TIP OF THE DAY 150: Time and sequence from temporal deixis

MJ. Smith · March 24

I am adding these posts to the previous tip list L/V 10 Tip of the Day (when it doesn't time out)

POST ISSUE: Time and sequence by deixis

Deixis is language use that requires the context to understand the meaning e.g. the meaning of tomorrow is dependent upon when it is spoken. Often the tagging in Logos hides the interpretation step of assigning meaning e.g. pronouns such as he or she being tagged by their referent. This is an example of where we need to remember Logos is not inerrant.
See

https://community.logos.com/discussion/247807/temporal-deixis-of-the-greek-verb-in-the-gospel-of-mark-with-reference-to-verbal-aspect

QUESTION: Define temporal deixis.

SOFTWARE: A smart search in Logos brings up several relevant responses.

ANSWER: The synopsis from the smart all search:

Temporal deixis is a linguistic concept that refers to the way language encodes or indicates time within the context of an utterance or speech event[1]. It is one of the three main categories of deixis, alongside person and place deixis[1]. Temporal deixis helps to establish temporal relationships between the discourse and the implied context of the situation[1]. Some common indicators of temporal deixis include adverbs (e.g., 'then', 'now', 'until'), anaphora (such as demonstratives), and references to places, as spatial and temporal deixis are closely related[1]. It's important to note that the interpretation of temporal deixis can be complicated by the speaker's point of view and the distinction between the moment of utterance (coding time) and the moment of reception (receiving time)[1]. In general, deixis, including its temporal aspect, involves the ability of language to 'point to' or 'indicate' elements of the context, with the referents of deictic words shifting depending on the speech situation[2][3][4].

[1] Jeffrey T. Reed, “Modern Linguistics and the New Testament: A Basic Guide to Theory, Terminology, and Literature,” in Approaches to New Testament Study, ed. Stanley E. Porter, Tombs David, vol. 120, Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1995), 236.

[2] Matthew S. DeMoss, Pocket Dictionary for the Study of New Testament Greek (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 43.

[3] Andrew E. Hill, Malachi: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, vol. 25D, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008), xxvi.

[4] Bruce K. Waltke and Michael Patrick O’Connor, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1990), 690.

From Porter, Stanley E., and David Tombs. Approaches to New Testament Study. Vol. 120. Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series. Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1995.

Deixis refers to the ability of language users to employ linguistic forms to ‘point to’ or ‘indicate’ elements of the co-text (i.e. surrounding linguistic elements) and/or context (i.e. situational elements). Levinson describes it as ‘the ways in which languages encode or grammaticalize features of the context of utterance or speech event’. Deictic indicators may be usefully divided into three categories: person, time, and place.[1] . . .

Temporal deixis is another important way in which discourse is tied to a context of situation. According to one grammatical model of the Greek language, verb tenses serve as temporal indicators in discourse. Recent research in verbal aspect of the Greek verb either abandons or significantly downplays the idea of time in the verbal tense-forms. This debate is far from over, and presently there are exegetes from all three schools of thought (temporal, Aktionsart, aspect), and some with mixed categories. The point, however, is that the interpretation of tense-forms as temporal deixis is disputed. Some less-disputed deictic indicators of time include adverbs (e.g. τότε, νῦν, μέχρι), anaphora (e.g. demonstratives), and references to places (spatial and temporal deixis are closely related). All three classes are helpful for establishing temporal relationships between the discourse and the implied context of situation. The first class represents a type of direct temporal indication; the others are indirect. Analysis of temporal deixis is complicated by the point of view of the speaker. For example, if a letter is read containing the sentence ‘Now I will tell you what I think about your new book’, does the word ‘now’ refer to the point in time at which the letter was written or the point in time at which it was read? Similarly, does the aorist ἔγραψα in 1 Cor. 5:11 (νῦνδὲἔγραψαὑμῖν …) refer to the time when the letter was written or the time it was read. In deictic terms, the distinction is between the ‘moment of utterance (or inscription) or coding time (or CT)’ and the ‘moment of reception or receiving time (or RT)’. Temporal deixis is even relative for the speaker, since at the precise point in time when the word ‘now’ or ἔγραψα is actually written, the author has not yet finished writing the clause. The point being emphasized here is that grammatical forms do not provide absolute indicators of time. They are relative to anchorage points determined by the speaker. The anchorage points may be interpreted differently by the listener.[2]

QUESTION: Give 5 examples from the Hebrew Bible in which time and sequence is indicated by temporal deixis.

SOFTWARE: The smart all search is good at finding discussions of temporal deixis. The smart Bible search is good at finding references of temporal deixis for practicing your skills. I use Perplexity because it provides both the reference and a short description which may be doubled checked against your commentaries.

ANSWER: From Perplexity:

Here are five examples from the Hebrew Bible where time and sequence are indicated by temporal deixis:

Genesis 1:5

"And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day."This verse uses temporal markers ("evening," "morning") to indicate the sequence of time within the creation narrative, anchoring events to a specific temporal framework.

Exodus 16:1

"On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt..."This passage specifies a date, situating the event within a broader timeline. The mention of "after they had come out of Egypt" further provides a sequential anchor.

Ezra 3:1

"When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns..."The temporal clause "when the seventh month came" situates the event in a specific time, marking it as part of a sequence in the narrative.

Genesis 24:63-64

"He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac."The use of "one evening" and sequential actions ("he looked up," "she looked up") provides a clear temporal progression tied to a specific moment.

Judges 6:25-27

"That same night the LORD said to him, 'Take the second bull from your father’s herd...'"The phrase "that same night" anchors the event to a specific temporal point, following earlier actions in the narrative.

These examples demonstrate how Biblical Hebrew uses temporal deixis—specific times, dates, or sequential markers—to structure narratives and situate events within a timeline.

QUESTION: Give 5 examples from the Greek Bible in which time and sequence is indicated by temporal deixis.

SOFTWARE: The smart all search is good at finding discussions of temporal deixis. The smart Bible search is good at finding references of temporal deixis for practicing your skills. I use Perplexity because it provides both the reference and a short description which may be doubled checked against your commentaries.

ANSWER: From Perplexity:

Here are 5 examples from the Greek Bible where time and sequence are indicated by temporal deixis:

Mark 1:10 - "And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him."The imperfective aspect (ἐρχόμενος - "coming up") indicates an ongoing action, while the aorist (ἐσχίσθη - "torn apart") presents a completed action. This temporal deixis shows the sequence of events.

Mark 4:29 - "But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."The use of εὐθύς ("at once") as an adverb expresses a short duration of time, indicating the immediacy of the action.

Mark 10:32 - "They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them..."The use of πάλιν ("again") provides textual cohesion at the discourse level, linking different episodes and marking a transition in the narrative.

Mark 13:35 - "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn."This verse uses nominal indicators (evening, midnight, dawn) to express different points in time, demonstrating how temporal deixis can be conveyed through context rather than verb tense alone.

John 14:3 - "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."The use of the present tense for a future event (Christ's return) demonstrates how temporal deixis can override the typical time associations of verb forms to convey meaning based on context.

These examples illustrate how Greek uses various deictic indicators, including aspectual distinctions, adverbs, discourse markers, and contextual cues, to convey temporal relationships and sequence of events, often independently of the grammatical tense of the verbs used.