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Greek Lessons
- Vindicated at the Table: How Speech Condemns and Grammar Acquits
- Carried, Not Carrying: The Grammar That Topples Boasting
- Spliced into Abundance: The Grammar of Displacement and Participation in ἐνεκεντρίσθης
- When the Heart Expands Toward Ruin: The Grammar of Self-Watchfulness
- Living, Begetting, Dying: The Grammar of Time and Continuity
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Category
Category Archives: Grammar
In the Beginning Was the Verb: A Deep Dive into John 1:1c
καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος.
Let us begin with a phrase that has echoed through centuries of theological discourse, a sentence that is deceptively simple in form yet astonishingly rich in grammatical nuance and doctrinal weight:
> John 1:1c: καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος.
This final clause of the prologue to the Gospel of John—“and the Word was God”—has been at the heart of Christological debates since antiquity. Yet beneath its surface lies a grammatical structure that is both subtle and instructive: the subject-predicate nominative construction with the verb ἦν, the imperfect tense of εἰμί (“to be”).
In this lesson, we will explore how the syntax of this clause functions within the broader framework of Koine Greek grammar, especially focusing on the predicative use of the nominative case without the article, and what this reveals about the identity of the λόγος (Word) as presented by the evangelist.… Learn Koine Greek
Greek Grammar Lesson from 2 Peter 1:21
Οὐ γὰρ θελήματι ἀνθρώπου ἠνέχθη ποτὲ προφητεία, ἀλλ’ ὑπὸ Πνεύματος ἁγίου φερόμενοι ἐλάλησαν ἅγιοι Θεοῦ ἄνθρωποι. (2 Peter 1:21)
For prophecy was never brought by human will, but men of God spoke as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Passive Voice and Dative of Agency vs. ὑπό + GenitiveThis verse contrasts human will with divine agency using distinct grammatical structures. It provides a compelling example of passive voice, prepositional agency, and subject placement to support theological claims about prophecy’s origin.
Passive Verb: ἠνέχθηἠνέχθη is the aorist passive indicative, 3rd person singular of φέρω (“to bring, carry, bear”).… Learn Koine Greek
The Vanishing Cosmos: A Greek Look at Revelation 20:11
Καὶ εἶδον θρόνον μέγαν λευκὸν καὶ τὸν καθήμενον ἐπ’ αὐτῷ, οὗ ἀπὸ προσώπου ἔφυγεν ἡ γῆ καὶ ὁ οὐρανός, καὶ τόπος οὐχ εὑρέθη αὐτοῖς. (Revelation 20:11)
And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it; from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.
The Vision of the ThroneΚαὶ εἶδον θρόνον μέγαν λευκόν – “And I saw a great white throne.”
εἶδον – aorist active of ὁράω, “I saw.” Typical of apocalyptic narrative, introducing a new visionary scene. θρόνον μέγαν λευκόν – “a great white throne.” μέγας (great) refers to majesty and authority; λευκός (white) symbolizes purity, righteousness, or holiness.… Learn Koine GreekMissionary Initiative and Grammatical Identity in Acts 11:20: Syntax and Semantic Range in the Expansion of the Gospel
Ἦσαν δέ τινες ἐξ αὐτῶν ἄνδρες Κύπριοι καὶ Κυρηναῖοι, οἵτινες εἰσελθόντες εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν, ἐλάλουν πρὸς τοὺς Ἑλληνιστάς, εὐαγγελιζόμενοι τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν.
But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, having entered into Antioch, were speaking to the Hellenists, proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus. Acts 11:20 marks a decisive moment in the development of early Christian mission, describing the geographical and linguistic outreach beyond Judea. Grammatically, it contains significant constructions: periphrastic participles, prepositional phrases with directional focus, and a key debated noun—Ἑλληνιστάς. Each component of the Greek informs both the theology and the literary style of Luke’s narrative.… Learn Koine Greek
Disentangling the Genitive Absolute: Temporal and Circumstantial Framing in Koine Greek
Πρωΐας δὲ γενομένης, συμβούλιον ἔλαβον πάντες οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ λαοῦ κατὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ὥστε θανατῶσαι αὐτόν· (Matthew 27:1)
Now when morning had come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus in order to put Him to death.
What Is the Genitive Absolute?The genitive absolute is a syntactic construction in Greek where a noun or pronoun and a participle, both in the genitive case, form a clause that is grammatically disconnected from the main clause of the sentence. It typically serves to:
– Indicate time (“when”) – Indicate cause (“since” or “because”) – Indicate condition (“if”) – Indicate concession (“although”)
This construction is “absolute” because the subject of the participle is not the subject of the main verb.… Learn Koine Greek
When He Comes in Glory: Glorification and Amazement in 2 Thessalonians 1:10
Ὅταν ἔλθῃ ἐνδοξασθῆναι ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ καὶ θαυμασθῆναι ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς πιστεύσασιν, ὅτι ἐπιστεύθη τὸ μαρτύριον ἡμῶν ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς, ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ.
