Course Notes for Mark 1:16-22

James Ransom

Latin III: Evangelium Secundum Marcum

September 11, 2013

Course Notes for Tuesday, September 17

Mk. 1:16-22

16      Et praeteriens secus mare Galilaeae vidit Simonem et Andream fratrem Simonis mittentes in mare; erant enim piscatores. 

1:16     Et praeteriens as He passed by; the verbal form is a masculine singular present active participle.  As a circumstantial participle it describes the circumstances under which an action takes place; it may express time, cause, concession, condition, and other circumstances.  Thhe present tense of the participle agrees in time with that of the main verb.  secus mare Galilaeae by the sea of Galilee; “Galilaeae” is an appositional genitive, naming the sea more specifically.  vidit he saw; the verb is third person singular perfect active indicative.  Simonem et Andream fratrem Simonis Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon; “Simonem” is the accusative of the third declension noun Simo, Simonis, m.  “Andream” is the accusative of the first declension noun Andreas, Andreae, m.  “Simonis” is the genitive of Simo, Simonis, m.  “fratrem” stands in apposition to “Andream.”  mittentes in mare as they were casting their nets; the verbal form is the masculine plural accusative present active participle of mitto, mittere, misi, missum.  The verb is used in an absolute sense as a technical term that understands retia, the accusative plural of the third declension noun rete, retis, n., “net,” as its object.   erat enim piscatores for they were fishermen; “piscatores” is a predicate nominative.

17      Et dixit eis Iesus:  “Venite post me, et faciam vos fieri piscatores hominum.”  18        Et protinus, relictis retibus, secuti sunt eum. 

1:17     Et dixit ei Iesus And Jesus said to them; “dixit” is third person singular perfect active indicative of dico, dicere, dixi, dictum.  The verb takes the dative. “ei” is the dative plural of the personal pronoun is, ea, id.  After the verb of speaking, a direct statement follows.  Venite post me. Come, follow me.  “Venite” is the plural imperative of venio, venire, veni, ventum.  et faciam vos fieri piscatores hominum and I will make you fishers of men (literally:  I will cause you to become fishers of men).  “faciam” is first person singular future active indicative of facio, facere, feci, factum. “vos” is the plural accusative of the personal pronoun tu, tui, m/f. “piscatores” is predicate accusative.  “hominum” is an objective genitive. 

1:18     Et protinus, relictus retibus and at once leaving their nets; the verbal form is the plural nominative perfect passive participle of relinquo, relinquere, reliqui, relictum. secuti sunt eum they followed him; “secuti sunt” is third person plural perfect active indicative of sequor, sequi, secutus sum. 

19      Et progressus pusillum vidit Iacobum Zebedaei et Ioannem fratrem eius, et ipsos in navi componentes retia, 20    et statim vocavit illos.  Et, relicto patre suo Zebedaeo in navi cum mercenariis, abierunt post eum.

1:19     Et progressus pusillum vidit And when he had gone a little farther, he saw; the verbal form is a masculine singular nominative perfect active participle of progredior, progradi, progressus sum.  Since the action of the participle precedes that of the main verb, it may be translated as a pluperfect.  “pusillum” is probably a reference to distance rather than time.  vidit is third person singular perfect active indicative. 

Iacobum Zebedaei Jacob the son of Zebedee; et Ioannem fratrem eius and John his brother; et ipsos in navi componentes retia and they too were in a boat mending their nets.  “componentes” is the masculine plural accusative present active participle of compono, componere, composui, compositum.  As a circumstantial participle, it describes the circumstances under which an action takes place.  It agrees in time with the main verb “vidit” and is therefore translated as a past. 

1:20     et statim vocavit illos and at once he called to them; “vocavit” is third person singular perfect active indicative of voco, vocare, vocavi, vocatum.  “illos” is accusative plural of the demonstrative pronoun ille, illa, illud.  Et, relicto patre suo Zebedaeo and leaving their father Zebedee; ablative absolute.  “Zebedaeo” stands in apposition to “patre, the ablative singular of the third declension noun pater, patris, m. in navi cum mercennariis in the boat with the hired men; abierunt post eum they followed him.  “Abierunt” is third person plural perfect active indicative of the irregular ver abeo, abire, abii or abivi, abitum. 

21      Et ingrediuntur Capharnaum.  Et statim sabbatis ingressus synagogam docebat.  22   Et stupebant super doctrina eius:  erat enim docens eos quasi potestatem habens et non sicut scribae. 

