-
Greek Lessons
- Grammatical Resistance: Pharaoh’s Syntax of Control in Exodus 10:11
- The Accusation in Quotation: Pauline Perception and Koine Rhetoric
- Healing and Heralding: The Grammar of Kingdom Nearness
- The Word Near You: Syntax, Faith, and the Internalization of Truth in Romans 10:8
- Synonyms: Image and Likeness: εἰκών, ὁμοίωσις, and ὁμοίωμα in the Greek New Testament
-
Category
Author Archives: New Testament Greek
Declensions in Debate: Philosophers, Foreign Gods, and the Grammar of Paul’s Encounter
Τινὲς δὲ καὶ τῶν Ἐπικουρείων καὶ Στωϊκῶν φιλοσόφων συνέβαλλον αὐτῷ, καί τινες ἔλεγον· τί ἂν θέλοι ὁ σπερμολόγος οὗτος λέγειν; οἱ δέ, ξένων δαιμονίων δοκεῖ καταγγελεὺς εἶναι· ὅτι τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ τὴν ἀνάστασιν εὐηγγελίζετο αὐτοῖς. (Acts 17:18)
And some also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, and some were saying, “What might this seed-picker wish to say?” But others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign deities,” because he was proclaiming Jesus and the resurrection to them.
Declinable Elements That Shape the SceneLuke’s Greek in Acts 17:18 is full of vivid declinable forms—participles, articles, and nouns—that highlight conflict, identity, and rhetorical nuance in Paul’s encounter with Athenian philosophers.… Learn Koine Greek
When Grammar Cuts Deep: Commands and Consequences
Εἰ δὲ ἡ χείρ σου ἢ ὁ πούς σου σκανδαλίζει σε, ἔκκοψον αὐτὰ καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ· καλόν σοί ἐστιν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν χωλόν ἢ κυλλὸν, ἢ δύο χεῖρας ἢ δύο πόδας ἔχοντα βληθῆναι εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ αἰώνιον. (Matthew 18:8)
And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut them off and throw them away from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire.
Today’s exploration of New Testament Greek grammar centers on a dramatic and powerful teaching found in εἰ δὲ ἡ χείρ σου ἢ ὁ πούς σου σκανδαλίζει σε, ἔκκοψον αὐτὰ καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ· καλόν σοί ἐστιν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν χωλόν ἢ κυλλὸν, ἢ δύο χεῖρας ἢ δύο πόδας ἔχοντα βληθῆναι εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ αἰώνιον from Matthew 18:8.… Learn Koine Greek
Declensions of Arrogance and Retribution: The Grammar of Revelation 18:7
Ὅσα ἐδόξασεν αὑτὴν καὶ ἐστρηνίασε, τοσοῦτον δότε αὐτῇ βασανισμὸν καὶ πένθος. ὅτι ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῆς λέγει, ὅτι κάθημαι καθὼς βασίλισσα καὶ χήρα οὐκ εἰμὶ καὶ πένθος οὐ μὴ ἴδω, (Revelation 18:7)
As much as she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, give her that much torment and mourning. For in her heart she says, “I sit as a queen, and I am not a widow, and I will never see mourning.”
How Case Usage Frames JudgmentThis verse is a judicial pronouncement against Babylon, whose self-glorification is matched in measure by her judgment. The Greek declensions carefully frame the proportion (“ὅσα… τοσοῦτον”), the pronoun references, and the internal monologue of pride.… Learn Koine Greek
Mocking the King: Greek Grammar in Irony and Insult
Καὶ ἤρξαντο ἀσπάζεσθαι αὐτόν· χαῖρε ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων (Mark 15:18)
“And they began to greet him, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’”
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.
Grammatical Highlights ἤρξαντο — aorist indicative middle, third plural; “they began,” auxiliary to the infinitive. ἀσπάζεσθαι — present infinitive middle; “to greet, to salute.”… Learn Koine GreekThe Angel of Fire and the Harvest of Wrath: A Greek Exegesis of Revelation 14:18
Revelation 14:18 stands within a climactic vision of final judgment. This chapter is structured around two harvests — one possibly of the righteous (verses 14–16), and the other, beginning here, of the wicked. The verse introduces a new angel, not the Son of Man figure from verse 14, but another heavenly agent who emerges from the altar. The mention of fire and the imperative call to reap suggest a movement from intercession (symbolized by the altar in Revelation 8:3–5) to judgment.
