Τότε προσελθόντες οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ εἶπον αὐτῷ· οἶδας ὅτι οἱ Φαρισαῖοι ἐσκανδαλίσθησαν ἀκούσαντες τὸν λόγον; (Matthew 15:12)
Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard the statement?”
Spotlight on the Declinables
In this verse, the declinable nouns and pronouns carry the relational and rhetorical weight—marking who approaches, who speaks, who hears, and who takes offense.
Declension Analysis Table
| Greek Form | Morphology | Case & Syntactic Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| οἱ μαθηταί | 1st declension masculine plural with article | Nominative plural subject of εἶπον | Definite article signals a known, defined group: “the disciples.” |
| αὐτοῦ | 3rd person pronoun, genitive masculine singular | Possessive modifier of μαθηταί | Specifies whose disciples; genitive of possession. |
| αὐτῷ | 3rd person pronoun, dative masculine singular | Indirect object of εἶπον | Marks the addressee (“to him”). |
| οἱ Φαρισαῖοι | 1st declension masculine plural with article | Nominative plural subject of ἐσκανδαλίσθησαν | Proper name treated as common noun in Greek declension; article adds definiteness. |
| τὸν λόγον | 2nd declension masculine singular with article | Accusative singular object of participle ἀκούσαντες | Refers to the specific “statement” that caused offense. |
Case Functions in the Narrative Flow
- Nominatives (οἱ μαθηταί, οἱ Φαρισαῖοι) frame the two main groups in focus: the insiders who speak and the outsiders who react.
- Genitive (αὐτοῦ) tightens relational identity between teacher and pupils.
- Dative (αὐτῷ) directs the report to its recipient, underscoring personal communication.
- Accusative (τὸν λόγον) fixes the content that triggered the reaction, making the cause of offense explicit.
Agreement and Emphasis
- Verb-subject agreement in both main clauses (εἶπον with οἱ μαθηταί; ἐσκανδαλίσθησαν with οἱ Φαρισαῖοι) clearly distinguishes the reporters from the offended party.
- The fronted question οἶδας personalizes the exchange: before recounting the Pharisees’ reaction, the disciples check Jesus’ awareness.
When Cases Expose the Social Tension
Here, nominatives draw the battle lines between the community of disciples and the Pharisees, the genitive binds the disciples to their master, the dative conveys intimate speech, and the accusative locks onto the statement as the spark. The declensions don’t just sort grammar—they embody the relational and theological tension in the scene.
