-
Greek Lessons
- Seeking the Signs or the Bread? A Grammatical and Stylistic Journey through John 6:26
- 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
-
Category
Category Archives: Grammar
Greek Grammar Lesson from Mark 7:11
Verse in Greek
ὑμεῖς δὲ λέγετε· ἐὰν εἴπῃ ἄνθρωπος τῷ πατρὶ ἢ τῇ μητρί, κορβᾶν, ὅ ἐστι, δῶρον, ὃ ἐὰν ἐξ ἐμοῦ ὠφεληθῇς,
Focus Topic: Conditional Clauses and Parenthetical ExplanationThis verse involves a nested conditional sentence, with explanatory gloss, and a relative clause inside a conditional protasis. The structure reflects both legalistic reasoning and linguistic complexity found in rabbinic-style traditions.
Main Verb: λέγετελέγετε is present active indicative, 2nd person plural, from λέγω (“you say”). It introduces direct speech that reports a hypothetical legalistic statement attributed to the religious leaders.
Conditional Clause: ἐὰν εἴπῃ ἄνθρωπος…This is a third-class conditional clause: ἐὰν + subjunctive (εἴπῃ) introduces a future hypothetical situation — “if a man says…”
Greek Word Form Function ἐὰν Subordinating conjunction Introduces the protasis (if-clause) εἴπῃ Aorist active subjunctive, 3rd singular “he says” — hypothetical statement Dative Indirect Objects: τῷ πατρὶ ἢ τῇ μητρίThese datives indicate the people to whom the man speaks — his father or mother.… Learn Koine Greek
Greek Grammatical Analysis of Revelation 6:4
καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἄλλος ἵππος πυρρός, καὶ τῷ καθημένῳ ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ἐδόθη αὐτῷ λαβεῖν τὴν εἰρήνην ἐκ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἵνα ἀλλήλους σφάξωσι, καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ μάχαιρα μεγάλη.
Main Verb and Narrative Structure: ἐξῆλθεν
The primary verb ἐξῆλθεν (aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular of ἐξέρχομαι) serves as the central narrative action, translated as “went out” or “came forth.” The aorist tense marks this as a completed event in the sequence of visionary disclosures.
This verb governs the subject ἄλλος ἵππος πυρρός—“another horse, fiery red”—a phrase that introduces the symbolic figure with vivid imagery, following apocalyptic genre conventions.
Nominal Phrase: ἄλλος ἵππος πυρρόςThis phrase consists of:
– ἄλλος (nominative masculine singular): “another,” functioning as an adjective modifying ἵππος – ἵππος (nominative masculine singular): “horse,” the subject of ἐξῆλθεν – πυρρός (nominative masculine singular adjective): “fiery red,” agreeing with ἵππος
The word order places emphasis on the color descriptor πυρρός, a rare and intense term, highlighting the horse’s symbolic function of violence and war.… Learn Koine Greek
The Love That Names: Intimacy in John 11:5
The Verse in Focus (John 11:5)
ἠγάπα δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὴν Μάρθαν καὶ τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτῆς καὶ τὸν Λάζαρον
ἠγάπα: A Love of Choice and CommitmentThe verb ἠγάπα is the imperfect active indicative of ἀγαπάω, meaning “to love.” The imperfect tense indicates ongoing or repeated past action — “Jesus was loving” or “Jesus loved continually.” This is not a fleeting emotion; it is a consistent, enduring relationship. The choice of ἀγαπάω — rather than φιλέω — emphasizes a committed, intentional love rather than mere affection.
This verse comes just before the account of Lazarus’s death and resurrection, and the imperfect form prepares the reader: Jesus’ love was not negated by delay or suffering — it was always present.… Learn Koine Greek
Greek Grammar Lesson from Matthew 4:11
Verse in Greek
Τότε ἀφίησιν αὐτὸν ὁ διάβολος, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄγγελοι προσῆλθον καὶ διηκόνουν αὐτῷ.
Focus Topic: Dramatic Present and Historical Narrative Tense ShiftsThis verse contains a stylistic mixture of verb tenses — the historical present and the aorist — that heightens the drama and underscores the transition from temptation to divine comfort. We also observe the imperfect tense describing continued action.
Historical Present: ἀφίησινἀφίησιν is present active indicative, 3rd person singular, from ἀφίημι (“he leaves, releases”). Though the action is past, the present tense is used here to create vividness, a common technique in narrative Greek known as the historical present.… Learn Koine Greek
Grammatical Analysis of Hebrews 11:4
Πίστει πλείονα θυσίαν Ἄβελ παρὰ Κάϊν προσήνεγκε τῷ Θεῷ, δι’ ἧς ἐμαρτυρήθη εἶναι δίκαιος, μαρτυροῦντος ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ δι’ αὐτῆς ἀποθανὼν ἔτι λαλεῖται.
