Growing Stronger: A Grammar Exploration in Acts 9:22

Acts 9:22

Σαῦλος δὲ μᾶλλον ἐνεδυναμοῦτο καὶ συνέχυνε τοὺς Ἰουδαίους τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐν Δαμασκῷ, συμβιβάζων ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός.

Modern Greek Pronunciation: Sávlōs de mállon enedynamoúto kai synéchyne tous Ioudaíous tous katoikoúntas en Damaskó̱, symvivázōn óti oútos estin o Christós.

Literal English Translation: But Saul was increasingly strengthened and was confounding the Jews living in Damascus, proving that this one is the Christ.

Koine Greek Structural Walkthrough

  1. Σαῦλος δὲ – “But Saul”; δὲ marks contrast or continuation in narrative.
  2. μᾶλλον – adverb, “even more, increasingly.”
  3. ἐνεδυναμοῦτο – imperfect passive indicative 3rd singular from ἐνδυναμόω, “was being strengthened, grew stronger.”
  4. καὶ συνέχυνε – imperfect active indicative 3rd singular from συγχύνω, “was confusing, confounding.”
  5. τοὺς Ἰουδαίους – accusative masculine plural noun, “the Jews” (object of συνέχυνε).
  6. τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐν Δαμασκῷ – participial phrase, “those dwelling in Damascus”;
    κατοικοῦντας is present active participle accusative plural masculine from κατοικέω (“to dwell”).
  7. συμβιβάζων – present active participle nominative singular masculine from συμβιβάζω, “proving, demonstrating, bringing together (arguments).”
  8. ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός – direct speech content clause: “that this one is the Christ.”

Modern Greek Rendering

Ο Σαύλος όμως ενδυναμωνόταν όλο και περισσότερο και προκαλούσε σύγχυση στους Ιουδαίους που κατοικούσαν στη Δαμασκό, αποδεικνύοντας ότι αυτός είναι ο Χριστός.

Key Differences and Shifts

  • μᾶλλον ἐνεδυναμοῦτο → ενδυναμωνόταν όλο και περισσότερο: Adverb “even more” expanded for clarity.
  • συνέχυνε → προκαλούσε σύγχυση: Action verb replaced with causative structure (“causing confusion”).
  • συμβιβάζων → αποδεικνύοντας: The sense of “proving” made more explicit and less metaphorical.
  • κατοικοῦντας → κατοικούσαν: Present participle turned into a main verb.

Grammar Evolution Table

Feature Koine Greek Modern Greek Notes
Imperfect Passive Growth ἐνεδυναμοῦτο ενδυναμωνόταν Retained with slight stylistic expansion in Modern Greek
Confusion Verb συνέχυνε προκαλούσε σύγχυση Shift from direct verb to causative expression
Proving Action συμβιβάζων αποδεικνύοντας Modern Greek uses direct proof vocabulary
Participle for Dwellers κατοικοῦντας κατοικούσαν Present participle replaced by a finite past verb

Strengthening Language Across Time

Acts 9:22 captures a dynamic moment: Saul not just speaking, but actively growing and proving. Koine Greek packs meaning into participles, layering continuous action with grace. Modern Greek prefers to separate: strengthening, confusing, proving are all cleanly spelled out. The passion remains, but the grammatical cloak becomes lighter and more accessible for modern ears.

This entry was posted in Modern Greek and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.