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Greek Lessons
- “What to Us and to You?”: Demonic Recognition and Eschatological Grammar in Matthew 8:29
- Whispers of Identity: From Prophets to Pronouns in Mark 8:28
- The Field of Blood: Passive Voice and Temporal Clauses in Matthew 27:8
- Declensions in the Storm: Case Usage in Matthew 8:26
- Testimony on the Road: Aorist Participles and Mission Grammar in Acts 8:25
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Category
Author Archives: Biblical Greek
The Echo of Obedience: Participial Structure and Divine Sequencing in Exodus 34:4
Καὶ ἐλάξευσεν δύο πλάκας λιθίνας καθάπερ καὶ αἱ πρῶται· καὶ ὀρθρίσας Μωυσῆς ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὄρος τὸ Σινα καθότι συνέταξεν αὐτῷ Κύριος, καὶ ἔλαβεν Μωυσῆς τὰς δύο πλάκας τὰς λιθίνας. (Exodus 34:4 LXX)
Setting the Scene: When Grammar Frames Covenant Renewal
The verse before us is a moment of restoration — Mosheh, at the LORD’s command, carves new stone tablets after the first were shattered. But the narrative is not merely historical. It is grammatically rich, loaded with participial texture that orders time, purpose, and faithful obedience. By examining the participle ὀρθρίσας and the surrounding syntax, we uncover how the Septuagint subtly conveys the heart of covenantal response.… Learn Koine Greek
Testing the Spirits: Discernment and False Prophets in 1 John 4:1
Ἀγαπητοί, μὴ παντὶ πνεύματι πιστεύετε, ἀλλὰ δοκιμάζετε τὰ πνεύματα εἰ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν, ὅτι πολλοὶ ψευδοπροφῆται ἐξεληλύθασιν εἰς τὸν κόσμον
1 John 4:1 steps into the tension between faith and discernment. The call is urgent and pastoral: don’t trust every spirit. This isn’t just about skepticism—it’s about spiritual vigilance. The Greek packs rhetorical rhythm and doctrinal weight into a series of imperatives and perfect verbs. The author doesn’t simply warn—he equips.
Grammatical FoundationsThe first imperative is negative: μὴ πιστεύετε—“do not believe.” It’s a present active imperative in the second person plural, implying ongoing rejection: stop believing every spirit indiscriminately.… Learn Koine Greek
In the Midst of the Measure: Spatial Genitives and the Grammar of Sacred Geometry
Καὶ μετρήσεις ἔξω τῆς πόλεως τὸ κλίτος τὸ πρὸς ἀνατολὰς δισχιλίους πήχεις καὶ τὸ κλίτος τὸ πρὸς λίβα δισχιλίους πήχεις καὶ τὸ κλίτος τὸ πρὸς θάλασσαν δισχιλίους πήχεις καὶ τὸ κλίτος τὸ πρὸς βορρᾶν δισχιλίους πήχεις καὶ ἡ πόλις μέσον τούτου ἔσται ὑμῖν καὶ τὰ ὅμορα τῶν πόλεων (Numbers 35:5 LXX)
The Verse as a Blueprint
Numbers 35:5 LXX records YHWH’s precise instructions for measuring the pasturelands (or suburbs) of the Levitical cities. But beneath its spatial details lies a rich tapestry of directional syntax, adjectival structure, and genitive constructions that reveal a deeply ordered cosmos — one where grammar maps holiness.… Learn Koine Greek
Near with Lips, Far in Heart: Hypocrisy Exposed in Matthew 15:8 (citing Isaiah 29:13 LXX)
ἐγγίζει μοι λαὸς οὗτος τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν καὶ τοῖς χείλεσίν με τιμᾷ, ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν πόρρω ἀπέχει ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ
Matthew 15:8 presents Jesus’ quotation of Isaiah 29:13 in the Septuagint. The Greek is sharp, poetic, and cutting. It reveals the tension between outward appearance and inner reality, and the structure intensifies the contrast. This verse is not a gentle observation—it’s a prophetic rebuke, wrapped in precise parallelism and dissonance between mouth and heart.
Grammatical FoundationsThe opening clause ἐγγίζει μοι λαὸς οὗτος means “This people draws near to me.” The verb ἐγγίζει is present active indicative, 3rd person singular, from ἐγγίζω—to approach or come near.… Learn Koine Greek
A Veil Over the Heart: Ongoing Blindness in 2 Corinthians 3:15
ἀλλ’ ἕως σήμερον ἡνίκα ἂν ἀναγινώσκεται Μωϋσῆς, κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν κεῖται
In 2 Corinthians 3:15, Paul continues his powerful contrast between the old and new covenants. The verse evokes a somber image: even today, a veil remains whenever Moses is read. The Greek emphasizes the persistent nature of spiritual blindness and the internal location of the problem—the heart, not just the eyes. The structure is both conditional and durative, showing this is not a one-time event but an ongoing reality.
