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Greek Lessons
- Verbal Aspect in New Testament Greek: Imperfective vs. Perfective
- Chiasmus, Inclusio, and Anaphora in New Testament Greek
- Numbered and Named: Genitive Constructions and Enumerated Tribes in Revelation 7:7
- Semantic Range of Greek Verbs in the New Testament: A Case Study on ἀγαπάω and φιλέω
- Released to Serve Anew: Aorist Passives, Participles, and the Tension of Transformation in Romans 7:6
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Category
Monthly Archives: August 2014
“Voice as Identity: ἡ προβιβασθεῖσα and the Middle Voice in a Dance of Deceit”
Matthew 14:8
ἡ δὲ προβιβασθεῖσα ὑπὸ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτῆς, Δός μοι, φησίν, ὧδε ἐπὶ πίνακι τὴν κεφαλὴν Ἰωάννου τοῦ βαπτιστοῦ.Introduction: The Middle Between Motion and Agency
In Matthew 14:8, the narrative tension surrounding Herod’s tragic promise to Salome reaches its chilling climax. The phrase ἡ δὲ προβιβασθεῖσα ὑπὸ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτῆς — “the one having been sent forward by her mother” — introduces Salome at the decisive moment. Yet the verb προβιβάζω, appearing here in the aorist middle participle form προβιβασθεῖσα, raises intriguing syntactic and semantic questions. Why is this verb cast in the middle voice when it seems to denote an action performed on Salome by another agent (her mother)?… Learn Koine Greek
When Abundance Meets Lack: Equity in 2 Corinthians 8:14
The Verse in Focus (2 Corinthians 8:14)
ἵνα καὶ τὸ ἐκείνων περίσσευμα γένηται εἰς τὸ ὑμῶν ὑστέρημα, ὅπως γένηται ἰσότης
ἵνα… ὅπως: Coordinated Purpose and ResultThe structure of this verse features a double purpose/result expression — first with ἵνα and then with ὅπως. While both conjunctions introduce result or purpose clauses, ἵνα is often stronger and more direct, whereas ὅπως can nuance intention or ultimate goal. The layering of these two clauses in succession builds rhetorical force and draws attention to the divine ideal of balance among believers.
τὸ ἐκείνων περίσσευμα: Their AbundanceThe noun περίσσευμα means “overflow,” “abundance,” or “surplus.”… Learn Koine Greek
