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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
Moved with Compassion: Healing the Sick in Matthew 14:14
Matthew 14:14 takes place just after Jesus has withdrawn by boat to a solitary place following the death of John the Baptist. Yet the crowds pursue him on foot from the towns. When Jesus disembarks, he encounters a massive crowd. This verse encapsulates the beginning of his response — not withdrawal or rebuke, but healing motivated by compassion. It prepares the way for the miraculous feeding that follows in verses 15–21.
Structural AnalysisΚαὶ ἐξελθὼν εἶδε πολὺν ὄχλον, καὶ ἐσπλαγχνίσθη ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐθεράπευσε τοὺς ἀρρώστους αὐτῶν.
The verse features a sequence of three aorist verbs joined by καί: ἐξελθὼν (“having gone out”), εἶδε (“he saw”), ἐσπλαγχνίσθη (“he was moved with compassion”), and ἐθεράπευσε (“he healed”).… Learn Koine Greek
A Kiss of Love and Peace in Christ: Syntax and Fellowship in 1 Peter 5:14
Ἀσπάσασθε ἀλλήλους ἐν φιλήματι ἀγάπης. Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν πᾶσι τοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ· ἀμήν. (1 Peter 5:14)
Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
The Final Benediction of 1 PeterPeter closes his epistle with a compact but deeply meaningful exhortation and blessing. Though often overlooked, this final verse contains grammatical features that highlight the communal nature of Christian love, the linguistic beauty of koine imperative, and the theological centrality of union with Christ.
The Greek structure is divided into two parts:
An imperative command of mutual greeting A benediction of peace addressed to all believers in Christ Mutual Greeting: ἀσπάσασθε ἀλλήλους ἐν φιλήματι ἀγάπης ἀσπάσασθε Aorist middle imperative, 2nd person plural of ἀσπάζομαι, “to greet.”… Learn Koine GreekThe Value of Devotion: Passive Verbs and Misguided Indignation
Ἠδύνατο γὰρ τοῦτο τὸ μύρον πραθῆναι ἐπάνω τριακοσίων δηναρίων καὶ δοθῆναι τοῖς πτωχοῖς· καὶ ἐνεβριμῶντο αὐτῇ. (Mark 14:5)
For this perfume could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they were scolding her.
The Grammatical Voice of Economic CritiqueIn Mark 14:5, we encounter a moment charged with tension—devotion misjudged as waste. The grammar of this verse features two striking passive infinitives, a weighty monetary reference, and a final emotional verb that echoes with rebuke. The structure reflects not only economic reasoning but also reveals how linguistic choices can dramatize the blindness of human judgment when faced with divine acts of love.… Learn Koine Greek
The Indignation Within: Interrogating Waste and Worth in Mark 14:4
Mark 14:4 is part of the account of a woman anointing Jesus with costly perfume at Bethany. This act, narrated shortly before Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, becomes a flashpoint for conflicting values: generosity vs. waste, worship vs. practicality. In verse 4, a group of bystanders reacts negatively to the woman’s action. Their inner indignation sets the stage for Jesus’ interpretation of the act as a prophetic preparation for his burial (Mark 14:6–9). Thus, the verse acts as a narrative pivot between human judgment and divine commendation.
Structural Analysisἦσαν δέ τινες ἀγανακτοῦντες πρὸς ἑαυτούς λέγοντες· εἰς τί ἡ ἀπώλεια αὕτη τοῦ μύρου γέγονεν;
The verse begins with a circumstantial clause: ἦσαν δέ τινες ἀγανακτοῦντες — “But there were some who were indignant.”… Learn Koine Greek
The God of Peace, Not of Chaos: Order in Worship and the Nature of God
Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἀκαταστασίας ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλὰ εἰρήνης. (1 Corinthians 14:33)
For God is not of disorder, but of peace.