1:21    Et ingrediuntur Capharnaum And they went into Capernaum; the verb is third person plural present active indicative of ingredior, ingredi, ingressus sum.  A historical present, used as a past tense, is frequently seen in vivid narrative accounts.  Et statim sabbatis And at once on the Sabbath; the case usage isa  dative of time when. “sabbatis” is the dative plural of the second declension noun sabbatum, sabbati, n. ingressus synagogam docebat as He entered into to the synagogue, he began to teach; the masculine singular nominative perfect participle agrees with the subject of the main verb “docebat.”  The circumstantial participle may be translated as a temporal clause.  The imperfect “docebat” may indicate action in the past that is continuing (was teaching), customary (used to teach), conative (tried to teach), or inceptive (began to teach), and needs to be interpreted according to context. 

1:22     Et stupebant they were amazed; the verb is the imperfect third person plural indicative active of stupeo, stupere, stupui.  The imperfect tense denotes progressive, continued, or repeated action in past time.  The reason given for their amazement is expressed by the preposition followed by the dative:  super doctrina eius: erat enim docens eos He was teaching them.  “docens” is the present active participle of doceo, docere, docui, doctum.  The particle “enim,” for, in fact, truly, may often be omitted in translation.  quasi potestatem habens as one having authority; “quasi” introduces a comparison.  “habens” is the present active participle of habeo, habere, habui, habitum.  et non sicut scribae and not as the scribes.  “scribae” is genitive singular of the first declension noun scriba, scribae, n. Translate with plural force, i.e. “the scribe” = scribes as a general class.

Materials for Discussion at Tuesday, September 10 Class

Latin III:  Evangelium Secundum Marcum

Instructor:  James Ransom

September 8, 2013

Materials for Discussion

Tuesday, September 10

1                     Cover page of Nestle-Aland’s Novum Testamentum Graece et Latine

2                     The Greek and Latin Text of the beginning of Evangelium Secundum Marcum

3                     Enlarged Latin text of (2).  Note at the bottom of the page, the textual variant for line 2: “in Isaia propheta] in prophetis  Wi.”  “in Isaia propheta” is the reading adopted in the text.  “in prophetis” represents a variant reading which the editors have rejected.  “Wi” is the abbreviation identifying the source of the rejected reading.

4                     The Preface to Nestle-Aland which explains abbreviations used for various editions of the Vulgate.  Look up the identification of “Wi.”  We learn that “Wi,” which contains a Latin New Testament as well as the Pentateuch and certain other books, was printed at Wittenberg in 1529.  Why is that fact significant? 

5                     The cover page for the Protestant King James Version (KJV) of the Bible

6                     The KJV translation of the beginning of St. Mark.  Note the [mis-]translation of 1:2, “as it is written in the prophets…”

7                     The cover page for the Roman Catholic Douay-Rheims Version (DRV) of the Bible

8                     The DRV translation of the beginning of St. Mark:  “As it is written In Isaias the prophet...”

9                     The DRV of the Prophecy of Malachi

10                 Malachi Chapter 3.  Note 3:1

11                 The DRV of Isaiah 40.  Note 40:3

         12           The DRV of Exodus 23.  Note 23:20

Course Notes for Mark 1:9-15

Course Notes for Mk. 1:9-15

Class Session of Thursday, September 12

9        Et factum est in diebus illis, venit Iesus a Nazareth Galilaeae et baptizatus est in Iordane ab Ioanne.

Et factum est The phrase, usually omitted in translation, is translated in older versions:  and it came to pass. “factum est is neuter third person singular perfect indicative passive of  facio, facere, feci, factum [501].  “Illis” is a demonstrative pronoun in agreement with “diebus.”  “diebus,” the object of the preposition “in” [App. 47], is ablative plural of the fifth declension noun dies, diei.  venit Iesus a Nazareth Galilaeae Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee; the genitive noun is used to specify the names of places. “venit” is third person singular perfect active indicative of venio, venire, veni, ventum [501].  et baptizatus est He was baptized; the verb is third person singular perfect passive indicative of baptizata, baptizare, baptizavi, baptizatum.

in Iordane ab Ioanne in the Jordan River by John; the preposition “in” governs the accusative; “ab” governs the ablative.

