(n) Ellipsis of ecti

[2229] In ii. 4 Tí èμoi kai σoí, and in xxi. 22 тí πpòs σé; there is an ellipsis of ἐστί. Τί πρὸς σέ (of which Wetst. ad loc. alleges comparatively few instances) presents no difficulty, as meaning "What [is it] in relation to thee?" i.e. What does it concern thee? Wetst. quotes Glycas, Annal. iv. p. 255, Anthol. MSS. i. 1, and Epictet. (but without reference) μὴ προσέλθῃς· οὐδέν ἐστι πρός σε (sic), and τί πρὸς ἐμέ;

[2230] Tí éμoi kai oo might, theoretically, be rendered "What does this concern me and thee?" for ri poi, by itself, might mean "what does it concern me?" as in Epictet. iii. 22. 66 (foll. by infin.). But, as a fact, both in Hebrew and Greek (Wetst. on Mt. viii. 29) "What [is there] to me and thee?" always implies "to me and thee in common," so that the meaning is, "What have we to do with one another?" [Wetst. compares Josh. xxii. 24, 2 S. xvi. 10, 1 K. xvii. 18, 2 K. xvi. 10, 2 Chr. xxxv. 21, Joel iii. 4. But in Josh. xxii. 24, LXX omits κaí, 2 K. xvi. 10 is a repetition (by error) of 2 S. xvi. 10, and in Joel iii. 4 LXX has (as Heb.) Tí vueis époí;] It occurs in Aristoph., Demosth., Epictet., Achill. Tat., Anacreon etc., and none of Wetstein's numerous quotations adds an explanatory phrase except Synesius, δήμῳ γὰρ δὴ καὶ φιλοσοφίᾳ τί πρὸς ἀλλήλους; The phrase was so common that no contemporary (2642 a) Greeks could doubt that πρὸς ἀλλήλους had to be supplied.

[2230 (i)] The ellipsis of orí in the phrase eri puкpóv is found in no Gospel but the Fourth, xiv. 19 "Yet a little (eri juκpóv) and the world no longer beholdeth me: ye (emph.) behold me." The Epistle to the Hebrews, quoting from prophecy, says, "Ye have need of patience, that having done the will of God ye may gather

1 [2230 a] In v. 36 "The witness that I have is greater than [that of] John," ἐγὼ δὲ ἔχω τὴν μαρτυρίαν μείζω τοῦ I., there is, perhaps, no ellipsis of τῆς μαρτυρίας before τοῦ Ι. Somewhat similarly we sometimes substitute the person for his work in vernacular English (as well as in Latin and Greek) especially when speaking about a picture or poem, "This is rather like Gainsborough," “better than Linnell,” “almost equal to Tennyson,” “He was better than his word," "How very like him to say that!" etc. Winer explains in the same way (Mt. v. 20) "Except your righteousness (lit.) abound more than the scribes," and gives frequent instances in Greek and Latin. Probably the meaning here is all the stronger for the omission of rs μ.: "The witness that I have is above the level of John."

in (koμíonʊ0)1 the promise, For yet a little, just a little, [and] he that cometh will come." This illustrates the regular use of the phrase in O.T. in predictions announcing the approaching doom of the enemies of Jehovah and the deliverance of His people, who are exhorted to wait "yet a little." The ellipsis of orí after ĕrɩ is not mentioned in the Thesaurus and appears to spring from Hebrew sources.

[2230 (ii)] Similar ellipses of "are," with mention of time, occur in O.T. in connexion with the judgment of Jehovah that will surely come to pass in "yet seven days," "yet forty days," "yet a year" etc." Compare the thought in iv. 35 "Say ye not, 'Yet are four months and the harvest cometh'? Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes and contemplate the lands how that they are white for reaping. Already doth the reaper receive hire and gather fruit for life eternal." As the Gospel connects this numbering of "months" with a subsequent mention of "hire," so does Isaiah, "Within yet a year as the year of a hireling," and elsewhere he says, "Within three years, as the years of a hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be brought into contempt," meaning apparently that Israel counted the days. "like the days of an hireling, as a servant that earnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling that looketh for his wages."

