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.
The Use and Meaning of á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος 73
cases it is with regard to á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος in Jn 19,35:
(i) The general deictic function: Jn 7,11; 9,12.28; 13,26; 19,21.35. In
these verses á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος is explained as referring in general to someone or
something20.
(ii) Resumption of the preceding: Jn 1,8.18.33; 2,21; 3,30; 13,6.25.26.27;
14,20.21.26; 15,26; 16,14; 18,15; 19,35; 20,15.16. The use of á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος in
19,35 is described as emphatic or anaphoric21.
(iii) Referring to well known persons or objects: 1,18.18; 2,21; 3,28.30;
4,25; 5,11.19.35.38; 6,29; 7,11; 8,42; 9,12.28; 10,6; 11,13; 13,6; 16,8.13;
19,21.35. This category occurs in dictionaries of the New Testament as
well as grammars22 and is closely related to the use of á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος pointing
at a remote person or object. In these cases the pronoun is also used to
denote Jesus, John, God or the Spirit.
8,42; 9,9; 10,6, b) to refer to something which or someone who is absent: 1,18; 3,28.30; 5,39,
c) obnoxious or disdainful [about a person who is not present]: 7,11; 9,28; 19,21, d) the
previously mentioned and what is related to that: 1,6-8; 7,45; 3. As a reference to and a re-
sumption of the afore-mentioned: a) emphatic and anaphoric use: 1,8.18.33; 2,21; 3,30; 4,25;
5,11.19.38.39.43.46; 6,29; 7,11; 8,42; 9,37; 10,1; 12,48; 13,25.26; 14,21.26; 15,26; 18,15; 19,35,
b) abundant use after a participle: 1,18.33; 5,11.37.39; 9,37; 10,1; 12,48; 14,21.26; 15,26; 4.)
reference to well known persons or objects: 1,8.18; 2,21; 3,28.30; 4,25; 5,11.19.35.38; 6,29;
7,11; 8,42; 9,12.28; 10,6; 11,13; 13,6; 16,8.13; 19,21.35; 5.) Specific categories: a) with apposi-
tion: 14,26; 16,12, b) with a substantive which is used as a predicate or with an adjective:
10,1.35; 20,19, c) determining the gender or number of the word it stands by: 14,26; 16,13,
d) as a possessive genitive: 5,47; 9,28, e) as a substitute for αá½Ï„ός: 9,9, f) in oratio obliqua:
19,35, g) referring to a preceding or following relative or ὅτι-phrase: 10,35; 13,26; 14,26;
15,26, h) adjectival use with ἡμέÏα: 1,39; 5,9; 16,23.26, and μαθητής: 18,15, i) á¼€ÏχιεÏεὺς ὢν
τοῦ á¼Î½Î¹Î±Ï…τοῦ á¼ÎºÎµá½·Î½Î¿Ï…: 11,49.51; 18,13, j) á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος as a pronoun of the third person: 1,18;
5,46; 8,44; 10,6; 11,29. II. The weak meaning of á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος: 1. The indefinite and weak meaning
of á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος: 1,18; 6,57; 9,25.37; 10,1; 13,26; 14,21; 2. As an equivalent of the English “he†or
“theyâ€: 5,37; 8,44; 9,9.11.25.36; 10,6; 11,29; 12,48; 14,21.26; 16,14; 19,35.
A.T. Robertson (see note 14) lists á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος in 19,35 as deictic but “possible though by
20
no means certainâ€, because some authors claim that it refers to God who “knows†that the
eyewitness tells the truth (707). The author assumes that á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος in 19,35 is used anaphoric
and therefore points to αá½Ï„οῦ.
C.G. Bretschneider, Lexicon manuale, 376: “repetit subiectum proximum, cum em-
21
phasiâ€; (31840) 126; E. Robinson, Greek and English Lexicon, 251: “Emphatic, like the
Engl. that, he, etc. where however the emphasis lies in the construction, and not in the word
itselfâ€; J.H. Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. Being Grimm’s Wilke’s
Clavis Novi Testamenti Translated, Revised and Enlarged (Edinburgh, 1888; 41901, re-
print 1951) 194; E. Preuschen, Vollständiges griechisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch zu den
Schriften des Neuen Testaments und der übrigen urchristlichen Literatur (Giessen, 1910)
351; W. Bauer, Griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch (21928) 372; ed. F.W. Danker (2000) 302;
H. Ebeling, Griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Mit Nachweis der Abweichungen des neutes-
tamentlichen Sprachgebrauchs vom Attischen und mit Hinweis auf seine Ãœbereinstimmung
mit dem hellenistischen Griechisch (Hannover-Leipzig 1913) 136.
E.T. Robinson, Greek and English Lexicon, 251: “Especially for persons well known
22
and celebratedâ€; J.H. Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon, 194; E. Preuschen, Vollständiges
griechisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 351; W. Bauer, Griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch
(21928) 372; ed. F.W. Danker (2000) 302.
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