Re: From whence it IS?

Jim West (jwest@highland.net)
Tue, 02 Jun 1998 22:26:52 -0400

At 10:11 PM 6/2/98 -0400, you wrote:
>John 2:9 - KAI OUK HDEI POQEN ESTIN - I am thinking this means, "and not
>knowing from whence it was," but ESTIN is present tense. Would that be ,"and
>not knowing from whence it is?" That sounds awkward to me. Why present tense
>instead of past?
>
>William Boyd
>

I would call this the narrative present. I.e., in order to make a story
more enthralling, the present tense is used so that "you are there". See?

Jim

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jim West, ThD
Quartz Hill School of Theology

jwest@highland.net