30
SYNTAX: PART 3
FORMAL CONDITIONS
30.1. Conditions and statements about various conditions are a part of life. Languages have a variety of ways in which the contingent aspects of our lives may be expressed. In Greek there are both formal conditions (those defined by explicit syntactical features) and informal conditions (those understood to be conditional from the context rather than defined by specific grammatical forms). In this chapter we will study the formal conditions. Informal conditions are covered in the next chapter.
An Introduction to Formal Conditions
30.2. Conditional statements, sometimes referred to simply as conditionals, of various sorts play an important part in several disciplines. Computer programs use Boolean conditions to determine what action to take next. Formal logic uses statements such as “p → q” (“If p, then q”). Conditional statements are also used in geometry, insurance, law, and so forth.
In language study, a conditional statement is the use of a subordinate clause to indicate that the main clause is in some way conditioned upon the truth or falsity of the proposition in the subordinate if clause. English typically expresses a condition grammatically in the form “if a, then b.”[1] Greek has four classes of conditions, though only three of them are significant for reading the NT; all four, however, are used in the wider body of Koine literature, including the LXX.
There has been much discussion on the subject of conditional sentences in the last century. There are two schools of thought on how best to describe conditional statements; one follows the general lines of William Goodwin, and the other follows Basil Gildersleeve (both were classical scholars active in the late 1800s). The most common approach in biblical studies is that of Gildersleeve as popularized by A. T. Robertson’s Grammar and by Blass, Debrunner, and Funk’s Greek Grammar. In classical studies, however, the Goodwin approach may be more common (see, e.g., the standard classical reference grammar by Smyth). The discussion in this chapter uses the classification most commonly found in biblical studies as a working model.
Terminology
30.3. In order to facilitate a discussion of formal conditions, you need to know the technical terminology that is involved. There are two key terms: protasis and apodosis. The protasis is the “if” part of the statement and forms the subordinate clause; the apodosis is the “then” part of the statement and is the main clause in the statement. We will use this profound sentence as an example.
If you eat all the cheese, then I won’t have anything to put on the mousetrap.
The protasis is “If you eat all the cheese.” The apodosis is “then I won’t have anything to put on the mousetrap.” These two parts can appear in either order (this is true in both English and Greek). Thus the following sentence is also possible and has the same meaning in English:[2]
I won’t have anything to put on the mousetrap if you eat all the cheese.
The then does not always appear explicitly in English or Greek (unless it is a second-class condition—see below). You may supply it or omit it as appropriate to make good, clear English.
Since the apodosis is the main clause, and the protasis is the subordinate clause, the apodosis goes on the baseline when diagramming a conditional statement. The English sentence used above is partially diagrammed in figure 30.1 as an example.
Figure 30.1
Overview of Conditional Statements
30.4. The chart below sketches the basic grammatical construction of each of the three major conditional statements.
Structure of Conditional Statements
| Class | Meaning | Protasis | Apodosis |
| First | Simple logical connection | εἰ + indicative | any verb form |
| Second | Assumed to be contrary to fact | εἰ + secondary form/indicative | ἄν + secondary form/indicative |
| Third | Simple logical connection | ἐάν + subjunctive | any verb form |
When the chart above specifies any verb form, it means just that: any mood or any tense-form may occur. For second-class conditions, secondary form refers to aorist, imperfect, or pluperfect tense-forms, which are always in the indicative mood in this type of condition. These are the tense-forms that use B or D endings and have an augment.
30.5. There are approximately 300 first-class conditions in the NT.[3] Identifying these statements involves recognizing a statement that has a protasis with εἰ + an indicative-mood verb (other forms of εἰ may also occur; e.g., εἴπερ) and an apodosis that may have a verb in any form or mood.[4] Technically we would also have to specify that the apodosis is not introduced by ἄν, since second-class conditions also match the general description for a first-class condition. First-class conditions are those that cannot be more narrowly defined as second class.
Meaning
30.6. The first-class condition expresses a simple, logical connection: if the protasis is true, then the apodosis is also true. No statement is made as to whether or not the protasis is indeed true. It sometimes is true and sometimes is false. In other instances the truth or falsity of the statement is undetermined. (These judgments may be made only on the basis of the context.) It can often be said that the protasis is assumed to be true for purposes of argument. This does not mean that the writer believes it to be true in actuality, nor that what the writer believes to be the case is, indeed, an accurate or truthful statement.
