Information concerning the historical present
- Normally in narrative material, we expect that the foreground storyline will be encoded with perfective aspect and past tense
- Occasionally, however, the narrator may find a need to make something stand out within the foreground storyline. One way the narrator can do so is by breaking the default pattern, that is, breaking past tense and perfective aspect.
- the historical present is unexpected because of tense and aspect, and is an ideal option for drawing the reader’s attention and thus highlighting something in the narrative.
What is not implied by the historical present?
- Even though some have claimed so, it is incorrect to say that it brings a vividness to the narrative (a “you-are-there” quality),
- It also does not highlight the speech or event associated with the historical present itself
What is implied by the historical present?
- the historical present serves as prominence-marking device to highlight a significant event or speech in the subsequent narrative.
- the historical present almost always points beyond its own main clause to something later in the narrative. It is thus forward pointing or, more technically, cataphoric.
In the following passage what is the historical presents (λέγει x 3) pointing to as significant?
3καὶ λέγει τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ τὴν ξηρὰν χεῖρα ἔχοντι· Ἔγειρε εἰς τὸ μέσον. 4καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Ἔξεστιν τοῖς σάββασιν ἀγαθὸν ποιῆσαι ἢ κακοποιῆσαι, ψυχὴν σῶσαι ἢ ἀποκτεῖναι; οἱ δὲ ἐσιώπων. 5καὶ περιβλεψάμενος αὐτοὺς μετʼ ὀργῆς, συλλυπούμενος ἐπὶ τῇ πωρώσει τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν λέγει τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ· Ἔκτεινον τὴν χεῖρα . καὶ ἐξέτεινεν καὶ ἀπεκατεστάθη ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ.
This historical present is not marking Jesus’ instruction “Stand up in the middle [of everyone]” as prominent. Instead, it is pointing beyond this instruction to something that will come later. The same may be said of the following two historical presents in 4a and 5c: both are pointing the reader forward beyond the speech associated with the historical present, heightening the reader’s expectation that something important is coming. Indeed, all three historical presents point forward, here with a cumulative effect, to the climactic healing of the man at the end of v. 5. [I am not sure if I 100% agree, it seems that the command (v. 3) question (v. 4), and healing are immediately subsequent and all seem pivotal, obviously the healing is climatic.]
Which of the following is used as a forward-pointing marker of prominence?
Your answer : present indicative
Correct! The present indicative in past narrative (i.e., the “historical present”) is used as a forward-pointing marker of prominence.
Which of the following terms is essentially synonymous with “forward pointing”?
cataphoric
True or False? Using the historical present causes an event to be prominent that would not otherwise be.
False
Correct! The historical present highlights information that is already inherently important for the story. It does not contribute to the prominence of the information but only points to it as prominent.
True or False? A historical present typically highlights as prominent the speech or event associated with it.
Your answer : False
Correct! A historical present typically highlights as prominent something beyond itself and its immediate clause.
Why does mark uses constructions such as ἔκραζον . . . λέγοντα, “. . .”
In Mark, whenever a participial form of λέγω follows another speech verb, the speech seems to be marked as prominent. Notice how the text could have said that the demons “cried out” that that Jesus was the Son of God or that the demons “said” that Jesus was the Son of God. This is not an overlooked redundancy that should have been edited out by Mark. Instead, the seeming redundancy has effect of slowing the reader down, calling the reader’s attention to the following speech of the demons—these powerful supernatural beings recognize Jesus for who he truly is, the Son of God.
True or False? At the most basic level background information never moves forward a narrative.
True
When an imperfect is used in a situation when it would be more natural for an aorist to be used, the imperfect is
marked
Which of the following is MOST likely to encode foreground information in narrative?
- prenuclear participial phrases
- aorist indicatives
- subordinate subjunctive clauses
- γάρ clauses
- aorist indicatives
Which of the following descriptors best suits the clause ὅταν αὐτὸν ἐθεώρουν?
- participant orientation
- evaluation
- temporal
- discourse irrealis
- temporal
At which position in an episode is an imperfect indicative most likely to be foreground information?
- beginning
- middle
- end
- End
Correct! Imperfect indicatives at the beginning of an episode are most likely to be background, providing the setting of an episode, but at the end of an episode the setting has already been established, significantly lessening the likelihood that imperfect indicatives encode background at that point in the episode.
How are the historical presents being used here?
Mark 3:13 Καὶ ἀναβαίνει→ εἰς τὸ ὄρος καὶ προσκαλεῖται→ οὓς ἤθελεν αὐτός, καὶ ἀπῆλθον πρὸς αὐτόν.
a subsidiary function of the historical present: to introduce new participants or move already-introduced participants to a new location. This is not a different function from its forward-pointing usage, but a subsidiary function.
The historical present here is cataphoric as is typical, that is, it points forward to something significant that is coming (almost always after the main clause in which the historical present appears), and specifically something significant that will involve the location and participants associated with the historical present.
