Speaking Against and Judging the Law (James 4:11)

Posted on April 11, 2025 by Biblical Greek
Introduction: Slander as Judgment of the Law

James issues a stark ethical and theological warning against slander among believers:

Μὴ καταλαλεῖτε ἀλλήλων, ἀδελφοί… “Do not speak against one another, brothers…”

He then explains that slandering a brother is functionally equivalent to judging the law itself, a bold theological statement that reverses the moral posture of the speaker: from obedient doer to presumptuous judge.

Μὴ καταλαλεῖτε ἀλλήλων, ἀδελφοί, ὁ καταλαλῶν ἀδελφοῦ καὶ κρίνων τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καταλαλεῖ νόμου καὶ κρίνει νόμον· εἰ δὲ νόμον κρίνεις, οὐκ εἶ ποιητὴς νόμου, ἀλλὰ κριτής. Morphological Breakdown Μὴ καταλαλεῖτε {mē katalaleíte} – Form: present active imperative, 2nd person plural; Verb: καταλαλέω = “to speak against, slander”; Usage: prohibitive imperative with μή: “Stop slandering one another” ὁ καταλαλῶν… καὶ κρίνων {ho katalalṓn… kai krínōn} – Form: nominative masculine singular present active participles; Translation: “the one who speaks against… and judges…” Function: subject of the main verbs that follow Notes: Both participles describe a single person engaging in both actions: verbal harm and moral judgment.… Learn Koine Greek
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Striving to Enter: Grammatical Urgency and Covenantal Warning in Hebrews 4:11

Posted on April 10, 2025 by New Testament Greek
Let Us Strive: Literary and Theological Context of Hebrews 4:11

Hebrews 4:11 — Σπουδάσωμεν οὖν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς ἐκείνην τὴν κατάπαυσιν, ἵνα μὴ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ τις ὑποδείγματι πέσῃ τῆς ἀπειθείας. (“Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one may fall into the same pattern of disobedience.”)

This verse brings to a close a major exhortation in Hebrews 3–4 concerning God’s rest, drawing on Psalm 95 to warn believers against the hardening of heart and failure to enter the promised rest. The grammar intensifies this exhortation with a strong hortatory subjunctive, purpose clause, and vivid reference to Israel’s historical failure.… Learn Koine Greek

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In This Name: Grammatical Testimony and Christological Boldness in Acts 4:10

Posted on April 10, 2025 by New Testament Greek
Healing in the Name: Literary and Theological Context of Acts 4:10

Acts 4:10 — 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. (“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 name this man stands before you healthy.”)

This verse constitutes the theological climax of Peter’s defense before the Sanhedrin in Acts 4, immediately following the healing of the lame man and the questioning of the apostles’ authority (Acts 4:7–9).… Learn Koine Greek

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Known by God: Grammatical Emphasis and Theological Identity in Galatians 4:9

Posted on April 9, 2025 by Biblical Greek
From Knowledge to Bondage: Literary and Theological Context of Galatians 4:9

Galatians 4:9 — νῦν δὲ γνόντες Θεόν, μᾶλλον δὲ γνωσθέντες ὑπὸ Θεοῦ, πῶς ἐπιστρέφετε πάλιν ἐπὶ τὰ ἀσθενῆ καὶ πτωχὰ στοιχεῖα, οἷς πάλιν ἄνωθεν δουλεύειν θέλετε; (“But now that you have come to know God—or rather to be known by God—how is it that you are turning back again to the weak and miserable elemental things, to which you want to be enslaved all over again?”)

This verse is situated in Paul’s passionate theological appeal to the Galatians to resist turning back to the Law after having received the gospel of grace.… Learn Koine Greek

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Interrogated for a Healing: Grammatical Irony and Theological Clarity in Acts 4:9

Posted on April 9, 2025 by Biblical Greek
Standing Trial for Kindness: Literary and Theological Context of Acts 4:9

Acts 4:9 — εἰ ἡμεῖς σήμερον ἀνακρινόμεθα ἐπὶ εὐεργεσίᾳ ἀνθρώπου ἀσθενοῦς, ἐν τίνι οὗτος σέσῳσται, (“If we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a sick man, by what means this one has been healed…”)

This verse opens Peter’s response before the Sanhedrin following the miraculous healing of a lame man (Acts 3:1–10). The leaders’ interrogation (Acts 4:7) prompts a Spirit-filled answer (v. 8) that reframes the legal proceedings as a trial of divine goodness. The syntax of Acts 4:9 uses a conditional clause and a rhetorical question to create both irony and theological setup.… Learn Koine Greek

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Irony and Imperfect Kingship: Grammatical Sarcasm and Apostolic Longing in 1 Corinthians 4:8

Posted on April 8, 2025 by Biblical Greek
Reigning Without Us: Literary and Theological Context of 1 Corinthians 4:8

1 Corinthians 4:8 — ἤδη κεκορεσμένοι ἐστέ, ἤδη ἐπλουτήσατε, χωρὶς ἡμῶν ἐβασιλεύσατε· καὶ ὄφελόν γε ἐβασιλεύσατε, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑμῖν συμβασιλεύσωμεν. (“Already you are filled, already you have become rich, you have begun to reign without us—and would that you did reign, so that we might also reign with you.”)

