Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

Philippians 2:26

ἐπειδή. Only three times elsewhere in Paul. The difference between it and ἐπεί is tersely stated by Ell [7]. (ad loc.), who notes that it “involves the quasi-temporal reference which is supplied by δή, and thus expresses a thing that at once ensues (temporarily or causally) on the occurrence or realisation of another”. ἐπιπ. ἦν. A common N.T. construction. Perhaps the use of the imperfect may be due to Aramaic influence (see Schmid, Atticismus, iii., p. 113 ff.). In classical Greek it is fairly frequent with the perfect and pluperfect. See Kühner, Ausführl. Gramm., ii., p. 35, n. 3 πάντας. The Apostle wishes to disarm all prejudices against Epaphr. ἀδημονῶν. “In sore anguish.” In its two other occurrences in N.T. it describes the agony in Gethsemane. While not found in LXX (but several exx. in Symmachus) it occurs a few times in later Greek. The derivations usually given are doubtful. ἠκούσατε. Probably we must suppose that the Philippians, on hearing that Epaphrod. was ill, had written a letter to which this is the answer. ἠσθένησε. We might translate, “had fallen sick,” an ingressive aorist. But with the same tense in Philippians 2:27, perhaps it is better to look upon the aorist as summing up the whole experience of Epaphrod. as a single fact, and viewing it in this light. This is a common Greek usage (see Burton, MT [8]., p. 20).

[7] Ellicott.

[8] . Moods and Tenses (Burton, Goodwin).

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Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

Philippians 2:26

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