Andley_BG4e/Syntax/Hebraic Influence.md

14 Aramaic Constructions New Testament Greek often shows the influence of Hebrew and Aramaic, resulting in constructions that, while evidenced in the Septuagint and other Jewish Greek writings, are not found in Classical or Hellenistic Greek.

Besides the Genitive of Definition and Genitive of Apposition already mentioned above, it might be argued that some of the ἵνα constructions (as subject, object, or in apposition) fall under this category.

Additionally, the following should be noted.

A. καὶ ἐγένετο (ἐγένετο δέ)

Exhibited in Luke’s writings, this construction reflects the Septuagint, where it is the equivalent of וַיְהִי (“and it came to pass”), which is regularly used merely to introduce narration in past time and is often best left untranslated. ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ἐξῆλθεν δόγμα παρὰ Καίσαρος Αὐγούστου.

Luke 2:1 “(And it came to pass) in those days (that) a decree went out from Caesar Augustus.”

B. καί The prevalence and use of kai, reflects the Hebrew and Aramaic conjunc-tion w, which is used not only conjunctively but also disjunctively or to introduce a variety of dependent clauses. Note the following examples.

1. Disjunctive connector τὸ φῶς ἐλήλυθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον καὶ ἠγάπησαν οἱ ἄνθρωποι μᾶλλον τὸ σκότος ἢ τὸ φῶς.

John 3:19 “The light has come into the world and yet (but) people loved darkness more than the light.”

2. To introduce an apodosis καὶ ὅτε ἐπλήσθησαν ἡμέραι ὀκτὼ τοῦ περιτεμεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦς.

Luke 2:21 “And when the days were completed for him to be circumcised, he was named Jesus.”

3. To introduce a coordinate temporal clause ἦν δὲ ὥρα τρίτη καὶ ἐσταύρωσαν αὐτόν.

Mark 15:25 “And it was the third hour when they crucified him.”

C. ἰδού The prevalence and use of ἰδού and ἰδέ (“behold”) reflects the influence of the Septuagint, where the word translates הִנֵה. The latter is used in Hebrew to point to the immediacy of something.

1. Existence or Prevalence καὶ ἰδοὺ δύο τυφλοὶ καθήμενοι παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν. Matt 20:30 “And there were two blind men sitting beside the road.”

2. To emphasize the whole or a part of a clause ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν πάντα καὶ ἠκολουθήκαμέν σοι.

Mark 10:28 “Look, we ourselves have left everything and have followed you.”