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Greek Lessons
- Why with Sinners? The Syntax of Scandalized Questions in Matthew 9:11
- Stingers and Power: Similitude, Purpose, and Present Force in Revelation 9:10
- Of Shadows and Conscience: Relative Time and Mental Completion in Hebrews 9:9
- The Overflowing Syntax of Grace: Distributive Emphasis and Participial Purpose in 2 Corinthians 9:8
- Who Fights Without Pay? Rhetorical Interrogatives and Negated Expectation in 1 Corinthians 9:7
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Category
Category Archives: Ancient Greek
Blind Minds and Hardened Hearts: Koine Simplicity versus Classical Subtlety
Καὶ γνοὺς ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγει αὐτοῖς· τί διαλογίζεσθε ὅτι ἄρτους οὐκ ἔχετε; οὔπω νοεῖτε οὐδὲ συνίετε; ἔτι πεπωρωμένην ἔχετε τὴν καρδίαν ὑμῶν; (Mark 8:17)
And knowing, Jesus says to them: “Why are you reasoning that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Do you still have your heart hardened?”
Koine Greek Grammar and Syntax Καὶ γνοὺς: Aorist active participle nominative masculine singular of γινώσκω, “having known.” Functions adverbially, showing antecedent circumstance — Jesus knew before speaking. ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγει: Subject + present active indicative 3rd singular of λέγω, vivid historical present. The Gospel narrative often employs present tense for immediacy.… Learn Koine GreekThe Witness Within: Spirit and Identity in Paul’s Koine Expression
Αὐτὸ τὸ Πνεῦμα συμμαρτυρεῖ τῷ πνεύματι ἡμῶν ὅτι ἐσμὲν τέκνα Θεοῦ. (Romans 8:16)
The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
Koine Greek Grammar and Syntax αὐτὸ τὸ Πνεῦμα: Neuter nominative singular with the emphatic αὐτό preceding the article and noun. The structure stresses the subject: “the Spirit itself.” συμμαρτυρεῖ: Present active indicative 3rd singular of συμμαρτυρέω, “to bear witness with.” The compound prefix σύν underscores joint testimony, conveying cooperation between divine and human witness. τῷ πνεύματι ἡμῶν: Dative singular with possessive genitive pronoun. Marks the indirect object of συμμαρτυρεῖ — “with our spirit.” This reflects an internal corroboration.… Learn Koine GreekKnowledge and Sacrifice: Koine Clarity and Classical Nuance in Paul’s Admonition
Καὶ ἀπολεῖται ὁ ἀσθενῶν ἀδελφὸς ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ γνώσει, δι’ ὃν Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν. (1 Corinthians 8:11)
And the weak brother will perish because of your knowledge, the one for whom Christ died.
Koine Greek Grammar and Syntax καὶ ἀπολεῖται: Future middle indicative 3rd singular of ἀπόλλυμι. In Koine, this form is often the standard intransitive “will perish,” functioning as a middle-deponent. While the middle can sometimes suggest the subject’s experiential involvement, here it likely reflects the grammaticalized middle for this verb rather than strong reflexive nuance. ὁ ἀσθενῶν ἀδελφὸς: Nominative masculine singular; ὁ ἀσθενῶν is a present active participle of ἀσθενέω functioning adjectivally — “the one who is weak.”… Learn Koine GreekCompassion 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 Greek