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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: Advanced Greek Grammar
Hope, Resurrection, and Divided Councils: Participles and Predicate Focus in Acts 23:6
γνοὺς δὲ ὁ Παῦλος ὅτι τὸ ἓν μέρος ἐστὶ Σαδδουκαίων, τὸ δὲ ἕτερον Φαρισαίων, ἔκραξεν ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ· Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἐγὼ Φαρισαῖός εἰμι, υἱὸς Φαρισαίου· περὶ ἐλπίδος καὶ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν ἐγὼ κρίνομαι. (Acts 23:6)
Strategic Grammar in a Divided Sanhedrin
In Acts 23:6, Paul masterfully navigates a volatile courtroom. Surrounded by hostile parties, he declares a theological truth — and simultaneously ignites division between Pharisees and Sadducees. His speech is both true and tactically brilliant.
The grammar of this verse reveals Paul’s rhetorical control. Let us examine:
The use of an aorist participle to mark perceptive awareness An equative verb of being split across parallel clauses A historic present for dramatic emphasis Predicate placement for emphasis A genitive complement construction with κρίνομαιThis verse is an exemplary study in how grammar serves theology, rhetoric, and narrative all at once.… Learn Koine Greek
Say but Do Not Do: Grammatical Structure and Ethical Critique in Matthew 23:3
Πάντα οὖν ὅσα ἐὰν εἴπωσιν ὑμῖν τηρεῖν, τηρεῖτε καὶ ποιεῖτε, κατὰ δὲ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν μὴ ποιεῖτε· λέγουσι γὰρ, καὶ οὐ ποιοῦσι. (Matthew 23:3)
Therefore, all that they tell you to observe, observe and do; but do not do according to their works, for they say and do not do.
Instruction and Inconsistency: Literary and Theological Context of Matthew 23:3This verse introduces Jesus’ denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23, a chapter often labeled the “Seven Woes.” It encapsulates Jesus’ critique of religious hypocrisy: verbal instruction without practical obedience. The syntax of Matthew 23:3 juxtaposes imperative obedience to authoritative teaching with prohibition against imitating hypocritical behavior.… Learn Koine Greek
Grammatical Dissection: A Prohibition and Its Antidote
Μηδὲν κατὰ ἐριθείαν ἢ κενοδοξίαν, ἀλλὰ τῇ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ ἀλλήλους ἡγούμενοι ὑπερέχοντας ἑαυτῶν (Philippians 2:3)
Do nothing from selfish ambition or vain glory, but in humility considering one another as surpassing yourselves.
Negative Exhortation: μηδὲν κατὰ ἐριθείαν ἢ κενοδοξίαν μηδὲν: Accusative singular neuter of μηδείς, functioning adverbially — “nothing.” This modifies the understood verb (from v.2), likely “do” or “think.” κατὰ: Preposition with accusative — “according to,” expressing motivation or manner. ἐριθείαν: Accusative singular feminine — “selfish ambition,” “factiousness,” often connoting rivalry or party spirit. ἢ: Disjunctive conjunction — “or.” κενοδοξίαν: Accusative singular feminine — “vain glory,” “empty pride,” combining κενός (“empty”) and δόξα (“glory”).… Learn Koine GreekWe Found This Man: Participles of Accusation in the Trial of Jesus
Ἤρξαντο δὲ κατηγορεῖν αὐτοῦ λέγοντες· τοῦτον εὕρομεν διαστρέφοντα τὸ ἔθνος καὶ κωλύοντα Καίσαρι φόρους διδόναι, λέγοντα ἑαυτὸν Χριστὸν βασιλέα εἶναι. (Luke 23:2)
And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”
The Opening Accusation: Legal Framing and Participial PrecisionLuke 23:2 presents the fabricated charges brought against Jesus before Pontius Pilate. The religious leaders transition from theological opposition to political accusation. Their language is carefully crafted to stir Roman concern. But in the Greek, Luke lays bare the structure of the lie: a series of accusatory participles anchored to the verb εὕρομεν (“we found”).… Learn Koine Greek
God as Witness: Oaths, Participles, and Verbal Force in 2 Corinthians 11:31
Ὁ Θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ οἶδεν, ὁ ὢν εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ὅτι οὐ ψεύδομαι. (2 Corinthians 11:31)
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.
Paul’s Solemn AppealIn 2 Corinthians 11:31, Paul concludes a section of boasting in weakness with an oath before God. The verse reads: “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.” The syntax combines a solemn witness formula (οἶδεν), a relative clause identifying God (ὁ ὢν εὐλογητὸς), and a content clause (ὅτι οὐ ψεύδομαι) that affirms Paul’s truthfulness.… Learn Koine Greek
The Refusal of the Invited: A Study in Aspect and Rejection in Matthew 22:3
Καὶ ἀπέστειλε τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ καλέσαι τοὺς κεκλημένους εἰς τοὺς γάμους, καὶ οὐκ ἤθελον ἐλθεῖν. (Matthew 22:3)
And he sent his servants to call those who had been invited to the wedding, but they did not want to come.
