Ephesians 5:19 (Morphosyntax)

Greek (SBLGNT): λαλοῦντες [a]ἑαυτοῖς ψαλμοῖς καὶ ὕμνοις καὶ ᾠδαῖς πνευματικαῖς, ᾄδοντες καὶ [b]ψάλλοντες τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν τῷ κυρίῳ,

1. ΠΡΟΣ ΕΦΕΣΙΟΥΣ 5:19 ἑαυτοῖς WH Treg RP ] + ἐν NIV
2. ΠΡΟΣ ΕΦΕΣΙΟΥΣ 5:19 ψάλλοντες WH NIV ] + ἐν Treg RP
   
   

CSB: "speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord,"

ESV: "addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,"

Syntax: λαλοῦντες is the nominative plural masculine present active participle of λαλέω. Benjamin Merkle thinks it functions adverbially here to communicate result in conjunction with the four participles that follow (Ephesians in the EGGNT Series). Paul is apparently detailing what results when a Christian is filled with the holy spirit (see Ephesians 5:18 and its use of πληροῦσθε).

Clinton Arnold explains that scholars often prefer to construe the grammar of Ephesians 5:19 like Merkle does, but Arnold gives other possibilities: a) the participle has an imperatival sense, b) it is a participle of attendant circumstance, c) the participle expresses means. Arnold chooses to take the participle as expressive of means. 

ἑαυτοῖς is a reflexive pronoun doubling as a reciprocal pronoun, which is not unusual, and it's a dative of advantage (dativus commodi). See Merkle. 

ψαλμοῖς καὶ ὕμνοις καὶ ᾠδαῖς πνευματικαῖς-Does the last word here modify just ᾠδαῖς or all three nouns? And in what sense is the music "spiritual"?

ᾄδοντες καὶ ψάλλοντες-Andrew T. Lincoln offers this explanation (Ephesians in the WBC Series): "The second participial clause builds up the sentence in the writer’s characteristic style by employing the verbal forms of two of the previous nouns— ᾠδή, 'song,' and ψαλμός, 'psalm.' Although its original meaning involved plucking a stringed instrument, ψάλλω here means to make music by singing (cf. also 1 Cor 14:15; Jas 5:13), so that there is no reference in this verse to instrumental accompaniment (cf. the discussion in BAGD 891; pace Barth, 584)."

Arnold concurs with Lincoln that ψάλλοντες is not referring to instrumental accompaniment; Lincoln likewise reckons that Christ Jesus is the referent of the phrase, τῷ κυρίῳ, which is apparently a dative indirect object of ᾄδοντες and ψάλλοντες. Cf. Ephesians 5:17; Revelation 5:9. 

τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν-a dative of means and possessive genitive occur here. See William J. Larkin, Ephesians: A Handbook on the Greek Text, page 126.

1 Peter 5:8 (Morphology and Syntax)

Greek (SBLGNT): νήψατε, γρηγορήσατε. ὁ ἀντίδικος ὑμῶν διάβολος ὡς λέων ὠρυόμενος περιπατεῖ ζητῶν ^[a]τινα ^[b]καταπιεῖν·

1. ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Α΄ 5:8 τινα NIV] τίνα RP; – WH Treg
2. ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Α΄ 5:8 καταπιεῖν WH Treg NIV] καταπίῃ RP

Morphology: Peter initiates his counsel in this verse with two aorist imperatives, which is where one would expect present imperatives instead (Andreas J. Köstenberger, ‎Benjamin L Merkle, ‎Robert L. Plummer, Going Deeper with New Testament Greek, Rev. Edition). But the apostle evidently has a proclivity for aorist imperatives even when imparting general counsel. See 1 Peter 4:7.

Syntax: ὠρυόμενος and ζητῶν are "adverbial participles of manner modifying the main verb περιπατεῖ" (Going Deeper with New Testament Greek).

