JOHN 1.8

Other Classical Languages Coptic Corner
1

Dear Friends,

I have just read the John 1.8, the first clause of which is as below:

ⲛⲉⲡ ⲉⲧ ⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ

Here we have the word ⲛⲉⲡ which makes me confused beccause I can not identify it in terms of grammar. The next word is ET which is a relative converter, so I guess ⲛⲉⲡ = ⲛⲉ + ⲡ; in that ⲡ indicate the 3rd person.

Please help, thanks in advance

Khanh

2

Looking up a dictionary a little more and I saw:

ⲉⲧⲙⲙⲁⲩ–who, which is there, (demonstr.) that (https://coptic-dictionary.org/entry.cgi?tla=C2156)

So it confirms my thinking-direction: ⲉⲧⲙⲙⲁⲩ = Who is there => so ET could indicate to ⲡ in ⲛⲉⲡ and ⲡ signals the 3rd person

3

ⲛⲉ : imperfect converter
ⲡ : definite article

ⲙ̄ⲙⲁⲩ “there”
ⲉⲧ-ⲙ̄ⲙⲁⲩ “who is there”
ⲡ-ⲉⲧ-ⲙ̄ⲙⲁⲩ “the who is there” > “that one”

ⲡ-ⲉⲧ-ⲙ̄ⲙⲁⲩ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ “that one is the light”
ⲛⲉ ⲡ-ⲉⲧ-ⲙ̄ⲙⲁⲩ ⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ “that one was not the light”

4

thanks so much friend

5

Thanks again, but what is the job of ⲛⲉ here? How do we understand the ‘imperfect’ nuance that ⲛⲉ adds to the sentence? Normally, we should think ‘he is not the light’ as a definite fact, so the Past or Aorist is enough, right? Does it emphasize something?

6

Without ⲛⲉ the sentence would read as describing the situation at the moment of the writing: “That man is not the light”.

Here the writer is talking about the past, so converting the nominal sentence using ⲛⲉ makes more sense:
1:6 A man came-into-existence, having been sent by God, his name being John.
1:7 He came for a witnessing, so that he should bear witness about the light, so that everyone should believe through him.
1:8 That man was not the light…