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Greek Lessons
- Grammatical Resistance: Pharaoh’s Syntax of Control in Exodus 10:11
- The Accusation in Quotation: Pauline Perception and Koine Rhetoric
- Healing and Heralding: The Grammar of Kingdom Nearness
- The Word Near You: Syntax, Faith, and the Internalization of Truth in Romans 10:8
- Synonyms: Image and Likeness: εἰκών, ὁμοίωσις, and ὁμοίωμα in the Greek New Testament
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Category
Category Archives: Grammar
Already Come: Fulfilled Prophecy in Mark 9:13
Ἀλλὰ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι καὶ Ἠλίας ἐλήλυθε, καὶ ἐποίησαν αὐτῷ ὅσα ἠθέλησαν, καθὼς γέγραπται ἐπ’ αὐτόν (Mark 9:13)
But I tell you that Elijah has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written about him.
ἀλλὰ λέγω ὑμῖν: A Prophetic ContrastThe phrase ἀλλὰ λέγω ὑμῖν (“but I say to you”) is a formula used frequently by Jesus to introduce authoritative teaching that corrects or deepens prior understanding.
– ἀλλὰ introduces a strong contrast. – λέγω is present active indicative — “I am saying.” – ὑμῖν is dative plural — “to you.”
This line prepares the hearers for a startling revelation, clarifying their misconceptions about the coming of Elijah.… Learn Koine Greek
Greek Grammar Lesson from Revelation 8:13
Καὶ εἶδον καὶ ἤκουσα ἑνὸς ἀετοῦ πετομένου ἐν μεσουρανήματι, λέγοντος φωνῇ μεγάλῃ· Οὐαὶ, οὐαὶ, οὐαὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐκ τῶν λοιπῶν φωνῶν τῆς σάλπιγγος τῶν τριῶν ἀγγέλων τῶν μελλόντων σαλπίζειν. (Revelation 8:13)
And I saw and heard one eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice: “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound.”
Genitive Absolute and Participles of Imminence and MotionThis apocalyptic verse features a vivid sensory narrative constructed with multiple participles, a genitive absolute, and dramatic word repetition.… Learn Koine Greek
When He Came Down from the Mountain: Narrative Transition and Verb Nuances in Matthew 8:1
Καταβάντι δὲ αὐτῷ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ ὄχλοι πολλοί. (Matthew 8:1)
And when he came down from the mountain, many crowds followed him.
A Shift in the Gospel NarrativeMatthew 8:1 is a hinge verse. After the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5–7), where Jesus teaches with unparalleled authority, Matthew records: “When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.” This simple sentence is more than a narrative marker. It is a transition from Jesus’ teaching ministry to his miracles. The Greek construction combines a participle of attendant circumstance, a narrative aorist verb, and a plural subject that sets the scene for the chapters that follow.… Learn Koine Greek
What I Do Now, You Will Understand Later: Mystery and Timing in John 13:7
Ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ὃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ, σὺ οὐκ οἶδας ἄρτι, γνώσῃ δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα (John 13:7)
Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand after these things.”
ἀπεκρίθη… εἶπεν: A Formal ResponseThe verbs ἀπεκρίθη and εἶπεν are both used here, forming a typical Johannine speech introduction.
– ἀπεκρίθη is the aorist passive (deponent) indicative of ἀποκρίνομαι, meaning “he answered.” – εἶπεν is the aorist active indicative of λέγω, meaning “he said.”
The pairing emphasizes a deliberate and thoughtful reply. Jesus’ words here follow Peter’s confused objection to the footwashing, and the double verb construction adds weight to Jesus’ explanation.… Learn Koine Greek
Ἵνα with the Subjunctive: Purpose in the Shadow of Inadequacy
In ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ ὁ Φίλιππος· διακοσίων δηναρίων ἄρτοι οὐκ ἀρκοῦσιν αὐτοῖς ἵνα ἕκαστος αὐτῶν βραχύ τι λάβῃ (John 6:7), Philip responds with incredulity to Jesus’ implied command to feed the crowd. His sentence is logical, almost mathematical — but behind it is a powerful grammatical construction: the ἵνα clause of purpose coupled with the subjunctive verb λάβῃ. This is not merely syntax for wishful thinking — it expresses an unreachable ideal. Even with two hundred denarii worth of bread, it would not suffice in order that each might receive even a little. The grammar of purpose here is darkened by impossibility.… Learn Koine Greek
“Why Are You Weeping?”: Greek Grammar in a Garden of Grief
Καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῇ ἐκεῖνοι· γύναι, τί κλαίεις; Λέγει αὐτοῖς· ὅτι ἦραν τὸν κύριόν μου, καὶ οὐκ οἶδα ποῦ ἔθηκαν αὐτόν (John 20:13)
“And they say to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She says to them, ‘Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have put him.’”
