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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
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Category
Category Archives: Grammar
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
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The Indefinite Article In Greek
The Latin had no article, as the Greek has no indefinite article. Not even in the modern Greek has the indefinite article of the Teutonic and Roman tounges developed, though occasionally εις or τις is used with little more force than the English a (an). Even in the New Testament we see traces of this use of εις in Mat 8:19 where εις γραμματευς is equivalent to “a” in English
Matthew 8:19 και προσελθων εις γραμματευς ειπεν αυτω διδασκαλε ακολουθησω σοι οπου εαν απερχη
and a certain scribe having come, said to him, `Teacher, I will follow thee wherever thou mayest go
In fact, the English one, Scotch ane, French un, German ein is simply the cardinal “one” adapted to this very usage.… Learn Koine Greek
Comparison of Adjectives
There are two general forms.
(1) First FormComparative -τερος -τερα -τερον
Superlative -τατος -τατη -τατον
(a) These terminations are added to the adjective stem. Thus:-
πιστος faithful
πιστοτερος πιστοτερα πιστοτερον – more faithful
ευγενης noble
ευγενεστερος ευγενετερα ευγενετερον – more noble
Βαθυς – deep
Βαθυτερος Βαθυτερα Βαθυτερον – deeper
and :-
πιστοτατος πιστοτατη πιστοτατον – most faithful
ευγενεστατος ευγενεστατη ευγενεστατον – most noble
Βαθυτατος Βαθυτατη Βαθυτατον – deepest
(b) The stem-ending ο (in the First Form of adjectives) when preceded by a short vowel, is changed in the comparative and superlative into ω. Thus:-
σοφος wise
σοφωτερος σοφωτερα σοφωτερον – wiser
σοφωτατος σοφωτατη σοφωτατον – wisest
νεος new
νεωτερος νεωτερα νεωτερον newer
νεωτατος νεωτατη νεωτατον newest
(c) The declension of the First form of comparative and superltive follows that of the First Form of the adjectives.… Learn Koine Greek
The Voices of the Greek Verb
The system of three voices of the verb – active (transitive), passive (instransitive), and middle (i.e. transitive with the reference to the subject) – remains on the whole the same in the New Testament as in the classical language. In the former, as in the latter, it frequently happens in the case of individual verbs that by a certain arbitrariness of the language this or that voice becomes the established and recognized form for a particular meaning, to the exclusion of another voice, which might perhaps appear more appropriate to this meaning. It is therefore a difficult matter to arrive at any general conception for each of the voices, which when applied to particular cases is not bound at once to become subject to limitation or even contradiction.… Learn Koine Greek
Posted in Grammar
Tagged active, Aποκρινομαι, Friedrich Wilhelm Blass, intransitive, passive, transitive, αγαμαι, απεκριθην, απεκριναμην, αποθανουμαι, αποθνησκω, αποκριθησομαι, αποκρινουμαι, απολωλα, δραμουμαι, εδραμον, εστηκα, εστην, εστησαμην, εφανην, εφανθην, ηγασθην, θαυμαζομαι, θαυμαζω, θαυμασθησομαι, θαυμασομαι, θρεξομαι, ισταμαι, λυπουμαι, σταθησομαι, τεξοσομαι, τικτω, τυπτομαι, τυπτω, φαανθην, χαιρω
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Greek Numerals
(1) Δυο has genitive δυο, dative δυσιν (plural inflection). (2) In compounds of δεκα with units, at least from thirteen upwards, δεκα occupies the first place (this practice is more frequent in later language than in the older: in modern Greek except in the case of eleven and twelve, it is universal): (i) δεκατεσσαρες in Matthew 1:17
πασαι ουν αι γενεαι απο αβρααμ εως δαβιδ γενεαι δεκατεσσαρες και απο δαβιδ εως της μετοικεσιας βαβυλωνος γενεαι δεκατεσσαρες και απο της μετοικεσιας βαβυλωνος εως του χριστου γενεαι δεκατεσσαρες All the generations, therefore, from Abraham unto David are fourteen generations, and from David unto the Babylonian removal fourteen generations, and from the Babylonian removal unto the Christ, fourteen generations.… Learn Koine Greek
What Is Koine Greek
Koine Greek (Ελληνιστική Κοινή) “Hellenistic common (language)”; or ἡ κοινὴ διάλεκτος, “the common dialect” is the popular form of the Greek language spoken throughout post-Classical antiquity (c.300 BC – 300 A.D.), developing from the Attic dialect, with admixture of elements especially from Ionic. Koine Greek arose as a common dialect within the armies of Alexander the Great. Under the leadership of Macedon, which colonized the known world, their newly formed common dialect was spoken from Egypt to Mesopotamia. Though elements of Koine Greek took shape during the Classical Era, the post-Classical period of Greek is defined as beginning with the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C.,… Learn Koine Greek
Greek Adjectives
An adjective is a word whose main syntactic role is to qualify a noun or noun phrase, giving more information about the object signified. Every word joined to a substantive, in the character or quality of an adjective, (as adjectives, participles, pronouns, articles) must agree with the noun in number, gender, and case. Greek adjectives follow precisely the inflection of Substantives. Every declension, almost every form, reappears, but in different combinations.
