From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Wed Oct 25 2000 - 08:55:04 EDT
At 3:07 PM -0500 10/24/00, Rick H Duggin wrote:
>Dear B-Greekers:
>
>In James 4:2b-3, the verb AITEW shifts from middle to active
>and back to middle.
>
>...OUK ECETE DIA TO MH AITEISQAI hUMAS,
>AITEITE KAI OU LAMBANETE DIOTI KAKWS AITEISQE,
>hINA EN TAIS hHDONAIS hUMWN DAPANHSHTE
>
>Does this shift imply a difference in meaning, or does
>it reflect a mere stylistic change?
I would say that the anomalous form here is the active AITEITE; the two
instances of the middle pretty clearly involve prayer or request on one's
own behalf; of course it looks like AITEITE does also involve prayer or
request on one's own behalf, but I have the impression that the active here
is more general.
On the other hand, I think there's something neat about these middles; in
the context the author is saying that those he addresses are concerned
primarily for self-gratification, concerned with wanting and getting what
they want. Here he seems to be saying something like (paraphrase), "You
don't have (what you want) because you don't involve yourselves in asking;
you ask (for something) and you don't get (it) because you involve
yourselves in asking with the wrong motivation, in order to consume (it)
with your self-gratifications."
--
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics/Washington University
One Brookings Drive/St. Louis, MO, USA 63130/(314) 935-4018
Home: 7222 Colgate Ave./St. Louis, MO 63130/(314) 726-5649
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu
---
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