[2230 (iii)] As regards the period of "four months," it appears that the Jews divided the agricultural year into six periods of two months, the first four being "sced-time," "winter," "winter-solstice," "harvest." It might therefore be common for farmers and labourers

7

1 [2230 (i) a] Not quite the same as "receive," see L.S. quoting Dem. 304. 26 τοὺς καρποὺς κεκόμισθε “ ye have reaped the fruits,” and Herod. ii. 14 καρπὸν κ. "gather in corn."

* Heb. x. 37 ἔτι γὰρ μικρὸν ὅσον ὅσον, ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἥξει quoting from Is. xxvi. 20 ȧæокрúВηði μixрòv őσov öσov and from Hab. ii. 3 foll. (LXX).

* [2230 (i) b] Comp. Rev. vi. 11 "that they should rest yet a little time," and see Is. x. 25, xxix. 17, Jer. li. 33, Hos. i. 4.

* [2230 (ii) a] Gen. vii. 4 (R.V.) "For yet seven days and I will...” ětɩ yàp ημeрŵν ¿Ħтà ¿yú (Heb. lit. "to days" and om. "and"), Is. xxi. 16 "Within yet a year as the year of a hireling and all the glory of Kedar shall fail," Tɩ èviaAUTÒS ὡς ἐ. μισθωτοῦ, ἐκλείψει ἡ δόξα τ. υἱῶν K., Jon. iii. 4 " Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown,” LXX (by error) ἔτι τρεῖς ἡμέραι καὶ Ν. καταστραφήσεται.

5 Is. xvi. 14.

6 [2230 (ii) b] Job vii. 1-2. So Ibn Ezra (Is. xvi. 14) “As the years of a hireling, who daily counts when the end will come; so the prophet is satisfied, when he sees that the time of the calamity of Moab approaches."

7 Hor. Heb. on Jn iv. 35, quoting Baba Mezia 106 b.

at the conclusion of "seed-time," to say "Yet four months [i.e. winter and winter-solstice] and the harvest cometh," and from agriculturists the saying might pass into a proverb inculcating patient expectation. It is to be noted that Jn iv. 35 foll. is the only place in this Gospel where "hire" is mentioned. The meaning may be paraphrased thus: "Do not the farmers say, Four months precisely, as the days of a hireling-and then cometh the harvest? But I say to you, Lift up your eyes, and see the harvest already white, and the hire of the reapers already present'."

IMPERATIVE, see Index

INFINITIVE, see Index

INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES

(i) Interrogative particles

[2231] John's use of the interrogative ov2, oùɣí, πŵs, ñóðev, and τí3 seldom causes ambiguity and requires little comment.

of où μý and ovκoûv are unique in N.T. as follows:

But his uses

1 [2230 (iii) a] Comp. Jas v. 7 "Be therefore long-suffering...the husbandman waiteth...." In Jn iv. 35 Teтpáμŋvós éσtɩ, there is no ellipsis; but the thought is similar to that of the above quoted passages from O.T.

2 [2231 a] In xix. 10 éμoì où λaλeîs; “To me thou speakest not!" où has the force of alpha privative, "Thou refusest to speak to me!" As regards οὐχί which (1861) is never used by Mk and is more freq. in Lk. than in Mt. and Jn taken together—there are abundant instances in N. T. of its use interrogatively as in Jn xi. 9. In vi. 42, W.H. has 'oixin (marg. ovx) ourós étu’Intous ở vids Ἰωσήφ...; Comp. Mk vi. 3 οὐχ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τέκτων.....; καὶ οὐκ...; Mt. xiii. 55 οὐχ οὗτός ἐστιν; καὶ οὐχί...; Lk. iv. 22 οὐχὶ υἱός ἐστιν Ἰωσὴφ οὗτος; In Mt. v. 46, 47, vi. 25, xii. 11, the parall. Lk. rejects ovxí. But Lk. freq. has ovxí interrog. elsewhere, in traditions peculiar to himself, and also in the parall. to Mt. x. 29. On oixí negative, see 2265 (i).