In this tender exchange from the resurrection narrative, the grammar of John 20:13 invites readers into a moment of confusion, sorrow, and implicit hope. The text uses narrative verbs, direct and indirect discourse, interrogatives, and a pair of finely nuanced aorists to show that even grammar can carry tears.… Learn Koine Greek
Deliver Us from the Evil One: Syntax and Theology in a Sentence
Matthew 6:13 is traditionally recognized as the final petition and doxology of the Lord’s Prayer.
Καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν, ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ· ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία, καὶ ἡ δύναμις, καὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοῦς αἰῶνας. (Matthew 6:13)And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.
Negative Requests and the Subjunctive: μὴ εἰσενέγκῃςThe verb εἰσενέγκῃς is aorist active subjunctive, second person singular, from εἰσφέρω (“to bring in” or “lead into”). Preceded by μὴ, it forms a prohibition or negative entreaty: “Do not lead us.”… Learn Koine Greek
“ἔλεγε πειράζων… ᾔδει τί ἔμελλε ποιεῖν”: Testing and Knowing in John 6:6
A Test With a Known Answer
After asking Philip where to buy bread (John 6:6), the narrator comments:
Τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγε πειράζων αὐτόν· αὐτὸς γὰρ ᾔδει τί ἔμελλε ποιεῖν. “But this he was saying, testing him; for he himself knew what he was about to do.”
This sentence contrasts Jesus’ apparent uncertainty (posing a question) with his actual foreknowledge. It uses an elegant mix of grammatical forms to present Jesus as a teacher who tests, but also a sovereign who knows.
Τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγε πειράζων αὐτόν· αὐτὸς γὰρ ᾔδει τί ἔμελλε ποιεῖν.This verse John 6:6 features a powerful present participle (πειράζων) alongside two imperfect indicative verbs (ἔλεγε and ᾔδει) and a periphrastic future construction (ἔμελλε + infinitive).… Learn Koine Greek
The Rock and the Root: A Study in Aspectual Contrast in Matthew 13:5
ἄλλα δὲ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὰ πετρώδη ὅπου οὐκ εἶχε γῆν πολλήν, καὶ εὐθέως ἐξανέτειλε διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν βάθος γῆς.
In the parable of the sower, recorded in Matthew 13:5, Jesus uses the familiar imagery of ancient agriculture to reveal profound spiritual realities. This is not merely a lesson about farming—it is a mirror held up to the human heart, exposing how it receives or rejects the Word of the Kingdom.
In this verse, we encounter the second type of soil—the rocky ground:
ἄλλα δὲ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὰ πετρώδη ὅπου οὐκ εἶχε γῆν πολλήν, καὶ εὐθέως ἐξανέτειλε διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν βάθος γῆς.… Learn Koine Greek
When the Aorist Participles Speak First: Temporal Nuance and Dramatic Sequence
In the verse ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἀποκριθεὶς ἤρξατο λέγειν αὐτοῖς· βλέπετε μή τις ὑμᾶς πλανήσῃ (Mark 13:5), we find a classic example of Koine Greek’s capacity to compress action and emotion into finely tuned grammatical structures. The spotlight falls on the use of the aorist participle ἀποκριθεὶς, which precedes the main verb ἤρξατο in a sequence that defies a rigid English rendering. This raises a subtle but crucial grammatical issue: how should we interpret temporal participles in Koine Greek — especially when paired with verbs of speaking and motion?
This isn’t merely an academic curiosity. In Mark’s narrative style — swift, urgent, and often breathless — participles set the stage for action with cinematic immediacy.… Learn Koine Greek
