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Greek Lessons
- “οὐκ ἔλαβον μεθ’ ἑαυτῶν ἔλαιον”: Aorist Negation and Reflexive Emphasis in Matthew 25:3
- “λαβοῦσαι τὰς λαμπάδας αὐτῶν”: Aorist Participial Sequence in Matthew 25:3
- “Αἵτινες μωραὶ…”: Indefinite Relative Classification in Matthew 25:3
- “ἐγένετο” as Divine Narrative Marker: The Aorist Middle in John 2:1
- “γέγραπται” as Scriptural Formula: The Perfect Passive Indicative in Mark 1:2
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Category Archives: Grammar
“ἤκουσαν οἱ Φαρισαῖοι”: Aorist Perception and Reported Knowledge in John 4:1
Introduction: Who Heard—and What That Meant In John 4:1, a nested series of clauses brings us to the moment of narrative tension: Ὡς οὖν ἔγνω ὁ κύριος ὅτι ἤκουσαν οἱ Φαρισαῖοι… “When the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard…” … Continue reading
“πλείονας μαθητὰς ποιεῖ… ἢ Ἰωάννης”: The Grammar of Growth and Comparison in John 4:1
Introduction: When the Crowd Begins to Shift John 4:1 opens with a report of what the Pharisees have heard: “Jesus is making and baptizing more disciples than John.” This comparative construction—πλείονας μαθητὰς… ἢ Ἰωάννης—carries both grammatical precision and Study more … Continue reading
“Ὡς οὖν ἔγνω ὁ κύριος…”: Aorist Knowing and Temporal Sequence in John 4:1
Introduction: The Moment Jesus Knew John 4:1 begins with a simple yet weighty statement: “When the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard…” The verb ἔγνω (“he knew”) governs the entire clause. It is not just a past action—it is … Continue reading
“ἵνα σταυρωθῇ”: Divine Passive and Purpose in Mark 15:15
Introduction: The Purpose of Betrayal The final words of Mark 15:15 record the intended outcome of Pilate’s decision: ἵνα σταυρωθῇ — “in order that he might be crucified.” This is a classic ἵνα-clause, which expresses purpose or result, but what … Continue reading
“φραγελλώσας”: The Aorist Participle of Brutality and Irony in Mark 15:15
Introduction: The King’s Coronation Begins in Scourging Mark 15:15 records Pilate’s final act of surrender to the crowd’s demand: ἀπέλυσεν αὐτοῖς τὸν Βαραββᾶν, καὶ παρέδωκε τὸν Ἰησοῦν φραγελλώσας. “He released Barabbas to them, Study more …..
“παρέδωκε τὸν Ἰησοῦν”: The Grammar of Surrender and Judgment in Mark 15:15
Introduction: When the Judge Becomes the Deliverer Mark 15:15 reports Pilate’s final act: καὶ παρέδωκε τὸν Ἰησοῦν φραγελλώσας· ἵνα σταυρωθῇ — “And he handed over Jesus, having scourged him, so that he might be crucified.” The verb παρέδωκε Study more … Continue reading
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“ἀπέλυσεν τὸν Βαραββᾶν”: Legal Release and Narrative Irony in Mark 15:15
Introduction: The Inversion of Justice Mark 15:15 includes this concise but pivotal clause: ἀπέλυσεν αὐτοῖς τὸν Βαραββᾶν — “He released Barabbas to them.” This clause marks a dramatic reversal: Barabbas, a known insurrectionist (Mark 15:7), is set free, while Study … Continue reading
“τῷ ὄχλῳ τὸ ἱκανὸν ποιῆσαι”: Idiom of Appeasement in Mark 15:15
Introduction: When Justice Bows to Crowd Control Mark 15:15 opens with a participial phrase describing Pilate’s inner intent: βουλόμενος τῷ ὄχλῳ τὸ ἱκανὸν ποιῆσαι — “wishing to satisfy the crowd.” This expression is built around the idiom τὸ ἱκανὸν Study … Continue reading
Future Indicative: Periphrastic Form of The Future
(1) PERIPHRASTIC FORM OF THE FUTURE. A Future tense composed of a Present Participle and the Future of the verb eivmi, is found occasionally in the New Testament. The force is that of a Progressive Future, with the thought of … Continue reading
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Tagged Future Indicative, Periphrastic Form of The Future, Present Participle, Μέλλει
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Future Indicative: The Deliberative Future
