“TAUTHN DE QUGATERA ABRAAM OUSAN, HN EDHSEN O SATANAS IDOU DEKA KAI OKTW ETH, OUK EDEI LUQHNAI APO TOU DESMOU TOUTOU THi HMERAi TOU SABBATOU;” (Luke 13:16).
I’ve just read this chapter and it struck me that the place in the sentence and the use of the word “IDOU” were somewhat different from the normal usage. (I don’t mean that the meaning is different.) “IDOU” usually seems to come early on in sentences, whereas here it comes in the middle of a sentence, somewhat unexpectedly? Any comments?
Andrew J. Birch Palma de Mallorca, Spain
I would suggest that IDOU is here being used to call attention to the length of time involved. ②marker of strong emphasis, seeused w. a noun without a finite verb, as in our colloquial ‘see!’ ‘what do you know!’ ‘of all things!’ ‘wonder of wonders!’
BDAG
george gfsomsel
… search for truth, hear truth, learn truth, love truth, speak the truth, hold the truth, defend the truth till death.
– Jan Hus
It’s even a common element of colloquial English in the expression, “lo these many years” — underscoring a considerable length of time.
Carl W. Conrad Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
I would suggest that IDOU is here being used to call attention to the length of time involved. ②marker of strong emphasis, seeused w. a noun without a finite verb, as in our colloquial ‘see!’ ‘what do you know!’ ‘of all things!’ ‘wonder of wonders!’
BDAG
george gfsomsel
… search for truth, hear truth, learn truth, love truth, speak the truth, hold the truth, defend the truth till death.
– Jan Hus
It’s even a common element of colloquial English in the expression, “lo these many years” — underscoring a considerable length of time.
Carl W. Conrad Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)