Grammatical Dissection: A Prohibition and Its Antidote

Μηδὲν κατὰ ἐριθείαν ἢ κενοδοξίαν, ἀλλὰ τῇ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ ἀλλήλους ἡγούμενοι ὑπερέχοντας ἑαυτῶν (Philippians 2:3)

Do nothing from selfish ambition or vain glory, but in humility considering one another as surpassing yourselves.

Negative Exhortation: μηδὲν κατὰ ἐριθείαν ἢ κενοδοξίαν μηδὲν: Accusative singular neuter of μηδείς, functioning adverbially — “nothing.” This modifies the understood verb (from v.2), likely “do” or “think.” κατὰ: Preposition with accusative — “according to,” expressing motivation or manner. ἐριθείαν: Accusative singular feminine — “selfish ambition,” “factiousness,” often connoting rivalry or party spirit. ἢ: Disjunctive conjunction — “or.” κενοδοξίαν: Accusative singular feminine — “vain glory,” “empty pride,” combining κενός (“empty”) and δόξα (“glory”).… Learn Koine Greek
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Greek Grammar Lesson from Philippians 2:25

Ἀναγκαῖον δὲ ἡγησάμην Ἐπαφρόδιτον τὸν ἀδελφὸν καὶ συνεργὸν καὶ συστρατιώτην μου, ὑμῶν δὲ ἀπόστολον καὶ λειτουργὸν τῆς χρείας μου, πέμψαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς, (Philippians 2:25)

But I considered it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you—my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need.

Double Accusative with Infinitive of Intent

This verse provides a rich example of Greek syntax involving a double accusative construction with a complementary infinitive, along with appositional phrases and possessive genitives. The grammar reflects Paul’s personal affection and theological appreciation for Epaphroditus.

Main Verb: ἡγησάμην

ἡγησάμην is aorist middle indicative, 1st person singular, from ἡγέομαι (“I consider, I regard”).… Learn Koine Greek

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Crossing Sea and Land for Judgment: Classical and Koine Grammar in Matthew 23:15

Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταί, ὅτι περιάγετε τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ τὴν ξηρὰν ποιῆσαι ἕνα προσήλυτον, καὶ ὅταν γένηται, ποιεῖτε αὐτὸν υἱὸν γεέννης διπλότερον ὑμῶν.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you go around sea and dry land to make one proselyte, and when he becomes so, you make him a son of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves. (Matthew 23:15)

1. Key Grammatical Features in Koine Greek Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν: Interjection Οὐαὶ (“woe”) followed by dative plural pronoun ὑμῖν (“to you”). A prophetic denunciation formula preserved from Hebrew usage, with the dative marking the recipient of the woe. γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταί: Appositional vocatives; γραμματεῖς and Φαρισαῖοι are modified by ὑποκριταί (“hypocrites”).… Learn Koine Greek
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She Happened Upon It: Lexical Irony and the Grammar of Divine Providence

Καὶ ἐπορεύθη καὶ συνέλεξεν ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ κατόπισθεν τῶν θεριζόντων καὶ περιέπεσεν περιπτώματι τῇ μερίδι τοῦ ἀγροῦ Βοος τοῦ ἐκ συγγενείας Αβιμελεχ (Ruth 2:3 LXX) Introduction: A Grammatical “Coincidence”

Ruth 2:3 in the Septuagint masterfully describes what appears to be a chance event — Ruth ending up in Boaz’s field — with language that grammatically suggests randomness but theologically signals providence. The key lies in the lexical choice of περιέπεσεν περιπτώματι and the carefully structured dative expressions that frame divine orchestration through ordinary grammar.

Καὶ ἐπορεύθη καὶ συνέλεξεν ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ — Routine Action, Routinized Syntax Two Aorist Indicatives: ἐπορεύθη: aorist passive (deponent) indicative, 3rd person singular of πορεύομαι — “she went” συνέλεξεν: aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular of συλλέγω — “she gathered”

The combination is mundane: Ruth went and gathered — simple actions of gleaning.… Learn Koine Greek

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We Found This Man: Participles of Accusation in the Trial of Jesus

Ἤρξαντο δὲ κατηγορεῖν αὐτοῦ λέγοντες· τοῦτον εὕρομεν διαστρέφοντα τὸ ἔθνος καὶ κωλύοντα Καίσαρι φόρους διδόναι, λέγοντα ἑαυτὸν Χριστὸν βασιλέα εἶναι. (Luke 23:2) The Opening Accusation: Legal Framing and Participial Precision

Luke 23:2 presents the fabricated charges brought against Jesus before Pontius Pilate. The religious leaders transition from theological opposition to political accusation. Their language is carefully crafted to stir Roman concern. But in the Greek, Luke lays bare the structure of the lie: a series of accusatory participles anchored to the verb εὕρομεν (“we found”). The grammar reveals how layered, methodical, and falsely legal the attack truly is.

