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Greek Lessons
- Vindicated at the Table: How Speech Condemns and Grammar Acquits
- Carried, Not Carrying: The Grammar That Topples Boasting
- Spliced into Abundance: The Grammar of Displacement and Participation in ἐνεκεντρίσθης
- When the Heart Expands Toward Ruin: The Grammar of Self-Watchfulness
- Living, Begetting, Dying: The Grammar of Time and Continuity
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Author Archives: New Testament Greek
When the Prophets Reach Their Horizon: A Declension Journey Through Matthew 11:13
The crowd stirs as Jesus speaks, dust flickering in the sunlit air. His words gather the entire prophetic tradition into a single grammatical arc – nouns bending toward a moment where history tightens like a bowstring.
Πάντες γὰρ οἱ προφῆται καὶ ὁ νόμος ἕως Ἰωάννου ἐπροφήτευσαν·For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
οἱ προφῆται … πάντες ὁ νόμος Ἰωάννου
Green (#2a9d8f) marks chains of article–noun agreement or proper-name declension that establish the grammatical horizon of prophetic activity.
The Story the Endings Tell Morphology Spotlight 1. πάντες — NOM.PL.M of πᾶς (“all”) Case Masc Fem Neut Nom πάντες πᾶσαι πάντα Gen πάντων πασῶν πάντων Dat πᾶσι(ν) πάσαις πᾶσι(ν) Acc πάντας πάσας πάνταThis masculine nominative plural signals a collective: a united prophetic chorus, each voice bearing witness through its shared ending.… Learn Koine Greek
When Grace Refuses to Be Earned: A Declension Masterclass in Romans 11:6
Imagine Paul writing with urgency, the scrape of stylus against parchment echoing in a room lit by a single oil lamp. Every noun he chooses steps forward like a witness in a theological courtroom—where χάρις and ἔργον testify by their very endings.
Εἰ δὲ χάριτι, οὐκέτι ἐξ ἔργων· ἐπεὶ ἡ χάρις οὐκέτι γίνεται χάρις. εἰ δὲ ἐξ ἔργων, οὐκέτι ἐστὶ χάρις· ἐπεὶ τὸ ἔργον οὐκέτι ἐστὶν ἔργον. (Romans 11:6)If but by-grace-DAT, no-longer from-works-GEN; since the-NOM grace no-longer becomes grace. If but from-works-GEN, no-longer is grace; since the-NOM work no-longer is work.
ἡ χάρις … χάρις τὸ ἔργον … ἔργον
Green (#2a9d8f) marks article–noun agreement pairs; each chain shows how Paul stabilizes the argument by repeating perfectly matched forms.… Learn Koine Greek
Declensions of Blessing: Case Usage in Matthew 10:12
Εἰσερχόμενοι δὲ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν ἀσπάσασθε αὐτήν λέγοντες· εἰρήνη τῷ οἴκῳ τούτῳ. (Matthew 10:12)
And when you enter the house, greet it, saying: “Peace to this house.”
Declension Analysis Table Greek Form Morphology Case & Function Notes τὴν οἰκίαν 1st declension feminine accusative singular with article Accusative object of preposition εἰς Indicates the destination of entry — “into the house.” αὐτήν 3rd person pronoun, accusative feminine singular Accusative direct object of ἀσπάσασθε Refers back to οἰκίαν; “greet it.” εἰρήνη 1st declension feminine nominative singular Nominative subject (of implied verb “be”) The greeting itself: “Peace.” The nominative is used in a formulaic exclamation of blessing.… Learn Koine Greek
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Synonyms: Image and Likeness: εἰκών, ὁμοίωσις, and ὁμοίωμα in the Greek New Testament
The Greek nouns εἰκών, ὁμοίωσις, and ὁμοίωμα all convey the concept of resemblance or representation, yet each carries a distinct shade of meaning. εἰκών focuses on visible image or representation, ὁμοίωσις on the process or quality of becoming like, and ὁμοίωμα on the form or pattern of similarity. Together, these terms form a rich triad expressing how humanity relates to God’s image and how Christ reveals that image perfectly.
Lexical Definitions and Origins εἰκών – Derived from the verb εἴκω (“to resemble, to be like”), meaning an image, likeness, or visible representation. It can denote a statue, portrait, or figurative manifestation of a reality.… Learn Koine GreekNames, Appositions, and the Grammar of Betrayal
Σίμων ὁ Κανανίτης καὶ Ἰούδας ὁ Ἰσκαριώτης ὁ καὶ παραδοὺς αὐτόν. (Matthew 10:4)
Simon the Cananite and Judas the Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
The Syntax of the ListThis verse belongs to Matthew’s catalog of the twelve apostles. It closes the list with a stark juxtaposition: – Σίμων ὁ Κανανίτης – “Simon the Cananite (Zealot)” – Ἰούδας ὁ Ἰσκαριώτης – “Judas Iscariot”
The verse ends not with simple naming but with a chilling apposition: ὁ καὶ παραδοὺς αὐτόν — “the one who also betrayed him.”