The aorist infinitive καταπιεῖν "is probably an infinitive communicating purpose ('in order to devour') or perhaps an epexegetical infinitive explaining the seeking ('that is, to devour')."

See op. cit., supra.

The Following is from 1 Peter: A Handbook on the Greek Text by Mark Dubis, page 168:

ὁ ἀντίδικος ὑμῶν διάβολος. The subject ὁ ἀντίδικος ὑμῶν along with its appositive διάβολος is fronted to mark the topical shift from “you” to “the devil.”

ὁ ἀντίδικος. Nominative subject of περιπατεῖ. BDAG (88) notes that this term can mean (a) more specifically, “accuser” or “plaintiff” in a legal context (see Job 1:6-11), or (b) more generally, “enemy.” Michaels (299) rightly concludes that the context is “not judicial” but rather one of worldwide antagonism (v. 10), in favor of option (b).

ὑμῶν. Objective genitive.

διάβολος. Nominative in apposition to ἀντίδικος. This substantival adjective (lit. “slanderer”) functions as a title in the NT and refers to the devil. In the NT, it almost always appears, unlike here, with the article. Nevertheless, Wallace (248–49) argues that this singular noun is monadic, i.e., a “one-of-a-kind noun” and, thus, is definite even when anarthrous. Of course, it is also definite by virtue of standing in apposition to a definite noun.

Revelation 8:1-2 and the Seven Angels

Greek: Καὶ ὅταν ἤνοιξεν τὴν σφραγῖδα τὴν ἑβδόμην, ἐγένετο σιγὴ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ὡς ἡμιώριον. καὶ εἶδον τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἀγγέλους οἳ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ ἑστήκασιν, καὶ ἐδόθησαν αὐτοῖς ἑπτὰ σάλπιγγες.

Buist Fanning III speaks of a "minor variation" here with some texts reading ὅτε, a reading that Stephen Smalley calls better attested but he indicates the lectio might not be original; other texts read ὅταν. Fanning thinks the two particles are overlapping relations in this context; he deems it more likely that scribes would have changed ὅταν to ὅτε to make it harmonize with chapter 6 of Revelation. See Fanning III, Revelation, page 279. Compare J.K. Elliott, "Revelations from the apparatus criticus of the Book of Revelation: How Textual Criticism Can Help Historians," page 8.

G.K. Beale (The Book of Revelation): 

Some mss. have οτε (“when”; so  א052 M) instead of ὅταν (“whenever”). The latter is preferable because of its better witnesses (A C 1006 1611 1841) and as the harder reading, because it usually is used to refer to repeated actions and not definite action (it is often translated “whenever”). Consequently, ὅτε is what a scribe would have expected here for the definite past reference to the opening of the seal.226 Furthermore, ὅτε is used to introduce the first six seals. Some grammarians view ὅταν as suggesting a repeated act of opening the seal,227 although this is unlikely because of the uses of ὅτε in 6:1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12.228 Furthermore, ὅταν refers to a definite future action in 18:9 and possibly in 4:9. Consequently, 8:1 is conditional in form but definite in force.

ἤνοιξεν τὴν σφραγῖδα τὴν ἑβδόμην-It is generally thought to be the Lamb per the context, who opens the seventh seal. The verb ἤνοιξεν is aorist active indicative third person singular of ἀνοίγω ("I open"); the agent of the verb is not clear from the verbal form alone, but the Lamb appears to be the implied actor of the verb.

ἐγένετο σιγὴ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ὡς ἡμιώριον-Scholars have essayed many suggestions about why silence in heaven occurs for about half an hour, yet it's hard to be too definitive about the reason for silence in heaven. Leon Morris offers these thoughts (Tyndale Commentary on Revelation):

The sixth seal was opened as far back as 6:12, so there has been quite an interval. At the opening of the seventh there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Clearly it was a solemn and impressive moment. It is possible that the silence is connected with the offering of the prayers of the saints (vv. 3–4, so Beasley-Murray) just as in 7:3 certain plagues were held back until the servants of God were sealed. The saints appear insignificant to men at large. But in the sight of God they matter. Even great cataclysms are held back while they pray. And the praises of angels give way to silence so that the saints may be heard. It is also possible that we should think of the silence as resulting from a sense of awe at the presence of God (cf. Hab. 2:20). He is about to launch severe judgments on people. All heaven remains silent.