10      Et statim ascendens de aqua vidit apertos caelos et Spiritum tamquam columbam descendentem et manentem in ipsum;

1:10     Et statim ascendens de aqua straightway as he was coming up out of the water; “statim,” an adverb, a favorite in Mark, finds frequent usage.  “ascendens,” the masculine singular nominative present active participle of ascendo, ascendere, ascendi, ascensum[501], agrees with its subject “Iesus” in the previous verse.  As a circumstantial participle it describes the circumstances under which an action takes place:  it may express time, cause, concession, condition, and other circumstances.  vidit apertos caelos he saw the heavens as they were opening; “vidit” is third person singular perfect active indicative of video, videre, vidi, visum[501].  As a perfect, it expresses a single act in past time.  “apertos” is the masculine accusative plural of the participle apertus, aperta, apertum, from the verb aperio, aperire, aperui, apertum [501] and agrees with its subject “caelos” in gender, number, and case.  “Apertos,” like “ascendens,” is a circumstantial participle.  “caelos,”  accusative plural of the second declension noun caelus, caeli, m., is the direct object of the verb.  Et Spiritum tamquam columbam descendentem et manentem in ipsum; and the Spirit as it descended upon him and remained like a dove; “spiritum” is the singular accusative of the fourth declension noun spiritus, spiritus, m.  “spiritum” functions as the second direct object of the verb “vidit.”  tamquam introduces a simile. “descendentem” and “manentem” are accusative participles; see maneo, manere, mansi, mansum [501]..  The personal pronoun “ipsum,” as the object of the preposition “in,” takes the accusative case. 

11      et vox facta est de caelis:  “Tu es Filius meus dilectus; in te complacui.” 

1:11     et vox facta est de caelis:  a voice came from the heavens:  supply dicens, “saying,” to introduce the direct quote.  “vox,”  the nominative of the third declension noun vox, vocis, f., stands in the nominative case as the subject of the verb.  “facta est” is the perfect feminine singular passive indicative of the  verb  facio, facere, feci, factum [501].  The passive form has active meaning.  “de caelis” is the ablative plural of the second declension noun caelus, caeli, m. “Tu es Filius meus dilectus; You are my beloved Son; the repetition of the second person singular pronoun and the second person singular ver makes an emphatic statement.  in te complacui in you I am well pleased; “complacui” is the first person singular perfect active indicative of [com-] placeo, placere, placui, placitum [placeo in 501].  The perfect tense may be used to express a general truth. 

12      Et statim Spiritus expellit eum in desertum.  13  Et erat in deserto quadraginta diebus et tentabatur a Satana; eratque cum bestiis, et angeli ministrabant illi. 

1:12     Et statim Spiritus expellit eum in desertum and at once the Spirit sent Him out into the wilderness.  Note the recurrence of “statim.”  “Spiritus” is the singular nominative of of the fourth declension noun spiritus, spiritus, m.  It is the subject of the verb “expellit.”  The personal pronoun “eum,” as the direct object of the verb, is the singular masculine accusative form of the pronoun is, ea, id. [App. 18]. 

“expellit,” a third person singular present active indicative of expello, expellere, expuli, expulsum, is a historical present [Allen & Greenough (“AG”) 469]. .  It is used as a past tense and is frequently seen in vivid narrative accounts.  “in desertum”:  the preposition governs the accusative case of desertum, deserti, n.   

1:13     Et erat in deserto quadraginta diebus He was in the desert forty days; the verb “erat” is third person singular imperfect active indicative of sum, esse, fui, futurus.   In contrast to the perfect, the imperfect shows aspect in the past that is continuing and customary, conative, and inchoative.  “in deserto”:  the preposition governs the ablative case.  “quadraginta diebus”:  The fifth declension noun dies, diei is an ablative of duration of time.  et tentabatur a Satana when He was tempted by Satan; “tentabatur” is the third person imperfect passive indicative of tento, tentare, tentavi, tentatum.  “Satana” is the ablative of the first declension noun Satana, Satanae, m. eratque cum bestiis the preposition governs the ablative case. “bestiis” is the ablative plural of the first declension noun bestia, bestiae, f.  et angeli ministrabant illi angels continually attended Him; “ministrabant” is the third person plural imperfect active indicative of ministro, ministrare, ministravi, ministratus.  The imperfect tense denotes progressive, continued, and repeated aspect in past time. 

14      Postquam autem traditus est Ioannes, venit Iesus in Galileam praedicans evangelium Dei.  15       et dicens:  “Impletum est tempus, et appropinquavit regnum Dei; paenitemini et credite evangelio.”

