Γνωστὸν ἔστω πᾶσιν ὑμῖν καὶ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ Ἰσραὴλ ὅτι ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου, ὃν ὑμεῖς ἐσταυρώσατε, ὃν ὁ Θεὸς ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἐν τούτῳ οὗτος παρέστηκεν ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν ὑγιής. (Acts 4:10)
Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, in this one this man stands before you healthy.
Case Patterns as Rhetorical Architecture
- Datives (πᾶσιν ὑμῖν, παντὶ τῷ λαῷ, ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι, ἐν τούτῳ) set the framework of address and agency: to whom the speech is directed, in whose name the miracle occurs.
- Genitives (Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου, ἐκ νεκρῶν, ὑμῶν) ground identity, origin, and relational stance.
- Accusatives (ὃν …) highlight Jesus as the object of human rejection and divine vindication.
- Nominatives (ὁ Θεός, οὗτος) announce the actors—God who raises, and the man now standing healed.
Theology Woven into Grammar
The genitive chain names Jesus precisely, the accusatives narrate the tension between crucifixion and resurrection, and the nominatives proclaim divine agency and human restoration. The healed man’s nominative-predicate (οὗτος … ὑγιής) is the living proof of the name’s power.
Declensions That Testify
In Acts 4:10, declensions choreograph the courtroom defense: datives address the audience, genitives anchor the identity of Jesus, accusatives retell his suffering and vindication, and nominatives testify to both God’s action and the healed man’s presence. Grammar itself becomes testimony, declaring salvation “in this one.”
Declension Analysis Table
| Greek Form | Morphology | Case & Function | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| πᾶσιν ὑμῖν | Adjective + 2nd person pronoun, dative plural | Dative of indirect object | “To all of you” — audience addressed, the rulers. |
| παντὶ τῷ λαῷ Ἰσραήλ | Adjective + noun + proper name, dative singular | Dative of indirect object | “To all the people of Israel” — widening the address beyond leaders. |
| ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι | Article + noun, dative neuter singular | Dative object of preposition ἐν | “In the name” — locative/instrumental sense: the sphere and means of healing. |
| Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου | Proper names in genitive singular | Genitive of identification | Specifies whose name; genitive chain defines Jesus in title and origin. |
| ὃν … ἐσταυρώσατε | Relative pronoun, accusative masculine singular | Direct object of verb | “Whom you crucified” — accusative marks object of action. |
| ὃν … ἤγειρεν | Relative pronoun, accusative masculine singular | Direct object of verb | “Whom God raised” — continues accusative object chain. |
| ὁ Θεός | 2nd declension masculine nominative singular with article | Nominative subject | “God” as subject of the resurrection action. |
| ἐκ νεκρῶν | Preposition + genitive plural | Genitive of separation | “From the dead” — standard resurrection formula in the genitive. |
| ἐν τούτῳ | Dative demonstrative pronoun, masc./neut. singular | Dative of instrument/means | “In this one” — refers to Jesus as the sphere of the miracle. |
| οὗτος | Nominative masculine singular demonstrative | Subject of παρέστηκεν | “This man” — points to the healed individual standing before them. |
| ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν | Preposition + genitive plural pronoun | Genitive of relation | “Before you” — setting of the healed man’s presence. |
| ὑγιής | Predicate adjective, nominative masculine singular | Predicate nominative agreeing with οὗτος | Declares his restored condition: “healthy/whole.” |