(1) The Deliberative Future. The Future Indicative is sometimes used in questions of deliberation, asking not what will happen, but what can or ought to be done. Such questions may be real questions asking information, or rhetorical questions taking the place … Continue reading
Future Indicative: The Gnomic Future
(1) The Gnomic Future. The Future Indicative may be used to state what will customarily happen when occasion offers. Rom. 5:7; μόλις γὰρ ὑπὲρ δικαίου τις ἀποθανεῖται, for scarcely for a righteous man will one die. See also Gen. 44:15; Rom. 7:3, χρηματίσει. Study … Continue reading
Future Indicative: The Imperative Future
(1) The Imperative Future. The second person of the Future Indicative is often used as an Imperative. Jas. 2:8; Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. REMARK 1. This idiom as it occurs in the New Testament … Continue reading
Future Indicative: The Progressive Future
THE PROGRESSIVE FUTURE (1) The Progressive Future affirms that an action will be in progress in future time. Phil. 1:18; καὶ ἐν τούτῳ χαίρω ἀλλὰ καὶ χαρήσομαι, and therein I rejoice, yea, and will [continue to] rejoice. See also Rom. … Continue reading
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Tagged Deliberative Future, Future Indicative, Gnomic Future, Imperative Future, Progressive Future, χρηματίσει
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Future Indicative: The Aoristic Future
THE AORISTIC FUTURE The Aoristic Future conceives of an action simply as an event, and affirms that it will take place in future time. It may be indefinite, inceptive, or resultative. As indefinite it may be momentary, comprehensive, or collective. … Continue reading
Future Indicative: The Predictive Future
THE PREDICTIVE FUTURE The Future Indicative is most frequently used to affirm that an action is to take place in future time. Since it does not mark the distinction between action in progress and action conceived of indefinitely without reference … Continue reading
Aorist Indicative: The Disctinction Between The Aorist And The Imperfect
THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE AORIST AND THE IMPERFECT (1) The difference between an Historical Aorist and an Imperfect of action in progress or repeated being one not of the nature of the fact but of the speaker’s conception of the … Continue reading
Aorist Indicative: English Equivalents Of The Greek Aorist Indicative
ENGLISH EQUIVALENTS OF THE GREEK AORIST INDICATIVE (1) It should be observed that the Aorist for the Perfect and the Aorist for the Pluperfect are not variations from the normal use of the Greek Aorist. Viewed strictly from the point … Continue reading
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Tagged ἀνέγνωτε, ἐβασίλευσας, ἐγένεσθε, ἔζησεν, Εἴδομεν, ἐκάθισαν, ἔμαθον, ἐπλουτήσατε, εὐδόκησεν, ἥμαρτον, καταβολῆς, κόσμου, κριθήσονται, νῦν, Οὐκ, πάντες, παράδοξα, πρὸ, προσεδέξατο, σήμερον
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Aorist Indicative: The Aorist For The (English) Pluperfect
THE AORIST FOR THE (ENGLISH) PLUPERFECT (1) The Aorist Indicative is frequently used in narrative passages of a past event which precedes another past event mentioned or implied in the context. In English it is common in such a case … Continue reading
Aorist Indicative: The Aorist For The (English) Perfect
THE AORIST FOR THE (ENGLISH) PERFECT (1) The Aorist is frequently used in Greek where the English idiom requires a Perfect. Luke 19:9; Σήμερον σωτηρία τῷ οἴκῳ τούτῳ ἐγένετο, to-day is salvation come to this house. Matt. 5:21; Ἠκούσατε ὅτι … Continue reading
Aorist Indicative: The Dramatic Aorist
The Aorist Indicative is sometimes used of a state of mind just reached, or of an act expressive of it. The effect is to give to the statement greater vividness than is given by the more usual Present. Luke 16:4.; … Continue reading
