Hellen Mardaga, «The Use and Meaning of e)kei=noj in Jn 19,35.», Vol. 20 (2007) 67-80
The demonstrative pronoun e)kei=noj occurs in the parenthesis of Jn 19,35, a verse which is important in discussions concerning the authorship of the fourth gospel. In general e)kei=noj is considered characteristic of John’s style, but there is no consensus among exegetes with regard to meaning of e)kei=noj in 19,35. Up to four different interpretations have been proposed for the pronoun in the present context. The author proposes a fifth possibility: e)kei=noj in Jn 19,35 resumes au)tou= in the preceding construction au)tou= e)stin h( marturi/a. The beloved disciple is ‘the one who sees’ and who subsequently bears witness to what he has seen.
NOTAS
67
THE USE AND MEANING OF EΚΕIÎΟΣ
IN JN 19,35
HELLEN MARDAGA
The demonstrative pronoun á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος occurs in the parenthesis of Jn
19,35, a verse which is important in discussions concerning the authorship
of the fourth gospel. In general á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος is considered characteristic of John’s
style, but there is no consensus among exegetes with regard to meaning of
á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος in 19,35. Up to four different interpretations have been proposed
for the pronoun in the present context. The author proposes a fifth pos-
sibility: á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος in Jn 19,35 resumes αá½Ï„οῦ in the preceding construction
αá½Ï„οῦ á¼ÏƒÏ„ιν ἡ μαÏÏ„Ï…Ïία. The beloved disciple is ‘the one who sees’ and who
subsequently bears witness to what he has seen.
The demonstrative pronoun á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος is frequently used in the so-called
parentheses or “asides†of the fourth gospel1, and is generally considered
characteristic of John’s style2. Especially the parenthesis in Jn 19,35 plays
For an expanded study on the asides see G. Van Belle, Les parenthèses dans l’évangile
1
de Jean. Aperçu historique et classification. Texte grec de Jean (SNTA, 11; Leuven 1985).
M.-J. Lagrange, Évangile selon Saint Jean (ÉtB; Paris 1925) cx-cxv; T. Bromboszcz,
2
Die Einheit des Johannes-Evangeliums (Katowice 1927) 80; E. Schweizer, Ego Eimi. Die re-
ligionsgeschicht-liche Herkunft und Theologische Bedeutung der johanneïschen Bildreden,
zugleich ein Beitrag zur Quellenfrage des Vierten Evangeliums (FRLANT, NF 38; Göttin-
gen 1939) 90-91; R. Bultmann, Das Evangelium des Johannes (KEK 2; Göttingen 1941) 29,
n. 1 (1,8); 89, n. 1 (2,21); 181, n. 7 (5,11); 198, n. 8 (5,35); 221, n. 8 (7,1-13); 239, n. 4 (8,42)
255; n. 4 (9,28); 366 (13,27.30); 442, n. 1 (16,13); E. Ruckstuhl, Die literarische Einheit des
Johannesevangeliums. Der gegenwärtige Stand der einschlägigen Forschungen. Mit einem
Vorwort von Martin Hengel, Göttingen, 1951, 21987, 296. This characteristic is rejected by
R.T. Fortna [The Gospels of Signs: A Reconstruction of the Narrative Source Underlying
the Fourth Gospel (SNTS MS 11; Cambridge 1970) 210-11]. E. Ruckstuhl reacts (“Johan-
nine Language and Style: The Question of Their Unityâ€, in M. De Jonge [ed.], L’évangile de
Jean. Source, redaction, théologie (21987) 125-47, esp. 133) against R.T Fortna’s assump-
tion and states: “anyone who chooses to examine the five instances will see that there were
several other expressions which could have been used†(133); B. Noack, Zur johanneischen
Tradition. Beiträge zur Kritik an der literarkritischen Analyse des vierten Evangelium
(LSSKT 3; Kopenhagen 1954) 16; R. Morgenthaler, Statistik des neutestamentlichen
Wortschatzes (Zürich-Frankfurt 1958) 182; W. Nicol, The Sèmeia in the Fourth Gospel.
Tradition and Redaction (SupplNT 32; Leiden 1972) 16-25; M.É. Boismard- A. Lamouille,
in collaboration with G. Rochais, L’évangile de Jean. Commentaire (Synopse des quatre
évangiles en français 3; Paris 1977) 508a; F. Neirynck, Jean et les Synoptiques. Examen
critique de l’exégèse de M.-É. Boismard (BETL 49; Leuven 1979) 3-120 (=ETL 53 [1977]
363-478); G. Van Belle, Les parenthèses) 124-55; E. Ruckstuhl & P. Dschulnigg, Stilkritik
und Verfasserfrage im Johannesevangelium. Die johanneischen Sprachmerkmale auf dem
FilologÃa Neotestamentaria - Vol. XX - 2007, pp. 67-80
Facultad de FilosofÃa y Letras - Universidad de Córdoba (España)
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