Mark 3:13 introduces a new scene with a shift in location, which is accompanied by the historical present ἀναβαίνει. This verse highlights a common function of the historical present within Mark, that is, to introduce or move participants to a new location. The historical present here is cataphoric as is typical, that is, it points forward to something significant that is coming (almost always after the main clause in which the historical present appears), and specifically something significant that will involve the location and participants associated with the historical present.[1] Thus, ἀναβαίνει moves Jesus to a new location (that is, from his location at the sea in 3:7–12 to his location on the mountain) and suggests that something significant will happen with this participant (Jesus) in this place (the mountain).
Why, then, does Mark use a second historical present, προσκαλεῖται? The narrative has already moved Jesus to the mountain but this historical present, via Jesus’ call, now moves the twelve disciples as well. Thus προσκαλεῖται suggests that something significant will happen with these participants (the twelve disciples) in this place (the mountain). What then do both of these historical presents point forward to? They point forward to the climactic event of this episode, which happens on the mountain: the appointment of the twelve disciples as Jesus’ apostles, uniquely separating them out from the rest of his followers.
What are the backgrounding/foregrounding functions in subordinate clauses?
They do not have any (Thus the relative clause that concludes v. 19 (ὃς καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτόν) is in the perfective aspect, but since it appears in a subordinate clause, we generally expect it to be background information. Here this subordinate clause provides supporting information, providing insight into Judas’ character for the benefit of the readers.)
Which is the MOST likely discourse function for the historical present?
a highlighting device for an event that follows
If I want to emphasize a clause, where should I put it in the sentence?
at the end
For example; the second clause receives the emphasis:
1. I will never vote for that politician unless he starts fulfilling his promises.
1a. Unless he starts fulfilling his promises, I will never vote for that politician.
(This is called: a qualification with the exception)
What do exception clauses begin with in Greek? and what do they communicate>
- εἰ μή or ἐὰν μή
- “not X … except with this caveat!”
ἀλλʼ οὐδεὶς δύναται εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ἰσχυροῦ εἰσελθὼν τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ διαρπάσαι ἐὰν μὴ πρῶτον τὸν ἰσχυρὸν δήσῃ, καὶ τότε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ διαρπάσει.
“But no one, going into the house of the strong man, is able to plunder his belongings unless (ἐὰν μὴ) he should first bind the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.”
Jesus focuses the attention of his audience on the exception
Which of the following passages places the emphasis upon the exceptive clause?
- ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος, οὐ δύναται εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ (“unless someone should be born from water and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God”; John 3:5
- οὐδεὶς γὰρ δύναται ταῦτα τὰ σημεῖα ποιεῖν ἃ σὺ ποιεῖς, ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ ὁ θεὸς μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ (“no one is able to do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him”; John 3:2).
Your answer : οὐδεὶς γὰρ δύναται ταῦτα τὰ σημεῖα ποιεῖν ἃ σὺ ποιεῖς, ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ ὁ θεὸς μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ (“no one is able to do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him”; John 3:2).
Correct! When an exceptive clause follows the main clause, the speaker/author gives it more prominence. In John 3:2 the emphasis lies upon ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ ὁ θεὸς μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ and the possibility that God is enabling Jesus’ miracles.
True or False? The structure of a sentence that places emphasis upon an exceptive clause can be described as “Except Y. . . Not X.”
Your answer : False
Correct! The structure of a sentence that places emphasis upon an exceptive clause would be “Not X . . . Except Y”
Consider Mark 3:20a, which opens a new episode: Καὶ ἔρχεται εἰς οἶκον. Which of the following is NOT a function of ἔρχεται?
- points forward in the narrative
- suggests that a significant happening will happen
- moves subject of ἔρχεται to a new location
- backgrounds Καὶ ἔρχεται εἰς οἶκον
ἔρχεται does not…
4. backgrounds Καὶ ἔρχεται εἰς οἶκον
Consider Mark 3:22: καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς οἱ ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων καταβάντες ἔλεγον ὅτι Βεελζεβοὺλ ἔχει. Which of the verbs in this verse are MOST likely to be background in the narrative superstructure?
- both καταβάντες and ἔλεγον equally
- ἔλεγον
- ἔχει
- καταβάντες
Your answer : καταβάντες
Correct! The prenuclear participle καταβάντες is MOST likely to be background. Imperfect indicatives like ἔλεγον are also often background but can be foreground, as is likely here, since ἔλεγον introduces an inciting speech.
Consider Mark 3:26: καὶ εἰ ὁ Σατανᾶς ἀνέστη ἐφʼ ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἐμερίσθη, οὐ δύναται στῆναι ἀλλὰ τέλος ἔχει. Which is the BEST description of the function of ἀλλὰ?
- explanatory
- development marker
- exceptive
- corrective
corrective
Correct! The use of ἀλλὰ is corrective. Here it corrects an explicit element within the text, δύναται στῆναι. Jesus affirms that if Satan were divided against himself, Satan would not be able to stand but would be at his end.
