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.
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The Use and Meaning of á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος
αá½Ï„οῦ. In the fourth gospel we find similar verses in which the pronoun
in used in this way such as 5,37-38; 7,29; 10,6 and 16,8.
5,37-38
á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος μεμαÏÏ„á½»Ïηκεν πεÏὶ á¼Î¼Î¿á¿¦.
οὔτε φωνὴν αá½Ï„οῦ πώποτε ἀκηκόατε
οὔτε εἶδος αá½Ï„οῦ ἑωÏάκατε,
καὶ τὸν λόγον αá½Ï„οῦ οá½Îº ἔχετε á¼Î½ ὑμῖν μένοντα,
ὅτι ὃν ἀπέστειλεν á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος
τούτῳ ὑμεῖς οὠπιστεύετε.
After á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος in 5,37a, the demonstrative αá½Ï„οῦ (5,37b-38a) indicates
the father three times and in turn this threefold αá½Ï„οῦ is resumed with
á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος. The opposition with ὑμεῖς can justify that the evangelist chooses
to use á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος here40.
5,39
á¼Ïαυνᾶτε Ï„á½°Ï‚ γÏαφάς,
ὅτι ὑμεῖς δοκεῖτε á¼Î½ αá½Ï„αῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἔχειν·
καὶ á¼ÎºÎµá¿–ναί εἰσιν αἱ μαÏÏ„Ï…Ïοῦσαι πεÏὶ á¼Î¼Î¿á¿¦
In 5,39 Jesus discusses the testimony in the Scriptures. The evangelist
uses á¼ÎºÎµá¿–ναί as a resumption of the preceding á¼Î½ αá½Ï„αῖς. Because of the
opposition with á¼Î¼Î¿á¿¦41, John chooses á¼ÎºÎµá¿–ναί to resume αá½Ï„αῖς. After
the reason is given why the Jews search the Scriptures, Ï„á½°Ï‚ γÏαφάς…á¼Î½
αá½Ï„αῖς is resumed by á¼ÎºÎµá¿–ναί42.
7,28-29
καὶ ἀπ’ á¼Î¼Î±Ï…τοῦ οá½Îº á¼Î»á½µÎ»Ï…θα,
ἀλλ’ ἔστιν ἀληθινὸς ὠπέμψας με,
ὃν ὑμεῖς οá½Îº οἴδατε·
á¼Î³á½¼ οἶδα αá½Ï„όν,
ὅτι παÏ’ αá½Ï„οῦ εἰμι
κἀκεῖνός με ἀπέστειλεν.
L. Morris, John, 329: “There is a contrast between emphatic pronouns: He sent the
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Son, but you do not believeâ€. See also A. Buttmann’s reaction on G.E. Steitz, who defends
that á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος is used because of the identity. Also Bretschneider and Wahl note the opposi-
tion and classify á¼ÎºÎµá¿–νος in Jn 5,38 with other verses in which the pronoun refers to the
more remote.
B. Weiss, Johannes, 247; P. Schanz, Johannes, 256. According to A.T. Robertson,
41
Grammar of the Greek New Testament, 707-08, is an opposition with ὑμεῖς; vgl. F. Blass,
Grammatik, 167 (§ 49,3); N. Turner, Syntax (Grammar, dl. 3) 45.
C.K. Barrett, The Gospel according to St John. An Introduction with Commentary
42
and Notes on the Greek Text (London 1955) 223, indicates that á¼Î½ αá½Ï„αῖς occurs “in a
position of emphasisâ€.
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