Word Breakdown
Greek Word
Transliteration
Gloss
Grammatical Analysis
Πίστει
pistei
by faith
Noun, Dative Singular Feminine
πλείονα
pleiona
more
Adjective, Accusative Singular Feminine (Comparative)
θυσίαν
thysian
sacrifice
Noun, Accusative Singular Feminine
Ἄβελ
Abel
Abel
Proper Noun, Nominative Singular Masculine
παρὰ
para
than
Preposition + Accusative (Comparative)
Κάϊν
Kain
Cain
Proper Noun, Accusative Singular Masculine
προσήνεγκε
prosēnenke
offered
Verb, Aorist Active Indicative, 3rd Person Singular
τῷ Θεῷ
tō Theō
to God
Article + Noun, Dative Singular Masculine
δι’
di’
through
Preposition (διὰ) + Genitive
ἧς
hēs
which
Relative Pronoun, Genitive Singular Feminine
ἐμαρτυρήθη
emartyrēthē
was testified
Verb, Aorist Passive Indicative, 3rd Person Singular
εἶναι
einai
to be
Verb, Present Infinitive
δίκαιος
dikaios
righteous
Adjective, Nominative Singular Masculine
μαρτυροῦντος
martyrountos
bearing witness
Participle, Present Active Genitive Singular Masculine
ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις
epi tois dōrois
concerning the gifts
Preposition + Article + Noun, Dative Plural Neuter
αὐτοῦ
autou
his
Pronoun, Genitive Singular Masculine
τοῦ Θεοῦ
tou Theou
of God
Article + Noun, Genitive Singular Masculine
καὶ
kai
and
Conjunction
δι’ αὐτῆς
di’ autēs
through it
Preposition + Pronoun, Genitive Singular Feminine
ἀποθανὼν
apothanōn
having died
Participle, Aorist Active Nominative Singular Masculine
ἔτι
eti
still
Adverb
λαλεῖται
laleitai
is spoken (of)
Verb, Present Passive Indicative, 3rd Person Singular
Syntactical Analysis
Πίστει is a dative of means: “by faith”.… Learn Koine Greek
NT Greek Substantive, Adjective & Adverbs
(1) The parts of speech are connected with each other more or less. It is simply mechanical to think of anything else. Adverbs bulk largely in furnishing various parts of speech in the development of language, such as prepositions, conjunctions, particles, etc. The higher organization of speech calls for fine distinctions which are made of possible by new uses of adverbs. Adverbs themselves have various origins as verbs, substantive, adjective, pronouns. As a rule, adverbs is the fixed case-form like χαριν(freely), which also is used as preposition with genitive. In itself it is merely the accusative of χαρις. But compare ομολογουμενως and even νουνεχως.… Learn Koine Greek
Posted in Grammar
Tagged A.T. Robertson, adjective, adverbs, substantive, αιωνιον, απαραβατον, εκεινης, επιθετον, μειζων, μονον, μονος, νουνεχως, ομολογουμενως, ονοματα, πρῶτον, πρῶτος, υπερεκπερισσου, χαριν, χαρις
Leave a comment
What Is Biblical Greek
The isolated position of the Greek found in the Septuagint and the New Testament has been the problem dividing grammatical students of this literature for generations past. That the Greek Scriptures, and the small body of writings which in language go with them, were written in the Κοινή, the “common” or “Hellenistic Greek” that superseded the dialects of the Classical period was well enough known. But was most obviously different from the literary Κοινή of the period. It could not be adequately paralleled from Plutarch or Arrian, and the Jewish writers Philo and Josephus were no more helpful than their “profane” comtemporaries.… Learn Koine Greek
Greek Pronouns
Personal Pronouns
First Personal Pronoun
Second Personal Pronoun
Singular
Plural
Singular
Plural
Nominative
εγω, I
ημεις, we
συ, you
υμεις, you
Genitive
εμου or μου
ημων
σου
υμων
Dative
εμοι or μοι
ημιν
σοι
υμιν
Accusative
εμε or με
ημας
σε
υμας
For the third personal pronoun, he, she, it, the three genders of an adjective-pronoun are employed: αυτος, self.
Singular Plural Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter Nominative αυτος αυτη αυτο αυτοι αυται αυτα Genitive αυτου αυτης αυτου αυτων αυτων αυτων Dative αυτω αυτη αυτω αυτοις αυταις αυτοις Accusative αυτον αυτην αυτο αυτους αυτας αυτα Reflexive PronounsReflexive pronouns combine the personal pronouns with the oblique cases of αυτος.… Learn Koine Greek
Punctuation In The Greek New Testament
In the edition of the New Testament down to that of Griesbach inclusive, the punctuation was not only deficient in uniformity, but was also excessive. To make the meaning clearer, editors introduced a profusion of stops, especially commas; and in doing this often intruded on the text their own interpretation of it. Knapp was the first who bestowed closer attention on the subject, and attempted to reduce it to fixed principles. Schulz, Lachmann, and Tischendorf (who usually agrees with Lachmann), have followed in the same track, but with still greater reserve: no one of these however, has given a general exposition of his principles.… Learn Koine Greek
Posted in Grammar
Tagged colon, comma, Georg Benedikt Winer, Griesbach, Lachmann, punctuation, Tischendorf
Leave a comment
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
Posted in Beginners
Tagged A.T. Robertson, demonstative, relative, η, ο, ο δε, ο ην, ον δε, ον μεν, ος, ος δε, ος μεν, το
Leave a comment