In respect of form, adjectives are divided into three classes:
(i) Those which combine the first and second declension. (ii) Those which combine the first and third declension. (iii) Those which follow exclusively the type of the third declension.… Learn Koine Greek
The Greek Sentence
(1) The sentence is an expression of an idea and is complex. The subject and predicate are essential to the complete expression of a sentence, which may be very brief. Indeed one word may have both as απεχει (Mark 14:41).
Mark 14:41 και ερχεται το τριτον και λεγει αυτοις καθευδετε το λοιπον και αναπαυεσθε απεχει ηλθεν η ωρα ιδου παραδιδοται ο υιος του ανθρωπου εις τας χειρας των αμαρτωλω
And he cometh the third time, and saith to them, `Sleep on henceforth, and rest – it is over; the hour did come; lo, the Son of Man is delivered up to the hands of the sinful;
Indeed the sentence does not absolutely require the expression of either subject or predicate.… Learn Koine Greek
Posted in Grammar
Tagged A.T. Robertson, asyndeton, predicate, sentence, subject, ἀσύνδετον
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Greek Personal Pronouns: Nominative Case
The Personal Pronouns, in the Nominative Case
A personal pronoun, when expressed as the subject of a verb, is usually, if not always, emphatic.
(1) εγω εχω I have
ο δε ιωαννης διεκωλυεν αυτον λεγων εγω χρειαν εχω υπο σου βαπτισθηναι και συ ερχη προς με (Matthew 3:14)
but John was forbidding him, saying, `I have need by thee to be baptized–and thou dost come unto me!’
(2) συ εχεις Thou hast, You (singular) have
συ πιστιν εχεις κατα σαυτον εχε ενωπιον του θεου μακαριος ο μη κρινων εαυτον εν ω δοκιμαζει (Romans 14:22)
You (singular) have faith! to thyself have it before God; happy is he who is not judging himself in what he doth approve,
(3) ημεις εχομεν We have
απεκριθησαν αυτω οι ιουδαιοι ημεις νομον εχομεν και κατα τον νομον ημων οφειλει αποθανειν οτι εαυτον υιον του θεου εποιησεν (John 19:7)
the Jews answered him, `We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die, for he made himself Son of God.’… Learn Koine Greek
Why Should Christian Learn New Testament Greek?
That a knowledge of the New Testament in its original language is a thing to be desired by intelligent Christians none will question. No book can be thoroughly known in a translation only; and the Bible, although is known to be “the most translated book in the world,” is no exception.
Before the invention of the World Wide Web, many persons have no opportunity for studies so extended and difficult. Are they therefore, to be forbidden to all access, save through translators, critics, and interpreters to the words inspired by God?
2 Timothy 3:16
πασα γραφη θεοπνευστος και ωφελιμος προς διδασκαλιαν προς ελεγχον προς επανορθωσιν προς παιδειαν την εν δικαιοσυνη
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness
An Address To The Clergy(2.)… Learn Koine Greek