Titles in Apposition: ὁ Κανανίτης, ὁ Ἰσκαριώτης– ὁ Κανανίτης: Appositional article + adjective. Likely from Aramaic *qanʾān*, “zealous one.”… Learn Koine Greek
Posted in Grammar, Theology
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A Vision at the Ninth Hour: Participial Narrative and Divine Encounter in Acts 10:3
Εἶδεν ἐν ὁράματι φανερῶς ὡσεὶ ὥραν ἐνάτην τῆς ἡμέρας ἄγγελον τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰσελθόντα πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ εἰπόντα αὐτῷ· Κορνήλιε. (Acts 10:3)
He saw clearly in a vision, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in to him and saying to him, “Cornelius.”
This verse narrates a pivotal moment in Acts: Cornelius, a Gentile centurion, receives a vision that will lead to the inclusion of the nations in the gospel. The grammar is layered and deliberate: a main verb situates the experience, adverbial modifiers frame its clarity and time, and participles depict the angel’s entrance and speech.… Learn Koine Greek
The Grammar of Good Ground: Parsing Luke 8:15
In the parable of the sower, Luke 8:15 describes the “good soil” — not simply as agricultural metaphor but as a rich example of participial and finite verb interplay, word order for emphasis, and aspectual nuance in Greek. The verse identifies the fruitful hearers and highlights their internal disposition, response, and enduring result. This grammar-packed sentence rewards close study.
Τὸ δὲ ἐν τῇ καλῇ γῇ, οὗτοί εἰσιν οἵτινες ἐν καρδίᾳ καλῇ καὶ ἀγαθῇ ἀκούσαντες τὸν λόγον κατέχουσι καὶ καρποφοροῦσιν ἐν ὑπομονῇ. (Luke 8:15)But the ones on the good ground these are those who in a good and noble heart having heard the word hold it fast and bear fruit in endurance.… Learn Koine Greek
The Fever That Met the Word: A Greek Look at Matthew 8:14
Καὶ ἐλθὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν Πέτρου εἶδεν τὴν πενθερὰν αὐτοῦ βεβλημένην καὶ πυρέσσουσαν· (Matthew 8:14)
And Jesus, having come into the house of Peter, saw his mother-in-law lying down and burning with fever.
In this brief yet intimate moment from Matthew 8:14, we encounter a quiet narrative shift: from the public to the private, from the multitudes to a family dwelling. But the grammar carries depth. Each verb and participle contributes to a portrait of physical affliction met by divine presence. Let us walk into the Greek text, examining its precision and theological resonance.
Verbs and Participles at WorkThis verse is anchored by the main verb εἶδεν (“he saw”), but the participles frame both the entrance and the condition of the sick woman.… Learn Koine Greek
Declensions in Judgment Imagery: The Grammar of Revelation 8:10
Καὶ ὁ τρίτος ἄγγελος ἐσάλπισε, καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀστὴρ μέγας καιόμενος ὡς λαμπάς, καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὸ τρίτον τῶν ποταμῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων. (Revelation 8:10)
And the third angel sounded the trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell upon a third of the rivers and upon the springs of waters.
When Declensions Map Cosmic CatastropheThis apocalyptic trumpet vision uses declensions to anchor a chaotic scene in grammatical precision. Nominatives identify the celestial actors, genitives frame the source and scope of disaster, and accusatives pinpoint its objects. The grammar not only describes the event but also structures its prophetic intensity.… Learn Koine Greek
A Great Prophet Has Arisen: Aorist Passives and Divine Visitation in Luke 7:16
Ἔλαβε δὲ φόβος πάντας, καὶ ἐδόξαζον τὸν Θεὸν, λέγοντες· ὅτι προφήτης μέγας ἐγήγερται ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ὅτι ἐπεσκέψατο ὁ Θεὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ. (Luke 7:16)
And fear took hold of all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has been raised among us,” and “God has visited his people.”
Holy Fear and Heavenly GrammarLuke 7:16 captures the aftermath of a resurrection miracle: a holy fear grips the crowd, and their declaration of praise reflects both theological awe and grammatical richness. The sentence gives us two key aorist passive verbs that form the backbone of their proclamation: ἐγήγερται (“has been raised”) and ἐπεσκέψατο (“has visited”).… Learn Koine Greek
