Marking Thought and Talk in New Testament Greek: New Light from Linguistics on the Particles ‘hina’ and ‘hoti

Aimed at both biblical scholars and those interested in linguistic theory, this book makes use of insights from a modern theory of communication, Relevance Theory, in examining the function of the particle ‘hina’ in New Testament Greek. Challenging accepted wisdom, Margaret Sim claims that the particle does not have a lexical meaning of ‘in order that’, but that it alerts the reader to expect an interpretation of the thought or attitude of the implied speaker or author. Evidence is adduced from pagan Greek and in particular the writings of Polybius, Dionysius of Halicarnassus, and Epictetus, as well as the New Testament. The implications of this claim open up opportunities for fresh interpretation of many problematic texts.