1:14     Postquam autem traditus est Ioannes but after John was put in prison; supply in carcere (cf. Matt. 14:3).  “traditus est” is the third person singular passive indicative of trado, tradere, tradidi, traditus.  praedicans evangelium Dei proclaiming the gospel of God; “praedicans” is a masculine singular present active participle in agreement with the subject “Iesus.”  as the direct object of the participle, “evangelium” stands in the accusative case.  “Dei” is an appositional genitive [AG 282, 343(d)] but also a subjective genitive [AG 343 n. 1]:  “the gospel about God [coming as Christ].”

 1:15    et dicens and saying; the conjunction coordinates the present active participle with “praedicans” in the previous verse.  The participle introduces a direct statement. “ Impletum est tempus “the time has been completed”; the verb is a third person singular perfect passive indicative of the verb impleo, implere, implevi, impletum [501].  The perfect tense denotes action/aspect that is completed near present time and continues with present result.  et appropinquavit regnum Dei and the Kingdom of God is at hand; the verb is third person singular perfect active indicative of appropinquo, appropinquare, appropinquavi, appropinquatum.  The perfect tense denotes:  the kingdom of heaven has approached (recently and is now here).  The verb expresses urgency.  Paenitemini et credite evangelio repent and believe the Gospel; both verbs are plural imperatives; “paenitemini” is rare and post-classical, but cf. the title of the Apostolic Constitution on Fast and Abstinence promulgated by Paul VI in 1966. “credite” is the imperative of credo, credere, credidi, creditum [501].   

Mark: Course Notes for Mark 1:1-3

­EVANGELIUM

SECUNDUM MARCUM

CHAPTER ONE

1      Initium evangelii Iesu Christi Filii Dei.  2 Sicut scriptum est in Isaia propheta:  “Ecce mitto angelum eum ante faciem tuam, qui praeparabit viam tuam;

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1:1 Initium evangelii Iesu Christi Filii Dei  The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the son of God.  Supply “The.”  Unlike English, Latin lacks the definite and indefinite articles. Initium stands in the nominative case as the subject and belongs to the class of neuter nouns in the 2d declension.  evangelii is the genitive, of evangelium, a neuter noun in the 2d declension [App 7],  and is governed by “Initium.”  “evangelii” is a partitive genitive since it follows a word denoting part of a whole [App 3].  Iesu Christi, an appositive genitive (or “genitive of description” [App 3], more explicitly explains the meaning of the more general “evangelii.” The title “Christi” is the genitive of “Christus,” a masculine noun of the 2d declension.  “Christi” is the Latin transcription of the Greek Χριστοῦ, “the anointed one.”  Filii Dei is an appositional genitive.  Both nouns are masculine nouns of the 2d declension. 

1:2 Sicut scriptum est as it is written; the verb is an impersonal use of the 3d person singular perfect passive indicative of scribo. [Look up “scribo” in 501 Latin Verbs [“501”].  Check the perfect tense.]  The perfect tense denotes completed action that continues with present result:  it has been written (and is so now).  In Isaia propheta is a compressed way of saying:  in the writings of Isaiah.  “Propheta” is nominative singular of the first declension [App 6] noun propheta, prophetae,m. “Propheta” stands in apposition to “Isaia,” more fully identifying him. Ecce mitto behold, I will send; “ecce” is a demonstrative particle.   A demonstrative particle arouses the attention of the audience.  The verb “mitto” is first person singular present active indicative [Look up “mitto” in 501]; the present tense connotes a future.  Angelum meum my messenger; the 2d declension noun “angelum”, a masculine singular accusative of angelus, angeli, m., is the direct object of the verb “mitto.”  “meum,” accusative singular of the possessive pronoun meus, mei, m., is translated as a possessive adjective in English.  ante faciem tuam before your face; the preposition “ante” governs the accusative.  “faciem” is the singular accusative of the 5^th declension [App. 12] feminine noun facies, -ei, “face, countenance.”  “tuam” is the accusative of the feminine possessive pronoun tua, tuae, f.  qui praeparabit viam tuam who will prepare your way; “qui” is nominative singular of the relative pronoun qui, quae, quod [App 20].  It agrees in gender and number with its antecedent “angelum,” i.e, masculine singular. “praeparabit.”  The verb “praeparabit” is 3d person singular future active indicative of praeparo, praeparare, praeparavi, praeparatum [Look up “paro” in 501. Check the future tense].  “viam tuam”:  the noun is feminine singular accusative of the first declension noun via, viae, f. and the direct object of the verb “praeparabit.” 