καὶ εἶδον τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἀγγέλους οἳ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ ἑστήκασιν-Morris proffers that John has specific angels in mind since he employs τοὺς, and then Morris recalls the seven angels mentioned in pseudepigraphal literature: Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Saraqael, Gabriel and Remiel. However, does Revelation truly have these specific angels in mind when it speaks of "the seven angels"?

Robert H. Mounce suggests (The Book of Revelation): "Whatever the connection may be between the seven trumpet-angels of John’s vision and the seven archangels of Jewish apocalyptic, their role in the book of Revelation is to announce a series of plagues that is to fall upon the earth and its inhabitants. It is possible that they are also the seven angels who later pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God (15:1, 6-8; 16:1; 17:1; 21:9)."

These seven angels stand before God: ἑστήκασιν is perfect active indicative third person plural of ἵστημι, but Grant R. Osborne insists (Revelation, BECNT): "As noted before (3:20; 5:6; 7:1, 9), the perfect of ἵστημι has present force, and so connotes the idea of being continually attendant to the enthroned God."

For more on the perfect morphology of ἵστημι and its ostensibly present force, see David L. Mathewson, Verbal Aspect in the Book of Revelation, pages 92, 101-103. Regarding the expression, ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ, compare Revelation 3:5; 4:5-6, 10; 5:8; 7:9, 11, 15; 8:3-4; 9:13; 11:4, et al.

ἐδόθησαν is aorist passive indicative third person plural of δίδωμι.

Hebrews 2:4 (Morphosyntax)

Greek (WH): συνεπιμαρτυροῦντος τοῦ θεοῦ σημείοις τε καὶ τέρασιν καὶ ποικίλαις δυνάμεσιν καὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου μερισμοῖς κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ θέλησιν

CSB: "At the same time, God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to his will."

James Moffatt NT: "while God corroborated their testimony with signs and wonders and a variety of miraculous powers, distributing the holy Spirit as it pleased him."

This verse begins with a word that morphologically is present active participle genitive singular masculine (συνεπιμαρτυροῦντος). William L. Lane (Hebrews 1-8, WB Commentary) states that συνεπιμαρτυρέω is used regularly in nonbiblical Greek, but the LXX does not employ the word and its only GNT occurrence is Heb. 2:4. Lane proffers the meaning, “to bear witness at the same time." Bill Mounce supplies these definitions: "to join in according testimony; to support by testimony, to confirm, sanction." One other point about the present participle is that Lane thinks it connotes ongoing action that continued to be shown in the early Christian community's daily life.

συνεπιμαρτυροῦντος τοῦ θεοῦ is a genitive absolute (A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament). ESV translates: "while God also bore witness"; NWT 2013: "while God joined in bearing witness." Dana Harris (Hebrews) relates that συνεπιμαρτυρέω is legal nomenclature and the participle may logically correlate with ἐβεβαιώθη in Hebrews 2:3 even if the correlation is not strictly grammatical: moreover, the participle in the genitive absolute construction logically depends on ἐβεβαιώθη.

The language, σημείοις τε καὶ τέρασιν καὶ ποικίλαις δυνάμεσιν emphasizes divine wonders, the exhibited power of God, and "the rich variety of divine activity." See Paul Ellingworth, The Epistle to the Hebrews, page 142. Additionally, Harris observes that one finds a string of instrumental datives here with ποικίλαις modifying δυνάμεσιν.

The writer of Hebrews has a propensity for the correlative τε καὶ (see Hebrews 4:12; 5:1,7,14; 8:3); καὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου μερισμοῖς κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ θέλησιν-The Greek μερισμός occurs twice in the GNT (Hebrews 2:4; 4:12); the word is best understood in terms of distribution for Heb. 2:4, contra Henry Alford.

