Loading...

The Verbal Aspect Integral to the Perfect and Pluperfect Tense-Forms in the Pauline Corpus

A Semantic and Pragmatic Analysis

by James E. Sedlacek (Author)
©2022 Monographs XVIII, 432 Pages
Series: Studies in Biblical Greek, Volume 22

Summary

This book argues that the verbal aspect of the Greek Perfect is complex, involving not one but two aspects, where the perfective applies to events and the imperfective applies to states. These two aspects are connected to specific morphemes in the Perfect tense-form. This study analyses Perfect tense-forms in discursive text by focusing on the Pauline Corpus. The method is grounded in grammaticalisation studies and informed by morphology, comparative linguistics, and historical linguistics. The argument is further supported by a corpus-based study showing both the Greek Perfect tense-form use in letters over an 800-year period and adverb collocations of the Perfect tense-form. The adverb collocations establish when a Perfect is used for an event or for a state. This study challenges other verbal aspect studies that find only one verbal aspect to explain the Greek Perfect. This study situates the Pauline Perfect tense-form usage within a spectrum of other letter writers, and finds that within the Pauline Corpus the Perfects within supplemental clauses are more likely to use active lexemes than other letter writers. This study also finds that most of the Perfects used in letters are supplemental to the mainline and are often backgrounded rather than foregrounded.

Table Of Contents

  • Cover
  • Advance Praise
  • Title
  • Copyright
  • About the author
  • About the book
  • This eBook can be cited
  • Contents
  • List of Figures
  • Series Editor Preface
  • Author’s Preface
  • Introduction
  • 1. Introductory Remarks
  • 2. Linguistic Investigations into the Greek Language
  • 3. Application of Linguistic Investigations to Exegesis
  • 4. Thesis Statement
  • 5. Chapter Organisation
  • Overview of Verbal Aspect Studies as Related to the Greek Perfect and Pluperfect Tense-Forms
  • 1. Introductory Remarks
  • 2. The Development of Verbal Aspect as a Term for Grammatical Analysis
  • 3. Verbal Aspect as Related to the Greek Perfect and Pluperfect Tense-Forms
  • 4. Conclusion
  • A Way Forward
  • 1. Introductory Remarks
  • 2. Consideration of Methods
  • 3. Complexity of the Verbal Aspect for the Perfect Tense-Form
  • 4. Implications for Complex Aspect
  • 5. Conclusion
  • The Complex Aspect of the Perfect Tense-Form in the Pauline Corpus
  • 1. The Verbal Data from the Pauline Corpus
  • 2. Conclusion
  • Comparing the Pauline Corpus to a Diachronic Corpus of Epistolary and Moral Literature
  • 1. Corpus-Based Approach
  • 2. Defining the Limits of Both Corpora for Analysis
  • 3. Purposes of the Greek Diachronic Epistolary and Moral Literature Corpus
  • 4. Issues in the Greek Diachronic Epistolary and Moral Literature Corpus
  • 5. Contents of the Greek Diachronic Epistolary and Moral Literature Corpus
  • 6. Necessity for Corpus Approaches to Answer Certain Linguistic Questions
  • 7. A Review of the Corpus Data
  • 8. Conclusion
  • Conclusion
  • 1. Summary and Restatement of the Thesis
  • 2. Contribution to Knowledge
  • 3. Limitations of the Research
  • 4. Suggestions for Further Research
  • Bibliography
  • Appendix A: Rationale and Purpose of the Appendices
  • Appendix B: Chart of Morphemes
  • Appendix C: Chart of Stem Count
  • Appendix D: Chart of Stems by Frequency
  • Appendix E: Chart of Context
  • Appendix F: Chart of Adverbial Modification of Stative Perfects
  • Appendix G: Chart of Adverbial Modification of Eventive Perfects
  • Appendix H: Adverb Frequency Data
  • Appendix I: Key Adverbs
  • Appendix J: Chart of Adverbial Modification of Perfects used in Citational or Referential ways
  • Appendix K: Chart of Pauline Corpus Examples with Perfects
  • Appendix L: Chart of Analysis Corpus Examples with Perfects
  • Appendix M: Chart of Selected Verbs Found in the Perfect Tense-Form within the Pauline Corpus Fully Conjugated
  • Author Index
  • Text Reference Index
  • Subject Index
  • Series Index

←262 | 263→

Appendix E

Chart of Context

This appendix contains a chart of the Perfect tense-forms in the order they occur in the Pauline Corpus. This chart tracks several elements in close context to the Perfect tense-form that provide clues as to its verbal aspect.