               

3  vox clamantis in deserto:

‘Parate viam Domini,

Rectas facite semitas eius.’’

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1:3       vox clamantis the voice of one crying; supply “he is.”  The Gospel of John the Baptist prefaces the statement with the person pronoun “Ego,” I am as he responds to the priest and Levites (1:23).  “Vox” is the nominative singular of the 3d declension [App. 9] feminine noun vox, vocis.  “Clamantis” is the masculine singular present active participle [App. 41] of clamo, clamare, clamavi, clamatum.  A participle agrees in gender, number, and case with its subject or antecedent.  The antecedent of a man or of one must be supplied from the participle itself.  The participle prepares the reader for the upcoming direct quote.  In deserto the preposition [App. 47] governs the ablative case.  Parate viam Domini prepare the way of the Lord.  “Parate” is the plural imperative of paro, parare, paravi, paratum.  “Viam” is the direct object of the verb and stands in the accusative case.  Rectas facite semitas eius The adjective “rectas” is a feminine plural accusative of rectus, -a, -um, in agreement with its subject “semitas.”   “Facite” is a 2d person plural imperative of facio, facere, feci, factum, “do, make.”  Both this and the previous line are a parallel couplet which emphasizes a similar theme of preparation.  The first quotation is a composite of Exodus 23:20 and Malachi 3:1, and the second quotation is of Isaiah 40:3.

Mark: Study Questions for Mark 1:1-3

  Evangelium Secundum Marcum

Instructor:  James Ransom

September 6, 2013

Study Questions for Mark 1:1-3

1.      Compare Mark 1:1 with:  Matthew 1:1; Genesis 1:1;  John 1:1.

2.      What is the significance of Mark’s use of the noun evangelium?

3.      Where is the verb in line 1?

4.      What is the significance of opening the gospel with a prophecy from the Old Testament?  But wait: Mark does not really quote just one prophet, but splices together three different Old Testament passages.  Why?

 Read:  Isaiah 40:3; Exodus 23:20; Malachi 3:1; at least scan briefly the whole chapter of each.

5.      Who is the intended referent of “angelum meum (1:2)?”  Is he an “angel,” or just a messenger, or both?

6.      One early writer comments on “vox clamantis in deserto”:

“But it is called ‘the voice of one crying,’ for we are wont to use a cry to deaf persons,

And to those afar off…; for ‘salvation is far from the wicked,’ and they ‘stopped their ears like deaf adders’…the voice and the cry is in the desert, because they were deserted by the Spirit of God, as a house empty, and swept out…” 

            

Which of the three biblical prophesies Mark is applying seem to support this interpretation?  The interpretation is pessimistic; is it therefore off target or incomplete? How does it fit with the concept of “evangelium?”  

Course Notes for Mark 1:4-8

Evangelium Secundum Marcum

Instructor:  James Ransom

September 6, 2013

Course Notes for Wednesday, September 11

Instructions

After preparing lines 1-3 for the Tuesday class, continue to preparation of lines 4-8 for Wednesday.  Main preparation of 4-8 should be completed by the weekend.  On Monday, I will distribute Course Notes for the Thursday class. 

4          Fuit Ioannes Baptista in deserto baptizans et praedicans baptismum paenitentiae in remissionem peccatorum.

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1:4  Fuit is the 3^rd person perfect active indicative form of the irregular verb sum, esse, fui, futurus. [Look up sum in 501.]  Ioannes is the nominative singular of the 3^rd declension [App.9] noun Ioannes, Ioannis, m.   Baptista is the nominative singular of the 1^st declension [App.6] noun Baptista, baptistae, m.  In deserto baptizans et praedicans in the desert baptized and proclaimed; the two verbal forms are masculine singular present active participles [App. 41] in agreement with their subject “Ioannes.”  The present participles agree in time with the main verb “fuit” and are therefore translated as a past.  “In deserto”:  the location runs from Jerusalem and Bethlehem east to the lower Jordan and south to the Dead Sea. Baptismum paenitentiae “baptism of repentance”; “baptismum” is the accusative of the 2d declension [App. 7] noun baptismus, baptismi, m. As the direct object of the verb “baptismum” stands in the accusative case.  “Paenitentiae” is the genitive of the first declension noun paenitentia, paenitentiae,  f. 

 In remissionem peccatorum “for the remission of sins”; the preposition expresses the notion of purpose.  “Remissionem,” the object of the preposition, is the singular accusative of the 3d declension noun remissio, remissionis, f. “Peccatorum” is the genitive plural of the 2d declension noun peccatum, peccati, n.  It functions here is an objective genitive. 

