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Greek Lessons
- The Question of Eternal Life: Syntax of Testing and Inquiry in Luke 10:25
- The Grammar of Astonishment and Difficulty
- The Urgency of Flight: Syntax, Eschatology, and the Grammar of Mission in Matthew 10:23
- Provoking the Lord: The Peril of Presumption
- The Great Priest Over God’s House: The Foundation of Confident Access
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Category
Category Archives: Exegesis
Captivated and Carried Away: Participial Chains and Gendered Grammar in 2 Timothy 3:6
Ἐκ τούτων γάρ εἰσιν οἱ ἐνδύνοντες εἰς τὰς οἰκίας καὶ αἰχμαλωτίζοντες γυναικάρια σεσωρευμένα ἁμαρτίαις, ἀγόμενα ἐπιθυμίαις ποικίλαις, (2 Timothy 3:6)
For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak-willed women burdened with sins, led astray by various desires.
Seducers and the Seduced: Paul’s Syntax of Moral DeclineIn 2 Timothy 3:6, Paul offers a profile of manipulative deceivers and their vulnerable targets. Through an intense chain of participles and passives, the verse depicts predators who infiltrate homes and ensnare weak-willed women, using both morphology and syntax to dramatize the spiritual captivity.
We’ll use a grammar table to unpack this vivid passage, focusing on:
– Participles indicating actions of infiltration and manipulation – Passive participles marking moral vulnerability – Prepositional phrases with dative or accusative – Gender-specific diminutives with theological implications
Grammatical Analysis Table Greek Phrase Form & Morphology Function Meaning ἐκ τούτων γάρ εἰσιν Preposition + demonstrative (gen.… Learn Koine GreekGrammatical Incarnation: How Syntax Bears Divine Meaning in John 1:1
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος. (John 1:1)
This verse isn’t just theology expressed in Greek—it’s theology through Greek. Every grammatical choice becomes a theological statement. Let’s dissect three linguistic miracles that shape this doctrinal foundation.
Three Pillars of Sacred Grammar 1. The Definite Article as Theological Marker: ὁ λόγοςThe article ὁ transforms λόγος from abstract concept to divine person. Compare:
Construction Grammar Function Christological Impact ὁ λόγος Identifiable subject Personal, knowable Word λόγος (hypothetical anarthrous) Indefinite/conceptual Would imply impersonal force 2. ἦν: The Imperfect Tense as Eternity’s VerbThe threefold ἦν (imperfect of εἰμί) creates a grammatical trinity:
Aspect: Continuous action (no beginning/end) Theological Code: Echoes John 8:58’s divine claim “Before Abraham was, I AM” (πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι ἐγώ εἰμι) Contrast: Compare with aorist ἐγένετο in John 1:14 for incarnation 3.… Learn Koine Greek
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Power from Above: Divine Sovereignty and Moral Responsibility in John 19:11
John 19:11 takes place during Jesus’ trial before Pontius Pilate. Pilate has just asked Jesus, “Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” (John 19:10). Jesus replies with the verse in question, exposing the illusion of Roman power and asserting a divine framework behind human actions. This verse is a theological fulcrum — it speaks to divine sovereignty, delegated authority, and relative guilt.
Structural Analysisἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς· οὐκ εἶχες ἐξουσίαν οὐδεμίαν κατ’ ἐμοῦ, εἰ μὴ ἦν δεδομένον σοι ἄνωθεν· διὰ τοῦτο ὁ παραδιδούς μέ σοι μείζονα ἁμαρτίαν ἔχει.
The sentence unfolds in two parts: first, a correction of Pilate’s claim to power, and second, a statement about the relative guilt of those involved in Jesus’ betrayal and condemnation.… Learn Koine Greek
When Two Sound as One: Conditional Prayer and the Grammar of Agreement
Πάλιν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐὰν δύο ὑμῶν συμφωνήσωσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς περὶ παντὸς πράγματος οὗ ἐὰν αἰτήσωνται, γενήσεται αὐτοῖς παρὰ τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς. (Matthew 18:19)
Again, truly I say to you: if two of you agree on earth concerning any matter whatever they may ask, it will come to pass for them from my Father who is in the heavens.
A Seminar in the Syntax of Prayer (Q&A Style) Q: Why does the sentence begin with Πάλιν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν?A: The cluster Πάλιν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν forms a solemn discourse marker: “Truly, I say to you again.”… Learn Koine Greek
Posted in Exegesis, Syntax, Theology
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Power in Weakness: Divine Strength and the Subjunctive of Purpose in 2 Corinthians 12:9
Καὶ εἴρηκέ μοι· ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου· ἡ γὰρ δύναμίς μου ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελειοῦται. ἥδιστα οὖν μᾶλλον καυχήσομαι ἐν ταῖς ἀσθενείαις μου, ἵνα ἐπισκηνώσῃ ἐπ’ ἐμὲ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ Χριστοῦ. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
And he has said to me: “My grace is sufficient for you; for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will rather boast most gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell upon me.
