Plotting the Death of a Sign: Classical and Koine Grammar in John 12:10

John 12:10

ἐβουλεύσαντο δὲ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς ἵνα καὶ τὸν Λάζαρον ἀποκτείνωσιν,

Literal Translation: But the chief priests deliberated that they might also kill Lazarus.

1. Key Grammatical Features in Koine Greek

• ἐβουλεύσαντο: Aorist middle indicative third person plural of βουλεύομαι (“to plan, deliberate”). The middle voice reflects internal deliberation or joint decision-making, common in Koine narrative to depict collaborative intent.
• δὲ: Postpositive conjunction used here to contrast the priests’ new plot with previous narrative developments. Koine retains δὲ frequently but uses it more loosely than Classical Greek.
• οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς: Nominative definite article with plural noun ἀρχιερεῖς (“chief priests”) marks the grammatical subject. Koine uses articles more consistently and extensively than Classical Greek.
• ἵνα…ἀποκτείνωσιν: Subordinating conjunction ἵνα (“in order that”) introduces a purpose clause, followed by the present active subjunctive ἀποκτείνωσιν (“they might kill”). In Koine, ἵνα + subjunctive fully replaces Classical final constructions with the optative.
• καὶ τὸν Λάζαρον: Accusative direct object of ἀποκτείνωσιν. The inclusion of καὶ emphasizes the surprising extension of violence to Lazarus himself—not just Jesus. Koine often uses καὶ for narrative progression and rhetorical weight.

2. Classical Greek Grammar Comparison

• Volitional Verbs + Subordinate Clauses: Classical Greek would typically follow βουλεύομαι with an infinitive or a complementary clause using the optative with ἵνα or ὅπως. In Koine, ἵνα + subjunctive fully replaces these structures.
• Subjunctive Usage: Classical Greek reserves the subjunctive mainly for generic, future, or conditional contexts. Koine expands its use into purpose and indirect discourse regularly, simplifying mood distinctions.
• Article with Nouns: Classical Greek used the article less systematically. Koine nearly always uses it before nouns like οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς, even when the noun is definite in context.
• Middle Voice: Though Classical Greek had a rich middle system, verbs like βουλεύομαι might appear in the active in non-reflexive situations. Koine prefers the middle to reflect internal or cooperative decisions.

3. Syntactic and Structural Differences

• Clause Purpose Construction: Koine simplifies volitional clauses with ἵνα + subjunctive. Classical Greek would prefer a future optative or infinitival purpose clause.
• Coordination with καὶ: The καὶ before τὸν Λάζαρον functions to extend the plotted killing beyond Jesus. Classical Greek might use more subtle layering or particles for expansion, while Koine uses καὶ as a flexible narrative hook.
• Verb Finality: Koine tends to place the purpose clause verb at the end (ἀποκτείνωσιν), maintaining suspense. Classical syntax might embed this deeper into the sentence structure with more variation.

4. Phonological Notes

• Subjunctive Endings: The -ωσιν ending in ἀποκτείνωσιν was clearly articulated in Classical Greek. In Koine, this suffix was retained but increasingly pronounced as [osin] due to loss of vowel length distinctions.
• Name Pronunciation: The proper name Λάζαρος would have had clearer syllable length in Classical Greek (Λᾱ́ζαρος), but Koine pronunciation would flatten this into a more modern [ˈlazaros].
• Pitch to Stress Accent: Words like βουλεύομαι were once pronounced with melodic pitch. In Koine, they received stress on the accented syllable—here on the second-to-last syllable of ἐβουλεύσαντο.

5. Summary Table of Grammatical Evolution

6. What This Verse Tells Us About the Evolution of Greek

John 12:10 distills Koine Greek’s love for action-driven storytelling into a single political sentence: the religious leaders’ plot to kill Lazarus. The aorist middle ἐβουλεύσαντο tells us this decision was internal and collective, while the ἵνα…ἀποκτείνωσιν clause uses Koine’s preferred method for expressing purpose.

This verse contrasts sharply with Classical Greek’s more elaborate verbal and clausal constructions. In Koine, grammar becomes servant to narrative momentum. Syntax gives way to clarity and emotional impact—suitable for a verse that, in just a few words, reveals the tension between resurrection power and institutional hostility.