Memory and Moral Imperative: The Imperative of Recollection in Deuteronomy 24:9

Μνήσθητι ὅσα ἐποίησεν Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου τῇ Μαριαμ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ἐκπορευομένων ὑμῶν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου (Deuteronomy 24:9)

Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam on the way, when you were coming out of Egypt.

We turn now to the wilderness road, where memory is not merely a faculty of the mind but a covenantal obligation. In this verse from Deuteronomy, uttered in the final discourse of Moses, we encounter a command that binds divine action to human recollection. It is a summons to remember, and through that remembrance, to learn.

This verse issues a directive that intertwines theological history with ethical formation.… Learn Koine Greek

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If You Can Believe: Conditional Syntax and the Power of Faith in Mark 9:23

Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· τὸ εἰ δύνασαι πιστεῦσαι, πάντα δυνατὰ τῷ πιστεύοντι. (Mark 9:23)

And Jesus said to him: “If you are able to believe, all things are possible for the one who believes.”

The Conditional That Shifts the World

In Mark 9:23, Jesus responds to a father’s desperate plea with a phrase that balances on a grammatical edge: τὸ εἰ δύνασαι πιστεῦσαι. The ambiguity here—intensified by the abrupt syntax and word placement—has sparked centuries of discussion. Is Jesus quoting the father’s doubtful words with irony, or offering a conditional statement full of promise? The answer lies in the Greek structure.… Learn Koine Greek

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Laid at the Apostles’ Feet: Generosity in Acts 4:37

Ὑπάρχοντος αὐτῷ ἀγροῦ, πωλήσας ἤνεγκε τὸ χρῆμα καὶ ἔθηκε παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων (Acts 4:37)

Since he owned a field, having sold it, he brought the money and laid it at the feet of the apostles.

ὑπάρχοντος αὐτῷ ἀγροῦ: Possession Stated

This participial phrase sets up the background for the action:

– ὑπάρχοντος is the present active participle, genitive masculine singular of ὑπάρχω, meaning “to exist” or “to belong.” – αὐτῷ — dative singular pronoun, “to him.” – ἀγροῦ — genitive singular of ἀγρός, “field.”

Grammatically, this is a genitive absolute construction: “Since a field was belonging to him” or “While he possessed a field.”… Learn Koine Greek

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The King Who Saw—and Yet Did Not See: A Study in Vision and Desire

In the shadowed drama of Jesus’ trial before Pilate and Herod, Luke 23:8 offers a moment both fleeting and revealing. Here, we find Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee, encountering Jesus for the first time. The verse records not just an act of seeing, but a complex interplay of expectation, longing, and narrative irony.

ὁ δὲ Ἡρῴδης ἰδὼν τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐχάρη λίαν· ἦν γὰρ ἐξ ἱκανοῦ θέλων ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν διὰ τὸ ἀκούειν αὐτὸν πολλὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἤλπιζέ τι σημεῖον ἰδεῖν ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ γινόμενον.

This single sentence pulses with grammatical richness—particularly in its use of participles and infinitives that layer meaning onto the act of seeing and desiring.… Learn Koine Greek

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Doctrinal Divide: Resurrection and Angels in Acts 23:8

Σαδδουκαῖοι μὲν γὰρ λέγουσι μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν μήτε ἄγγελον μήτε πνεῦμα, Φαρισαῖοι δὲ ὁμολογοῦσι τὰ ἀμφότερα. (Acts 23:8)

Acts 23:8 provides a succinct summary of the theological differences between the Sadducees and the Pharisees—one of the most significant internal divisions within first-century Judaism. Paul, aware of this division, strategically references the resurrection in verse 6 to cause division among his accusers. The Greek text here is compact and balanced, using a μὲν…δὲ construction to contrast belief systems.

Grammatical Foundations

Σαδδουκαῖοι μὲν γὰρ λέγουσι μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν μήτε ἄγγελον μήτε πνεῦμα—“For the Sadducees say there is neither a resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit.”… Learn Koine Greek

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At Daybreak in the Temple: Aorist Motion and Teaching Presence in John 8:2

Ὄρθρου δὲ πάλιν παρεγένετο εἰς τὸ ἱερόν, καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἤρχετο πρὸς αὐτόν· καὶ καθίσας ἐδίδασκεν αὐτούς. (John 8:2) Morning Ministry: Narrative Setting and Sacred Habit

John 8:2 situates Jesus at the heart of temple life, returning at daybreak to teach the gathered crowd. This verse uses a series of aorist and imperfect verbs to describe movement, crowd response, and Jesus’ instructional action, all shaped around a temporal marker (ὄρθρου) and a participial clause. The result is a calm yet compelling picture of the daily rhythm of the Word-made-flesh dwelling among the people.