If the context provides evidence that the protasis is indeed true, it may be possible to translate the particle εἰ as “since,” but few (if any) such instances should be translated this way. The author’s meaning, as evidenced from the context, almost always necessitates “if” in English to retain the rhetorical force of the statement. This is especially true if the conditional statement is the basis of an exhortation. To translate with a “since” informs the readers rather than challenges them to think. It also changes the force of a statement from what a Koine Greek reader would have understood in the first century. Then it would have been viewed simply as an “if” and not the equivalent of our “since.” Using “since” retains a logical connection to the apodosis, but it loses the conditional nature of that connection.
It is never legitimate to argue a first-class condition backward. That is, it is always invalid to say “Because this is a first-class condition, therefore the condition must be true.” You can see the problems with such an assumption in the example from Matt. 12:27 below. If you were to study all the first-class conditions in the NT and ask, based on the context of each statement, “Is the protasis actually true?” you would find something like the following.[5]
| The protasis is: | % (number of occurrences) | Example |
| True | 37% (115) | Rom. 8:9 |
| False | 12% (36) | Matt. 12:27 |
| Undetermined | 51% (155) | Rom. 8:13 |
The reasons why many instances are listed as undetermined vary, but typically these statements refer to repeated situations or to general truths in which the circumstances vary. In some situations with some people involved, it may be true, but with other people at a different time it may be false.
| 1 John 3:13, μὴ θαυμάζετε,a ἀδελφοί, εἰ μισεῖ ὑμᾶς ὁ κόσμος. | Do not marvel, brothers, if the world hates you. |
a The verb θαυμάζετε is an imperative; the form is the same as an indicative, but did you notice the negative used? What do you remember about the use of οὐ and μή in regard to mood? |
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Figure 30.2
| Rom. 8:9, ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἐστὲ ἐν σαρκὶ ἀλλὰ ἐν πνεύματι, εἴπερ πνεῦμα θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν. | But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. |
| Matt. 4:3, Εἰ υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ θεοῦ, εἰπὲ ἵνα οἱ λίθοι οὗτοι ἄρτοι γένωνται. | If you are the son of God, command that these stones become bread. |
This statement should not be used as an instance of understanding the protasis as expressing the idea of “since.” Regardless of Jesus’ identity, the Tempter is challenging Jesus, not assuming that he is, indeed, the Son of God.
| Matt. 12:27, εἰ ἐγὼ ἐν Βεελζεβοὺλ ἐκβάλλω τὰ δαιμόνια, οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν ἐν τίνι ἐκβάλλουσιν; | If I cast out demons by Beelzeboul, then by whom do your sons cast [them] out? |
This example is a bit different in that it is in the form of a question, but it illustrates a false protasis very well. The speaker (in this instance, Jesus) poses a question in a conditional form that he knows not to be true in reality: “If I cast out demons by Beelzeboul”—which Jesus obviously did not do. You can see the problem of insisting that first-class conditions are true and mean “since.”
| 4 Kgdms. (2 Kings) 1:10, ἀπεκρίθη Ἠλίου καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς τὸν πεντηκόνταρχον, Καὶ εἰ ἄνθρωπος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐγώ, καταβήσεται πῦρ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ καταφάγεταί σε καὶ τοὺς πεντήκοντά σου· καὶ κατέβη πῦρ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ κατέφαγεν αὐτὸν καὶ τοὺς πεντήκοντα αὐτοῦ. | Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty [soldiers], “If I [am] a man of God, fire will come down from heaven and devour you and your fifty [soldiers]”; and fire came down from heaven and devoured him and his fifty [soldiers]. |
Notice that in this example the indicative verb may be omitted from the protasis. The verbless clause assumes a form of εἰμί.