Both Paul Ellingworth and Harold Attridge consider πνεύματος ἁγίου to be an objective genitive, and Attridge adds (Hebrews, 67-68) that the "spirit" in this verse:

refers not to a divine hypostasis, but to an eschatological gift of God's power and life.68 Hebrews will describe the "holy spirit" as speaking through the scriptures.69 That personification involves a traditional paraphrase for referring to the divine origin of scripture.

The Greek text reads, καὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου μερισμοῖς ("and distributions of holy spirit"), but commentators normally interpret the "distributions" (μερισμοῖς) to be gifts imparted through/by the holy spirit--it is not the holy spirit itself that is being distributed. Luke T. Johnson explains (Hebrews, page 89):

The expression “distributions of the Holy Spirit according to his will,” in turn, most clearly echoes Paul’s language in 1 Cor 12:11. Speaking of the “variety of gifts” (diaireseis charismaton), Paul says, “all these are activated by the one and same Spirit who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.”

On the other hand, see James Moffatt, The Epistle to the Hebrews, page 20. Note his translation supra.

Amplified Bible:  "[and besides this evidence] God also testifying with them [confirming the message of salvation], both by signs and wonders and by various miracles [carried out by Jesus and the apostles] and by [granting to believers the] gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will."

κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ θέλησιν is likely a reference to God per the context (i.e., God's will); θέλησιν is accusative singular feminine and the object of κατὰ. See Harris, Hebrews. The suffix -σιν that occurs three times in Heb. 2:4 is probably for rhetorical effect, according to Harris.

While I do not agree with Daniel Wallace's Trinitarian theology, his article here is useful in some ways: https://bible.org/article/hebrews-23-4-and-sign-gifts

Words of the Month (April 2023)

1. Lexicology (etymology is late Greek and French)-"Lexicology is the study of the meaningful information conveyed by words" (James Price, An Exegetical and Expository Syntax of Biblical Hebrew, page 1).

Merriam-Webster offers this definition: "a branch of linguistics concerned with the signification and application of words."

2. Syntax-"Syntax is the study of the meaningful information conveyed by the sequential order in which the words of a text are arranged" (James Price, An Exegetical and Expository Syntax, page 1).

For extended definitions of "syntax," see https://www.dictionary.com/browse/syntax

Collins Dictionary: "Syntax is the ways that words can be put together, or are put together, in order to make sentences."

3. νοῦς (Greek)-"mind, reason, intellect." See 1 Corinthians 2:16; 14:14-15, 19; Philippians 4:7; Colossians 2:18; Revelation 13:18; 17:9.

Marvin Vincent has this note in his Philippians and Philemon Commentary (ICC):

Νοῦς is the reflective intelligence; in Paul, mostly as related to ethical and spiritual matters. It is the organ of the natural moral consciousness and knowledge of God (Rom 1:20, Rom 1:28, Rom 1:7:23). It is related to πνεῦμα as the faculty to the efficient power. Until renewed by the divine πνεῦμα, it cannot exercise right moral judgment (Rom 12:2); and although it may theoretically approve what is good, it cannot conform the practice of the life to its theory (Rom 7:25). It is this which is incapable of dealing with the painful and menacing facts of life in such a way as to afford rest.

Words of the Month (March 2023)

 1. Polysyndeton (English)-From Oxford Reference:

[from Greek, ‘using many connectives’]

The repetition of conjunctions in close succession for rhetorical effect, as in ‘Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea’ (Shakespeare, Sonnet 65).

See https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100336782;jsessionid=2B2540DCB4E4B304614AC888E2163CAE

The example from Shakespeare reminds me of Romans 8:38-39 (RSV): "For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

2. Asyndeton (English)-"Asyndeton (ah-SIN-di-ton) is the deliberate omission of a coordinating conjunction between words or phrases in literature or any written speech."

