Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 50 views

    CH 13

    Uploaded by

    Clarence AG Yue
    The document discusses the main types of clauses found in the New Testament, including temporal, relative, comparative, causal, local, purpose, result, content, and conditional clauses. It provides examples of each type of clause and the most common Greek words that introduce each type. The types of clauses are important to understand when exegeting passages from the New Testament.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    CH 13

    Uploaded by

    Clarence AG Yue
    50 views5 pages
    The document discusses the main types of clauses found in the New Testament, including temporal, relative, comparative, causal, local, purpose, result, content, and conditional clauses. It provides examples of each type of clause and the most common Greek words that introduce each type. The types of clauses are important to understand when exegeting passages from the New Testament.

    Original Description:

    ch13

    Original Title

    Ch13

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The document discusses the main types of clauses found in the New Testament, including temporal, relative, comparative, causal, local, purpose, result, content, and conditional clauses. It provides examples of each type of clause and the most common Greek words that introduce each type. The types of clauses are important to understand when exegeting passages from the New Testament.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    50 views5 pages

    CH 13

    Uploaded by

    Clarence AG Yue
    The document discusses the main types of clauses found in the New Testament, including temporal, relative, comparative, causal, local, purpose, result, content, and conditional clauses. It provides examples of each type of clause and the most common Greek words that introduce each type. The types of clauses are important to understand when exegeting passages from the New Testament.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 5

    13

    A Cure for Clausetrophobia


    Greek Clauses

    s we saw in chapter 2, there are two basic types of clauses: independent (main) and
    dependent (subordinate). An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence. A
    dependent clause cannot stand alone as a sentence; its dependence on the main clause is
    signaled by a subordinating conjunction, relative pronoun, or some other grammatical
    feature that indicates subordination. Every sentence contains an independent clause, and
    every independent clause contains a simple subject and a simple predicate, which can be
    expanded with single words, phrases, and dependent clauses.
    The following are the most common types of clauses found in the New Testament.

    Temporal Clauses
    A temporal clause denotes the time of the action of the verb in the main clause on
    which it depends. Temporal clauses are frequently introduced by , , or ,
    meaning when or whenever.

    , , when Jesus had finished these


    words, he left (Matt. 19:1)
    , , whenever you stand up to pray, forgive (Mark
    11:25)

    They may also be introduced by , , or , meaning while.

    . . . . . . . . . , he ordered the
    disciples to get into the boat while he dismissed the crowd (Mark 6:45)

    Or they may be introduced by , , , , or , meaning until.

    . . . , the star went ahead


    of them until it stood over the place where the child was (Matt. 2:9)

    In addition, great numbers of temporal clauses are expressed in Greek by the use of
    participles, either in agreement with words in the sentence or in the genitive absolute.
    Likewise, temporal clauses can be expressed by prepositions with the arthrous infinitive
    ( = while, = before, = after, = until).

    Relative Clauses
    Relative clauses are most frequently introduced by the relative pronoun . When a
    pronoun introduces a relative clause it functions as a part of speech within that clause
    (i.e., as subject, indirect object, object, etc.).

    , the place in which they were gathered was


    shaken (Acts 4:31)
    , hold fast that which you have (Rev. 3:11)

    Comparative Clauses
    Comparative clauses are most frequently introduced by , , , , and
    .

    , we will see him as he is (1 John 3:2)


    , , when I was a child, I used to speak like a child
    (1 Cor. 13:11)

    Causal Clauses
    Causal clauses are most frequently introduced by , , , , , ,
    , , , and . (The infinitive and participle may also be used in
    causal clauses.)
    , , he would not let the demons
    speak, because they knew him (Mark 1:34)
    , for God is my witness (Rom. 1:9)

    Local Clauses
    Local clauses are introduced by a relative adverb of place: , or .