3 [22316] On xii. 27 тí elπw, see 2512 b-c, which (the view taken in 933 being retracted) accepts the ordinary rendering "What should I say...?” In iv. 27 7 Xaλeîs, A. V. and R. V. give "Why," without alternative, and Westcott makes no comment. SS however has "What wast thou saying?" The Latin MSS. also have "quid loqueris" (following “quid quaeris”) clearly meaning “what” (but Chrys. has οὐκ ἠρώτησαν τὴν αἰτίαν).

[2231 c] As to the interrogative use of ri generally, it has been noted (939 b) that Jn never uses ἵνα τί. Aià ri he never uses without a negative. Ti, "why?" he uses frequently. "Ort, interrogatively used sometimes in LXX, Jn never uses thus.

[2232] xviii. 11 "The cup that my Father hath given me shall I not assuredly drink it (ov pǹ пíw aνтó)!" See 933-6, 1007, where it is maintained that this rare interrogative is rather an exclamation than an interrogation, and that it means literally "I am of course not to drink it [according to your desire]!" This view is confirmed by many details in this section shewing John's proneness to the exclamatory interrogative; and it also helps to explain (1508) one aspect of the meaning of iv. 48 "Except ye see signs and wonders ye will assuredly not believe (où un TOTEUσNTE)!" addressed to the nobleman from Capernaum. Chrysostom suggests that "ye" may mean "ye citizens of Capernaum," and that our Lord is chiding and stimulating his faith as being weak like that of his fellow-citizens. But the words

[2231] As regards ör, the LXX uses it to express a great number of Hebrew particles, and it often represents Heb. "Why?" "For what?" "Is not?" etc. But there is often v.r. Tí örɩ; and, where or introduces a speech, confusion may arise from the use of or recitativum, e.g. Gen. xviii. 13 elπev K. πрòs 'A. "OTI éyéλasev 2. (D Tí öri) “Wherefore did S. laugh?" Comp. Judg. ii. 2 v.r. öte, Judg. iv. 14 v.r. oux idoú (where Swete marks no interrog. and or may mean “for indeed”), 2 S. vii. 7 v.r. Tí and rí örɩ, xii. 9 v.r. rí, 2 K. viii. 14 (Swete ő 74, called by Blass "v.l. (in AB) for ri," but Swete gives no v.l.), Job xxvii. 12 v.r. διὰ τί δέ etc. The instances are extremely numerous.

[2231] These special circumstances differentiate LXX Greek (and Greek influenced by LXX) from all other Greek, as to the use of or in particular and interrogative and relative particles in general. Blass says (p. 176) “the employment of doris or even of ős in a direct question is quite incredible, except that ő, T appears to be used as an abbreviation for Ti ö, T'why.' Blass (p. 331) mentions, as quoted against him, (1) Plut. De Sera Vind. 14 p. 558 E: but this is best punctuated τό γε σαφές οὐδ ̓ ἀσφαλῶς εἰπεῖν ἔχομεν, οἷον, διὰ τί....., ἢ πάλιν δι ̓ ἣν αἰτίαν.... (2) 2 K. viii. 14 (see 2231 d) which should not be mixed with non-LXX Gk, (3) [Justin] Cohort. ad Graec. 5 ad fin., where the txt is doubtful, but there is high authority for paraphrasing thus, “ For the same reason for which (di ĥv airíav) you say Homer speaks the truth when he is on your side don't you think he speaks the truth when we prove (ἀποφηναμένων for ἀποφηνάμενος) from Homer a view opposite to yours?" (4) Euseb. P.E. vi. 7. 12 (Giff. p. 257d)'Nv dè ëveka taûta προσεισήνεγκα τῷ λόγῳ—ὅτι σε ἐκπέφευγεν ..., rendered by G. the reasons for which..."; but I should prefer: "And now to for which I have introduced these matters-[it is] because...." added Euseb. Ρ. Ε. vi. 7. p. 256 C, ἐκεῖνό μοι λέγε...ἆρά γέ τί ἐσμεν ἐγώ τε καὶ σύ; —φαίης ἄν—τοῦτο δὲ ὁπόθεν ἴσμεν; where I should suggest a repetition of λέγε. "Tell me this...Do we exist, you and I—yes, you say of course—but [tell me] whence we know this." Gifford renders, in note, "But do you ask whence do we know this?" The facts confirm Blass's conclusion.