5        Et egrediebatur ad illum omnis Iudaeae regio et Hierosolymitae universi et baptizabuntur ab illo in Iordane flumine confitentes peccata sua.

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1:5       egrediebatur continually went out; the verb is 3^rd person singular imperfect of egredior [501].  The imperfect tense denotes progressive, continued or repeated action in past time.  Omnis Iudaeae regio et Hierosolymitae universi the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem; the hyperbolic language speaks to the general popularity of John the Baptist.  “Omnis,” the feminine singular nominative adjective [App 39] modifying “regio,” stands in predicate position.   baptizabuntur ab illo “they were baptized by him”; the verb is third person plural imperfect passive indicative of baptizo, baptizare, baptizavi, batizatum [501].  In Iordane flumine “in the Jordan River.”  “flumine” is the ablative [App. 13] of the neuter third declension noun flumen, fluminis, n.  confitentes “as they confessed”; present active participle [App. 41] of confiteor, confiteri, confessus sum [501].  The participle is called circumstantial because it describes the circumstances under which an action takes place:  it may express time, cause, concession, condition, and other circumstances.   peccata sua “their sins”; the noun is the accusative plural of the second declension [App. 7] noun peccatum, peccati, n.  “sua” is neuter accusative plural of the pronoun suus.

6        Et erat Ioannes vestitus pilis cameli, et zona pellicia circa lumbos eius, et lucustas et mel silvestre edebat.

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1:6       Et erat Ioannes vestitus “John was accustomed to wear”; the verb is third person singular imperfect active indicative of sum, esse, fui, futurus [501].  In contract to the perfect, the imperfect shows aspect in the past that is continuing (was wearing), customary (used to wear), conative (attempted to wear), or inchoative (began to wear), and should be translated according to its context.  “Erat” is used in conjunction with “vestitus”:  the form is a masculine singular passive perfect participle [App. 41] of vestio, vestire, vestivi, vestitum.  pilis cameli camel’s hair; the form “pilis”  is dative plural of the noun pilus, pili, f.  “Cameli” is genitive singular of the second declension noun camelus, camili, m. 

zona pellicia leather belt;  prophets regularly distinguished themselves by wearing rough clothing of sheepskins or goatskins and a leather belt.  John may be compared particularly to Elijah in his clothing.  Cf. Zechariah 13:4; 1 Kings 18:46.  “zona” is a second direct object of the verb.  “pellicia” is neuter accusative plural of the adjective pellicius, pellicia, m.f.n.  Et…edebat “and was accustomed to eat”; “edebat” is third person singular imperfect active indicative of edo, edere, edi, esum [501].  lucustas et mel silvestre are considered clean and represent a simple and not uncommon food in desert lands.  Lucusta, lucustae, “locust”; mel, melis, n. “honey,”; silvestris, silvestre, “of the forest.”  Both nouns stand in the accusative case. 

7        Et praedicabat dicens:  “Venit fortior me post me, cuius non sum signus procumbens solvere corrigiam calciamentorum eius.”

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1:7       Et praedicabat dicens “he continually proclaimed, saying:”; the verb is third person singular imperfect active indicative of praedico, -dicere, -dixi, -dictum [Look up dico in 501].  In contrast to the perfect, the imperfect shows aspect in the past that is continuing, customary, conative, and inchoative, and should not be slighted in translation.  “dicens” is a present active participle [App.41] which introduces direct speech.  Venit fortior me post me one who is mightier than I comes after me; “Venit” is third person present active indicative of venio, venire, veni, ventum [501].  The present tense denotes a future.  “fortior”  is a comparative adjective [App. 40] with substantive force.  cuius non sum dignus procumbens solvere corrigiam calciamentorum eius whose thong of his sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie; the rhetorical statement is one of recognition, depreciation, and humility indicating that he is not worthy to perform even the lowliest task of a slave.  “cuius” is a relative pronoun that agrees in gender and number with its antecedent “fortior.”  “Procumbens” is a masculine singular nominative participle of procumbo, procumbere, procumbui, procumbitumi [501].The circumstantial participle coordinates with the infinitive “solvere,” which functions here as an infinitive of purpose.  “corrigiam” is the accusative of the first declension noun corrigia, corrigae, f.  “calciamentorum” is genitive plural of the second declension noun calceamentum, calceamenti, n.  “eius” is a possessive adjective. 

