New Testament Greek

Introduction: Unfolding the Account

Acts 11:4 says:

Ἀρξάμενος δὲ ὁ Πέτρος ἐξετίθετο αὐτοῖς καθεξῆς, λέγων· “But Peter, having begun, began to explain to them in order, saying…”

The main verb here is ἐξετίθετο {exetítheto}, from ἐκτίθημι {ektíthēmi}, meaning “to set forth, to explain, to lay out systematically.” The imperfect middle indicative form is rich with nuance, portraying continuous, personal, and deliberate exposition. Luke employs this verb in settings that involve careful explanation, reasoned defense, or theological instruction.

Morphological and Semantic Breakdown ἐξετίθετο {exetítheto} – Root: ἐκτίθημι {ektíthēmi}; Form: imperfect middle indicative, 3rd person singular; Tense: imperfect (past, ongoing action); Voice: middle (emphasizes the subject’s engagement in the act); Mood: indicative (factual); Translation: “he was explaining,” “he laid out.”… Learn Koine Greek

Introduction: Peter Begins to Speak

Acts 11:4 sets the stage for Peter’s explanatory defense before the Jerusalem believers:

Ἀρξάμενος δὲ ὁ Πέτρος ἐξετίθετο αὐτοῖς καθεξῆς, λέγων·

“But Peter, having begun, explained to them in order, saying…”

This combination of aorist participle + imperfect main verb is a standard literary pattern in narrative Greek. It expresses sequential action with subtle nuances: the participle marks the entry point, the imperfect expresses progressive or durative exposition, and καθεξῆς (“in order”) gives us the rhetorical style of what follows.

Ἀρξάμενος δὲ ὁ Πέτρος ἐξετίθετο αὐτοῖς καθεξῆς, λέγων·

“And Peter, having begun, began to explain to them in order, saying…”

Here, we’ll examine the aorist middle participle ἀρξάμενος and how it works with the imperfect middle verb ἐξετίθετο, along with the adverb καθεξῆς.… Learn Koine Greek