Monthly Archives: June 2018

Mocking the King: Greek Grammar in Irony and Insult

Posted on June 15, 2018 by New Testament Greek

In this chilling moment of ironic mockery, Greek grammar reflects both formality and contempt. The verse καὶ ἤρξαντο ἀσπάζεσθαι αὐτόν· χαῖρε ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων from Mark 15:18 shows Roman soldiers mimicking royal salutation while abusing Jesus. The participle construction, middle voice, and vocative form combine to paint a scene where syntax reveals sarcasm and suffering side by side.

The Greek Text in Focus

καὶ ἤρξαντο ἀσπάζεσθαι αὐτόν· χαῖρε ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων (Mark 15:18)

“And they began to greet him, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’”

Grammatical Highlights ἤρξαντο — aorist indicative middle, third plural; “they began,” auxiliary to the infinitive.… Learn Koine Greek
Posted in Grammar | Tagged | Leave a comment

Echoes of Power: A Grammatical Encounter in John 18:6

Posted on June 1, 2018 by New Testament Greek
1. Verse Reference : John 18:6

John 18:6

ὡς οὖν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι, ἀπῆλθον εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω καὶ ἔπεσον χαμαί

Modern Greek Transliteration: Os ún ípen aftÍs óti egÓ ími, apÍlthon is ta opÍso kai Épeson chamÁi

Literal English Translation: Therefore, when he said to them, “I am,” they went backward and fell to the ground.

2. Morphological Analysis (Koine) ὡς – Form: Conjunction; Root: ὡς; Gloss: as, when; Notes: Temporal clause introducer. οὖν – Form: Conjunction (inferential); Root: οὖν; Gloss: therefore, so then; Notes: Postpositive; links logical progression. εἶπεν – Form: Aorist active indicative 3rd person singular; Root: λέγω; Gloss: said; Parsing: simple past; Notes: Main verb of the temporal clause.… Learn Koine Greek
Posted in Modern Greek | Tagged | Leave a comment