Category Archives: Beginners

Foundations of New Testament Greek: A Beginner’s Guide to Greek

Vowels and Consonants in New Testament Greek

Koine Greek phonology, the sound system underlying the New Testament, is built on a 24-letter alphabet divided into vowels and consonants, with a relatively consistent sound-to-letter correspondence. The seven vowels—α, ε, η, ι, ο, υ, ω—once distinguished by length, gradually lost this distinction in the Koine period, though vowel quality remained crucial for grammar, especially in contractions, diphthongs, and accentuation. Consonants are categorized by articulation (labials, velars, dentals, etc.) and voicing (unvoiced, voiced, aspirated), and their interactions shape morphological changes. For example, future tense formation often involves consonant-sigma combinations (e.g., γράφω → γράψω), while nasal assimilation smooths pronunciation (e.g., σύν + βάλλω → συμβάλλω).… Learn Koine Greek

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Words You Can’t Miss: Core Vocabulary in the Greek New Testament

Core vocabulary in the Greek New Testament forms the foundation for fluency, comprehension, and theological insight. Mastering the top 300–500 words grants access to over 80% of the text, with function words like καί (“and”), δέ (“but”), and ὁ/ἡ/τό (“the”) serving as grammatical glue, while content words such as θεός (“God”), Ἰησοῦς (“Jesus”), and πίστις (“faith”) carry profound theological weight. High-frequency verbs like εἰμί (“I am”), λέγω (“I say”), and ἔρχομαι (“I come”) are essential for following narrative flow and discourse. These words appear repeatedly across genres and authors, shaping the rhythm and message of the New Testament. Effective strategies for internalizing them include using frequency lists, reading in context, and grouping words thematically.… Learn Koine Greek

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Frequently Used Words in the New Testament

Mastering the most frequently used words in the Greek New Testament is essential for developing fluency and deepening comprehension, as these words form the structural and theological backbone of the text. High-frequency terms include function words like καί (“and”), ὁ/ἡ/τό (“the”), and δέ (“but”), which guide syntax and logical flow, as well as content words like λέγω (“I say”), θεός (“God”), and Ἰησοῦς (“Jesus”), which carry narrative and doctrinal weight. These words appear thousands of times—καί alone over 9,000 times—making them indispensable for reading without constant reference to a lexicon. Efficient memorization strategies include using flashcards, focusing on frequency lists, and reading in context.… Learn Koine Greek

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The Origin of the Greek Definite Article

The Sanskrit and Latin did not develop any article at all, and the Greek never developed the indefinite usage to any extent. Moreover, the Greek was slow in creating the definite article, though in Homer we do have the beginning of the article. The forms ο, η, το are occasionally used in Homer with the force of “the,” chiefly with adjectives, proper names, or for contrast. It is just in Homer that we see the evolution of the article, for this same form ο, η, το is very common here as a demonstrative and appears also as a relative. Hence ο is originally a demonstrative that was gradually weakened to the article or heightened to the relative.… Learn Koine Greek

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The Indefinite Article In Greek

The Latin had no article, as the Greek has no indefinite article. Not even in the modern Greek has the indefinite article of the Teutonic and Roman tounges developed, though occasionally εις or τις is used with little more force than the English a (an). Even in the New Testament we see traces of this use of εις in Mat 8:19 where εις γραμματευς is equivalent to “a” in English

Matthew 8:19 και προσελθων εις γραμματευς ειπεν αυτω διδασκαλε ακολουθησω σοι οπου εαν απερχη

and a certain scribe having come, said to him, `Teacher, I will follow thee wherever thou mayest go

In fact, the English one, Scotch ane, French un, German ein is simply the cardinal “one” adapted to this very usage.… Learn Koine Greek

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Greek Definite Article

The definite article is employed in combination with nouns, and is declined in gender, number, and case, to correspond with them. The Greek article is the same form as the demonstrative ο, η, το. The Greek article must be in the gender, number and case of the noun to which it belongs, according to the rule. “Adjectives, participles, and pronouns must agree with their substantives in gender, number and case.” (Second concord)

The article is often found with abstract nouns when regarded as separate objects of thought.

Singular Masculine Feminine Neuter Nominative ο η το Genitive του τησ του Dative τω τη τω Accusative τον την το

 

Plural Masculine Feminine Neuter Nominative οι αι τα Genitive των των των Dative τοις ταις τοις Accusative τους τας τα

 

There is no indefinite article in Greek, but its place is often supplied by the indefinite pronoun (any, a certain).… Learn Koine Greek

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