| Matt. 8:31, οἱ δὲ δαίμονες παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν λέγοντες, Εἰ ἐκβάλλεις ἡμᾶς, ἀπόστειλον ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν ἀγέλην τῶν χοίρων. | |
| Rom. 8:13, εἰ γὰρ κατὰ σάρκα ζῆτε, μέλλετε ἀποθνῄσκειν· εἰ δὲ πνεύματι τὰς πράξεις τοῦ σώματος θανατοῦτε, ζήσεσθε. | |
| Gal. 2:21, εἰ γὰρ διὰ νόμου δικαιοσύνη, ἄρα Χριστὸς δωρεὰν ἀπέθανεν. | |
| Phil. 3:15, Ὅσοι οὖν τέλειοι, τοῦτο φρονῶμεν· καὶ εἴ τι ἑτέρως φρονεῖτε, καὶ τοῦτο ὁ θεὸς ὑμῖν ἀποκαλύψει. | |
| Gen. 43:4–5, εἰ μὲν οὖν ἀποστέλλεις τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἡμῶν μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν, καταβησόμεθα καὶ ἀγοράσωμέν σοι βρώματα· εἰ δὲ μὴ ἀποστέλλεις τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἡμῶν μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν, οὐ πορευσόμεθα. | |
30.9. There are 47 examples of second-class conditions in the NT.[6] In each one the protasis is introduced by εἰ with a verb in a secondary tense-form, indicative mood.[7] The apodosis is linked by the postpositive particle ἄν with a verb in a secondary tense-form, indicative mood.[8] The second class is the most explicit and obvious of all the conditional classes in that it has specific particles that introduce both the protasis and the apodosis. (First-class conditions also introduce the protasis with εἰ, but the apodosis never has ἄν.)
a Wallace, Greek Grammar, 408–9, discusses several variations of this in greater detail.
Meaning
30.10. A second-class condition is stated as contrary to fact. That is, the speaker believes the statement to be contrary to fact, though in two NT examples the speaker is wrong (Luke 7:39; John 18:30). The apodosis states what would have been true if the protasis were true: “If x (which I believe to be false) had been true, then y would have been true.” Recognizing the meaning of the second-class condition is very important since it tells you something that cannot be determined from an English translation.
| John 8:42, Εἰ ὁ θεὸς πατὴρ ὑμῶν ἦν ἠγαπᾶτε ἂν ἐμέ. | If God were your father, then you would love me. |
Figure 30.3
| John 5:46, εἰ γὰρ ἐπιστεύετε Μωϋσεῖ, ἐπιστεύετε ἂν ἐμοί· περὶ γὰρ ἐμοῦ ἐκεῖνος ἔγραψεν. | For if you had believed Moses, then you would have believed me, for he wrote concerning me. |
Jesus in effect says: If you had believed Moses (which I don’t believe that you did), then you would have believed me.[9]
| Luke 7:39, ἰδὼν δὲ ὁ Φαρισαῖος ὁ καλέσας αὐτὸν εἶπεν ἐν ἑαυτῷ λέγων,a Οὗτος εἰ ἦν προφήτης, ἐγίνωσκεν ἂν τίς καὶ ποταπὴ ἡ γυνὴ ἥτις ἅπτεται αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἁμαρτωλός ἐστιν. | But observing [this] the Pharisee who invited him said to himself, “If this one were a prophet, then he would know who and what sort of woman is touching him, that she is a sinner.” |
a It is normal in Greek to have both a finite verb of speaking (εἶπεν) and a participle (λέγων) that refers to the same speaking, but an explicit equivalent of λέγων has been omitted from the translation since it is redundant in English. |
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The Pharisee thinks to himself: “If this one [= Jesus] were really a prophet [which I don’t believe he is], then he would know [and since he permitted the touch, then I must be right in my assumption: he obviously doesn’t know].” Luke’s point is delightful irony: it is precisely because Jesus does know that he allows the events described.
| Judg. 13:23, εἶπεν αὐτῷ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ, Εἰ ἐβούλετο κύριος θανατῶσαι ἡμᾶς, οὐκ ἂν ἐδέξατο ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ἡμῶν ὁλοκαύτωμα καὶ θυσίαν. | His wife said to him, “If the Lord had desired to kill us, then he would not have accepted from our hands a burnt offering and a sacrifice.” |
| 1 Cor. 2:8, ἣν οὐδεὶς τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ἔγνωκεν· εἰ γὰρ ἔγνωσαν, οὐκ ἂν τὸν κύριον τῆς δόξης ἐσταύρωσαν. | |
| John 4:10, ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ, Εἰ ᾔδεις τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τίς ἐστιν ὁ λέγων σοι, Δός (give!) μοι πεῖν, σὺ ἂν ᾔτησας αὐτὸν καὶ ἔδωκεν ἄν σοι ὕδωρ ζῶν. | |
| Num. 22:29, εἶπεν Βαλαὰμ τῇ ὄνῳ, εἰ εἶχον μάχαιραν ἐν τῇ χειρί μου, ἤδη ἂν ἐξεκέντησά σε. | |
30.13. There are approximately 275 third-class conditions in the NT.[10] In this class of condition the protasis is introduced with ἐάν followed by a subjunctive-mood verb; any kind of verb may be used in the apodosis.
