From: Stevens, Charles C (Charles.Stevens@unisys.com)
Date: Wed Dec 29 1999 - 17:12:58 EST
I notice nobody seems to have responded to this query of 24 December 1999 by
Robert Hooe:
<<My current study suggests that the statement "...thou shall heap coals of
fire..." does not apply to the receiver (enemy) but is in reference to the
giver.>>
My GNT gives for Rom 12:20C: TOUTO GAR POIWN ANQRAKAS PUROS SWPEUSEIS EPI
THN KEFALHN AUTOU. For Mark 16:16 I read hO PUSTEUSAS KAI BAPTISEIS
SWQHSETAI KAI hO DE APISTHSAIS KATAKRIQHSETAI. And for 1CO 3:15b I see
ZHMIWQHSETAI AUTOS
DE SUQHSETAI OUTWS DE WS DIA PUROS.
>From what I can deduce, SWPEUSEIS in the first citation is is future active
indicative (so my Bible Works tags it, anyhow), and thus I can't see this as
being "thou might", but rather a concrete statement of action leading to
direct consequence. In this case, I would *interpret* the "coals of fire"
as being (a) a searing conscience and/or (b) ultimate punishment if that
conscience is not heeded, in the light of context.
LIkewise in Mark 16:16, both SWQHSETAI and KATAKRIQHSETAI are future passive
indicative. And in 1Cor 3:15, both ZHMIWQHSETAI and SWQHSETAI are future
passive indicative.
The verb form in MT Proverbs 25:22 is qal participle active.
None of these seem to me to indicate a future *possibility*; I'd expect a
subjunctive in that event.
In the particular case of Romans 12:20, I don't personally see that this can
be interpreted as anything but a direct cause-and-effect declaration.
All the English translations of these passages that I have available to me
use "definite" rather than "possibility" forms -- "shall" or "will" rather
than "may" or "might", so it's not clear to me what "might" statements it is
that you're referring to.
Could you perhaps provide some example citations (including C&V) for what
you're referring to as " "might" statements?"
-Chuck Stevens
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