Writing in Greek But Thinking in Aramaic: A Study of Vestigial Verbal Coordination in the Gospels

205 Pages·2013·4.472 MB·English

by  C. Leslie Reiter

WRITING IN GREEK
BUT TEINEING IN A MAIC
A Study of Vestigial Verbal Coordination
in the Gospels
C. Leslie Reiter
With a Foreword by
Bruce Chilton
The Edwin Mellen Press
Lewiston•Queenston.Lampeter

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Reiter, C. Leslie.
Writing in Greek but thinking in Aramaic : a study of vestigial verbal coordination in
the Gospels / C. Leslie Reiter ; with a foreword by Bruce Chilton,
pages cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7734-4062-3 (hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-7734-4062-3 (hardcover)
I. Hebrew language--Verb. 2. Bible. N.T. Gospels--Language, style. 3. Bible. N. T.
Gospels--Criticism, interpretation, etc. 4. Bible. 0. T.--Criticism, interpretation, etc. I.
Title.
PJ4660.R45 2013
226'.048--dc23
2012036429
hors serie.
A OP catalog record for this book is available from the British Library.
Author photograph by Lee Lana, Beverly Hills, Florida
Copyright (cid:9) 2013 C. Leslie Reiter
All rights reserved. For information contact
(cid:9)
The Edwin Melle(cid:9)n Press The Edwin Mellen Press
Box 450 (cid:9) Box 67
Lewiston, New Yo(cid:9) rk Queenston, Ontario
USA 14092-0450 CANADA LOS ILO
The Edwin Mellen Press, Ltd.
Lampeter, Ceredigion, Wales
UNITED KINGDOM SA48 8LT
Printed in the United States of America

To my wife
Ruth Ann
and our four daughters
Tamera Lee. Tiara Lynn, Lesli Anne, and Lani Rae,
without whose understanding, patience, and sacrifice
this work would not have seen fruition.

vii
Table of Contents
(cid:9)
Foreword xi
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Acknowledgements xiii
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Abbreviations xvii
Chapter
1. Introduction
1.1 Answered and Said(cid:9) 3
1.2 Preliminary Observations(cid:9) 4
1.2.1 Verbal Coordination(cid:9) 5
1.2.2 Grammaticalization: Changes in Grammar (cid:9) 10
2. The Grammatical Structure of Verbal Coordination(cid:9) 13
2.1 Scholarly Notice of Verbal Coordination in Hebrew(cid:9) 13
2.2 Scholarly Notice of Verbal Coordination in Aramaic(cid:9) 22
2.3 Scholarly Notice of Semitisms in the Greek New Testament (cid:9) 26
2.4 Scholarly Notice of Verbal Coordination in the Commentaries(cid:9) 43
2.5 Grammaticalization and Verbal Coordination(cid:9) 48
2.5.1 Definitions and Concepts of Grammaticalization(cid:9) 48
2.5.2 Semitic Grammaticalization(cid:9) 52
2.5.3 Verbal Coordination as an Example of Grammaticalization(cid:9) 52
—
3 Verbal Coordination in Late B.C.E. Early C.E. Texts(cid:9) 57
3.1 Translations of Citations from Appendix A and B(cid:9) 61
3.1.1 The Septuagint and Vulgate(cid:9) 61
3.1.2 The Targumim(cid:9) 64
3.1.2.1 Targum Ongelos(cid:9) 64
3.1.2.2 Targum Nebi 'im (Targum Jonathan)(cid:9) 67
3.1.3 Aramaic Translations from Qumran(cid:9) 70
3.1.4 The Old Syriac Gospels(cid:9) 71
3.1.5 The Peshitta(cid:9) 72
3.2 Documents Other Than Translations of the Hebrew Bible(cid:9) 73
3.2.1 Additions to the Hebrew Bible Found in the Targumim(cid:9) 73
3.2.1.1 Targum Onaelos(cid:9) 73
3.2.1.2 Targum Nebi'im (Targum Jonathan)(cid:9) 74
3.2.2 Aramaic Documents from Qumran(cid:9) 77
4. Vestigial Verbal Coordination(cid:9) 79
4.1 Indicative Mood(cid:9) 79
4.1.1 Verbs of Speaking(cid:9) 80
4.1.1.1 Two verbs of utterance used in coordination(cid:9) 81
4.1.1.2 Verbs of action coordinated with verbs of speech(cid:9) 86
4.1.2 Verbs of Motion(cid:9) 91
4.1.2.1 Verbs meaning come or go coordinated with another verb(cid:9) 92
4.1.2.2 Verbs meaning rising coordinated with verbs of action(cid:9) 96
4.1.2.3 Other verbs of motion in coordination(cid:9) 98
4.1.3 Other Types of Verbs in Coordination(cid:9) 102
4.1.3.1 Verbs of seeing coordinated with verbs of action(cid:9) 102
4.1.3.2 Other verbs of action coordinated(cid:9) 103
4.1.4 Verbs Read Either as Separate Actions or Coordinated(cid:9) 107
4.1.5 Verbs Expressing Emotion(cid:9) 109
4.1.6 Verbs Used in a Special Sense(cid:9) 111
4.2 Imperative Mood(cid:9) 113
4.2.1 Syndetic Construction(cid:9) 113
ix
(cid:9)
4.2.2 Asyndetic Construction 117
(cid:9)
4.3 Participle Plus Verb 118
5. Concluding Remarks(cid:9) 121
5.1 Summary and Recapitulation(cid:9) 121
5.1.1 Significance of Aramaic(cid:9) 121
5.1.2 Verbal Coordination(cid:9) 122
5.1.3 Grammaticalization and Verbal Coordination(cid:9) 123
5.2 Implications for Biblical Studies(cid:9) 124
5.2.1 Verbal Coordination and Translating(cid:9) 124
5.2.2 Theological Implications of Verbal Coordination(cid:9) 124
5.3 Implications for the Life and Teachings of Jesus(cid:9) 125
5.4 Possible Objections to This Investigation(cid:9) 126
Appendices(cid:9) 131
A. Answered and Said in KJV of Bible(cid:9) 131
B. Verbal Coordination in the Hebrew Bible(cid:9) 134
C. Comparison of Syriac Versions with the Hebrew and Greek Text
for the Words Answered and Said in the KJV(cid:9) 136
D. Indicative Vestigial Verbal Coordination in the Gospels(cid:9) 140
E. Participial Vestigial Verbal Coordination in the Gospels(cid:9) 146
F. Imperative Vestigial Verbal Coordinated in the Gospels(cid:9) 148
(cid:9)
Bibliography 151