ὅτι οὐκ ἀδυνατήσει παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ πᾶν ῥῆμα.
The Unbreakable Word of God
Luke 1:37 is a declaration of invincible divine speech. Spoken by the angel Gabriel to Miryam (Mary), the statement is syntactically simple but theologically seismic: “For nothing will be impossible with God.” Yet in Greek, the form and force of the words point us not merely to the general omnipotence of God, but to the unfailing efficacy of God’s ῥῆμα—His spoken word. This truth is not philosophical but grammatical: the key lies in a single future-tense verb and an absolute negation.
Grammatical Focus: Future Indicative of ἀδυνατέω with οὐκ
The main verb ἀδυνατήσει is the future active indicative of ἀδυνατέω (“to be powerless, to be impossible”). It is preceded by the emphatic negation οὐκ and governs the neuter subject πᾶν ῥῆμα (“every word”). The phrase παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ (“with God” or “from God’s side”) adds a locative sense of divine agency. Thus, the grammar proclaims: “No utterance from God will be without power.”
Unlike philosophical affirmations of omnipotence, this is not about abstract might—it is about the spoken word. Every divine utterance carries within itself the certainty of fulfillment. The future tense here is not prediction but guarantee.
Detailed Morphological Analysis
- ἀδυνατήσει
- Root: ἀδυνατέω
- Form: Verb – future active indicative, 3rd person singular
- Literal Translation: “will be powerless”
- Notes: Indicates total impossibility; used with οὐκ for absolute negation of failure
- οὐκ
- Form: Adverb of negation
- Translation: “not”
- Notes: Used with indicative mood for factual, objective negation—underscoring the certainty of divine action
- πᾶν ῥῆμα
- Root: πᾶς + ῥῆμα
- Form: Neuter singular nominative noun phrase
- Literal Translation: “every word” or “each saying”
- Notes: Subject of the verb; emphasizes that no divine utterance is weak or void
- παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ
- Root: παρά + Θεός
- Form: Prepositional phrase – παρά + dative
- Literal Translation: “with God” or “from God’s side”
- Notes: Locative nuance—denotes origin, support, or presence; highlights that the source of the word is divine
Table of Key Forms
| Greek Form | Parsing | Translation | Spiritual Insight |
|---|---|---|---|
| ἀδυνατήσει | Future indicative, 3rd person singular | Will be impossible / powerless | Future tense guarantees the fulfillment of God’s promise |
| οὐκ | Negation with indicative | Not | Total denial of failure—certainty of divine effect |
| πᾶν ῥῆμα | Neuter nominative singular | Every word | No utterance of God is idle or empty |
| παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ | Prepositional phrase (locative) | With God / from God | Divine origin guarantees divine outcome |
The Grammar of Unbreakable Promises
The force of Luke 1:37 is not merely comforting—it is foundational. It teaches us, grammatically and spiritually, that God’s speech contains His power. His words are not hypotheses or potentialities; they are realities waiting to manifest. The future indicative ἀδυνατήσει does not express uncertainty—it rules it out. Coupled with οὐκ, it shuts the door on any notion that divine declarations might fall to the ground.
To live by faith is to live by this grammar—to trust that when God speaks, the verb is never in the subjunctive. It is always certain, always active, and always rooted παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ, from the very presence of the One who cannot lie and cannot fail.
In a world of broken promises, Luke 1:37 whispers the assurance that no word of God is weak. Every syllable carries omnipotence. Every utterance bends reality. And that means that faith is never misplaced when it rests on the grammar of God’s own voice.
