[B-Greek] PSALM 131 (132):11 and QHSOMAI
Blue Meeksbay
bluemeeksbay at yahoo.com
Thu Mar 17 13:02:17 EDT 2011
PSALM 131 (132):11 WMOSEN KURIOS TWi DAUID ALHQEIAN KAI OU MH AQETHSEI AUTHN EK
KARPOU THS KOILIAS SOU QHSOMAI EPI TON QRONON SOU
Does anyone think QHSOMAI could be understood as a reflexive middle in this
verse? If not, is it simply because this particular verb does not lend itself to
such a reflexive connotation, or are there other reasons?
For those who are more versed in non-biblical Greek, just how common was this
use of the middle during the time of the LXX? Robertson states the following
concerning its use.
*It is not possible to tell whether the direct middle (reflexive middle) was the
original use of the voice or not. The direct middle is comparatively rare in
Homer and in the early Greek generally. It began in the koinh, to disappear,
before the active and the reflexive pronoun (cf. N. T.), but the direct middle
revived again as the indirect middle disappeared before the passive because of
"its subtle meaning." Hence in Neo-Hellenic "almost every transitive verb, if
active, admits of a direct middle." In modern Greek this direct reflexive is
nearly the sole use of the middle. (R.806-07)*
Sincerely,
Blue Harris
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