This verse falls within Paul’s biting rhetorical critique of the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 4:6–13. After exposing the pride and self-sufficiency of the Corinthians, Paul turns to irony, contrasting their triumphalism with the apostles’ suffering and marginalization. The grammatical structures in this verse intensify the rhetorical strategy: perfects to suggest completed self-satisfaction, aorists to express isolated acts, and a wish construction to frame eschatological hope.… Learn Koine Greek

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Greek Grammar and Syntactical Analysis of Matthew 4:8

Posted on April 8, 2025 by Biblical Greek
Πάλιν παραλαμβάνει αὐτὸν ὁ διάβολος εἰς ὄρος ὑψηλὸν λίαν, καὶ δείκνυσιν αὐτῷ πάσας τὰς βασιλείας τοῦ κόσμου καὶ τὴν δόξαν αὐτῶν, Adverb of Repetition: Πάλιν

The adverb Πάλιν means “again” and marks the continuation of a sequence of temptations. In narrative Koine Greek, it often introduces repeated or resumed actions and enhances narrative flow and structure.

Main Verb: παραλαμβάνει

– παραλαμβάνει: present active indicative, 3rd person singular of παραλαμβάνω, meaning “he takes (along)” or “he takes with him”

The verb is in the present tense, which is a feature of the vivid historical present—a stylistic device in Koine narrative to create immediacy.… Learn Koine Greek

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Rest Yet to Come: Conditional Logic and Eschatological Rest in Hebrews 4:8

Posted on April 8, 2025 by Biblical Greek
If Jesus Gave Them Rest: Literary and Theological Context of Hebrews 4:8

Hebrews 4:8 — εἰ γὰρ αὐτοὺς Ἰησοῦς κατέπαυσεν, οὐκ ἂν περὶ ἄλλης ἐλάλει μετὰ ταῦτα ἡμέρας· (“For if Joshua had given them rest, then he would not have spoken afterward about another day.”)

This verse sits at a critical juncture in the argument of Hebrews 4, where the author is interpreting Psalm 95 and weaving it into an exhortation about entering God’s eschatological “rest” (κατάπαυσις). The mention of “Jesus” in the Greek text (Ἰησοῦς) refers to Joshua, the son of Nun, due to the shared Greek name. The verse constructs a second-class conditional statement to make a theological point: that the rest offered by Joshua in the conquest of Canaan was not the ultimate rest promised by God.… Learn Koine Greek

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Redeeming for Himself a People: A Greek Look at Titus 2:14

Posted on April 7, 2025 by Biblical Greek
Titus 2:14

ὃς ἔδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἵνα λυτρώσηται ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀνομίας καὶ καθαρίσῃ ἑαυτῷ λαὸν περιούσιον, ζηλωτὴν καλῶν ἔργων.

Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all lawlessness and cleanse for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.

Voluntary Sacrifice and Purpose Clauses ὃς ἔδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν – “who gave himself for us.” The relative pronoun ὃς refers to Jesus Christ. ἔδωκεν is the aorist active indicative of δίδωμι, a deliberate past act. The reflexive pronoun ἑαυτὸν (“himself”) stresses voluntary self-offering. The preposition ὑπὲρ with the genitive means “on behalf of” or “for the benefit of”—a standard expression of substitutionary action.… Learn Koine Greek
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Choked by Thorns: Fruitlessness in Mark 4:7

Posted on April 7, 2025 by Biblical Greek
καὶ ἄλλο ἔπεσεν εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας, καὶ ἀνέβησαν αἱ ἄκανθαι καὶ συνέπνιξαν αὐτό, καὶ καρπὸν οὐκ ἔδωκεν

Mark 4:7 continues the Parable of the Sower, presenting a scene of slow suffocation. Unlike the seed on the path or rocky ground, this one begins well—but is gradually overtaken. The Greek reveals a tragic progression: the seed falls, the thorns rise, and the potential is snuffed out. The structure builds a picture of fruitless promise, overtaken by competing forces.

Grammatical Foundations

ἄλλο ἔπεσεν—“another (seed) fell”—continues the narrative rhythm of the parable. The neuter singular ἄλλο refers back to the sown seed. The verb ἔπεσεν (aorist active indicative) marks a completed action.… Learn Koine Greek

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