8        “Ego baptizavi vos aqua; ille vero baptizabit vos Spiritu Sancto.”

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1:8       Baptizavi is first person singular perfect active indicative.  Vos, a second person plural personal pronoun, is the direct object of the verb and stands in the accusative case.  Aqua “with water”; the case is a dative of means.  Baptizabit  is third person future active indicative.  Spiritu Sancto “with the Holy Spirit.”  Both water and Spirit symbolize cleansing agents and, in conjunction with the verb baptizo, indicate the notion of being enveloped.  

Introduction to Philosophy Final Examination

Introduction to Philosophy

Instructor:  James Ransom

May 31, 2013

FINAL EXAMINATION

In a well-organized essay which draws upon your philosophical training, consider, compare and critique the relative merits of the insights into the nature of truth proposed by Bacon and Heidegger. 

Francis Bacon, Of  Truth (1601)

What is truth? said jesting Pilate, and would not stay for an answer. Certainly there are those men, that delight in giddiness, and count it a bondage to fix a belief; affecting free-will in thinking, as well as in acting. And though the sects of philosophers of that kind are gone, yet there remain certain discoursing wits, which are of the same veins, though there be not so much blood in them, as was in those of the ancients.

But it is not only the difficulty and labor, which men take in finding out of truth, nor again, that when it is found, it imposes upon men's thoughts, that bring lies in favor; but a natural though corrupt love, of the lie itself.

One of the later school of the Grecians examines the matter, and [can’t understand why] some men love lies where they neither make for pleasure, as with poets, nor for advantage, as with the merchant; but for the lie's sake. But truth is a naked and open day-light, that does not show the masks, and mummeries, and triumphs, of the world, half so stately and daintily as candle-lights. Truth may perhaps come to the price of a pearl, that shows best by day; but it will not rise to the price of a diamond, or carbuncle, that shows best in varied lights.

A mixture of a lie always adds pleasure. Does any man doubt, that if there were taken out of men's minds, vain opinions, flattering hopes, false valuations, imaginations as one would, and the like, but it would leave the minds, of a number of men, poor shrunken things, full of melancholy and indisposition, and unpleasing to themselves?

One of the fathers, in great severity, called poetry vinum doemonum, because though it fills the imagination, it is only with the shadow of a lie. But it is not the lie that passes through the mind, but the lie that sinks in, and settles in it, that does the hurt. But, however these things are in mens’ depraved judgments, and affections, yet truth, which only judges itself, teaches that the inquiry of truth, which is the love-making, or wooing of it; the knowledge of truth, which is the presence of it; and the belief of truth, which is the enjoying of it, is the sovereign good of human nature.

The first creature of God, in the works of the days, was the light of the sense; the last, was the light of reason; and his sabbath work ever since, is the illumination of his Spirit. First he breathed light, upon the face of the matter or chaos; then he breathed light, into the face of man; and still he breathes and inspires light, into the face of his chosen. The poet…says it well: It is a pleasure, to stand upon the shore, and to see ships tossed upon the sea; a pleasure, to stand in the window of a castle, and to see a battle, and the adventures thereof below: but no pleasure is comparable to the standing upon the vantage ground of truth (a hill not to be commanded, and where the air is always clear and serene), and to see the errors, and wanderings, and mists, and tempests, in the vale below; so always that this prospect be with pity, and not with swelling, or pride. Certainly, it is heaven upon earth, to have a man's mind move in charity, rest in providence, and turn upon the poles of truth.

To pass from theological, and philosophical truth, to the truth of civil business; it will be acknowledged, even by those that practice it not, that clear and round dealing, is the honor of man's nature; and that mixture of falsehoods, is like alloy in coin of gold and silver, which may make the metal work the better, but it embases it. For these winding, and crooked courses, are the goings of the serpent; which goes basely upon the belly, and not upon the feet.

There is no vice, that so covers a man with shame, as to be found false and perfidious. Montaigne…inquired, why lying should be such a disgrace, and such an odious charge? He says that to say that a man lies, is to say that he is brave towards God, and a coward towards men. For a lie faces God, and shrinks from man. Surely the wickedness of falsehood, and breach of faith, cannot possibly be so highly expressed, as in that it shall be the last peal, to call the judgments of God upon the generations of men; it being foretold, that when Christ comes, he shall not find faith upon the earth.