Meaning
A key to the meaning of the third-class condition is the use of the subjunctive mood, which expresses the idea of potentiality. The third-class condition is the condition of potential fulfillment (which is, of necessity, in the future if it is fulfilled). It suggests that there is some measure of uncertainty regarding the future fulfillment of the condition. How certain or uncertain that may be is not specified by the condition. There is little difference between the meaning of the first- and third-class conditions. Anything expressed by a third could also have been expressed by a first (the reverse is not true, because first class can refer to past events—third-class conditions do not). Both are simple logical conditions.
| John 8:51, ἐάν τις τὸν ἐμὸν λόγον τηρήσῃ, θάνατον οὐ μὴ θεωρήσῃ. | If anyone keeps my word, theya will never see death. |
a “They” is used here as a singular; the back-pocket subject of θεωρήσῃ is a 3rd sg. that refers to τις. Some might prefer to use a generic “he,” though that is less common usage in contemporary English. |
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Figure 30.4
| John 12:32, κἀγὼ ἐὰν ὑψωθῶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς, πάντας ἑλκύσω πρὸς ἐμαυτόν. | And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. |
| John 8:55, οὐκ ἐγνώκατε αὐτόν, ἐγὼ δὲ οἶδα αὐτόν. κἂν εἴπω ὅτι οὐκ οἶδα αὐτόν, ἔσομαι ὅμοιος ὑμῖν ψεύστης. | You do not know him, but I know him. And if I said, “I do not know him,” then I would be like you—a liar. |
Note that ἐάν shows up here in the crasis form κἄν = καί + ἐάν.
| Gen. 18:26, εἶπεν δὲ κύριος, Ἐὰν εὕρω ἐν Σοδόμοις πεντήκοντα δικαίους ἐν τῇ πόλει, ἀφήσωa πάντα τὸν τόπον δι᾿ αὐτούς. | And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous people in the city, then I will forgive all the place because of them. |
a ἀφήσω, 1st sg. fut. act. ind. ► ἀφίημι, “I forgive” |
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| 1 Cor. 13:1, Ἐὰν ταῖς γλώσσαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαλῶ καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, γέγονα χαλκὸς ἠχῶν ἢ κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον. | |
| Col. 3:13, ἀνεχόμενοι ἀλλήλων καὶ χαριζόμενοι ἑαυτοῖς ἐάν τις πρός τινα ἔχῃ μομφήν· καθὼς καὶ ὁ κύριος ἐχαρίσατο ὑμῖν, οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς. | |
| James 4:15, ἀντὶ τοῦ λέγειν ὑμᾶς, Ἐὰν ὁ κύριος θελήσῃ καὶ ζήσομεν καὶ ποιήσομεν τοῦτο ἢ ἐκεῖνο. | |
The apodosis is introduced by καί in this example. This is not a common pattern.
| Sir. 6:33, ἐὰν ἀγαπήσῃς ἀκούειν, ἐκδέξῃ, καὶ ἐὰν κλίνῃς τὸ οὖς σου, σοφὸς ἔσῃ.a | |
a ἔσῃ, 2nd sg. fut. mid. ind. ► εἰμί, “I am” |
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30.16. Although we have discussed only three classes of conditions thus far, there are four. The fourth class plays very little role in the NT, but you will encounter it outside the NT. Most of the examples below are from the LXX. A fourth-class condition has a protasis introduced by εἰ followed by a verb in the optative mood; the apodosis may have any kind of verb. There are no complete examples in the NT and only twelve partial ones in which either part or all of the protasis or apodosis is missing.