Grammatical FoundationsThe conjunction ἀλλ’ (but) continues a contrast from the previous verses, introducing an exception or qualification. The phrase ἕως σήμερον (“until today”) points to present, continuous time—it’s not just historical, but present reality.… Learn Koine Greek
You Shall Rule, Not Be Ruled: Future Verbs and Asymmetry in Divine Promise
ὅτι Κύριος ὁ θεός σου εὐλόγησέν σε ὃν τρόπον ἐλάλησέν σοι καὶ δανιεῖς ἔθνεσιν πολλοῖς σὺ δὲ οὐ δανιῇ καὶ ἄρξεις σὺ ἐθνῶν πολλῶν σοῦ δὲ οὐκ ἄρξουσιν (Deuteronomy 15:6 LXX)
The Architecture of a Blessing
Deuteronomy 15:6 LXX offers a covenantal vision of Israel’s future — not merely of abundance, but of sovereignty and freedom from dependence. This promise is embedded in a rich network of future indicative verbs, personal pronouns, and sharp syntactic asymmetries that reveal the nature of divine favor.
This verse is not only eschatological in content, but also predictive in form: nearly every key clause uses the future tense, projecting a vision of Israel’s destiny in grammatical time.… Learn Koine Greek
Council and Consensus: Grammatical Coordination and Ecclesial Deliberation in Acts 15:6
Gathered to Decide: Literary and Theological Context of Acts 15:6
Acts 15:6 — Συνήχθησαν δὲ οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ἰδεῖν περὶ τοῦ λόγου τούτου. (“And the apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter.”)
This verse introduces the deliberative moment of the so-called Jerusalem Council, where the early church convenes to address the question of Gentile inclusion and the necessity of circumcision. The narrative of Acts 15 is central to Luke’s portrayal of ecclesial unity, apostolic authority, and Spirit-guided decision-making. Acts 15:6 captures the solemnity and collaborative nature of the gathering through its grammatical structure, particularly the compound subject, the aorist passive verb συνήχθησαν, and the purpose infinitive ἰδεῖν.… Learn Koine Greek
Render What Is Due: Civic Duty in Romans 13:7
ἀπόδοτε πᾶσι τὰς ὀφειλάς, τῷ τὸν φόρον τὸν φόρον, τῷ τὸ τέλος τὸ τέλος, τῷ τὸν φόβον τὸν φόβον, τῷ τὴν τιμὴν τὴν τιμήν
Romans 13:7 continues Paul’s exhortation on submission to governing authorities. The Greek is rhythmic, almost liturgical, repeating both syntax and vocabulary for emphasis. Paul names specific civic and relational obligations, structuring the verse around a pattern of repetition that reflects order and accountability.
Grammatical FoundationsThe imperative ἀπόδοτε is aorist active, 2nd person plural, from ἀποδίδωμι, meaning “render,” “give back,” or “pay what is owed.” The object is τὰς ὀφειλάς (debts or obligations), and the dative plural πᾶσι (“to all”) establishes that no one is exempt from the principle.… Learn Koine Greek
Arming the Mind: Suffering and Transformation in 1 Peter 4:1
Χριστοῦ οὖν παθόντος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν σαρκὶ καὶ ὑμεῖς τὴν αὐτὴν ἔννοιαν ὁπλίσασθε, ὅτι ὁ παθὼν ἐν σαρκὶ πέπαυται ἁμαρτίας
This line from 1 Peter 4:1 blends theology and exhortation in compressed, military imagery. It opens with a clause about Christ’s suffering and then moves to a call for believers to “arm themselves” with the same way of thinking. The Greek is crisp, loaded with participles, and unafraid of paradox. Suffering becomes not just endurance, but transformation.
Grammatical Foundationsπαθόντος is an aorist active participle in the genitive, modifying Χριστοῦ. It describes a completed event—Christ suffered. The phrase ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν (on behalf of us) emphasizes substitution, while σαρκὶ (in flesh) grounds the suffering in human experience.… Learn Koine Greek
Symbolic Geography and Theological Irony in Revelation 11:8: Participial Modification and Spiritual Topography in Apocalyptic Greek
καὶ τὸ πτῶμα αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τῆς πλατείας τῆς πόλεως τῆς μεγάλης, ἥτις καλεῖται πνευματικῶς Σόδομα καὶ Αἴγυπτος, ὅπου καὶ ὁ Κύριος αὐτῶν ἐσταυρώθη.
Subject and Location of Exposure: καὶ τὸ πτῶμα αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τῆς πλατείας τῆς πόλεως τῆς μεγάλης
– καὶ: Coordinating conjunction—”and.” – τὸ πτῶμα: Accusative singular neuter of πτῶμα, “corpse” or “dead body.” – Subject of the implied verb “lies” or “was” (understood from the context). – αὐτῶν: Genitive plural personal pronoun—”their.” – Possessive genitive modifying πτῶμα: “their dead body” (collectively referring to the two witnesses). – ἐπὶ τῆς πλατείας: Preposition ἐπὶ with genitive—”on the street.” – πλατείας: Genitive singular feminine of πλατεία, “broad street” or “public square.”… Learn Koine Greek
Posted in Grammar, Theology
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