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Greek Lessons
- Worry and Worth: A Greek Look at Matthew 6:25
- Indirect Discourse and the Weight of Silence: The Interrogative Mood in Mark 6:24–25
- Tense That Breathes Eternity: The Aorist Imperative and Eschatological Joy in Luke 6:23
- Sent with Purpose: Subjunctive Aims and Pastoral Comfort in Ephesians 6:22
- Shame and Outcome: A Greek Look at Romans 6:21
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Category
Category Archives: Grammar
Ecclesial Identity and Behavioral Mandate in 1 Timothy 3:15: Syntax and Theology in the Household of the Living God
ἐὰν δὲ βραδύνω, ἵνα εἰδῇς πῶς δεῖ ἐν οἴκῳ Θεοῦ ἀναστρέφεσθαι, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἐκκλησία Θεοῦ ζῶντος, στῦλος καὶ ἑδραίωμα τῆς ἀληθείας.
Conditional Structure: ἐὰν δὲ βραδύνω
– ἐὰν: Conditional particle introducing a third-class condition (likely, but not certain), requiring a subjunctive verb. – δὲ: Mildly contrastive conjunction—”but” or “now.” – βραδύνω: Present active subjunctive, 1st person singular of βραδύνω, “to delay” or “be slow.” – The present subjunctive denotes a possible, indefinite delay. – The clause reads: “But if I delay…” – Sets up the importance of knowing proper conduct even in Paul’s potential absence.
Purpose Clause: ἵνα εἰδῇς πῶς δεῖ ἐν οἴκῳ Θεοῦ ἀναστρέφεσθαι– ἵνα: Conjunction introducing a purpose clause.… Learn Koine Greek
Buried and Raised with Him: Union with Christ in Colossians 2:12
συνταφέντες αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ βαπτίσματι, ἐν ᾧ καὶ συνηγέρθητε διὰ τῆς πίστεως τῆς ἐνεργείας τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἐγείραντος αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν
Colossians 2:12 beautifully captures the believer’s deep identification with Christ in death and resurrection. The Greek structure intertwines burial, resurrection, faith, and divine power into a seamless theological statement. It is one of the clearest expressions of baptism’s symbolic and spiritual significance in the New Testament.
Grammatical Foundationsσυνταφέντες αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ βαπτίσματι—“Having been buried with him in baptism.” The participle συνταφέντες is aorist passive participle, nominative masculine plural from συνθάπτω—”to be buried together with.” It agrees with the implied subject (“you”) from the larger sentence context.… Learn Koine Greek
Stability of Mind and Apostolic Warning in 2 Thessalonians 2:2: Greek Syntax of Exhortation and Eschatological Correction
εἰς τὸ μὴ ταχέως σαλευθῆναι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ νοὸς μηδὲ θροεῖσθαι μήτε διὰ πνεύματος μήτε διὰ λόγου μήτε δι’ ἐπιστολῆς ὡς δι’ ἡμῶν, ὡς ὅτι ἐνέστηκεν ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
Infinitive Purpose Clause: εἰς τὸ μὴ ταχέως σαλευθῆναι ὑμᾶς
– εἰς τὸ: Preposition εἰς followed by an articular infinitive construction, indicating purpose—”in order that.” – μὴ: Negative particle used with the infinitive—”not.” – ταχέως: Adverb—”quickly,” “hastily.” – σαλευθῆναι: Aorist passive infinitive of σαλεύω, “to be shaken,” “to be disturbed.” – Passive voice suggests an external cause of destabilization. – ὑμᾶς: Accusative plural 2nd person pronoun—”you.” – Translation: “that you not be quickly shaken…”
Prepositional Phrase: ἀπὸ τοῦ νοὸς– ἀπὸ: Preposition with genitive—”from.”… Learn Koine Greek
Mutual Glory in Christ: A Theological Doxology from 2 Thessalonians 1:12
ὅπως ἐνδοξασθῇ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν αὐτῷ, κατὰ τὴν χάριν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
In this closing clause of Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians, we encounter one of the most beautifully compact expressions of mutual glorification between Christ and his people. The syntax and vocabulary of the verse draw from rich theological wells—grace, union with Christ, and eschatological hope.
Grammatical Foundationsὅπως ἐνδοξασθῇ—“in order that (he) may be glorified”
ὅπως—introduces a purpose clause, “so that” or “in order that.” ἐνδοξασθῇ—aorist passive subjunctive, 3rd person singular from ἐνδοξάζω, “be glorified.” The passive form points to divine action: it is God who glorifies Christ in the believers.… Learn Koine Greek“ὃ προεπηγγείλατο διὰ τῶν προφητῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν γραφαῖς ἁγίαις”: The Fore-Promised Gospel in Romans 1:2
Introduction: A Gospel Long Promised
Romans 1:1–2 begins Paul’s epistle with this phrase:
τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ… ὃ προεπηγγείλατο διὰ τῶν προφητῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν γραφαῖς ἁγίαις “the gospel of God… which He promised beforehand through His prophets in holy scriptures”
This relative clause establishes the continuity between the gospel and the Old Testament. It affirms that the good news was not invented in the New Testament era—it was foretold.
Let’s now analyze this beautifully structured clause from Romans 1:2, which Paul inserts immediately after mentioning “the gospel of God”:
ὃ προεπηγγείλατο διὰ τῶν προφητῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν γραφαῖς ἁγίαιςThis relative clause explains how the gospel was not a novelty, but part of God’s long-standing redemptive plan.… Learn Koine Greek
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 continuance or customariness somewhat emphasized.
Luke 5:10; ἀνθρώπους ἔσῃ ζωγρῶν, thou shalt catch men, i.e. shalt be a catcher of men.
Luke 21:24; Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἔσται πατουμένη, Jerusalem shall [continue to] be trodden under foot.
(2) Μέλλει with the Infinitive is also used with a force akin to that of the Future Indicative. It is usually employed of an action which one intends to do, or of that which is certain, destined to take place.… Learn Koine Greek
Posted in Grammar
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 of a direct assertion. Cf. 169 under The Deliberative Subjunctive.
Luke 22:49; εἰ πατάξομεν ἐν μαχαίρῃ, shall we smite with the sword?
John 6:68; Κύριε, πρὸς τίνα ἀπελευσόμεθα, Lord, to whom shall we go?… Learn Koine Greek
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. Observe the Gnomic Presents both before and after.
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 shows clearly the influence of the Septuagint. It occurs most frequently in prohibitions, its negative being, as also commonly in classical Greek, not μὴ, but οὐ.
REMARK 2. In Matt. 15:6 the verb timh,sei has the negative ouvmh.. Some interpreters take this as a Predictive Future, but the thought requires the Imperative sense, and in view of the frequent use of ouv mh.… Learn Koine Greek
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. 6:2; Phil. 1:6; Rev. 9:6.
(2) It may be doubted whether any of the distinctions indicated by the subdivisions of the Predictive Future are justified from the point of view of pure grammar. It is probable, rather, that the tense in all these cases makes precisely the same affirmation respecting the event, viz, that it will take place; and that it is the context only that conveys the distinctions referred to.… Learn Koine Greek
Posted in Grammar
Tagged Deliberative Future, Future Indicative, Gnomic Future, Imperative Future, Progressive Future, χρηματίσει
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