Meaning
30.17. The fourth-class condition presents the assumption of a possibility for the sake of argument. It is more remote than a first-class or third-class condition, this remoteness coming from the use of the optative mood.[11]
30.18. Example from the New Testament
| 1 Pet. 3:14, ἀλλ᾿ εἰ καὶ πάσχοιτε διὰ δικαιοσύνην, μακάριοι. | But if you should suffer on account of righteousness, [you are] blessed. |
This is the most complete example of a fourth-class condition in the NT. It is considered to be incomplete because there is no explicit verb in the apodosis, though as a verbless clause, ἐστέ is assumed.
Here is a complete list of the partial fourth-class conditions in the NT: Acts 17:11, 27; 20:16; 24:19; 25:20; 27:12, 39; 1 Cor. 14:10; 15:37; Gal. 2:17; 1 Pet. 3:14, 17.
30.19. Examples from the Septuagint
The English translations given are from NETS.
| 2 Kgdms. (2 Sam.) 16:12, εἴ πως ἴδοιa κύριος ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει μου καὶ ἐπιστρέψει μοι ἀγαθὰ ἀντὶ τῆς κατάρας αὐτοῦ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ. | If somehow the Lord may look on my humiliation, then he will return to me good things in place of his curse this day. |
a ἴδοι, 3rd sg. aor. act. opt. ► ὁράω, “I see” |
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| Isa. 49:15, μὴ ἐπιλήσεται γυνὴ τοῦ παιδίου αὐτῆς τοῦ μὴ ἐλεῆσαι τὰ ἔκγονα τῆς κοιλίας αὐτῆς; εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπιλάθοιτοa ταῦτα γυνή, ἀλλ᾿ ἐγὼ οὐκ ἐπιλήσομαί σου, εἶπεν κύριος. | Will a mother forget her child so as not to have mercy on the descendants of her womb? But even if a woman should forget these, yet I will not forget you, said the Lord. |
a ἐπιλάθοιτο, 3rd sg. 2aor. mid. opt. ► ἐπιλανθάνομαι, “I forget” |
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| 1 Kgdms. 24:20 (1 Sam. 24:19 Eng.), εἰ εὕροιτόa τις τὸν ἐχθρὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν θλίψει καὶ ἐκπέμψαιb αὐτὸν ἐν ὁδῷ ἀγαθῇ, καὶ κύριος ἀνταποτείσει αὐτῷ ἀγαθά, καθὼς πεποίηκας σήμερον. | If one should find his enemy in distress and should send him on a good way, then the Lord will repay him good as you have done today. |
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a εὕροιτο, 3rd sg. aor. mid. opt. ► εὑρίσκω, “I find” b ἐκπέμψαι, 3rd sg. aor. act. opt. ► ἐκπέμπω, “I send out” |
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| 4 Macc. 4:23, ὡς ἐπόρθησεν αὐτούς, δόγμα ἔθετο ὅπως, εἴ τινες αὐτῶν φάνοιενa τῷ πατρίῳ πολιτευόμενοι νόμῳ, θάνοιεν. | When he had plundered them, he issued a decree that, if any of them were found living according to the ancestral law, they should die. |
a φάνοιεν, 3rd pl. 2aor. act. opt. ► φαίνω |
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For additional fourth-class conditions in the LXX, see 4 Macc. 4:17; 5:3, 19; 6:18–19; 8:2, 17; 9:2; 12:4; 14:17; Prov. 25:26; Job 6:2–3; 34:14–15.
Reading Passage: Galatians 1:6–24
30.20. You will find in this passage at least one example of each of the first three classes of conditional statements. They are not marked. Can you identify each one?
The Gospel of Christ and the History of Paul
6Θαυμάζω ὅτι οὕτως ταχέως μετατίθεσθε (you are deserting) ἀπὸ τοῦ καλέσαντος ὑμᾶς ἐν χάριτι Χριστοῦ εἰς ἕτερον εὐαγγέλιον, 7ὃ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλο, εἰ μή τινές εἰσιν οἱ ταράσσοντες ὑμᾶς καὶ θέλοντες μεταστρέψαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ. 8ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐὰν ἡμεῖς ἢ ἄγγελος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ εὐαγγελίζηται ὑμῖν παρ᾿a ὃ εὐηγγελισάμεθα ὑμῖν, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. 9ὡς προειρήκαμεν καὶ ἄρτι πάλιν λέγω, εἴ τις ὑμᾶς εὐαγγελίζεται παρ᾿ ὃ παρελάβετε, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω.
