The Greek Verb Revisited

A Fresh Approach for Biblical Exegesis

Steven E. Runge &

Christopher J. Fresch

Editors

Proceedings of the

Linguistics and the Greek Verb Conference,

Cambridge University, 2015

The Greek Verb Revisited: A Fresh Approach for Biblical Exegesis

Edited by Steven E. Runge and Christopher J. Fresch

Copyright 2016 Lexham Press

Lexham Press, 1313 Commercial St., Bellingham, WA 98225

LexhamPress.com

You may use brief quotations from this resource in presentations, articles, and books. For all other uses, please write Lexham Press for permission. Email us at permissions@lexhampress.com.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are the author’s own translation.

Print ISBN 9781577996361

Digital ISBN 9781577996378

Lexham Editorial: James Spinti, Abigail Stocker

Cover Design: Josh Warren

Contents

Abbreviations

Foreword

Andreas J. Köstenberger

Introduction

Bibliography

Overview

Chapter 1: Porter and Fanning on New Testament Greek Verbal Aspect: Retrospect and Prospect

Buist Fanning

Bibliography

Chapter 2: What is Aspect?: Contrasting Definitions in General Linguistics and New Testament Studies

Christopher J. Thomson

1. Introduction

2. Aspect in General Linguistics

3. Definitions of Aspect in Recent New Testament Studies

4. Verbal Aspect and Procedural Character

5. Conclusion

Bibliography

Chapter 3: Tense and Aspect in Classical Greek: Two Historical Developments; Augment and Perfect

Rutger J. Allan

1. Introduction

2. The Augment: Immediacy or Distance?

3. The Historical Semantic Development of the Perfect

4. Conclusion

Bibliography

Chapter 4: Aspect-Prominence, Morpho-Syntax, and a Cognitive-Linguistic Framework for the Greek Verb

Nicholas J. Ellis

1. Introduction

2. Verbal Prominence: An Overview

3. The Grammatical Prominence of Tense, Aspect, and Mood

4. Verbal Prominence in English

5. Verbal Prominence in Greek

6. Why Grammatical Prominence Matters

7. Perfective Aspect

8. Imperfect Aspect

9. Combinative Aspect

10. The Greek Aspect/Tense System in Summary

11. Tense, Mood, and Voice: Implications for Nonprominent Categories in the Greek Verbal System

12. Return to Matthew 2:20

13. Conclusions

Bibliography

Application

Chapter 5: Verb Forms and Grounding in Narrative

Stephen H. Levinsohn

1. Events Versus Nonevents

2. Tense-Aspect of Indicative Verbs

3. Subordination and Tail-Head Linkage

4. Specific Constructions

5. Summary and Concluding Comments

Bibliography

Chapter 6: Imperfects, Aorists, Historic Presents, and Perfects in John 11: A Narrative Test Case

Patrick James

Bibliography

Chapter 7: The Contribution of Verb Forms, Connectives, and Dependency to Grounding Status in Nonnarrative Discourse

Steven E. Runge

1. Introduction

2. Verb Forms and Grounding Status: Theme Line versus Support

3. Connectives and Grounding

4. Grammatical Dependency, Relative Salience, and Grounding

5. Summary

Bibliography

Chapter 8: Participles as a Pragmatic Choice: Where Semantics Meets Pragmatics

Randall Buth

1. Introduction

2. Definition of a Participle ...

Content not shown in limited preview…
GVR:FABE

About The Greek Verb Revisited: A Fresh Approach for Biblical Exegesis

For the past 25 years, debate regarding the nature of tense and aspect in the Koine Greek verb has held New Testament studies at an impasse. The Greek Verb Revisited examines recent developments from the field of linguistics, which may dramatically shift the direction of this discussion. Readers will find an accessible introduction to the foundational issues, and more importantly, they will discover a way forward through the debate.

Originally presented during a conference on the Greek verb supported by and held at Tyndale House and sponsored by the Faculty of Divinity of Cambridge University, the papers included in this collection represent the culmination of scholarly collaboration. The outcome is a practical and accessible overview of the Greek verb that moves beyond the current impasse by taking into account the latest scholarship from the fields of linguistics, Classics, and New Testament studies.

Support Info

grkvrbrvbblclxg

Table of Contents