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Greek Lessons
- From Jerusalem with Scrutiny: Fronting and Focus in Mark 7:1
- Speaking in Tongues in the Bible
- Grace Beyond Demand: Participles and Imperatives in a Kingdom Ethic
- Reverent Burial and Narrative Simplicity: A Koine and Classical Greek Comparison of Mark 6:29
- The Morning They Found It Razed: Perfect Participles and Sacred Surprises
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Category
Monthly Archives: February 2011
The Voices of the Greek Verb
The system of three voices of the verb – active (transitive), passive (instransitive), and middle (i.e. transitive with the reference to the subject) – remains on the whole the same in the New Testament as in the classical language. In the former, as in the latter, it frequently happens in the case of individual verbs that by a certain arbitrariness of the language this or that voice becomes the established and recognized form for a particular meaning, to the exclusion of another voice, which might perhaps appear more appropriate to this meaning. It is therefore a difficult matter to arrive at any general conception for each of the voices, which when applied to particular cases is not bound at once to become subject to limitation or even contradiction.… Learn Koine Greek
Posted in Grammar
Tagged active, Aποκρινομαι, Friedrich Wilhelm Blass, intransitive, passive, transitive, αγαμαι, απεκριθην, απεκριναμην, αποθανουμαι, αποθνησκω, αποκριθησομαι, αποκρινουμαι, απολωλα, δραμουμαι, εδραμον, εστηκα, εστην, εστησαμην, εφανην, εφανθην, ηγασθην, θαυμαζομαι, θαυμαζω, θαυμασθησομαι, θαυμασομαι, θρεξομαι, ισταμαι, λυπουμαι, σταθησομαι, τεξοσομαι, τικτω, τυπτομαι, τυπτω, φαανθην, χαιρω
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Greek Numerals
(1) Δυο has genitive δυο, dative δυσιν (plural inflection). (2) In compounds of δεκα with units, at least from thirteen upwards, δεκα occupies the first place (this practice is more frequent in later language than in the older: in modern Greek except in the case of eleven and twelve, it is universal): (i) δεκατεσσαρες in Matthew 1:17
πασαι ουν αι γενεαι απο αβρααμ εως δαβιδ γενεαι δεκατεσσαρες και απο δαβιδ εως της μετοικεσιας βαβυλωνος γενεαι δεκατεσσαρες και απο της μετοικεσιας βαβυλωνος εως του χριστου γενεαι δεκατεσσαρες All the generations, therefore, from Abraham unto David are fourteen generations, and from David unto the Babylonian removal fourteen generations, and from the Babylonian removal unto the Christ, fourteen generations.… Learn Koine Greek
What Is Koine Greek
Koine Greek (Ελληνιστική Κοινή) “Hellenistic common (language)”; or ἡ κοινὴ διάλεκτος, “the common dialect” is the popular form of the Greek language spoken throughout post-Classical antiquity (c.300 BC – 300 A.D.), developing from the Attic dialect, with admixture of elements especially from Ionic. Koine Greek arose as a common dialect within the armies of Alexander the Great. Under the leadership of Macedon, which colonized the known world, their newly formed common dialect was spoken from Egypt to Mesopotamia. Though elements of Koine Greek took shape during the Classical Era, the post-Classical period of Greek is defined as beginning with the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C.,… Learn Koine Greek
Greek Adjectives
An adjective is a word whose main syntactic role is to qualify a noun or noun phrase, giving more information about the object signified. Every word joined to a substantive, in the character or quality of an adjective, (as adjectives, participles, pronouns, articles) must agree with the noun in number, gender, and case. Greek adjectives follow precisely the inflection of Substantives. Every declension, almost every form, reappears, but in different combinations.
In respect of form, adjectives are divided into three classes:
(i) Those which combine the first and second declension. (ii) Those which combine the first and third declension. (iii) Those which follow exclusively the type of the third declension.… Learn Koine Greek
The Greek Sentence
(1) The sentence is an expression of an idea and is complex. The subject and predicate are essential to the complete expression of a sentence, which may be very brief. Indeed one word may have both as απεχει (Mark 14:41).
Mark 14:41 και ερχεται το τριτον και λεγει αυτοις καθευδετε το λοιπον και αναπαυεσθε απεχει ηλθεν η ωρα ιδου παραδιδοται ο υιος του ανθρωπου εις τας χειρας των αμαρτωλω
And he cometh the third time, and saith to them, `Sleep on henceforth, and rest – it is over; the hour did come; lo, the Son of Man is delivered up to the hands of the sinful;
Indeed the sentence does not absolutely require the expression of either subject or predicate.… Learn Koine Greek
Posted in Grammar
Tagged A.T. Robertson, asyndeton, predicate, sentence, subject, ἀσύνδετον
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Greek Personal Pronouns: Nominative Case
The Personal Pronouns, in the Nominative Case
A personal pronoun, when expressed as the subject of a verb, is usually, if not always, emphatic.