The definition comes from https://www.supersummary.com/asyndeton/

The website contains bountiful amounts of data about asyndeton and other rhetorical devices. One of my favorite examples is "veni, vidi, vici" by Julius Caesar (attributed to him).

Compare Aristotle, Rhetoric 3.12, which the website above references.

See also https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asyndeton

Veni, vidi, vici is an example of other devices, rhetorically speaking, including alliteration.

2 Timothy 3:5 (Form of Godliness, Turn Away From Such Ones)

Greek: ἔχοντες μόρφωσιν εὐσεβείας τὴν δὲ δύναμιν αὐτῆς ἠρνημένοι· καὶ τούτους ἀποτρέπου.

Donald Guthrie (The Pastoral Epistles, Tyndale NTC): "In verse 5 the apostle examines more exactly the religious situation. Religion is not entirely denied, but it amounts to no more than an empty shell. There is an outward form (morphōsis) of godliness, but no power. Indeed, it is not simply a matter of an organized religion which has ceased to function, but a religion which is not intended to function. Its adherents are denying its power, which suggests a positive rejection of its effectiveness. They have no conception of the gospel as a regenerating force. It is clear that moral decadents can hardly be expected to pay more than the most superficial lip-service to piety, and then only to maintain a cloak of respectability."

But to whom do the words τούτους ἀποτρέπου apply? Guthrie seems to limit their application to the people mentioned in 3:5; however, he indicates that καὶ could be ascensive, thus being understood as "even, also." He then says the warning to eschew such ones could apply to those persons referenced in 2 Tim. 2:23, but Guthrie doesn't seem to offer much explanation beyond that point.

From William Mounce:

μόρφωσις, “appearance, form” (BAGD 528), describes the mere shell, and the context shows that the shell has no correspondence to reality (contra W. Pöhlmann, EDNT 2: 444; cf. J. Behm, TDNT 4: 742– 59). Their appearance of godliness (teaching the law, asceticism, etc.) is shown to be false because at the same time they love themselves, money, and pleasure rather than God.

Pastoral Epistles, Volume 46 (Word Biblical Commentary) (Kindle Locations 21714-21717). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Mounce offers these remarks concerning the latter part of 2 Tim. 3:5:

τούτους, “these people,” connects back with τοῦτο, “this,” in v 1 (cf. τούτων, “of these,” in v 6) and summarizes Paul’s teaching about the kinds of people in vv 2– 4: “Know this [τοῦτο γίνωσκε]  .  .  . and avoid them [τούτους ἀποτρέπου].” ἀποτρέπεσθαι, “to avoid” (BAGD 101), occurs only here in the NT, but it restates a common theme heard throughout the PE (cf., e.g., 1 Tim 6: 20; 2 Tim 2: 16, 23).

Pastoral Epistles, Volume 46 (Word Biblical Commentary) (Kindle Locations 21731-21734). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Revelation 14:3 ("redeemed from the earth")

Greek (WH): καὶ ᾄδουσιν ὡς ᾠδὴν καινὴν ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου καὶ ἐνώπιον τῶν τεσσάρων ζῴων καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων· καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐδύνατο μαθεῖν τὴν ᾠδὴν εἰ μὴ αἱ ἑκατὸν τεσσεράκοντα τέσσαρες χιλιάδες, οἱ ἠγορασμένοι ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς.

Stephen S. Smalley (The Revelation to John, page 357):



Robert L. Thomas (Revelation 8-22, page 194):



Craig R. Koester (Revelation, page 609):



Grant R. Osborne (Revelation):

"The substantival perfect participle ἠγορασμένοι (eḡorasmenoi, have been redeemed) emphasizes the resultant state, namely that these victorious saints are the redeemed by the blood of the Lamb (5:9). On the basis of aspect theory, this would also be the 'frontgrounding' (Porter 1994: 23) or important element in the discourse. These 'redeemed' saints are the focus of the statement."