But do you ask come to the reason To these may be

apply to men of the world generally, "Ye that are rich and great will not believe without signs and wonders! [Is it to be so with thee'?]”

(β) ΟΥ̓ΚΟΥΝ

[2233] xviii. 37 (R.V.) "Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then (οὐκοῦν βασιλεὺς εἶ σύ;)?” Ούκουν, unaccented, may mean (1) "Not therefore," (2) "It is not, then?" (3) "Then it is so [is it not?]" In this last sense, in which it is commonly accented ovkov, it drops the negative and interrogative force, so that it can be used, in the sense "well then," even with an imperative, as in Kings (Heb.) "Be content, take two," where Symmachus has " Well then, take,” οὐκοῦν (Α οικονν, sic) λάβε. In such cases it means, "You'll do it, then, won't you?" It may be paraphrased as "come" when Persephone coaxes her husband to make Protesilaus young again, "Come, husband, prithee do thou cure this ill, also3."

66

[2234] In xviii. 37, the force of ovκouv cannot be understood without reference to context (and perhaps to the Synoptists). All the four evangelists agree exactly in words and order as to the question addressed by Pilate to Jesus, "Thou art [it seems] the king of the Jews'!" But as to our Lord's answer, "Thou sayest [this]"," the Synoptists assert that it followed at once, whereas John says that Jesus answered at once, "Sayest thou this from thyself......?" Moreover, according to John, this answer provoked a contemptuous reply from Pilate, which led to Christ's explanation: "My kingdom

1 [2232 a] Comp. 1 Cor. i. 26, which says that "not many mighty, not many noble," are chosen, after stating that (i. 22) “Jews seek signs and Greeks wisdom." 2 [2233 a] 2 K. v. 23. Other copies have éπLEIKŵs λáße, "kindly take."

* [2233 6] Lucian, De Mort. xxiii. 3 (i. p. 428) οὐκοῦν, ὦ ἄνερ, σὺ καὶ τοῦτ' laoa.... Steph. quotes also De Mort. x. 4, xxiii. 2 with imperatives.

* [2234 a] Mk xv. 2, Mt. xxvii. 11, Lk. xxiii. 3, Jn xviii. 33 Zù el ỏ ß. t. Ἰουδαίων ;

5 [22340] Σὺ λέγεις, but Jn has ἀπὸ σεαυτοῦ σὺ τοῦτο λέγεις at once, and afterwards (xviii. 37)—in answer to the question, oỷkoûv Baσiλeùs el oú—où Xéyeis ÖTI B. Elui. On σù Xéyeɩs, as a formula of assent, see Wetst. on Mt. xxvi. 25. His instances of "vos dixistis" are from Talmudic sources. They express assent to bad news ("Num mortuus est Rabbi?' Respondit ille, 'Vos dixistis "") which a messenger shrinks from repeating to a questioner. So in Eurip. Hippol. 352 aoû τάδ ̓ οὐκ ἐμοῦ κλύεις and fr. 379 (not in Dind.) σὺ δὲ λέγεις ταῦτ ̓, οὐκ ἐγώ. His only instance from Gk prose is Xen. Mem. iii. 1o. 15 αὐτός, ἔφη, τοῦτο λέγεις, where there is no bad news in the context. The use in the Gospels is prob. from Jewish sources.