Acts 21:11
καὶ ἐλθὼν πρὸς ἡμᾶς καὶ ἄρας τὴν ζώνην τοῦ Παύλου, δήσας τε αὐτοῦ τοὺς πόδας καὶ τὰς χεῖρας εἶπε· τάδε λέγει τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον· τὸν ἄνδρα οὗ ἐστιν ἡ ζώνη αὕτη, οὕτω δήσουσιν εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ παραδώσουσιν εἰς χεῖρας ἐθνῶν.
Literal Translation: And having come to us and taken the belt of Paul, and having bound his feet and hands, he said: “These things says the Holy Spirit: The man to whom this belt belongs—they will bind him in Jerusalem, the Jews, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.”
1. Key Grammatical Features in Koine Greek
- ἐλθὼν… ἄρας… δήσας: Aorist active participles (from ἔρχομαι, αἴρω, δέω) used sequentially to provide circumstantial background to the main verb εἶπε. Koine regularly uses such participial chains to express preparatory or explanatory actions.
- πρὸς ἡμᾶς: Preposition πρός + accusative indicating movement toward a group (“to us”). Common in Koine narrative to mark relational approach.
- τὴν ζώνην τοῦ Παύλου: Accusative noun with possessive genitive. Koine favors such constructions for clarity, keeping the genitive close to its head noun.
- αὐτοῦ τοὺς πόδας καὶ τὰς χεῖρας: Accusative pronoun and coordinated accusative nouns, functioning as objects of δήσας. Koine often structures coordinate phrases with parallelism and article use.
- εἶπε: Aorist active indicative of λέγω. Main verb of the sentence governing indirect speech.
- τάδε λέγει τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον: Prophetic formula modeled after LXX usage (τάδε λέγει Κύριος). The demonstrative τάδε (“these things”) introduces the divine quotation.
- τὸν ἄνδρα οὗ ἐστιν ἡ ζώνη αὕτη: Accusative noun phrase with relative clause—“the man to whom this belt belongs.” οὗ is genitive of possession; ἐστιν functions as a linking verb.
- οὕτω δήσουσιν… καὶ παραδώσουσιν: Future active indicatives indicating prophetic certainty. Koine uses the future tense in divine speech to express prediction or destiny.
- εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ / εἰς χεῖρας ἐθνῶν: Prepositions + accusative indicating destination or result of action. Koine often uses εἰς to mark both literal and metaphorical transfer.
2. Classical Greek Grammar Comparison
- Participial Chains: Classical Greek prefers tighter subordination, often using conjunctions. Koine freely uses participial chains for background narrative sequence.
- Demonstratives in Prophetic Speech: τάδε λέγει is a Hebrew calque through the LXX. Classical Greek avoids this formula, opting for more nuanced indirect discourse.
- Relative Clauses with Possession: οὗ ἐστιν is a standard Classical structure. Koine retains it, though with simpler noun phrase packaging (e.g., ἡ ζώνη αὕτη follows the noun).
- Coordinated Futures: Classical Greek might vary the form or order for rhetorical effect. Koine prefers simple coordination with καί for clarity and emphasis.
- Destination Prepositions: εἰς + accusative was used in both periods, but Koine applies it more broadly to spiritual or metaphorical movements (e.g., εἰς χεῖρας ἐθνῶν).
3. Syntactic and Structural Differences
- Paratactic Action Flow: The participles (ἐλθὼν…ἄρας…δήσας) describe a series of actions with no subordinating conjunctions. This is a signature Koine strategy for unfolding events naturally and dynamically.
- Direct Quotation Structure: τάδε λέγει τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον follows the Semitic model, rare in Classical but typical in Koine prophetic or apocalyptic speech.
- Relative Clarity: Koine simplifies the structure: each clause (identification, prediction, handover) is grammatically direct. Classical Greek might embed or link these differently with more participial nuance or particle use.
4. Phonological Notes
- Name Inflection: The genitive τοῦ Παύλου reflects a Latin name adapted into Greek; in Koine, such names became fully inflected with standard stress patterns.
- Future Forms: Verbs like δήσουσιν and παραδώσουσιν retained distinct -σουσιν endings in pronunciation but softened in Koine speech toward [susi(n)].
- Iotacism: Long vowels and diphthongs (e.g., ει in εἰς, αι in Παύλου) had begun merging to [i], affecting clarity and oral rhythm.
5. Summary Table of Grammatical Evolution
| Feature | Classical Greek | Koine Greek |
|---|---|---|
| Participial Sequencing | Often subordinated or varied | Chains of aorist participles |
| Prophetic Formulas | Rare, indirect speech | τάδε λέγει from Semitic influence |
| Possessive Relative Clause | Standard but more flexible word order | Simplified (e.g., οὗ ἐστιν) |
| Coordinated Futures | Stylistically varied | Simple coordination with καί |
| Use of Prepositions | Dative for direction common | εἰς preferred for clarity |
6. What This Verse Tells Us About the Evolution of Greek
Acts 21:11 is a vivid enactment of prophecy in Koine Greek. The participial flow (ἐλθὼν…ἄρας…δήσας) draws the reader visually and grammatically into Agabus’ symbolic gesture. The announcement—τάδε λέγει τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον—fuses Semitic form with Koine flexibility.
Koine grammar favors clarity: prophecy is delivered plainly, with sequential verbs, possessive clarity (οὗ ἐστιν ἡ ζώνη), and future verbs that predict rather than speculate. This is action-driven storytelling shaped by the Spirit, grammar, and dramatic revelation all at once.