Exegetical AnalysisThe conjunction γάρ introduces a causal explanation, tying the theological principle to Paul’s instructions about orderly conduct in the assembly. The sentence begins with a negation: οὐ ἐστιν ἀκαταστασίας ὁ Θεὸς, literally “God is not of disorder.” The genitive ἀκαταστασίας (“of disorder” or “confusion”) defines the quality or domain that is being negated. The word comes from ἀκαταστασία, meaning unrest, chaos, instability, or tumult—often used to describe political upheaval or community division. The genitive construction reflects a Semitic idiom: “God is not a God of…” meaning such qualities do not originate in or belong to His character.… Learn Koine Greek
Combining Spirit with Spirit: The Divide Between the Mind of Man and the Wisdom of God
Ἃ καὶ λαλοῦμεν οὐκ ἐν διδακτοῖς ἀνθρωπίνης σοφίας λόγοις, ἀλλ’ ἐν διδακτοῖς Πνεύματος ἁγίου, πνευματικοῖς πνευματικὰ συγκρίνοντες. ψυχικὸς δὲ ἄνθρωπος οὐ δέχεται τὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ Θεοῦ· μωρία γὰρ αὐτῷ ἐστι, καὶ οὐ δύναται γνῶναι, ὅτι πνευματικῶς ἀνακρίνεται. (1 Corinthians 2:13–14)
Which also we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Holy Spirit, combining spiritual things with spiritual. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Exegetical AnalysisPaul’s sentence opens with a relative pronoun ἃ (“which”), linking back to the divine wisdom mentioned earlier.… Learn Koine Greek
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Lawfully Used: The Proper Function of the Law in Apostolic Thought
Οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι καλὸς ὁ νόμος, ἐάν τις αὐτῷ νομίμως χρῆται, (1 Timothy 1:8)
But we know that the Law is good, if someone uses it lawfully.
Knowing the Goodness of the LawIn 1 Timothy 1:8, Paul affirms a vital but often neglected truth: ὅτι καλὸς ὁ νόμος — “that the Law is good.” The verb οἴδαμεν (“we know”) is perfect active, indicating not speculative theory but settled conviction. This “we” likely refers to Paul and his apostolic circle, or perhaps all who rightly understand the function of the Mosaic Law within the redemptive narrative. The adjective καλὸς does not merely mean “morally upright,” but also “beautiful,” “beneficial,” and “noble.”… Learn Koine Greek
Run With Endurance: The Syntax of Perseverance in Hebrews 12:1
Τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἡμεῖς, τοσοῦτον ἔχοντες περικείμενον ἡμῖν νέφος μαρτύρων, ὄγκον ἀποθέμενοι πάντα καὶ τὴν εὐπερίστατον ἁμαρτίαν, δι’ ὑπομονῆς τρέχωμεν τὸν προκείμενον ἡμῖν ἀγῶνα, (Hebrews 12:1)
Therefore, we also, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight and the easily entangling sin, let us run with endurance the race set before us.
Therefore, Let Us RunHebrews 12:1 is a call to sustained faithfulness, building on the momentum of the preceding chapter’s “hall of faith.” Yet the force of this verse lies not only in its imagery, but in its syntax—layered participles, present subjunctives, and prepositional phrases that shape the believer’s spiritual posture.… Learn Koine Greek
Worthy of the Call: Purpose Clauses and Divine Enablement in 2 Thessalonians 1:11
Εἰς ὃ καὶ προσευχόμεθα πάντοτε περὶ ὑμῶν, ἵνα ὑμᾶς ἀξιώσῃ τῆς κλήσεως ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν καὶ πληρώσῃ πᾶσαν εὐδοκίαν ἀγαθωσύνης καὶ ἔργον πίστεως ἐν δυνάμει, (2 Thessalonians 1:11)
To this end we also always pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of the calling and fulfill every good pleasure of goodness and work of faith in power.
Praying Toward God’s PurposeThis verse opens a Pauline prayer marked by hopeful intercession and spiritual intention. Paul’s grammar weaves purpose, desire, and divine agency together with subjunctive verbs, infinitive logic, and abstract nouns that embody virtue. The structure frames a powerful theology: God is the one who makes His people worthy and enables them to act in faith and goodness—with power.… Learn Koine Greek
The Day of His Glory: Divine Vindication in 2 Thessalonians 1:10
2 Thessalonians 1:10 forms part of Paul’s eschatological encouragement to the persecuted Thessalonian believers (vv. 5–10). The context speaks of divine justice: affliction for the oppressors and relief for the afflicted when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven (v. 7). Verse 10 shifts from judgment to glory — highlighting the revelation of Christ’s majesty “in his saints” and the astonishment he will evoke among all who believed. It is a climactic vision of eschatological hope.
Structural Analysisὅταν ἔλθῃ ἐνδοξασθῆναι ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ καὶ θαυμασθῆναι ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς πιστεύσασιν, ὅτι ἐπιστεύθη τὸ μαρτύριον ἡμῶν ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς, ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ.… Learn Koine Greek
