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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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Category
Author Archives: New Testament Greek
Good Friday: Matthew 27:46, Greek Grammar, Calendar Calculations, and Historical Coincidences
Good Friday is the day Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It marks the culmination of Jesus’s passion, occurring during the Jewish festival of Passover. In the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion, one of the most striking moments is captured in Matthew 27:46, when Jesus cries out from the cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” This article examines the significance of that cry – including its original language and grammar – and explores how the date of the first Good Friday is determined (considering Gregorian vs. Julian calendar calculations) as well as several remarkable historical coincidences associated with that day.… Learn Koine Greek
Manipulative Zeal and Paul’s Rebuke in Galatians 4:17
Introduction: When Zeal Turns Toxic
Paul warns the Galatians about those who seek to manipulate their devotion:
ζηλοῦσιν ὑμᾶς οὐ καλῶς, ἀλλὰ ἐκκλεῖσαι ὑμᾶς θέλουσιν, ἵνα αὐτοὺς ζηλοῦτε “They are zealous for you, not in a good way, but they want to exclude you, so that you might be zealous for them.”
This verse uses present indicatives, a purpose clause, and an infinitive of result/purpose. It’s a masterclass in ironic exposure—the Judaizers appear “passionately concerned,” but their aim is control.
ζηλοῦσιν ὑμᾶς οὐ καλῶς, ἀλλὰ ἐκκλεῖσαι ὑμᾶς θέλουσιν, ἵνα αὐτοὺς ζηλοῦτε Morphological Breakdown ζηλοῦσιν {zēloûsin} – Root: ζηλόω {zēlóō}; Form: present active indicative, 3rd person plural; Meaning: “they are zealous for,” “they court,” “they are passionately interested in (you)”; Notes: Can be positive or negative depending on context.… Learn Koine GreekFrom Whom the Whole Body Grows: Unity and Function in Ephesians 4:16
The Verse in Focus (Ephesians 4:16)
ἐξ οὗ πᾶν τὸ σῶμα συναρμολογούμενον καὶ συμβιβαζόμενον διὰ πάσης ἁφῆς τῆς ἐπιχορηγίας κατ’ ἐνέργειαν ἐν μέτρῳ ἑνὸς ἑκάστου μέρους τὴν αὔξησιν τοῦ σώματος ποιεῖται εἰς οἰκοδομὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐν ἀγάπῃ
ἐξ οὗ: The Source of GrowthThe phrase ἐξ οὗ (“from whom”) points back to Christ, the immediate antecedent in the previous verse. The preposition ἐκ with the genitive indicates origin or source. All that follows flows from Christ — the head from whom the body derives coordination, support, and growth.
πᾶν τὸ σῶμα: The Unified Whole– πᾶν — “every” or “the whole.” – τὸ σῶμα — “the body.”… Learn Koine Greek
The Custom of the Sabbath: A Greek Look at Luke 4:16
Καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς Ναζαρέτ, οὗ ἦν τεθραμμένος, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν κατὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῶν σαββάτων εἰς τὴν συναγωγήν, καὶ ἀνέστη ἀναγνῶναι. (Luke 4:16)
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and according to his custom he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read.
A Return Home with Purpose Καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς Ναζαρέτ – “And he came to Nazareth.” The aorist ἦλθεν from ἔρχομαι signals a completed journey. Ναζαρέτ is used without an article, functioning like a proper noun. The setting marks a return to familiarity, but as the narrative continues, it becomes a place of rejection.… Learn Koine GreekSharing in the Gospel: Grammatical Partnership and Ecclesial Generosity in Philippians 4:15
Οἴδατε δὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς, Φιλιππήσιοι, ὅτι ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, ὅτε ἐξῆλθον ἀπὸ Μακεδονίας, οὐδεμία μοι ἐκκλησία ἐκοινώνησεν εἰς λόγον δόσεως καὶ λήψεως εἰ μὴ ὑμεῖς μόνοι, (Philippians 4:15)
And you yourselves also know, Philippians, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone.
Fellowship in Giving and Receiving: Literary and Theological Context of Philippians 4:15This verse appears within Paul’s expression of gratitude for the Philippians’ financial support. More than a simple thank-you, it is a deeply theological reflection on partnership in the gospel.… Learn Koine Greek
In Vain? Apostolic Anxiety and Grammatical Tension in Galatians 4:11
Φοβοῦμαι ὑμᾶς μήπως εἰκῆ κεκοπίακα εἰς ὑμᾶς. (Galatians 4:11)
I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored in vain for you.