(1) εγω εχω I have
ο δε ιωαννης διεκωλυεν αυτον λεγων εγω χρειαν εχω υπο σου βαπτισθηναι και συ ερχη προς με (Matthew 3:14)
but John was forbidding him, saying, `I have need by thee to be baptized–and thou dost come unto me!’
(2) συ εχεις Thou hast, You (singular) have
συ πιστιν εχεις κατα σαυτον εχε ενωπιον του θεου μακαριος ο μη κρινων εαυτον εν ω δοκιμαζει (Romans 14:22)
You (singular) have faith! to thyself have it before God; happy is he who is not judging himself in what he doth approve,
(3) ημεις εχομεν We have
απεκριθησαν αυτω οι ιουδαιοι ημεις νομον εχομεν και κατα τον νομον ημων οφειλει αποθανειν οτι εαυτον υιον του θεου εποιησεν (John 19:7)
the Jews answered him, `We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die, for he made himself Son of God.’… Learn Koine Greek
Why Should Christian Learn New Testament Greek?
That a knowledge of the New Testament in its original language is a thing to be desired by intelligent Christians none will question. No book can be thoroughly known in a translation only; and the Bible, although is known to be “the most translated book in the world,” is no exception.
Before the invention of the World Wide Web, many persons have no opportunity for studies so extended and difficult. Are they therefore, to be forbidden to all access, save through translators, critics, and interpreters to the words inspired by God?
2 Timothy 3:16
πασα γραφη θεοπνευστος και ωφελιμος προς διδασκαλιαν προς ελεγχον προς επανορθωσιν προς παιδειαν την εν δικαιοσυνη
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness
An Address To The Clergy(2.)… Learn Koine Greek
Greek Verb: Present, Indicative, Active
A Verb Ending In -ω In The Present, Indicative, Active
Most Greek verbs end in ω in the first person singular of the present, indicative, active.
(1) I believe πιστευω και ευθεως κραξας ο πατηρ του παιδιου μετα δακρυων ελεγεν πιστευω κυριε βοηθει μου τη απιστια (Mark 9:24)
and immediately the father of the child, having cried out, with tears said, `I believe, sir; be helping mine unbelief.’
(2) You believe πιστευεις πιστευεις βασιλευ αγριππα τοις προφηταις οιδα οτι πιστευεις (Act 26:27)
You believe, king Agrippa, the prophets? I have known that you believe!’
(3) He believes πιστευει ιησους δε εκραξεν και ειπεν ο πιστευων εις εμε ου πιστευει εις εμε αλλ εις τον πεμψαντα με (John 12:44)
And Jesus cried and said, `He who is believing in me, does not believe in me, but in Him who sent me;
(4) We believe πιστευομεν τη τε γυναικι ελεγον οτι ουκετι δια την σην λαλιαν πιστευομεν αυτοι γαρ ακηκοαμεν και οιδαμεν οτι ουτος εστιν αληθως ο σωτηρ του κοσμου ο χριστος (John 4:42)
and said to the woman–`No more because of thy speaking do we believe; for we ourselves have heard and known that this is truly the Saviour of the world–the Christ.’… Learn Koine Greek
Posted in Grammar
Tagged -ω, active, Greek verb, indicative, present, verb, πιστευει, πιστευεις, πιστευετε, πιστευομεν, πιστευουσιν, πιστευω
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Hebrew-Aramaean Complexion of The New Testament Diction
The popular Greek dialect was not spoken and written by the Jews, without some intermixtures of a foreign kind. Particularly did they intermix many idioms and the general complexions of their vernacular language. Hence arose a Judaizing Greek dialect; which was in some good measure unintelligible to the native Greeks, and became an object of their contempt. All the idioms of the vernacular language of the Jews, which have been transferred to the Septuagint and the New Testament, have been ranked under the appellation of Hebraisms; to which however, many phrases have been assigned; that more properly should be named Aramaeisms, or which belonged to the popular Greek.… Learn Koine Greek
Greek Lexicon
The word “lexicon” derives from the Greek “λεξικόν” (lexicon), neut. of “λεξικός” (lexikos), “of or for words”, from “λέξις” (lexis), “speech”, “word”, and that from “λέγω” (lego), “to say”, “to speak”.
Which New Testament Greek Lexicon to buy?(1) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd Edition
Frederick William Danker’s edition of Walter Bauer’s Grieschisch-Deutsches Wörterbuch will be an indispensable guide for Biblical and classical scholars, ministers, seminarians, and translators. It is described as an “invaluable reference work” (Classical Philology) and “a tool indispensable for the study of early Christian literature” (Religious Studies Review) in its previous edition, this new updated American edition of Walter Bauer’s Wörterbuch zu den Schriften des Neuen Testaments builds on its predecessor’s staggering deposit of extraordinary erudition relating to Greek literature from all periods.… Learn Koine Greek
Posted in Vocabulary
Tagged Frederick William Danker, Greek lexicon, Joseph Thayer, lexicon, λέγω, λεξικόν, λεξικός, λέξις
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