Going Out Again: Grammar Pathways in Matthew 20:5

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Νέα Ελληνικά

Πάλιν ἐξελθὼν περὶ ἕκτην καὶ ἐνάτην ὥραν ἐποίησεν ὡσαύτως. (Matthew 20:5)

Modern Greek Pronunciation: pálin exelthón peri ékti̱n kai enáti̱n óran epí̱isen ósáftos.

Literal English Translation: Again going out around the sixth and the ninth hour, he did likewise.

Koine Grammar Flow

  1. πάλιν – adverb, “again.”
  2. ἐξελθὼν – aorist active participle, nom. masc. sing., from ἐξέρχομαι, “having gone out.” Temporal participle indicating prior action.
  3. περὶ ἕκτην καὶ ἐνάτην ὥραν – preposition + accusative indicating approximate time: “about the sixth and ninth hour.”
  4. ἐποίησεν – aorist active indicative 3rd singular from ποιέω, “he did.” Main action of the sentence.
  5. ὡσαύτως – adverb, “likewise, similarly.”

Modern Greek Version

Ξαναβγήκε περίπου την έκτη και την ένατη ώρα και έκανε το ίδιο.

Shift Highlights

  • πάλιν → ξανά: Modern Greek uses ξανά for “again.”
  • ἐξελθὼν → ξαναβγήκε: Participial structure collapsed into a simple finite verb.
  • περὶ ἕκτην καὶ ἐνάτην ὥραν → περίπου την έκτη και την ένατη ώρα: Retains approximate time sense but stated more straightforwardly.
  • ἐποίησεν → έκανε: Aorist rendered by modern past tense with regularized form.
  • ὡσαύτως → το ίδιο: “Likewise” now expressed by the simple phrase “το ίδιο” (“the same”).

Grammar Evolution Table

Feature Koine Greek Modern Greek Notes
Temporal Participle ἐξελθὼν ξαναβγήκε Participial phrase replaced with simple past verb
Adverb “Again” πάλιν ξανά More casual adverb in Modern Greek
Time Expression περὶ ἕκτην καὶ ἐνάτην ὥραν περίπου την έκτη και την ένατη ώρα More conversational and structured around accusative phrase
Adverb “Likewise” ὡσαύτως το ίδιο Simplified expression of similarity

Rhythms of Action, Ancient and Modern

Matthew 20:5 gives us a glimpse into how Koine Greek stacked actions together using participles and nuanced adverbs like ὡσαύτως to maintain elegant flow. Modern Greek, shaped by a preference for directness, unwraps these into clear sequential verbs (ξαναβγήκε and έκανε) and everyday expressions. The heart of the story—the repeated action and faithful pattern—echoes across the centuries, though the grammatical instruments have been tuned for different ears.

About Νέα Ελληνικά

Learning Modern Greek offers a powerful bridge to mastering New Testament (Koine) Greek, not only because of their shared alphabet and overlapping vocabulary, but because Modern Greek gives you living access to the pronunciation, rhythm, and cultural continuity of the language. While Koine Greek is a historical form with distinct grammatical features, many core linguistic structures—like verb roots, case systems, and idiomatic expressions—have echoes in today’s usage. Immersing yourself in Modern Greek trains your ear to hear the language as it's still spoken, helps internalize vocabulary intuitively, and fosters a deeper cultural and devotional connection to the biblical text through the living linguistic heritage of Greece. In essence, Modern Greek doesn't just support your study of the New Testament—it extends and animates it.
This entry was posted in Modern Greek and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.