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The Semantics of Prophetic Utterance in Acts 2:17-18: An Exegetical Inquiry into ἐνυπνιασθήσονται and ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου
This exegetical study of ‘Acts 2:17 dream: deponens or passive?’ and ‘Joel 3:1-2 (LXX) & Acts 2:17-18 – Why ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου instead of ἐκχεῶ τὸ πνεῦμά μου?’ is based on a b-greek discussion from Tue Apr 27 17:11:28 EDT 2004. The initial query concerned the verb ἐνυπνιασθήσονται in Acts 2:17, specifically whether it should be understood as a deponens verb with an active meaning (“they dream”) or as a passive verb (“they will be made to dream”). Furthermore, the query highlighted a notable difference between the Masoretic Text (MT) of Joel 2:28-29 (Joel 3:1-2 LXX) and the LXX/Acts 2:17-18 concerning the outpouring of the Spirit: the MT suggests “I will pour out My Spirit” (accusative direct object), while the LXX and Acts 2:17-18 render it “I will pour out from My Spirit” (ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου), raising questions about the theological implications of the preposition ἀπό and the genitive case.
The main exegetical issues therefore revolve around two primary points: first, the grammatical and semantic function of ἐνυπνιασθήσονται, particularly in light of its appearance with an instrumental dative ἐνυπνίοις (as cited in the original discussion, though most critical texts read accusative ἐνύπνια); and second, the precise meaning and theological significance of the prepositional phrase ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου in Acts 2:17, which deviates from the apparent direct object construction in the Hebrew source text of Joel.
καὶ ἔσται ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις, λέγει ὁ Θεός, ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα, καὶ προφητεύσουσιν οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες ὑμῶν, καὶ οἱ νεανίσκοι ὑμῶν ὁράσεις ὄψονται, καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ὑμῶν ἐνύπνια ἐνυπνιασθήσονται.
(Acts 2:17-18, Nestle 1904)
Key differences with SBLGNT (2010):
- SBLGNT includes λέγει ὁ Θεός in the main text, but it is typically enclosed in square brackets, indicating some manuscript evidence for its omission. Nestle 1904 (and the Textus Receptus tradition) generally includes it without brackets.
- While the Nestle 1904 text above shows ἐνύπνια (accusative), the initial query in the discussion specifically cited ἐνυπνίοις (dative) as the form under consideration. The SBLGNT, consistent with modern critical editions like NA28, reads ἐνύπνια (accusative). This variant (dative vs. accusative) is a core point of contention in the discussion regarding the verb’s active or passive sense.
Textual Criticism (NA28) and Lexical Notes (KITTEL, BDAG):
For Acts 2:17-18, the prevailing critical Greek texts, including NA28 and SBLGNT, exhibit strong agreement, featuring λέγει ὁ Θεός (often bracketed in modern editions) and the accusative ἐνύπνια. The variant ἐνυπνίοις (dative), as noted in the original post, suggests a potential underlying textual tradition or an interpretive reading, but it is not widely supported in the most reliable manuscripts for Acts. The use of ἀπό with the genitive in ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου is consistently present across major textual traditions.
Lexically, the discussion centers on ἐνυπνιασθήσονται and πνεῦμα. According to BDAG (which subsumes “Bauer”), the verb ἐνυπνιάζομαι (of which ἐνυπνιασθήσονται is the future passive form) is a deponens verb, meaning it appears in the middle/passive voice but carries an active sense, with its active voice forms being exceedingly rare (cited as “since Hippocrates” and only active use by Aristotle). This supports the interpretation of “they will dream.” The instrumental dative ἐνυπνίοις (if accepted as a variant) would grammatically function to express the means or instrument by which the dreaming occurs (“they will dream with dreams“), aligning with an intransitive verbal notion.