The Grammar of Surrender and Strength2 Corinthians 12:9 records the Lord’s personal word to Paul in response to his plea for relief. But the answer is unexpected and transformative: not deliverance, but grace.… Learn Koine Greek
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Abounding in Grace: Subjunctive Purpose and Spiritual Fullness in 2 Corinthians 8:7
Ἀλλ’ ὥσπερ ἐν παντὶ περισσεύετε, πίστει καὶ λόγῳ καὶ γνώσει καὶ πάσῃ σπουδῇ καὶ τῇ ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐν ἡμῖν ἀγάπῃ, ἵνα καὶ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ χάριτι περισσεύητε. (2 Corinthians 8:7)
But just as you abound in everything: in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in the love from you in us; so also may you abound in this grace.
Overflowing in All Things: Context and ContrastIn 2 Corinthians 8, Paul exhorts the Corinthians to follow through in generosity toward the Jerusalem believers. He frames the appeal not as a command but as an invitation to participate in grace.… Learn Koine Greek
Slaves Who Promise Freedom: Participles, Paradox, and Passive Conquest in 2 Peter 2:19
Ἐλευθερίαν αὐτοῖς ἐπαγγελλόμενοι, αὐτοὶ δοῦλοι ὑπάρχοντες τῆς φθορᾶς· ᾧ γάρ τις ἥττηται, τούτῳ καὶ δεδούλωται. (2 Peter 2:19)
Promising them freedom, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what someone is overcome, by this he is also enslaved.
Deception in Voice and FormThis verse from 2 Peter delivers a scathing rebuke against false teachers who promise liberty, yet are themselves enslaved to corruption. The Greek construction powerfully reinforces this moral irony, through its layered participles, passives, and causal logic.
We will examine the verse’s core grammar using a structured table, highlighting:
– Present participles that describe deceptive activity and true condition – A genitive of subjection that defines the master – A dative of subjection that follows a perfect passive verb – A causal clause structured around identity and subjugation
Grammatical Analysis Table Greek Phrase Form & Morphology Function Meaning ἐλευθερίαν αὐτοῖς ἐπαγγελλόμενοι Present middle participle, nominative plural masculine from ἐπαγγέλλομαι Adjectival participle modifying the false teachers “promising them freedom” — deceptive appearance of liberty αὐτοὶ δοῦλοι ὑπάρχοντες τῆς φθορᾶς Present active participle (ὑπάρχοντες) + genitive of subjection Predicate description “they themselves are slaves of corruption” — contrasting reality to their message ᾧ γάρ τις ἥττηται Relative pronoun in dative + perfect passive indicative, 3rd sg.… Learn Koine GreekGifts That Fit: Staying Within the Sphere of Divine Calling
Εἴτε διακονίαν, ἐν τῇ διακονίᾳ, εἴτε ὁ διδάσκων, ἐν τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ, (Romans 12:7)
If it is service, in the service; if it is the one who teaches, in the teaching,
Exegetical AnalysisThis portion of Paul’s ethical exhortation belongs to a series of elliptical clauses enumerating various spiritual gifts. Each element follows the structure εἴτε… ἐν…, showing both the nature of the gift and the realm in which it should operate. The first term διακονίαν (“service” or “ministry”) is in the accusative, functioning as the conditional object of the implied verb from the previous verse: let us use them. The repetition of ἐν τῇ διακονίᾳ (“in the service”) emphasizes that those who serve should remain focused within that sphere.… Learn Koine Greek
She Held a Grudge: Imperfects and the Tension of Unfulfilled Malice in Mark 6:19
Ἡ δὲ Ἡρῳδιὰς ἐνεῖχεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἤθελεν αὐτὸν ἀποκτεῖναι, καὶ οὐκ ἠδύνατο· (Mark 6:19)
But Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill him; and she was not able.
When Verbs Smolder: The Force of the Imperfect TenseThis compact verse in Mark captures the simmering hatred of Herodias toward John the Baptist. Its power lies not in a dramatic climax, but in the tension between desire and inability, sustained by the grammatical fabric of imperfect verbs. Every verb in this verse is in the imperfect tense, creating a cinematic effect: a long-burning resentment that cannot yet ignite into action.… Learn Koine Greek
One Flesh by Divine Design: The Syntax of Union
Ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ κολληθήσεται τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν; (Matthew 19:5)
‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?
Marriage and Morphology: A Sacred SyntaxIn Matthew 19:5, Jesus reaffirms the Genesis foundation of marriage in response to questions about divorce. The verse presents a series of coordinated verbs and a dramatic prepositional phrase that climaxes in a profound theological declaration: the two shall become one flesh. This statement, while often quoted, reveals deeper grammatical layers that intensify its meaning—layers which reflect permanence, priority, and covenant unity in both form and content.… Learn Koine Greek
