Interesting indeed! In classical Attic two-clause constructions there may
indeed be a theoretical difference between a cause/effect relationship and
a grounds/inference relationship as expressed in the syntax. BUT:
(1) EPEI, EPEIDH, and EPEIDH AN even in classical Attic may mean either
"when," "whenever" OR "since."
(2) While Classical Attic tends to distinguish between purpose
constructions and result constructions with hWSTE, the Koine seems to have
lost that distinction, using hWSTE + infinitive and EIS + articular
infinitive (or EIS + a verbal noun) in identical ways to indicate
cause/effect or grounds/inference.
Compare the use of hWSTE in Mk 2:12 (cause/effect): hWSTE EXISTASQAI PANTAS
KAI DOXAZEIN TON QEON ... and in Mk 2:27-28 (grounds/inference: TO SABBATON
DIA TON ANQRWPON EGENETO KAI OUC hO ANQRWPOS DIA TO SABBATON; hWSTE KURIOS
ESTIN hO hUIOS TOU ANQRWPOU KAI TOU SABBATOU.
Granted that these are not the formal protasis/apodosis conditional
constructions, but they illustrate the functional equivalence of the
syntactic constructions used to express both notions (cause/effect and
grounds/inference).
Now, is that an instance of POST HOC ERGO PROPTER HOC? ;-)
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics/Washington University
One Brookings Drive/St. Louis, MO, USA 63130/(314) 935-4018
Summer: 1647 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(704) 675-4243
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu OR cconrad@yancey.main.nc.us
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/