In a message dated 97-10-29 13:49:51 EST, you write:
>
> Matt. 23.2: EPI THS MWSEWS KAQEDRAS *EKAQISAN* hOI GRAMMATEIJ KAI hOI
> PARISAIOI
>
> How is the aorist being used here? This question has recently arisen
> on the Crosstalk list and I thought I would seek b-greek wisdom on
> it. Apparently Davies and Allison say that this is a 'Semitic
> stative perfect' -- i.e. it cannot be talking about a completed
> action in the past because of the context, 'Therefore do and keep all
> that they say to you . . .'
>
> Or is there another way of taking this? Some of the older
> commentaries, I note (W. C. Allen, Allan McNeile) take it as 'They
> used to sit on the seat of Moses . . .' But this does seem difficult
> in context.
>
An aspect geek may say that the action in EKAQISAN is viewed as a completed
(Perfective) process, apart from how in fact the actual action occurs. The
use of the aorist for present action is widespread. Though this is
identified by some as dramatic aorist or gnomic aorist, this looks more like
the use of the aorist for timeless action. An action is stated as a
completed process where the question of time-reference doesn't occur.
Cindy Westfall
PhD Student, Roehampton