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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: Grammar
Identifying Adjectives in New Testament Greek: A Practical Guide
Spotting adjectives in New Testament Greek can be a bit tricky at first, but there are some key patterns and grammar rules to help. This guide offers practical tips for recognizing adjectives in New Testament Greek, an essential skill for accurate reading and translation. Here are the main ways to identify adjectives in NT Greek:
1. Adjectives Agree in Gender, Number, and Case with the NounAdjectives in Greek must match the noun they modify in gender (masculine, feminine, neuter), number (singular or plural), and case (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative).
Example: In ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος (good man), the adjective ἀγαθός, (good) agrees with the noun ἄνθρωπος, (man) in gender, number, and case.… Learn Koine Greek
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Learning New Testament Greek: Avoiding Common Student Mistakes
Learning New Testament Greek can be challenging, and students often encounter several common pitfalls. Here are some mistakes that new students typically make and suggestions on how to avoid them:
1. Neglecting VocabularyMistake: Students often focus too much on grammar and overlook the importance of vocabulary, leading to difficulty in reading and comprehension.
Solution: Regularly practice vocabulary using flashcards or apps. Try to learn a set number of new words each week and review them frequently.
2. Ignoring Context
Mistake: Students may translate phrases in isolation without considering the broader context of the passage, leading to misunderstandings.
Solution: Always read the surrounding verses or chapters.… Learn Koine Greek
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If That’s the Case: Marriage and Discipleship in Matthew 19:10
Λέγουσιν αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ· εἰ οὕτως ἐστὶν ἡ αἰτία τοῦ ἀνθρώπου μετὰ τῆς γυναικός, οὐ συμφέρει γαμῆσαι. (Matthew 19:10)
His disciples say to him: “If this is the situation of the man with the woman, it is not advantageous to marry.“
After Jesus’ strict teaching on divorce, the disciples respond with an almost stunned objection. Their words in Matthew 19:10 are brief but packed with realism—and their grammar reflects that intensity. This isn’t a question, it’s a conclusion. Their reaction reveals just how radical Jesus’ view of marriage sounded in a first-century context.
Grammatical FoundationsThe verb λέγουσιν is present active indicative, 3rd person plural: “they say.”… Learn Koine Greek
When the Evil One Comes”: A Study of Ellipsis and Implicit Action in Matthew 13:19
Παντὸς ἀκούοντος τὸν λόγον τῆς βασιλείας καὶ μὴ συνιέντος, ἔρχεται ὁ πονηρὸς καὶ αἴρει τὸ ἐσπαρμένον ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν σπαρείς. (Matthew 13:19)
When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart; this is the one sown beside the path.
The Parable of the Sower and the Hidden VerbIn Matthew 13:19, Jesus begins to interpret the parable of the sower — explaining what happens to the seed sown along the path. The verse opens with a participial construction that appears complete but contains a subtle grammatical gap:
> “Every one who hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and takes away what was sown in his heart…”
This sentence is elliptical — it omits a finite verb that we instinctively supply based on context.… Learn Koine Greek
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
Fragments that Speak: Greek Grammar in a Question of Memory
Ὅτε τοὺς πέντε ἄρτους ἔκλασα εἰς τοὺς πεντακισχιλίους, καὶ πόσους κοφίνους κλασμάτων πλήρεις ἤρατε; λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· δώδεκα. (Mark 8:19)
When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up? They say to him, “Twelve.”
Today we analyze a single interrogative sentence from Jesus that is both grammatically intricate and theologically evocative: ὅτε τοὺς πέντε ἄρτους ἔκλασα εἰς τοὺς πεντακισχιλίους, καὶ πόσους κοφίνους κλασμάτων πλήρεις ἤρατε; λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· δώδεκα from Mark 8:19. It is a question designed not for information, but for confrontation — and grammar plays a crucial role in shaping that rhetorical impact.… Learn Koine Greek
The Great Reversal: Syntax and Surprise in Matthew 19:30
Πολλοὶ δὲ ἔσονται πρῶτοι ἔσχατοι καὶ ἔσχατοι πρῶτοι. (Matthew 19:30)
But many who are first will be last, and last will be first.
A Chiasm in MotionThe structure of Matthew 19:30 is as elegant as it is provocative. This single verse forms a chiasm, a literary and syntactic mirror: πρῶτοι ἔσχατοι… ἔσχατοι πρῶτοι. This structure is not merely poetic. It is theologically loaded. Greek word order allows Matthew to emphasize both the subjects and the outcomes through deliberate inversion. The repeated adjectives — πρῶτοι (“first”) and ἔσχατοι (“last”) — are placed in different syntactic positions within each clause, showing a complete reversal not only of rank but of expectation.… Learn Koine Greek
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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
The Urgency of Ritual Purity: Final Clauses, Passive Subjunctives, and Coordinated Requests
Οἱ οὖν Ἰουδαῖοι, ἵνα μὴ μείνῃ ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ τὰ σώματα ἐν τῷ σαββάτῳ, ἐπεὶ παρασκευὴ ἦν· ἦν γὰρ μεγάλη ἡ ἡμέρα ἐκείνου τοῦ σαββάτου· ἠρώτησαν τὸν Πιλᾶτον ἵνα κατεαγῶσιν αὐτῶν τὰ σκέλη, καὶ ἀρθῶσιν. (John 19:31)
So the Jews, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross during the Sabbath, because it was the Preparation, for that Sabbath day was great, asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken away.
When Timing Meets TheologyJohn 19:31 is not just a historical footnote — it’s a theologically dense verse about urgency, religious custom, and human action at the crucifixion.… Learn Koine Greek
The Call from the Tree: Imperatives, Aorists, and Divine Necessity in Luke 19:5
Καὶ ὡς ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον, ἀναβλέψας ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶδεν αὐτόν καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν· Ζακχαῖε, σπεύσας κατάβηθι· σήμερον γὰρ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου δεῖ με μεῖναι. (Luke 19:5)
And when he came to the place, Jesus looked up, saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”
The Grammatical Rhythm of EncounterIn this pivotal moment, Jesus addresses Zacchaeus directly, initiating one of the most theologically rich personal encounters in the Gospel of Luke. The Greek grammar intensifies the scene’s emotion and urgency, blending participles, imperatives, and the powerful verb δεῖ (“it is necessary”) to convey both divine appointment and immediacy.… Learn Koine Greek