For πνεῦμα, particularly in the phrase ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου, the preposition ἀπό with the genitive often signals a partitive relationship. BDAG, s.v. ἀπό 1.f, explicitly lists its use as a substitute for the partitive genitive, citing Acts 2:17-18 (Joel 3:1-2) as an example. This suggests an understanding of “some of my spirit.” KITTEL’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Vol. VI, pp. 332ff) supports the understanding of πνεῦμα as a “substance” or “thing” that can be poured out or received, often in a measure. This conceptualization lends weight to the partitive interpretation, much like one drinks “some wine” (οἴνου) rather than “the whole wine” (οἶνον) in existence. The idea that God pours out *a portion* or *aspect* of His Spirit, rather than the entirety of His being, aligns with this grammatical nuance and theological considerations of divine transcendence discussed by scholars like Mark Lightman.
Translation Variants
The grammatical analysis of ἐνυπνιασθήσονται involves whether to treat it strictly as a deponens or to allow for a passive interpretation due to the potential dative ἐνυπνίοις. If ἐνυπνιάζομαι is a deponens, then the future passive form ἐνυπνιασθήσονται would inherently carry an active meaning, “they will dream.” However, the occurrence of ἐνυπνίοις (dative) in the cited text complicates a purely active interpretation, potentially hinting at a causative passive (“they will be made to dream by means of dreams”) or an intransitive construction with an instrumental dative (“they will dream with dreams,” akin to ὁράω with an instrumental dative). The consensus, however, leans towards the deponens understanding, making “they will dream” the most probable active translation, regardless of the accompanying case, which then often becomes an internal accusative or cognate dative.
The phrase ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου presents a nuanced rhetorical and theological challenge. The Hebrew text of Joel employs a direct accusative object (“pour out My Spirit”), while the LXX and Acts add the preposition ἀπό, resulting in a genitive construction. This addition could be interpreted in several ways: 1) a literal partitive genitive, meaning “some of My Spirit,” which might emphasize a limited outpouring or a specific aspect of the Spirit; 2) an idiom where ἀπό merely signals the source or origin of the outpouring without diminishing its totality, much like the English “of”; 3) a theological preservation of divine transcendence by the LXX translators, who might have hesitated to imply that God’s entire, immeasurable Spirit could be “poured out” and thus “diminished.” The latter argument, supported by observations in other texts (e.g., Numbers 11:17) and the analogy of liquid substances (wine, water) where a portion is typically consumed, suggests that the LXX and subsequently Luke understood this as a partial or qualitative outpouring, granting a share of the Spirit without implying exhaustion of the divine essence. This resonates with the idea that the manifestation (the “this” that is seen and heard in Acts 2:33) is what is poured out, rather than the Spirit’s entirety.
Conclusions and Translation Suggestions
Based on the lexical, grammatical, and textual considerations, the following conclusions can be drawn for translating Acts 2:17-18, specifically concerning the debated phrases:
- “And it shall come to pass in the last days, God declares, that I will pour out some of my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your elders shall dream dreams.”
This translation emphasizes the partitive nature of ἀπό with the genitive, suggesting that God imparts a portion or aspect of His Spirit, aligning with the prevalent understanding of πνεῦμα as a quantifiable substance and the LXX‘s potential theological nuance. The verb ἐνυπνιασθήσονται is rendered actively as “shall dream.” - “And it shall come to pass in the last days, God declares, that I will pour out from my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your elders shall dream dreams.”
This rendering maintains a more literal translation of ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου, allowing for ambiguity regarding whether “from” implies a partitive sense or simply indicates the source of the divine outpouring. It preserves the active sense of ἐνυπνιασθήσονται. - “And it shall be in the last days, God says, that I will lavish My Spirit upon all humanity, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your elders will experience dreams.”
This translation interprets ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου idiomatically as a holistic outpouring, emphasizing the divine source without necessarily implying limitation, reflecting how the Spirit is often received as a whole in Acts. “Lavish” captures the intensity of ἐκχεῶ, and “experience dreams” is a dynamic equivalent for the deponens verb ἐνυπνιασθήσονται.