Matthew 1:22

κυρίου not τοῦ κυρίου. Κύριος, in the sense of Jehovah—the triune God—is almost invariably without the article.

22. ὅλον. For the Hellenistic use of ὄλος in preference to πᾶς cp. French ‘tout’ from totus, adopted rather than any word derived from omnis. Possibly the similarity to Hebr. col (all) may have influenced the Hellenistic writers in their choice.

γέγονεν, ‘has come to pass.’ The Evangelist speaks as a contemporary. The tense is a note of the early date of this gospel.

ἵνα πληρωθῇ. By this formula the Evangelist recognises in the event described a fulfilment of a type or prophecy. It matters little whether we regard ἵνα as (1) final, ‘in order that,’ or (2) by a late use consecutive, ‘so that,’ in other words (1) as marking the conscious intention of the prophet or of God speaking through the prophet, or (2) a reflection of the Evangelist viewing the historical fact in connection with the prophecy—and finding in the prophecy an analogy, if not a definite prediction. For in regard to divine action the intention and result are identical, that is, we cannot conceive of any result being unintentional with God. It has been disputed whether ἵνα is ever used in a consecutive sense. Meyer and Alford deny this use (see his note 1 Thessalonians 5:4), and Winer with perhaps one exception, Revelation 13:13. On the other side see Bp Ellicott on Ephesians 1:17 and Bp Lightfoot on Galatians 5:17, and comp. 1 Thessalonians 5:4. In these and other passages ἵνα undoubtedly marks the result as distinct from conscious purpose. In confirmation of this view take into account (1) The Jewish mode of thought, according to which all results are regarded as purposed by God. The absence of τύχῃ from the N.T. vocabulary is striking evidence of this. (2) The influence of Latin, in which the same particle ut is used to express aim and result. (3) The analogy of the genitive of the infinitive (e.g. τοῦ πιστεύειν) insensibly passing from an idea of aim to that of result. (4) The usage of modern Greek, towards which Hellenistic Greek is a step, which finds νά (ἵνα) too weak to express the idea of purpose and strengthens that particle by the addition of διά, so that διὰ νά = ‘in order that.’ (5) The general tendency of language in a later stage, especially on its popular side, to make special words serve a manifold use.

The use of ἵνα is further extended in Hellenistic Greek

(1) to oblique petition after words of entreaty, command, &c. instead of ὅπως or infinitive. Cp. εἰπὲ ἵνα γένηται, Luke 4:3.

(2) to substantival clauses, where ὅτι or ὡς with the indicative would be the regular classical construction; cp. John 17:3, αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωή, ἵνα γινώσκωσίν σε κ.τ.λ., and Epict. II. 1. 1, εἰ� … πάντα ποιεῖν, si verum hoc est fieri posse &c. (Schweighäuser).

Comp. the indices of Schweighäuser to Epictetus and of Wyttenbach to Plutarch, where examples are given of ἵνα consecutive.

ὑπὸ … διά. See note ch. Matthew 2:5.