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Greek Lessons
- Declensions in Judgment Imagery: The Grammar of Revelation 8:10
- Command and Response: The Interplay of Imperatives and Indicatives in Matthew 8:9
- Neither Surplus Nor Lack: The Theology of Indifference in 1 Corinthians 8:8
- Thorns That Choke: Converging Aorists and Participial Force in Luke 8:7
- The Grammar of Compassion: Voice, Place, and Affliction in Matthew 8:6
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Category
Author Archives: Classical Greek
Compassion on the Road: Feeding the Fainthearted (Mark 8:3)
Καὶ ἐὰν ἀπολύσω αὐτοὺς νήστεις εἰς οἶκον αὐτῶν, ἐκλυθήσονται ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ· τινὲς γὰρ αὐτῶν ἀπὸ μακρόθεν ἥκασι. (Mark 8:3)
And if I send them away hungry to their home, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from far away.
This verse reveals Yeshuʿ’s deep compassion for the crowd following Him. It’s not just a logistical concern—it’s a pastoral heart recognizing human limitation and hunger.
Koine Greek BreakdownThis sentence showcases conditional syntax, passive voice, and a blend of future consequence with narrative reflection.
Third-Class Conditional: ἐὰν ἀπολύσω (“if I send away”) — subjunctive protasis Future Passive: ἐκλυθήσονται — “they will be faint/exhausted” Perfect Indicative: ἥκασι — “they have come” (present result of a past action) Participles and Adverbs: νήστεις (“fasting/hungry”), ἀπὸ μακρόθεν (“from afar”) Try parsing “ἀπολύσω”Aorist Active Subjunctive, 1st Person Singular — “I might send away.”… Learn Koine Greek
Two Laws, One Servant: The Inner Conflict of Romans 7:25
Εὐχαριστῶ τῷ Θεῷ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν· ἄρα οὖν αὐτὸς ἐγὼ τῷ μὲν νοῒ δουλεύω νόμῳ Θεοῦ, τῇ δὲ σαρκὶ νόμῳ ἁμαρτίας. (Romans 7:25)
I give thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh the law of sin.
This climactic verse from Romans captures the internal duality of Paul’s spiritual life: gratitude for redemption through Christ, and yet an honest admission of ongoing conflict between spirit and flesh.
Koine Greek BreakdownThis verse features a high-register, emotionally charged syntax with clear structural contrasts between νοῒ and σαρκί, framed by τῷ μὲν … τῇ δὲ ….… Learn Koine Greek
Righteous Judgment over Appearances (John 7:24)
Μὴ κρίνετε κατ’ ὄψιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν δικαίαν κρίσιν κρίνατε. (Ἰωάννης 7:24)
Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.
This command is spoken by Yeshua during a heated exchange in the temple courts, challenging the crowd to reject superficial assessments in favor of true justice—a call deeply resonant with the ethical clarity of Koine Greek expression.
Koine Greek Breakdownμὴ κρίνετε κατ’ ὄψιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν δικαίαν κρίσιν κρίνατε.
Verb 1: κρίνετε — present active imperative 2nd person plural, negated with μὴ: “do not keep judging.” Prepositional Phrase: κατ’ ὄψιν — “according to appearance” (lit. “according to face” or “sight”), an idiom for superficiality.… Learn Koine GreekDefilement from Within: A Koine and Classical Greek Comparison of Mark 7:23
Πάντα ταῦτα τὰ πονηρὰ ἔσωθεν ἐκπορεύεται καὶ κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον. (Mark 7:23)
All these evil things come out from within and defile the person.
Koine Greek Grammar and Syntax Analysis πάντα ταῦτα τὰ πονηρά — Neuter plural accusative subject. The phrase means “all these evil things.” ταῦτα is a demonstrative pronoun referring to a list of sins previously mentioned (vv. 21–22), and τὰ πονηρά is an attributive adjective phrase qualifying it. ἔσωθεν — Adverb of place: “from within.” Emphatically placed to contrast with external sources of impurity. ἐκπορεύεται — Present middle/passive indicative, 3rd person singular from ἐκπορεύομαι: “goes out,” “proceeds.” Middle in form but often active in function in Koine usage.… Learn Koine GreekBoasting and Integrity: A Koine and Classical Greek Comparison of 2 Corinthians 7:14
Ὅτι εἴ τι αὐτῷ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν κεκαύχημαι, οὐ κατῃσχύνθην, ἀλλ’ ὡς πάντα ἐν ἀληθείᾳ ἐλαλήσαμεν ὑμῖν, οὕτω καὶ ἡ καύχησις ἡμῶν ἡ ἐπὶ Τίτου ἀλήθεια ἐγενήθη. (2 Corinthians 7:14)
For if I have boasted anything to him about you, I was not put to shame; but just as everything we said to you was in truth, so also our boasting to Titus proved to be true.
