EST 3:2 Grammar 2x

bobj commented

2021-12-28 23:33:21 +00:00

\v 2 All the king's servants who were at the king's gate kneeling down and bowing down to Haman, as the king had ordered them to do. But Mordecai did not kneel or bowed down.

ISSUES: Wrong verb tenses in both sentences.

SUGGESTIONS:

\v 2 All the king's servants who were at the king's gate were kneeling down and bowing down to Haman, as the king had ordered them to do. But Mordecai did not kneel or bow down.

OR

\v 2 All the king's servants who were at the king's gate knelt down and bowed down to Haman, as the king had ordered them to do. But Mordecai did not kneel or bow down.

\v 2 All the king's servants who were at the king's gate **kneeling down and bowing down** to Haman, as the king had ordered them to do. But Mordecai did not **kneel or bowed down**. ISSUES: Wrong verb tenses in both sentences. SUGGESTIONS: \v 2 All the king's servants who were at the king's gate were kneeling down and bowing down to Haman, as the king had ordered them to do. But Mordecai did not kneel or bow down. OR \v 2 All the king's servants who were at the king's gate knelt down and bowed down to Haman, as the king had ordered them to do. But Mordecai did not kneel or bow down.

SusanQuigley commented

2022-01-25 15:34:22 +00:00

Owner

Most English versions 0f 3:2 have the simple past tense "knelt" and "bowed" rather than the past progressive "were kneeling". Verse 4 says, "They spoke with him day after day." This leads me to believe that 3:2 is telling about something that happened repeatedly or that that happened on a particualar day. But it doesn't seem to be setting the scene for telling more about that particular day. So I think the simple past tense (knelt ... bowed) is good because it can be used both for a particular event and for repeated events.

So I made the following changes.

\v 1 After these things, King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and placed his seat of authority above all the officials who were with him.
\v 2 All the king's servants who were at the king's gate ~~kneeling~~ knelt down and ~~bowing~~ bowed down to Haman, as the king had ordered them to do. But Mordecai did not kneel or ~~bowed~~ bow down.

\s5
\v 3 Then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordecai, "Why do you disobey the king's command?"
\v 4 They spoke with him day after day, but he refused to comply with their demands.

We need to let the audio recording team know how to fix this.

We need to fix TN either way.

John, what do you think?

Most English versions 0f 3:2 have the simple past tense "knelt" and "bowed" rather than the past progressive "were kneeling". Verse 4 says, "They spoke with him day after day." This leads me to believe that 3:2 is telling about something that happened repeatedly or that that happened on a particualar day. But it doesn't seem to be setting the scene for telling more about that particular day. So I think the simple past tense (knelt ... bowed) is good because it can be used both for a particular event and for repeated events. So I made the following changes. \v 1 After these things, King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and placed his seat of authority above all the officials who were with him. \v 2 All the king's servants who were at the king's gate ~~kneeling~~ **knelt** down and ~~bowing~~ **bowed** down to Haman, as the king had ordered them to do. But Mordecai did not kneel or ~~bowed~~ **bow** down. \s5 \v 3 Then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordecai, "Why do you disobey the king's command?" \v 4 They spoke with him day after day, but he refused to comply with their demands. **We need to let the audio recording team know how to fix this.** **We need to fix TN either way.** **John, what do you think?**