From: Carl William Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Mon Jan 26 1998 - 11:38:37 EST
On Mon, 26 Jan 1998 dd-1@juno.com wrote:
> Dear Greekers,
>
> I've noticed that the active voice MOICHEUOW is usually
> used; but the passive form ( MOICHEUOMAI ) is used in
> Mt 5:32, Mt 19:9, Mk 10:11-12, and Jn 8:4. This is a little
> puzzling to me. Especially:
>
> "they said to Him, 'Teacher, this woman has
> been caught in adultery ( MOICHEUOMENH ),
> in the very act.' " -Jn 8:4
>
> My question: How can she be "caught...in the very act" of
> being adulterated? What is the significance of being in the
> form of the verb? Is this the normal way to speak of a woman
> in an adulterous act?
I think that MOICEUOMENH should probably be understood here as a middle
voice rather than as a passive. To be sure, it is normally active MOICEUW
of both the man and the woman, the implication here is clearly that the
woman is no mere victim, and for that reason the middle might be
appropriate.
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University
One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO, USA 63130
(314) 935-4018
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu OR cwc@oui.com
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/
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