10Ἄρτι γὰρ ἀνθρώπους πείθω ἢ τὸν θεόν; ἢ ζητῶ ἀνθρώποις ἀρέσκειν; εἰ ἔτι ἀνθρώποις ἤρεσκον, Χριστοῦ δοῦλος οὐκ ἂν ἤμην.
11Γνωρίζω γὰρ ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοί, τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τὸ εὐαγγελισθὲν ὑπ᾿ ἐμοῦ ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν κατὰ ἄνθρωπον· 12οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐγὼ παρὰ ἀνθρώπου παρέλαβον αὐτὸ οὔτε ἐδιδάχθην ἀλλὰ δι᾿ ἀποκαλύψεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.b
13Ἠκούσατε γὰρ τὴν ἐμὴν ἀναστροφήν ποτε ἐν τῷ Ἰουδαϊσμῷ, ὅτι καθ᾿ ὑπερβολὴν ἐδίωκον τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἐπόρθουν αὐτήν, 14καὶ προέκοπτον ἐν τῷ Ἰουδαϊσμῷ ὑπὲρ πολλοὺς συνηλικιώτας ἐν τῷ γένει μου, περισσοτέρως ζηλωτὴς ὑπάρχων τῶνc πατρικῶν μου παραδόσεων. 15ὅτε δὲ εὐδόκησεν ὁ θεὸς ὁ ἀφορίσας με ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου καὶ καλέσας διὰ τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ 16ἀποκαλύψαι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐμοί, ἵνα εὐαγγελίζωμαι αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, εὐθέως οὐ προσανεθέμηνd σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι 17οὐδὲ ἀνῆλθον εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα πρὸς τοὺς πρὸ ἐμοῦ ἀποστόλους, ἀλλὰ ἀπῆλθον εἰς Ἀραβίαν καὶ πάλινe ὑπέστρεψα εἰς Δαμασκόν.
18Ἔπειτα μετὰ ἔτη τρία ἀνῆλθον εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἱστορῆσαι Κηφᾶν καὶ ἐπέμεινα πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡμέρας δεκαπέντε, 19ἕτερον δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων οὐκ εἶδον εἰ μὴ Ἰάκωβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν τοῦ κυρίου. 20ἃ δὲ γράφω ὑμῖν, ἰδοὺ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ ὅτι οὐ ψεύδομαι.f 21ἔπειτα ἦλθον εἰς τὰ κλίματα τῆς Συρίας καὶ τῆς Κιλικίας· 22ἤμην δὲ ἀγνοούμενοςg τῷ προσώπῳ ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τῆς Ἰουδαίας ταῖς ἐν Χριστῷ. 23μόνον δὲ ἀκούοντες ἦσανg ὅτιh Ὁ διώκων ἡμᾶς ποτε νῦν εὐαγγελίζεται τὴν πίστιν ἥν ποτε ἐπόρθει, 24καὶ ἐδόξαζον ἐν ἐμοὶ τὸν θεόν.
a In vv. 8 and 9 παρά is used with a less common meaning than it often has. Here it governs the accusative case (ὅ). Consult your lexicon: CL, 265.3.c; BDAG, 758.6.
b You will need to supply a verb in the last clause of v. 12; either of the first two verbs in the first part of the sentence can be used with little difference in meaning. Most English translations repeat the first verb.
c The article τῶν does not govern πατρικῶν, but rather it governs παραδόσεων with two genitive modifiers in first attributive position.
d προσανεθέμην ► προσανατίθημι, “I consulted with.” The “consultant” is specified in the dative; here it is an idiomatic expression. How would we normally express σαρκὶ καὶ αἵματι in English?
e BDAG explains that πάλιν is used “pleonastically w. verbs that express the component ‘back’” (s.v. πάλιν, 752.1.a). That is, you do not need to represent both πάλιν and ὑπέστρεψα in English; together they mean, “I returned.”
f The word order and syntax of v. 20 is quite different from English. The statement as a whole is somewhat parenthetical to Paul’s narrative. He pauses to declare the truthfulness of his account in the form of an oath. The main statement, ἰδοὺ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ, does not contain a verb of swearing, though it is implied by ἰδού. A good English equivalent would be, “I assure you that, before God, I am not lying about what I am writing to you!” (NET). BDAG explains that ὅτι is used “after verbs of swearing, affirming and corresponding formulae” (s.v. ὅτι, 731.1.a; here the “corresponding formula” is ἰδοὺ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ) to give the content of the oath or affirmation.
g What construction is ἤμην ἀγνοούμενος? ἀκούοντες ἦσαν?
h Does ὅτι introduce direct or indirect discourse?