Initiating the Charge: ἤρξαντο δὲ κατηγορεῖν αὐτοῦ λέγοντες

ἤρξαντο… κατηγορεῖν “And they began to accuse him”

ἤρξαντο is the aorist middle indicative, 3rd person plural of ἄρχομαι — “they began.”… Learn Koine Greek
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Then He Spoke: Aorist and Dative Direction in Matthew 23:1

Τότε ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐλάλησε τοῖς ὄχλοις καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ — Matthew 23:1

The Moment Before the Rebuke

Matthew 23 begins with a formal and significant transition. The use of Τότε (“then”) marks a shift in narrative time and tone, preparing the audience for one of Jesus’ most scathing critiques—his denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees. This short verse is grammatically simple but theologically loaded. The grammar establishes a formal speech moment in which the audience is defined and the action is definitive.

ἐλάλησε: Aorist Declarative Action

The main verb ἐλάλησε (“he spoke”) is in the aorist active indicative, conveying a completed, past action.… Learn Koine Greek

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Nouns in New Testament Greek

1. Definition and Function

Definition of a Noun: A noun (ὄνομα) is a word that identifies a person, place, thing, or idea.

Functions of Nouns in a Sentence: Nouns can serve multiple roles, such as:

Subject: The main actor in a sentence.

Direct Object: The recipient of the action.

Indirect Object: Indicates to whom or for whom the action is done.

 

2. Gender of Nouns

Nouns in NT Greek are classified as masculine, feminine, or neuter. This affects agreement with articles and adjectives.

Masculine: Generally denotes male beings.

Example: ἀνήρ (“man”) in John 1:6.

Feminine: Typically denotes female beings.

Example: γυναῖκα (“woman”) in Luke 8:2.… Learn Koine Greek

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What Is Man? Interrogatives and Subjunctives in Hebrews 2:6

διεμαρτύρατο δὲ πού τις λέγων· τί ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος ὅτι μιμνήσκῃ αὐτοῦ, ἢ υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ὅτι ἐπισκέπτῃ αὐτόν; (Hebrews 2:6) The Echo of Wonder in Precise Greek Form

In Hebrews 2:6, the author introduces a citation that carries both literary reverence and theological astonishment. The syntax is shaped by two rhetorical questions—quoted from Psalm 8—that explore the mystery of God’s mindfulness toward humanity. But this verse is not merely poetic; it is constructed with linguistic precision that frames divine condescension in Koine Greek elegance.

This article explores:

The impersonal introduction διεμαρτύρατο δὲ πού τις λέγων The use of interrogative particles τί and conjunction ὅτι in embedded questions The significance of the subjunctive verbs μιμνήσκῃ and ἐπισκέπτῃ διεμαρτύρατο δὲ πού τις λέγων – A Formal but Vague Citation

The phrase διεμαρτύρατο δὲ πού τις λέγων introduces the quotation.… Learn Koine Greek

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“What Then Shall I Do?”: Greek Grammar and the Question of Kingship

In Mark 15:12, Pilate confronts the crowd with a haunting question that reverberates through the Passion narrative. The verse — ὁ δὲ Πιλᾶτος ἀποκριθεὶς πάλιν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· τί οὖν θέλετε ποιήσω ὃν λέγετε τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων; — employs aorist participles, interrogative pronouns, and layered direct discourse. The grammar sharpens the rhetorical edge of the question: what do you want me to do with the one you call “King of the Jews”?

The Greek Text in Focus

ὁ δὲ Πιλᾶτος ἀποκριθεὶς πάλιν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· τί οὖν θέλετε ποιήσω ὃν λέγετε τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων; (Mark 15:12)

“And Pilate again answered and said to them, ‘What then do you want me to do with the one you call the King of the Jews?’”… Learn Koine Greek

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Greek Grammatical and Syntactic Analysis of 2 John 1:11

ὁ γὰρ λέγων αὐτῷ χαίρειν κοινωνεῖ τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ τοῖς πονηροῖς. Definite Article and Articular Participle: ὁ λέγων

– ὁ λέγων: nominative masculine singular articular present active participle of λέγω, meaning “the one who says” or “he who says”

The article ὁ with the participle λέγων forms a substantival participial phrase, functioning as the subject of the main verb κοινωνεῖ. This construction allows the participle to stand on its own as a noun phrase.

γάρ as a Coordinating Conjunction

– γάρ: explanatory coordinating conjunction, “for” or “because”

It introduces the reason for the preceding command (i.e., not to greet or receive someone who does not bring the true doctrine).… Learn Koine Greek

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