Spotting adjectives in New Testament Greek can be a bit tricky at first, but there are some key patterns and grammar rules to help. This guide offers practical tips for recognizing adjectives in New Testament Greek, an essential skill for accurate reading and translation. Here are the main ways to identify adjectives in NT Greek:
1. Adjectives Agree in Gender, Number, and Case with the Noun
Adjectives in Greek must match the noun they modify in gender (masculine, feminine, neuter), number (singular or plural), and case (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative).
Example: In ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος (good man), the adjective ἀγαθός, (good) agrees with the noun ἄνθρωπος, (man) in gender, number, and case.
2. Common Adjective Endings
NT Greek adjectives often follow specific patterns in their endings that reflect declension and gender.
The following table provides a quick reference for common endings by gender and number.
| Gender | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | -ος, -ους | -οι, -ους |
| Feminine | -α, -ης | -αι, -ας |
| Neuter | -ον, -ου | -α, -ων |
Thematic Vowels: In identifying third-declension adjective endings, note the role of thematic vowels (often -o- or -e-) that help distinguish these forms. This is especially useful when differentiating third-declension adjectives.
3. Attributive vs. Predicate Position
Greek adjectives appear either in attributive or predicate positions, which affects their meaning and relationship to the noun.
Attributive Position: The adjective directly modifies a noun, often appearing with an article. Example: ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος (the good man).
Predicate Position: The adjective appears with a noun that has an article, often implying “to be” as in ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἀγαθός (“the man is good”).
4. Adjectives as Substantives
Adjectives can also act as nouns (substantives) in Greek. When an adjective stands alone with an article, it typically functions as a noun.
Example: οἱ δίκαιοι (the righteous [ones]) where δίκαιος acts as a substantive.
5. Comparative and Superlative Forms
Greek adjectives can show comparison, with specific forms for comparative (-τερος, -τερα, -τερον) and superlative (-τατος, -τατη, -τατον) degrees.
Example: μείζων (greater) is the comparative form of μέγας (great).
6. Additional Considerations
Adjectival Clauses and Phrases: In NT Greek, adjectival clauses function like adjectives and often begin with relative pronouns like ὅς, ἥ, and ὅ, adding descriptive information to nouns, as in “the man who is righteous” (ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὅς ἐστιν δίκαιος). Adjectival phrases, like participial or prepositional phrases, also provide descriptive details, acting as adjectives in sentences.
Adverbial Use of Adjectives: Sometimes, adjectives can function as adverbs, as in καλῶς γράφει (“he writes well”), where καλῶς is used adverbially.
Practice and Tools
Practice recognizing these forms by reading passages with known adjectives. Greek lexicons (e.g., BDAG) and interlinear New Testaments can also help in checking and identifying adjectives in context.