In the parable of the wedding feast (Matthew 22:1–14), Jesus crafts a narrative that is both deeply theological and profoundly human. At its heart lies a moment of refusal—simple in form, yet devastating in implication:
καὶ ἀπέστειλε τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ καλέσαι τοὺς κεκλημένους εἰς τοὺς γάμους, καὶ οὐκ ἤθελον ἐλθεῖν.
“And he sent his servants to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, but they were not willing to come.”… Learn Koine Greek
Resurrection and Possession: A Grammatical Riddle in Matthew 22:28
Ἐν τῇ οὖν ἀναστάσει τίνος τῶν ἑπτὰ ἔσται ἡ γυνή; πάντες γὰρ ἔσχον αὐτήν. (Matthew 22:28)
In the resurrection, then, of which of the seven will the woman be? For all had her.
The Syntax of a Trick QuestionThis verse arises in the context of the Sadducees testing Jesus with a hypothetical scenario involving levirate marriage. The Greek sentence itself is deliberately constructed to reflect the rhetorical trap. The clause ἐν τῇ οὖν ἀναστάσει (“in the resurrection, then”) is a prepositional phrase using ἐν + dative. The particle οὖν functions inferentially, pointing back to the elaborate scenario and introducing the logical consequence of their story.… Learn Koine Greek
Declensions of the Present Age: Grammatical Grace in Titus 2:12
Παιδεύουσα ἡμᾶς ἵνα ἀρνησάμενοι τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ τὰς κοσμικὰς ἐπιθυμίας σωφρόνως καὶ δικαίως καὶ εὐσεβῶς ζήσωμεν ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι (Titus 2:12)
Training us so that, having denied ungodliness and worldly desires, we might live sensibly and justly and reverently in the present age.
Declension HighlightsTitus 2:12 is a powerhouse of theological transformation encapsulated in a single complex sentence. The verse contains a dense structure of participles, adverbs, and declinable nouns/adjectives that carry not only syntactic weight but deep ethical and eschatological implications. The focus of this declension study will be on the six declinable forms present:
ἡμᾶς – 1st person plural pronoun, accusative ἀσέβειαν – noun, 1st declension feminine accusative singular ἐπιθυμίας – noun, 1st declension feminine accusative plural τὴν, τὰς, τῷ – articles showing agreement with their respective nouns κοσμικὰς – adjective, 1st/2nd declension feminine accusative plural αἰῶνι – noun, 3rd declension masculine dative singularTogether, they form a network of grammatical instruction: the training of grace (from verse 11) leads to the denial of vices and the embrace of godly living, all set in the context of the present age.… Learn Koine Greek
The Grammar of Appeal: Conditional Particles and Rhetorical Force in Philippians 2:1
Εἴ τις οὖν παράκλησις ἐν Χριστῷ, εἴ τι παραμύθιον ἀγάπης, εἴ τις κοινωνία Πνεύματος, εἴ τις σπλάγχνα καὶ οἰκτιρμοί, (Philippians 2:1)
Paul’s Conditional Framework
Philippians 2:1 begins one of Paul’s most moving exhortations, where he appeals to the believers’ shared experience in Christ as the foundation for unity. The verse consists of four conditional clauses introduced by εἴ (“if”): Εἴ τις οὖν παράκλησις ἐν Χριστῷ, εἴ τι παραμύθιον ἀγάπης, εἴ τις κοινωνία Πνεύματος, εἴ τις σπλάγχνα καὶ οἰκτιρμοί. These clauses pile up rhetorical “ifs,” not to express doubt but to remind the Philippians of realities they already know. In effect, the construction is equivalent to: “Since there is encouragement in Christ…”
Breaking Down the Clauses Εἴ τις οὖν παράκλησις ἐν Χριστῷ — “If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ.”… Learn Koine GreekFootsteps and Spirit: Syntax and Rhetoric in Paul’s Defense
Παρεκάλεσα Τίτον καὶ συναπέστειλα τὸν ἀδελφόν· μήτι ἐπλεονέκτησεν ὑμᾶς Τίτος; οὐ τῷ αὐτῷ πνεύματι περιεπατήσαμεν; οὐ τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἴχνεσι; (2 Corinthians 12:18)
I urged Titus and sent the brother with him; surely Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same spirit? In the same footsteps?
Παρεκάλεσα…καὶ συναπέστειλα: Coordinated AoristsThe verse opens with two coordinated first person singular aorist active indicative verbs: παρεκάλεσα (“I urged”) and συναπέστειλα (“I sent together”). These aorists are used to refer to definite past actions, emphasizing Paul’s personal involvement in a decision he made at a particular moment in time.… Learn Koine Greek