Koine Greek Grammar and Syntax Analysis ὅτι — Causal conjunction: “for,” introducing the reason for the previous statement. εἴ τι… κεκαύχημαι — Conditional clause: εἴ + aorist or perfect. κεκαύχημαι is perfect middle/passive indicative, 1st person singular of καυχάομαι: “I have boasted.”… Learn Koine GreekThe Narrow Gate and the Broad Way: A Koine and Classical Greek Comparison of Matthew 7:13
Εἰσέλθατε διὰ τῆς στενῆς πύλης· ὅτι πλατεῖα ἡ πύλη καὶ εὐρύχωρος ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ἀπώλειαν, καὶ πολλοί εἰσιν οἱ εἰσερχόμενοι δι’ αὐτῆς· (Matthew 7:13)
Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious the road that leads to destruction, and many are those entering through it.
Koine Greek Grammar and Syntax Analysis Εἰσέλθατε — Aorist active imperative, 2nd person plural of εἰσέρχομαι: “Enter!” Command form stressing decisive action. διὰ τῆς στενῆς πύλης — Preposition διὰ with genitive: “through the narrow gate.” στενῆς is genitive feminine singular adjective modifying πύλης. ὅτι — Conjunction meaning “for” or “because,” introducing the reason or explanation for the imperative.… Learn Koine GreekReverent Burial and Narrative Simplicity: A Koine and Classical Greek Comparison of Mark 6:29
καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἦλθον καὶ ἦραν τὸ πτῶμα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔθηκαν αὐτὸ ἐν μνημείῳ.
And when his disciples heard, they came and took up his corpse and placed it in a tomb. (Mark 6:29)
Koine Greek Grammar and Syntax Analysis καὶ ἀκούσαντες — Aorist active participle, nominative masculine plural from ἀκούω: “having heard.” Temporally preceding the main verb ἦλθον. οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ — Nominative plural subject: “his disciples.” αὐτοῦ modifies οἱ μαθηταί. ἦλθον — Aorist active indicative, 3rd person plural from ἔρχομαι: “they came.” Main verb of the clause. καὶ ἦραν — Aorist active indicative, 3rd person plural from αἴρω: “they took up, lifted.”… Learn Koine GreekDeliverance and Acceptability: A Koine and Classical Greek Comparison of Romans 15:31
ἵνα ῥυσθῶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀπειθούντων ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ καὶ ἵνα ἡ διακονία μου ἡ εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ εὐπρόσδεκτος γένηται τοῖς ἁγίοις,
That I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my ministry to Jerusalem may become acceptable to the saints, (Romans 15:31)
Koine Greek Grammar and Syntax Analysis ἵνα ῥυσθῶ — Subordinating conjunction ἵνα introduces a purpose clause. ῥυσθῶ is aorist passive subjunctive, 1st person singular of ῥύομαι: “that I may be delivered/rescued.” ἀπὸ τῶν ἀπειθούντων — ἀπό + genitive expresses separation. ἀπειθούντων is a present active participle, genitive masculine plural from ἀπειθέω: “those who are disobedient,” often with the sense of active resistance or rejection (of the Gospel).… Learn Koine GreekSeeking the Signs or the Bread? A Grammatical and Stylistic Journey through John 6:26
John 6:26 — Ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν· ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ζητεῖτέ με, οὐχ ὅτι εἴδετε σημεῖα, ἀλλ’ ὅτι ἐφάγετε ἐκ τῶν ἄρτων καὶ ἐχορτάσθητε.
Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me not because you saw signs, but because you ate from the loaves and were filled.”
Koine Greek Grammar and Syntax Analysis Ἀπεκρίθη — Aorist passive indicative, 3rd singular. Though middle in form, passive in voice here. Common Koine usage for “answered.” αὐτοῖς — Dative plural of the 3rd person pronoun, indirect object of the verb “answered.” ὁ Ἰησοῦς — Nominative subject.… Learn Koine Greek
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The Quiet Escape: Classical and Koine Greek Meet in Luke 4:30
Luke 4:30
αὐτὸς δὲ διελθὼν διὰ μέσου αὐτῶν ἐπορεύετο.
Literal Translation: But he, passing through their midst, was going his way.
1. Key Grammatical Features in Koine Greek αὐτὸς δὲ: The explicit subject pronoun αὐτὸς (“he himself”) combined with δὲ (“but”) gives mild emphasis and contrast. Koine regularly uses explicit pronouns for emphasis, even when the verb already implies the subject. διελθὼν: Aorist active participle nominative singular masculine from διέρχομαι (“to pass through”). Koine often places participles first in narrative clauses to build background action preceding the main verb. διὰ μέσου αὐτῶν: Preposition διά (“through”) with genitive (μέσου αὐτῶν – “the midst of them”) expresses spatial passage.… Learn Koine Greek