Labor in Doubt: Literary and Theological Context of Galatians 4:11This terse yet potent verse reveals the emotional undercurrent of Paul’s rebuke to the Galatians. Following his astonishment at their regression to “weak and beggarly elements” (Gal. 4:9), Paul now expresses fear—not for his own reputation, but for the possibility that his labor among them has been rendered fruitless. The Greek syntax captures Paul’s pastoral anxiety through verbal aspect, particles of uncertainty, and final prepositional phrasing. Galatians 4:11 thus embodies not only theological concern, but rhetorical urgency encoded in grammar.… Learn Koine Greek
Striving to Enter: Grammatical Urgency and Covenantal Warning in Hebrews 4:11
Σπουδάσωμεν οὖν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς ἐκείνην τὴν κατάπαυσιν, ἵνα μὴ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ τις ὑποδείγματι πέσῃ τῆς ἀπειθείας. (Hebrews 4:11)
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one may fall into the same pattern of disobedience.
Let Us Strive: Literary and Theological Context of Hebrews 4:11This verse brings to a close a major exhortation in Hebrews 3–4 concerning God’s rest, drawing on Psalm 95 to warn believers against the hardening of heart and failure to enter the promised rest. The grammar intensifies this exhortation with a strong hortatory subjunctive, purpose clause, and vivid reference to Israel’s historical failure.… Learn Koine Greek
In This Name: Grammatical Testimony and Christological Boldness in Acts 4:10
Γνωστὸν ἔστω πᾶσιν ὑμῖν καὶ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ Ἰσραὴλ ὅτι ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου, ὃν ὑμεῖς ἐσταυρώσατε, ὃν ὁ Θεὸς ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἐν τούτῳ οὗτος παρέστηκεν ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν ὑγιής. (Acts 4:10)
Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—in this name this man stands before you healthy.
Healing in the Name: Literary and Theological Context of Acts 4:10This verse constitutes the theological climax of Peter’s defense before the Sanhedrin in Acts 4, immediately following the healing of the lame man and the questioning of the apostles’ authority (Acts 4:7–9).… Learn Koine Greek
You Call Me Teacher and Lord: Identity Affirmed in John 13:13
The Verse in Focus (John 13:13)
ὑμεῖς φωνεῖτέ με, ὁ διδάσκαλος καὶ ὁ κύριος, καὶ καλῶς λέγετε· εἰμὶ γάρ
ὑμεῖς φωνεῖτέ με: Personal Address and Present ActionThe subject ὑμεῖς (“you”) is emphatic, addressing the disciples directly. The verb φωνεῖτέ is the present active indicative, second person plural of φωνέω, meaning “you call,” “you address,” or even “you hail.”
– με is the accusative singular pronoun (“me”), the object of their address.
The present tense indicates that this is their ongoing or customary way of speaking to Jesus — a reflection of their habitual respect.
ὁ διδάσκαλος καὶ ὁ κύριος: Titles of RespectThese two titles — ὁ διδάσκαλος (“the Teacher”) and ὁ κύριος (“the Lord”) — are both articular nominatives functioning as predicate nominatives of the quoted speech.… Learn Koine Greek
A Life According to the Strictest Sect: Identity in Acts 26:5
Acts 26:5
προγινώσκοντές με ἄνωθεν, ἐὰν θέλωσι μαρτυρεῖν, ὅτι κατὰ τὴν ἀκριβεστάτην αἵρεσιν τῆς ἡμετέρας θρησκείας ἔζησα Φαρισαῖος
προγινώσκοντές με ἄνωθεν: A Known LifeThe participle προγινώσκοντές is the present active participle of προγινώσκω, meaning “to know beforehand” or “to know previously.” It is nominative masculine plural, agreeing with the implied subject “they.” The present tense emphasizes ongoing familiarity from the past to the present.
– με — accusative singular pronoun, “me,” the object of the participle. – ἄνωθεν — an adverb meaning “from the beginning” or “from long ago.”
Together, this phrase communicates: “having known me from the beginning.” Paul appeals to the long-standing knowledge others have of his religious life and identity.… Learn Koine Greek