    , and the other [seed]


    fell on stony ground, where it didnt have much soil (Mark 4:5)
    , when he opened the
    book, he found the place where it was written (Luke 4:17)

    Purpose Clauses
    Purpose may be expressed in several ways: most commonly by and , meaning
    that, in order that; by the simple infinitive; by the infinitive with ; by the arthrous
    infinitive with and ; and, rarely, by the relative pronoun with the future indicative
    or the subjunctive; and by the future and present participle.
    . . . , he came in order that he might testify about
    the light (John 1:7)
    , do not think that I came to destroy the
    law (Matt. 5:17)
    , for Herod is about to look
    for the child to destroy it (Matt. 2:13)

    , everyone who looks at a woman for the purpose of desiring her has
    already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matt. 5:28)

    It should be noted that there are many passages where with the subjunctive and
    with the infinitive have lost all, or nearly all, of the idea of purpose and instead play the

    part of simple noun clauses. These instances should be carefully noted in exegesis (e.g.,
    Acts 10:25: , so it was that he entered).

    Result Clauses
    Result clauses express what issues from the action of the main verb. Most frequently,
    result is indicated by and the infinitive; the simple infinitive or the infinitive with
    is less commonly used.
    , and all of them were
    amazed, so that they were debating with each other (Mark 1:27)
    , , she is free from the
    law, so that she is not an adulteress (Rom. 7:3)

    Content Clauses
    Content clauses involve a subject, predicate nominative, direct object, or an
    appositional noun clause. Such clauses are commonly introduced by , , , and
    .
    , , it is sought in stewards that a
    person be found faithful (1 Cor. 4:2)
    , , sir, I see that you are a prophet (John 4:19)

    Conditional Clauses
    A conditional sentence has two parts: an if clause (the protasis), and a then clause
    (the apodosis): If God is for us, then who can be against us? Only the apodosis can stand
    alone as a sentence (Then who can be against us?). The protasis (If God is for us), on
    the other hand, is grammatically dependent on the apodosis. There are four general types
    of conditional sentences in the New Testament.
    The first-class condition (also called the simple condition) assumes the reality of the
    protasis for the sake of argument. (Objectively speaking, the statement may or may not be
    true). In the protasis, the particle is used with the indicative mood, while in the
    apodosis any mood and any tense can occur. This is a frequent New Testament conditional
    clause, occurring some three hundred times.
    , , but if you are being led by the Spirit, you
    are not under law (Gal. 5:18)

    The second-class condition (also called the contrary-to-fact condition) assumes the
    unreality of the protasis for the sake of argument. The protasis contains with a
    secondary tense of the indicative (usually the aorist or the imperfect), and the apodosis
    has and a secondary tense of the indicative. There are about fifty occurrences of the
    second-class condition in the New Testament.
    . . . , , if you had believed Moses, you would
    have believed me (John 5:46)

    Here the idea is: If you had believed Moses (and you didnt!). . . .
    The third-class condition (also called the more-probable future condition) presents
    the condition as uncertain of fulfillment, though still likely. The protasis has or

    followed by the subjunctive in any tense; the apodosis can have any mood and any
    tense. This class of condition occurs about three hundred times in the New Testament.
    , , and this we will do, if God permits
    (Heb. 6:3)

    Finally, the fourth-class condition (also called the less-probable future condition)
    indicates a possible condition in the future but one that is very remote. The protasis has
    with the optative mood; the optative is also used in the apodosis along with . There is
    no complete example of this class of condition in the New Testament, due in large part to
    the decrease in the use of the optative in Koine Greek.
    , , even if you should suffer for
    righteousness, [you would be] blessed (1 Pet. 3:14)

    Conclusion
    At all times it is necessary to deduce from the context the exact meaning of each of
    these constructions. No set of rules applies. A clear understanding of the immediate
    context, coupled with a good dose of common sense, is better than all the rules that could
    be devised.

    For Practice
    Put into English the following passage.

    , ,
    ,
    .
    ,

    ,
    , .

    Key Terms
    apodosis
    causal clause
    clause
    comparative clause
    conditional clause
    content clause
    contrary-to-fact condition
    first-class condition
    fourth-class condition
    less-probable future condition
    local clause
    more-probable future condition
    protasis
    purpose clause
    relative clause
    result clause
    second-class condition

    simple condition
    temporal clause
    third-class condition

    For Further Reading


    Robertson 9501049
    Dana and Mantey 269303
    BDF 23956
    Wallace 656725

    You might also like