From: Polycarp66@aol.com
Date: Sat Apr 22 2000 - 11:10:31 EDT
In a message dated 4/22/2000 7:53:42 AM Central Standard Time,
bwmeyers@juno.com writes:
<< "But covet earnestly the best gifts: ... "KJV; and
a sampling of other versions, Douay, NIV,
RSV, YLT all seem to agree that this to be
rendered as an imperative.
So does the commentator AT Robertson.
Yet John Gill wrote:
> Which may be rendered either indicatively as
> an assertion, "ye do covet earnestly the best gifts":
> . . .
> or, by way of interrogation, "do ye covet earnestly
> the best gifts?"
> . . .
> or imperatively, as an exhortation, as it is rendered by
> our translators: . . .
So, is there no way, from the Grk alone, to distinguish between
the imperative, indicative, or interrogative moods?
And likewise, in the next clause, Robertson and Gill both
seem to indicate that the AGAPH of the following chapter
may not be just another of the forementioned gifts, but rather
the proper means of seeking those aforementioned gifts:
Is there no way grammatically to tell whether agaph is being
given as "the best gift," or whether agaph is something of
another class than a gift, entirely?
Also, on Heb. 13:4, the KJV gives "Marriage is honorable
in all," that is, as a declarative.
However, it makes much more sense to read, as my "best"
commentators do, "Let marriage be honorable in all, for
whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." But the
impression they give is that it is impossible to tell whether
the mood is declarative or imperative as far as Grk grammar
alone is concerned. >>
First, a little advice. When you refer to a passage, it is a good idea to
cite its location. I have the Logos software and thus had no trouble
locating it, but not everyone has this resource.
Regarding your question:
Taken strictly abstractly, Gill is correct. ZHLOUTE can be indicative or
imperative as far as its form is concerned (It is indicative in Gal 4.17).
There is always the consideration in reading any work, however, of the
context in which something is found (even if this is English -- cf. the word
"read". Should it be present indicative, past indicative, or imperative?).
In cases where the form itself is ambiguous, only the context can tell you
what the meaning is.
gfsomsel
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