Craftsmen, Courts, and Clause Shifts: Acts 19:38 Through the Eyes of Classical and Koine Greek

Εἰ μὲν οὖν Δημήτριος καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ τεχνῖται ἔχουσι πρός τινα λόγον, ἀγοραῖοι ἄγονται καὶ ἀνθύπατοί εἰσιν· ἐγκαλείτωσαν ἀλλήλοις. (Acts 19:38)

If then Demetrios and the craftsmen with him have a matter against someone, courts are held and there are proconsuls—let them bring charges against one another.

Koine Greek Morphological Analysis

  1. εἰ – conditional particle; introduces protasis (“if”).
  2. μὲν οὖν – discourse particles; “indeed then” or “so then”; μὲν balances with implied δὲ.
  3. Δημήτριος – proper noun, nominative singular masculine; subject.
  4. καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ τεχνῖται – “and the craftsmen with him”;
    οἱ: article, nominative plural masculine;
    σὺν: preposition + dative;
    αὐτῷ: 3rd person dative singular pronoun;
    τεχνῖται: noun, nominative plural masculine.
  5. ἔχουσι – verb, present active indicative 3rd person plural of ἔχω; “they have”.
  6. πρός τινα λόγον – “a complaint/matter against someone”;
    πρός: preposition + accusative;
    τινα: accusative singular indefinite pronoun (“someone”);
    λόγον: accusative singular masculine noun.
  7. ἀγοραῖοι ἄγονται – “courts are held”;
    ἀγοραῖοι: adjective used substantively, nominative plural masculine (“court sessions”);
    ἄγονται: verb, present passive indicative 3rd plural of ἄγω.
  8. καὶ ἀνθύπατοί εἰσιν – “and there are proconsuls”;
    ἀνθύπατοί: nominative plural masculine;
    εἰσιν: verb, present indicative 3rd plural of εἰμί.
  9. ἐγκαλείτωσαν ἀλλήλοις – “let them bring charges against each other”;
    ἐγκαλείτωσαν: 3rd person plural present active imperative of ἐγκαλέω;
    ἀλλήλοις: dative reciprocal pronoun (“to each other”).

How Would Classical Greek Phrase It?

Let’s reconstruct this Koine sentence into Attic-style Classical Greek with grammar typical of the 5th–4th century BC:

εἰ μὲν οὖν Δημήτριος καὶ οἱ τεχνῖται οἱ μετ’ αὐτοῦ ἔχουσιν λόγον πρὸς τινα, ἀγορὰ ἥδεται καὶ ἀνθύπατοι εἰσίν· ἐγκαλείτωσαν ἀλλήλοις.

  • σὺν is replaced with Classical μετά + genitive.
  • ἀγοραῖοι used substantively in Koine—rare in Classical; ἀγορὰ ἥδεται (“the court is held”) is more Attic.
  • Word order in Classical Greek tends to delay the verb; e.g., ἔχουσιν λόγον πρὸς τινα instead of Koine’s more fluid positioning.
  • The imperative ἐγκαλείτωσαν is fully acceptable in Classical as well—no change there.

Syntax in Motion

  • Koine: Uses fronted participial and article phrases with prepositions for compactness: οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ τεχνῖται.
  • Classical: Tends to prefer genitive participial constructions: οἱ τεχνῖται οἱ μετ’ αὐτοῦ.
  • Verb Placement: Koine allows freer mid-sentence verbs; Classical leans toward final position for main verbs.
  • Discourse Particles: Both styles use μὲν οὖν, but Classical is more rigid in its balancing of μέν…δέ pairs.

Pronunciation Divergence

Classical Greek: [ei mèn ôːn dɛːˈmɛːtrios kai hoi tɛkʰnĩːtai hoi met’ autûː]

Koine Greek: [i men un ðiˈmitrios ce i syn afˈto texˈniti]

  • Classical Greek uses pitch accent, Koine uses stress.
  • Aspiration drops: τεχνῖται [tɛkʰnĩːtai] → [texˈniti].
  • Vowel contractions and diphthongs flatten (e.g., ει pronounced [ei] → [i]).

Key Shifts from Classical to Koine

Feature Classical Greek Koine Greek Notes
Prepositional Phrase μετ’ αὐτοῦ σὺν αὐτῷ Koine favors σὺν, Classical prefers μετά + genitive
Court Language ἀγορὰ ἥδεται ἀγοραῖοι ἄγονται Different nominal strategies for ‘court being in session’
Verb Word Order Final Position Mid or early Position Koine loosens Classical verb-final tendency
Pronunciation Pitch-accented, aspirated Stress-accented, no aspiration Sound shift towards Modern Greek underway

What This Reveals About Greek’s Evolution

This courtroom-flavored verse shows how Koine, while still rich in participial nuance and flexible syntax, departs from Classical preferences. Phrases like σὺν αὐτῷ and noun substitutions like ἀγοραῖοι for institutions reflect a Koine tendency toward simplification and accessibility. Meanwhile, verbs move toward the middle, and vocabulary democratizes—marking a living language adapting to imperial realities, legal pluralism, and broader linguistic audiences.

About Classical Greek

Understanding Classical Greek is immensely valuable for mastering New Testament (NT) Greek, also known as Koine Greek. Though NT Greek is simpler in structure and more standardized, it evolved directly from the classical dialects—especially Attic Greek—carrying forward much of their vocabulary, syntactic patterns, and idiomatic expressions. Classical Greek provides the linguistic and philosophical background that shaped Hellenistic thought, including the rhetorical styles and cultural references embedded in the New Testament. A foundation in Classical Greek deepens a reader’s grasp of nuance, enhances translation precision, and opens windows into the broader Greco-Roman world in which early Christianity emerged.
This entry was posted in Ancient Greek, Syntax and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.