F.F. Bruce on Knowing Greek

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Barry Hofstetter
Posts: 2159
Joined: May 6th, 2011, 1:48 pm

F.F. Bruce on Knowing Greek

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

N.E. Barry Hofstetter, M.A., Th.M.
Ph.D. Student U of FL
Instructor of Latin
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy
καὶ σὺ τὸ σὸν ποιήσεις κἀγὼ τὸ ἐμόν. ἆρον τὸ σὸν καὶ ὕπαγε.
Stephen Hughes
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Joined: February 26th, 2013, 7:12 am

Re: F.F. Bruce on Knowing Greek

Post by Stephen Hughes »

F.F. Bruce wrote:It is this manifest mastery of Greek usage which makes William Kelly’s New Testament commentaries, especially those on Paul’s epistles, so valuable. ‘And you know what is restraining him now,’ says the RSV of 2 Thessalonians 2:6, following some earlier interpreters. This construing of ‘now’ with ‘what is restraining’ Kelly describes as a solecism, pointing out that the ‘now’ is ‘simply resumptive’.[1] Kelly is right. But how did he discover that the construction of the adverb with ‘what is restraining’ is a solecism? No grammar-book or dictionary would tell him that; it was his wide and accurate acquaintance with Greek usage that made it plain to him, an acquaintance which is the fruit of long and patient study.” (F. F. Bruce, In Retrospect: Remembrance of things past, p. 293)
What led Kelly to decide that the temporality of νῦν was of less importance in this case? What pattern is being followed?
Γελᾷ δ' ὁ μωρός, κἄν τι μὴ γέλοιον ᾖ
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
timothy_p_mcmahon
Posts: 259
Joined: June 3rd, 2011, 10:47 pm

Re: F.F. Bruce on Knowing Greek

Post by timothy_p_mcmahon »

2 Thessalonians 2:5-6 wrote:ου μνημονευετε οτι ετι ων προς υμας ταυτα ελεγον υμιν και νυν το κατεχον οιδατε εις το αποκαλυφθηναι αυτον εν τω εαυτου καιρω
Agree that νυν does not modify κατεχον, but not so sure it’s ‘simply resumptive’ – could it not maintain its normal temporal force in contrast to ετι ων προς υμας ταυτα ελεγον υμιν? Because I used to teach you about these things then, you now know…
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