Structural AnalysisΚαὶ ἄλλος ἄγγελος ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, ἔχων ἐξουσίαν ἐπὶ τοῦ πυρός, καὶ ἐφώνησε κραυγῇ μεγάλῃ τῷ ἔχοντι τὸ δρέπανον τὸ ὀξύ λέγων· πέμψον σου τὸ δρέπανον τὸ ὀξύ καὶ τρύγησον τοὺς βότρυας τῆς ἀμπέλου τῆς γῆς, ὅτι ἤκμασεν ἡ σταφυλὴ τῆς γῆς.… Learn Koine Greek
Dialogue and Persuasion: The Syntax of Sabbath Reasoning
Διελέγετο δὲ ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ κατὰ πᾶν σάββατον, ἔπειθέ τε Ἰουδαίους καὶ Ἕλληνας. (Acts 18:4)
And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath, and he was persuading both Jews and Greeks.
Sacred Speech in Sacred SpaceIn Acts 18:4, we observe Paul’s disciplined evangelistic rhythm in Corinth. Every Sabbath, he entered the synagogue not merely to preach, but to reason — to dialogue. The grammar of this verse carries the cadence of apologetic discourse and persuasive engagement. It reveals a pattern of interaction that is neither passive nor confrontational, but deeply rhetorical and structured.
Let us explore how the participle structure, imperfect tense, conjunctions, and case functions all contribute to painting this picture of faithful witness.… Learn Koine Greek
Grace in Grammar: The Benediction Formula in Focus
Ἡ χάρις τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν· ἀμήν (2 Thessalonians 3:18)
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
In this final verse of Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians, we encounter not just a farewell, but a deeply structured benediction: Ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν· ἀμήν from 2 Thessalonians 3:18. Each component of this closing formula reflects theologically rich grammar that had become a standard pattern in early Christian correspondence. What appears formulaic is in fact grammatically potent and spiritually intentional.
Grammatical HighlightsThough concise, this benediction contains several key grammatical features worth examining:
Ἡ χάρις — nominative feminine singular noun; the subject of the implied verb (“grace”).… Learn Koine GreekJoy Multiplied: Shared Rejoicing in Philippians 2:18
Philippians 2:18 is the closing word of a mini-section (vv. 17–18) where Paul reflects on his potential martyrdom using the metaphor of a sacrificial offering. In verse 17, he compares his life to a drink offering poured out upon the sacrifice and service of the Philippians’ faith. Then, despite the ominous tone, he expresses gladness and invites the same response from his readers. Verse 18 echoes and intensifies this invitation: their joy should match his, even in suffering.
Structural Analysisτὸ δ’ αὐτὸ καὶ ὑμεῖς χαίρετε καὶ συγχαίρετέ μοι.
The sentence consists of three elements: a resumptive demonstrative phrase τὸ δ’ αὐτὸ (“and the same thing”), followed by two imperatives: χαίρετε (“rejoice”) and συγχαίρετε (“rejoice with”).… Learn Koine Greek
Into the Bosom of Meaning: Theological Disclosure and Greek Syntax in John 1:18
Θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν πώποτε· ὁ μονογενὴς υἱὸς ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο (John 1:18)
No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.
Opening the Verse: The Divine RevelationJohn 1:18 is a climactic theological declaration in the prologue of the Fourth Gospel. It moves from the universal (“Θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν πώποτε”) to the particular (“ὁ μονογενὴς υἱὸς”), describing an unparalleled event: the exegeting of God by the only Son. At the heart of this verse lies a rich convergence of Greek syntactic structure, verbal nuance, and christological depth.… Learn Koine Greek
Colossians 4:18 and the Personal Voice of the Writer
Ὁ ἀσπασμὸς τῇ ἐμῇ χειρὶ Παύλου. μνημονεύετέ μου τῶν δεσμῶν. Ἡ χάρις μεθ’ ὑμῶν· ἀμήν. (Colossians 4:18)
The greeting is by my own hand—Paul’s. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen.
Stylistic Identity Through Ancient Gesture Ὁ ἀσπασμὸς τῇ ἐμῇ χειρὶ Παύλου The phrase literally means “The greeting with my hand—Paul’s.” The word ἀσπασμός is a formal salutation, used often in letters. In Classical Greek, greetings were conveyed by scribes, but self-authentication via handwriting (τῇ ἐμῇ χειρί) was rare and reserved for important individuals (cf. Xenophon’s Cyropaedia 8.6.23). In Koine, it signals both authorship and affection. Paul often adds this personal touch in his letters to authenticate and to connect personally (cf.… Learn Koine Greek