30.21. Vocabulary for Chapter 30
| Part of Speech | Definition | Possible Glosses | Frequency | |
| Word | NT | LXX | ||
| Adjectives | ||||
| ἔρημος, ον | Characterized by being isolated or deserted (either a place or a person); an uninhabited region | isolated, desolate, deserted; wilderness, desert (subst.) | 48 | 386 |
| μικρός, ά, όν | Of limited size, measure, quantity, age, or significance; that which is of such a limited nature (subst.); a little while, a short distance (neut. as adv.) | small, short, unimportant; the little one, what is insignificant; a little while, a short distance | 46 | 165 |
| δεύτερος, α, ον | Next after first in a sequence; for the second time (neut. sg. as adv.) | second; for the second time | 43 | 230 |
| Interjection | ||||
| οὐαί | An exclamation of profound grief, pain, or displeasure; a state of intense hardship or distress (subst.) | alas! woe!; woe (subst.) | 46 | 66 |
| Interrogative | ||||
| ποῦ | An interrogative adverb of place inquiring as to location [Watch the accent! This is not πού, an enclitic adv., “somewhere.”] | where? at which place? to what place? | 48 | 125 |
| Nouns | ||||
| ἔτος, ους, τό | A calendar year (in the ancient world calculated on the basis of either lunar or solar cycles consisting of twelve or thirteen months); any period of twelve months | year | 49 | 718 |
| χρεία, ας, ἡ | That which is necessary or needed, but not necessarily possessed; an activity to which one is assigned (LXX) | need, necessity, lack; assignment, mission, (military) action | 49 | 55 |
| κρίσις, εως, ἡ | A scrutiny of conduct for the purpose of evaluation; a legal process of judicial evaluation of a charge; a judicial verdict of guilty and the associated sentence/penalty; the administration of what is right and fair | evaluation; (act of) judging, judgment; condemnation; right (in the sense of justice) | 47 | 280 |
| φόβος, ου, ὁ | A feeling of need to escape from or avoid a threat, anxiety generated by a threatening circumstance; a profound feeling of respect or reverence for an authority, especially for God | fear, terror, fright; reverence, respect, awe | 47 | 199 |
| φυλακή, ῆς, ἡ | A place for detaining a prisoner; a sentry station with its guards; a period of time during which guards are on duty | jail, prison, cell; guard post; watch (of the night) (i.e., a period of time) | 47 | 121 |
| θηρίον, ου, τό | Any living creature other than humans | animal, beast | 46 | 164 |
| Ἰούδας, α, ὁ | A common personal name; when referring to an OT person, the English equivalent is traditionally “Judah,” otherwise “Judas” (rarely “Jude”) | Judah, Judas | 44 | 901 |
| Verbs | ||||
| φοβέω | To scare (someone), make (someone) afraid (act.; rare in the LXX, not found in the NT); to be afraid, fear (mid.); to have profound respect for a person or for God due to awe (mid.); to be frightened (by someone or something) (pass.) | I scare, make afraid, frighten (act.); I fear, am afraid (mid.); I reverence, fear, am in awe (mid.); I am frightened (by) (pass.) | 95 | 460 |
| κρατέω | To gain control of, often by seizing with the hands (may or may not imply force); to commit oneself to adhere strongly to someone or something | I seize, control, hold (fast), grasp, take hold of; I hold fast to, keep hold of | 47 | 153 |
| φυλάσσω | To carry out the duties of a sentry/guard; to protect something so that it remains intact; to diligently observe a command/law | I guard, watch; I protect; I observe, follow | 31 | 464 |
30.22. Key Things to Know for Chapter 30
What is a protasis? What is an apodosis?
Which part of a conditional statement is the main clause?
The significance of conditional statements: what does each of the three major types mean?
The meaning and identification of the three different conditional statements: can you reproduce the “overview chart”? (If your teacher has asked you to learn the fourth-class condition, then there will be four types you should know.)