Pauline Perfect tense-forms

Reference

Pf tense-form

Modifiers

Modifier function

Direct Object

Verbal parallel

Agent

Stative, Actional, or Both

Rom 1:1

ἀφωρισμένος

Preposition

Direction or purpose

---

---

None

Stative

Rom 1:17

γέγραπται

---

---

---

---

None

Stative

Rom 1:29

πεπληρωμένους

Dative

Content

---

---

None

Stative

Rom 2:2

οἴδαμεν

---

---

ὅτι clause

---

We

Stative

Rom 2:19

πέποιθάς

---

---

σεαυτὸν

2:17 – 2:23 a long string of Present tense-forms

You

Stative

Rom 2:24

γέγραπται

---

---

---

---

None

Stative

Rom 2:25

γέγονεν

---

---

---

2 Present tense-forms in the verse

None

Stative

Rom 3:4

γέγραπται

---

---

---

---

None

Stative

Rom 3:10

γέγραπται

---

---

ὅτι clause

---

None

Stative

Rom 3:13

ἀνεῳγμένος

---

---

---

3:12b – 3:14 several Present tense-forms

None

Stative

Rom 3:19

οἴδαμεν

---

---

ὅτι clause

---

We

Stative

Rom 3:21

πεφανέρωται

Preposition

Separation

---

---

None

Stative

Rom 3:25

προγεγονότων

Prefix

Temporal past

---

Aorist in the preceding main clause

None

Stative

Rom 4:1

εὑρηκέναι

---

---

Τί

---

Abraham

Actional

Rom 4:14

κεκένωται

---

---

---

Both Perfect tense-forms are in parallel

None

Stative

Rom 4:14

κατήργηται

---

---

---

Both Perfect tense-forms are in parallel

None

Stative

Rom 4:17

γέγραπται

---

---

ὅτι clause

---

None

Stative

Rom 4:17

τέθεικά

---

---

σε

---

God

Actional

Rom 4:18

εἰρημένον

---

---

---

---

None

Stative

Rom 4:19

νενεκρωμένον

Adverb

Temporal anterior

---

Aorist in preceding main clause and Aorist preceding this verb in the same clause

None

Stative

Rom 4:21

ἐπήγγελται

Aorists preceding and following in the main clause

God

Stative

Rom 5:2

ἐσχήκαμεν

Dative; Preposition

Instrument; direction

τὴν προσαγωγὴν

Aorist + Present in Preceding verse, now Pf + Present

We

Actional

Rom 5:2

ἑστήκαμεν

Preposition

location

Aorist + Present in Preceding verse, now Pf + Present

We

Actional

Rom 5:3

εἰδότες

---

---

ὅτι clause

Present tense-form preceding in the main clause

We

Stative

Rom 5:5

ἐκκέχυται

Preposition; Prefix; Preposition

Location; Direction; Agent

---

No strong parallel

Holy Spirit

Stative

Rom 6:5

γεγόναμεν

Dative

Realm

σύμφυτοι

Contrasted with a Future

We

Stative

Rom 6:7

δεδικαίωται

Preposition

Separation

An Aorist in the clause

The one

Stative

Rom 6:9

εἰδότες

---

---

ὅτι clause

---

We

Stative

Rom 6:16

οἴδατε

---

---

ὅτι clause

---

You

Stative

Rom 7:2

δέδεται

Dative;

Dative

Locative;

