From: Jonathan Robie (jwrobie@mindspring.com)
Date: Tue May 13 1997 - 09:24:40 EDT
I have found some passages in which the imperfect does *not* refer to the
past. These passages may be significant for our discussion of aspect and the
augment here on B-Greek.
Robertson calls this category the "potential imperfect" (Big Yellow Tome, p.
885). I don't see how to construe these passages in a manner that lets the
imperfect refer to the past. In these passages, the imperfect takes a
meaning of potential desire - "I should like", "I could wish":
Roma 9:3 (GNT) *HUCOMHN* GAR ANAQEMA EINAI AUTOS EGW APO TOU CRISTOU hUPER
TWN ADELFWN MOU TWN SUGGENWN MOU KATA SARKA,
Roma 9:3 (RSV) For *I could wish* that I myself were accursed and cut off
from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen by race.
Acts 25:22 (GNT) AGRIPPAS DE PROS TON FHSTON: *EBOULOMHN* KAI AUTOS TOU
ANQRWPOU AKOUSAI. AURION, FHSIN, AKOUSH AUTOU.
Acts 25:22 (RSV) And Agrippa said to Festus, "*I should like* to hear the
man myself." "Tomorrow," said he, "you shall hear him."
Gala 4:20 (GNT) *HQELON* DE PAREINAI PROS hUMAS ARTI KAI ALLAXAI THN FWNHN
MOU, hOTI APOROUMAI EN hUMIN.
Gala 4:20 (RSV) *I could wish* to be present with you now and to change my
tone, for I am perplexed about you.
Does anybody care to comment on these?
Jonathan
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Jonathan Robie jwrobie@mindspring.com http://www.mindspring.com/~jwrobie
POET Software, 3207 Gibson Road, Durham, N.C., 27703 http://www.poet.com
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