Temporal and Locative Framing: ὄρθρου… παρεγένετο εἰς τὸ ἱερόν

ὄρθρου δὲ πάλιν παρεγένετο εἰς τὸ ἱερόν “And at dawn again he came into the temple”

ὄρθρου is a genitive of time — “at daybreak,” emphasizing the early hour.… Learn Koine Greek
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No More Curse: A Greek Look at Revelation 22:3

Καὶ πᾶν κατάθεμα οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι· καὶ ὁ θρόνος τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἀρνίου ἐν αὐτῇ ἔσται, καὶ οἱ δοῦλοι αὐτοῦ λατρεύσουσιν αὐτῷ (Revelation 22:3)

And there will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in her, and his servants will worship him.

The End of the Curse πᾶν κατάθεμα οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι – “There will no longer be any curse.” The neuter πᾶν (every, all) and the noun κατάθεμα (curse, accursed thing) together refer to the complete removal of anything under divine condemnation. The verb ἔσται (future of εἰμί) with the negative οὐκ and temporal adverb ἔτι (“no longer”) declares the final abolition of the Fall’s effects (cf.… Learn Koine Greek
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To Be Seen: Infinitive Purpose and Public Display in Matthew 23:5

Πάντα δὲ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν ποιοῦσι πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, πλατύνουσι γὰρ τὰ φυλακτήρια αὐτῶν καὶ μεγαλύνουσι τὰ κράσπεδα τῶν ἰματίων αὐτῶν, (Matthew 23:5) Doing Religion to Be Watched

Matthew 23:5 comes from Jesus’ rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees for their performative religiosity. The verse is a grammatical snapshot of ostentatious piety: they do works not for God, but πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις — “to be seen by men.”

Jesus exposes their inner motives through Greek constructions, including:

– A purpose clause with the articular infinitive – Present active verbs expressing habitual, ongoing action – A revealing use of the accusative neuter plural to show totality – Object elaboration through accusative noun phrases with possessive pronouns

Let’s examine the grammar through a detailed table.… Learn Koine Greek

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Division in the Dialogue: Greek Grammar and the Ripple of a Word

This verse from the book of Acts captures the explosive outcome of a single statement. The grammar combines a genitive absolute, a narrative aorist, and passive voice to describe how one utterance caused theological chaos: τοῦτο δὲ αὐτοῦ λαλήσαντος ἐγένετο στάσις τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ τῶν Σαδδουκαίων, καὶ ἐσχίσθη τὸ πλῆθος from Acts 23:7. The syntax powerfully conveys how speech can fracture a crowd and incite ideological conflict.

The Greek Text in Focus

τοῦτο δὲ αὐτοῦ λαλήσαντος ἐγένετο στάσις τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ τῶν Σαδδουκαίων, καὶ ἐσχίσθη τὸ πλῆθος (Acts 23:7)

“And when he had said this, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the crowd was divided.”… Learn Koine Greek

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Keeping the Words: A Grammar Window into Revelation 22:7

Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἔρχομαι ταχύ. μακάριος ὁ τηρῶν τοὺς λόγους τῆς προφητείας τοῦ βιβλίου τούτου. (Revelation 22:7)

Modern Greek Pronunciation: kai idou érchomai tachý. makários o ti̱rṓn tous lógous ti̱s profi̱teías tou vivlíou toútou.

Literal English Translation: And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.

Koine Greek Structure Explained καὶ ἰδοὺ – Coordinating conjunction + interjection: “And behold!” (ἰδοὺ from ἰδέ, used for dramatic focus). ἔρχομαι – Present middle/passive indicative 1st singular from ἔρχομαι, “I am coming.” Expresses a near-future action with present vividness. ταχύ – adverb, “quickly, soon.” μακάριος – nominative masculine singular adjective, “blessed, happy.”… Learn Koine Greek
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