Instrument

---

---

---

Stative

Rom 7:2

κατήργηται

Preposition

Separation

---

---

---

Stative

Rom 7:14

oἴδαμεν

---

---

ὅτι clause

---

We

Stative

Rom 7:14

πεπραμένος

Preposition

Locative

---

Present tense-forms in the clause

None

Stative

Rom 7:18

οἶδα

---

---

ὅτι clause

---

I

Stative

Rom 8:22

oἴδαμεν

---

---

ὅτι clause

---

We

Stative

Rom 8:26

oἴδαμεν

---

---

τὸ

Present tense-forms in the clause

We

Stative

Rom 8:27

οἶδεν

---

---

τί

Present tense-forms in the clause

The one

Stative

Rom 8:28

oἴδαμεν

---

---

ὅτι clause

---

We

Stative

Rom 8:36

γέγραπται

---

---

ὅτι clause

---

---

Stative

Rom 8:38

πέπεισμαι

---

---

ὅτι clause

---

I

Stative

Rom 8:38

ἐνεστῶτα

---

---

---

---

---

Stative

Rom 9:6

ἐκπέπτωκεν

---

---

---

---

The Word

Unclear

Rom 9:13

γέγραπται

---

---

---

---

---

Stative

Rom 9:19

ἀνθέστηκεν

Preposition

Direct object

τῷ … βουλήματι

---

Who

Actional

Rom 9:22

κατηρτισμένα

Preposition

Purpose

---

---

---

Stative

Rom 9:25

ἠγαπημένην

---

---

----

---

---

Stative

Rom 9:25

ἠγαπημένην

---

---

----

---

---

Stative

Rom 9:29

προείρηκεν

Prefix

Temporal anterior

Citation

---

Isaiah

Actional

Rom 9:33

γέγραπται

---

---

---

---

---

Stative

Rom 10:15

γέγραπται

---

---

---

---

---

Stative

Rom 11:2

οἴδατε

---

---

τί

---

You

Stative

Rom 11:5

γέγονεν

Preposition;

Adverb;

Preposition

Locative; temporal; the standard

---

Aorists in 11:4

---

stative

Rom 11:8

γέγραπται

---

---

---

---

---

Stative

Rom 11:20

ἕστηκας

Dative

Instrument

---

Aorist in preceding parallel clause

You

Actional

Rom 11:25

γέγονεν

Dative;

Preposition

Indirect object;

Temporal

---

---

---

Stative

Rom 11:26

γέγραπται

---

---

---

---

---

Stative

Rom 12:19

γέγραπται

---

---

---

---

---

Stative

Rom 13:1

τεταγμέναι

Preposition

Agent

---

Present tense-forms in clause

God

Stative

Rom 13:2

ἀνθέστηκεν

Dative

Direct object

τῇ … διαταγῇ

Unclear

The one

Actional

Rom 13:2

ἀνθεστηκότες

---

---

Unclear

The one

Actional

Rom 13:8

πεπλήρωκεν

---

---

νόμον

Present tense-forms

The one

Actional

Rom 13:11

εἰδότες

---

---

τὸν καιρόν

---

We

Stative

Rom 13:12

ἤγγικεν

---

---

---

Aorist

The day

Unclear

Rom 14:11

γέγραπται

---

---

---

---

---

Stative

Rom 14:14

οἶδα

Preposition

Realm

ὅτι clause

---

I

Stative

Rom 14:14

πέπεισμαι

Preposition

Realm

ὅτι clause

---

I

Stative

Rom 14:23

κατακέκριται

---

---

---

Aorist

Stative

Rom 15:3

γέγραπται

---

---

---

---

---

Stative

Rom 15:8

γεγενῆσθαι

Preposition

representation

διάκονον

Present tense-form preceding

Unclear

Stative

Rom 15:9

γέγραπται

---

---

---

---

---

Stative

Rom 15:14

πέπεισμαι

Preposition

Reference

Details

Pages
XVIII, 432
Publication Year
2022
ISBN (PDF)
9781433195747
ISBN (ePUB)
9781433195754
ISBN (Hardcover)
9781433195730
DOI
10.3726/b19512
Language
English
Publication date
2022 (September)
Keywords
Verbal Aspect Perfect Tense-form Grammaticalisation Linguistics Corpus Linguistics Perfective Imperfective Stative Morphology James E. Sedlacek The Verbal Aspect Integral to the Perfect and Pluperfect Tense-Forms in the Pauline Corpus A Semantic and Pragmatic Analysis Studies in Biblical Greek
Published
New York, Bern, Berlin, Bruxelles, Oxford, Wien, 2022. XVIII, 432 pp., 35 b/w ill.
Product Safety
Peter Lang Group AG

Biographical notes

James E. Sedlacek (Author)

James E. Sedlacek received his PhD from the University of Manchester, through the Nazarene Theological College, a partner college with the University of Manchester. He currently is Professor of Biblical Languages at Israel Institute of Biblical Studies and Visiting Lecturer at Nazarene Theological College.

Previous

Title: The Verbal Aspect Integral to the Perfect and Pluperfect Tense-Forms in the Pauline Corpus