedly hearing...these kind of ears
that one is able to obtain are doing the action of hearing and
understanding( active voice, they are doing..that is the ears
are..continually hearing. Then the charge to action... AKOUETW....present
imperative active. An imperative issued to the above described one.

     In Zodhiates Complete Word Study New Testament grammatical notations,
he notes concerning the present imperative active that this indicates that
this may indicate a command to do something in the future which involves
continuous or repeated action. So the Greek indicates at the end of verse 15
in Math 11...that the one who is obtaining in a continous and repeated
fashion, these ears....should..concerning the future be hearing many other
things that are going to be spoken. I think the metaphorical form that has
been suggested is being used here, would assume, along with the hearing is
also happening....the understanding.

    I do not see here a command to listen up you all
    I do not see here merely some fortunate ones who have something no one
else is having...i.e., given to them.
    No mere call to please pay attention....come on....perform!

    Rather, there is being pointed out..." The nominative " that there are
the ones who are actively obtaining these ears....are hearing from the
source of these ears, and an imperative from Jesus to keep on doing that !

    The context supports this notion in a statement from Jesus in verse
12....And from the days that were characterized by and that contained John
the Bapist, the Kingdom that is characterized by and contains The
Heavens...is continually being overtaken...and the forceful are openly
taking it to be theirs.

    Mathew 11:15 says, " The one who is obtaining and furnishing to himself
and having on a continuing basis, the ears that are hearing...keep on using
these ears.

  Hoping this has value and usefulness...


  Virgil Newkirk
  Salt Lake City, Utah



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