Martin Heidegger, On the Essence of Truth (1933)

Our topic is the essence of truth.  The question regarding the essence of truth is not concerned with whether truth is a truth of practical experience or of economic calculation…or even the truth of thoughtful reflection or of cultic belief.  The question of essence disregards all this and attends to the one thing that in general distinguishes every “truth” as truth.

Yet with this question concerning essence do we not soar too high into the void of generality that deprives all thinking of breath?  Does not the extravagance of such questioning bring to light the groundlessness of all philosophy? What use is the question concerning the essence of truth, this “abstract” question that disregards everything actual?  Is not the question of essence the most unessential and superfluous that could be asked?

No one can evade the evident certainty of these considerations.  But what is it that speaks in these considerations?  “Sound” common sense.  It harps on the demand for palpable utility and inveighs against knowledge of the essence of beings, which essential knowledge has long been called “philosophy.”

Common sense has its own necessity; it asserts its rights with the weapon peculiarly suitable to it, namely, appeal to the “obviousness” of its claims and considerations.  However, philosophy can never refute common sense, for the latter is deaf to the language of philosophy.  Nor may it even wish to do so, since common sense is blind to what philosophy sets before its essential vision.

What do we ordinarily understand by “truth?”  The true, whether it be a matter or a proposition, is what accords, the accordant, as in the traditional definition of truth:  veritas est adaequatio rei et intellectus [truth is the correspondence of the intellect to the thing].  But is there any further need at all for a special unveiling of the essence of truth?  Is not the pure essence of truth already adequately represented in the generally accepted concept, which is upset by no theory and is secured by its obviousness?

But we speak of accordance in various senses.  We say, for example, considering two five-mark coins lying on the table:  they are in accordance with one another.  Furthermore, we speak of accordance whenever, for example, we state regarding one of the five-mark coins:  this coin is round.  Now the relation obtains, not between thing and thing, but rather between a statement and a thing.  But wherein are the thing and the statement supposed to be in accordance, considering that the relata are manifestly different in their outward appearance?  The coin is made of metal.  The statement is not material at all.  The coin is round.  The statement has nothing at all spatial about it.  With the coin something can be purchased.  The statement about it is never a means of payment. 

Correspondence here cannot signify a thing-like approximation between dissimilar kinds of things.  The essence of the correspondence is determined rather by the kind of relation that obtains between the statement and the thing.  The relation of the statement to the thing is the accomplishment of a disclosure, an “opening up,” a free disclosure of the essence of the thing.  What is thus opened up, solely in this strict sense, was experienced early in Western thinking as “what is present” and for a long time has been named “being.” 

Thus, the essence of truth is freedom.  Nevertheless, in the concept of freedom we do not think truth, and certainly not at all its essence.  The proposition that the essence of truth is freedom must consequently seem strange. 

To place the essence of truth in freedom—does not this mean to submit truth to human caprice?  Can truth be any more radically undermined that by being surrendered to the arbitrariness of this “wavering reed”?  Metaphysics regards truth as imperishable and eternal, which can never be founded on the transitoriness and fragility that belongs to man’s essence.  How then can the essence of truth still have its subsistence and its ground in human freedom? 

But here it becomes evident that freedom is the ground of the inner possibility of truth only because it receives its own essence from the more original essence of uniquely essential truth.  Freedom was first determined as freedom for what is opened up in an open region.  How is this essence of freedom to be thought?  That which is opened up, that to which a proposition correctly corresponds, are beings opened up in an open comportment [accord].  Freedom for what is opened up lets beings be the beings that they are.  Freedom now reveals itself as letting beings be.

To let be is to engage oneself with beings.  To let be—that is, to let beings be as the beings which they are—means to engage oneself with the open region and its openness into which every being comes to stand, bringing that openness, as it were, along with us.  Western thinking in its beginning conceived this open region as ta alethiea, the unconcealed.  If we translate aletheia as “unconcealment” rather than “truth,” this translation is not merely more literal; it contains the directive to think back to truth as the disclosedness and disclosure of beings. 

Freedom is not merely what common sense is content to let pass under this name:  the caprice, turning up occasionally in our choosing, of inclining in this or that direction.  Prior to all this, freedom is engagement in the disclosure of beings as such.  Thus, freedom, understood as letting things be, is the fulfillment and consummation of the essence of truth in the sense of the disclosure of beings.

The essence of truth therefore reveals itself as freedom.  Freedom is disclosive, letting beings be.  Letting beings be, which is an attuning, a bringing into accord, prevails throughout and anticipates all the open comportment that flourishes in it.