Re: Gal 4:15: POU OUN hO MAKARISMOS hUMWN;
Carlton L. Winbery (winberyc@popalex1.linknet.net)
Fri, 4 Oct 1996 08:42:19 -0500
Jonathan Robie wrote;
>Galatians 4:15 is confusing me. I don't understand what MAKARISMOS means
>in >this context: POU OUN hO MAKARISMOS hUMWN; Without a real lexicon, I'm
>trying >out terms like "blessedness", "happiness", "good fortune", etc.,
>and not coming >up with anything that makes sense.
>
E.D. Burton in the ICC takes POU OUN hO MAKARISMOS hUMWN; as a question of
self gratulation. hUMWN is taken as a subjective genitive. However, it
seems to me as though you have to take it almost as reflexive, "your
blessing yourself." Louw & Nida take MAKARISMOS more as a state of
happiness that had ceased. "Where now is your happiness?" They say that
the implication that that state has ended. This seems to fit the context.
Later in 5:17 Paul laments ETRECETE KALWS, "You were running so well!"
>I'm also having problems understanding what ZHLOW and EKKLEISAI mean in the
>context of Galatians 4:17: ZHLOUSIN hUMAS OU KALWS, ALLA EKKLEISAI hUMAS
>QELOUSIN, hINA AUTOUS ZHLOUTE.
>
The big question here is the use of ZHLOUTE (apparently indicative) in a
hINA clause. Normally the contraction of O + H = W. However, Blass,
Debrunner, Funk treats this as a subjunctive, hence, a final clause.
Carlton L. Winbery
Prof. NT & Greek La College
winberyc@popalex1.linknet.net
winbery@andria.lacollege.edu