This rich eschatological sentence from 2 Thessalonians 1:10 paints the day of the Lord’s return in stunning theological and grammatical detail. The Greek sets the moment in future expectation, marking a time when Jesus will be glorified among the saints and marveled at by believers. The structure balances temporal anticipation, passive voice theology, and a reminder of the reliability of the apostolic witness.
Grammatical FoundationsThe main temporal clause begins with ὅταν ἔλθῃ—“when he comes.” ὅταν introduces a future-looking time clause and governs the aorist subjunctive ἔλθῃ (from ἔρχομαι, 3rd person singular): “whenever he comes.”… Learn Koine Greek
The Power of the Unexpected: Teaching through the Aorist
In this lesson, we explore a fascinating feature of New Testament Greek grammar through the vivid scene captured in καὶ ἐλθόντες οἱ περὶ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην ὥραν ἔλαβον ἀνὰ δηνάριον from Matthew 20:9. This phrase, rich in grammatical treasures, highlights the power of the aorist tense, aspectual nuances, and the Greek sense of narrative time.
Καὶ ἐλθόντες οἱ περὶ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην ὥραν ἔλαβον ἀνὰ δηνάριον (Matthew 20:9)“And those who came around the eleventh hour received a denarius each.”
Grammatical HighlightsThis short phrase includes several important grammatical features worth close study:
ἐλθόντες — an aorist participle of motion (“having come”). οἱ περὶ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην ὥραν — a circumstantial phrase marking approximate time (“around the eleventh hour”).… Learn Koine GreekConditional Parallelism and Prophetic Syntax in John 15:20
Μνημονεύετε τοῦ λόγου οὗ ἐγὼ εἶπον ὑμῖν· οὐκ ἔστι δοῦλος μείζων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ. εἰ ἐμὲ ἐδίωξαν, καὶ ὑμᾶς διώξουσιν· εἰ τὸν λόγον μου ἐτήρησαν, καὶ τὸν ὑμέτερον τηρήσουσιν. (John 15:20)
Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will also keep yours.
The Syntax of Conditional ParallelismThis verse presents a powerful example of conditional parallelism in Koine Greek: two clauses beginning with εἰ (“if”), each followed by a future main verb. The construction is carefully designed to deliver prophetic contrast between rejection and reception — persecution versus obedience — while reinforcing the identity of Jesus’ followers with Him.… Learn Koine Greek
A Covenant of Mercy: Future Tense, Double Negatives, and the Grammar of Divine Forgetfulness
Ὅτι ἵλεως ἔσομαι ταῖς ἀδικίαις αὐτῶν, καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν οὐ μὴ μνησθῶ ἔτι. (Hebrews 8:12)
Mercy and Memory in the New Covenant
Hebrews 8:12 delivers the climax of the New Covenant promise — divine mercy and the complete removal of remembered guilt. The Greek is elegant and emphatic, relying on future tense verbs, the strongest negation in Greek, and parallel clauses to highlight both God’s mercy and His deliberate choice to forget.
Let’s walk through the grammar that anchors this promise in certainty.
1. The Conjunction of Reason: ὅτι ὅτι – “because” or “for,” introducing the basis for the covenant blessings previously describedThis marks the reason for confidence: God will be merciful, and He will remember sin no more.… Learn Koine Greek
Lamps in the Upper Room: Atmosphere and Assembly in Acts 20:8
Ἦσαν δὲ λαμπάδες ἱκαναὶ ἐν τῷ ὑπερῴῳ οὗ ἦμεν συνηγμένοι (Acts 20:8)
Now there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered.
ἦσαν δὲ λαμπάδες ἱκαναὶ: Sufficient Lightἦσαν — imperfect active indicative of εἰμί, “they were.” δὲ — mild connective, “and” or “now,” continuing the narrative. λαμπάδες — plural of λαμπάς, meaning “torches” or “lamps.” ἱκαναὶ — nominative feminine plural adjective, meaning “many” or “sufficient” — capable in number or quality.
This phrase sets the physical scene: the room was well-lit, suggesting readiness for an important gathering, even though it was night (as Acts 20:7 indicates).
ἐν τῷ ὑπερῴῳ: The Upper Roomἐν — preposition indicating location: “in.”… Learn Koine Greek
