Revelation 21:8 and the Greek of Judgment and Exclusion

Posted on August 21, 2021 by Classical Greek
Τοῖς δὲ δειλοῖς καὶ ἀπίστοις καὶ ἐβδελυγμένοις καὶ φονεῦσι καὶ πόρνοις καὶ φαρμακοῖς καὶ εἰδωλολάτραις καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ψευδέσι τὸ μέρος αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ τῇ καιομένῃ ἐν πυρὶ καὶ θείῳ, ὅ ἐστιν ὁ θάνατος ὁ δεύτερος. (Revelation 21:8)

But for the cowardly and the unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and the sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.

Cataloging Condemnation: The Structure of Exclusion τοῖς δὲ δειλοῖς καὶ ἀπίστοις καὶ ἐβδελυγμένοις… This verse begins with a dative plural list of those excluded from the New Jerusalem.… Learn Koine Greek
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Fear and Full Disclosure: Participles and Perfects in Mark 5:33

Posted on August 6, 2021 by New Testament Greek
Ἡ δὲ γυνὴ φοβηθεῖσα καὶ τρέμουσα, εἰδυῖα ὃ γέγονεν ἐπ’ αὐτῇ, ἦλθε καὶ προσέπεσεν αὐτῷ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ πᾶσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. (Mark 5:33)

But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell before him and told him the whole truth.

A Woman’s Confession Framed in Greek Precision

Mark 5:33 captures the pivotal moment when the woman healed by touching Jesus’ garment reveals herself. This verse is a cascade of participles, perfects, and finite verbs, narrating not only what she does but how she feels and what she knows. The Greek syntax is intensely personal, as it enfolds her inner state, her physical response, and her ultimate truth-telling into a single flowing structure.… Learn Koine Greek

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What Is Gain? Present Infinitives, Cognate Accusatives, and the Grammar of Loss and Glory

Posted on August 3, 2021 by New Testament Greek
Ἀλλὰ μενοῦνγε καὶ ἡγοῦμαι πάντα ζημίαν εἶναι διὰ τὸ ὑπερέχον τῆς γνώσεως Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ κυρίου μου, δι’ ὃν τὰ πάντα ἐζημιώθην, καὶ ἡγοῦμαι σκύβαλα εἶναι ἵνα Χριστὸν κερδήσω (Philippians 3:8)

But indeed I also consider all things to be loss because of the surpassing worth of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and I consider them rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.

Counting Loss to Gain Christ

In Philippians 3:8, Paul declares with emotional intensity and grammatical elegance that everything once considered valuable is now worthless trash — compared to knowing Christ.… Learn Koine Greek

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Recognizing the Nearness: The Kingdom at the Gates in Luke 21:31

Posted on July 31, 2021 by New Testament Greek

Luke 21:31 appears within Jesus’ “Olivet Discourse” — a prophetic and apocalyptic speech (Luke 21:5–36) where he foretells the destruction of the temple, coming tribulations, and cosmic signs. In the immediate context, Jesus has just given the parable of the fig tree (v. 29–30), illustrating that certain signs indicate the changing seasons. Verse 31 draws the theological conclusion: just as budding trees signal the approach of summer, so these unfolding events signal the imminent arrival of the kingdom of God.

Structural Analysis

οὕτω καὶ ὑμεῖς, ὅταν ἴδητε ταῦτα γινόμενα, γινώσκετε ὅτι ἐγγύς ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ.

The structure follows a clear “just as… so you…” comparison.… Learn Koine Greek

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Unity Without Burden: Apostolic Discernment and Gentile Boundaries in Acts 21:25

Posted on July 21, 2021 by New Testament Greek

This verse revisits the apostolic decree issued earlier at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15), reaffirming the instructions for Gentile believers amidst rising tensions in Judea. Paul is returning to Jerusalem where accusations swirl about his stance on Torah observance. The elders, seeking peace, reference the previous agreement: while Jewish believers may continue to observe the law, Gentile believers are not required to do so. This single sentence encapsulates both the theological maturity and political sensitivity of the early Church.

Structural Analysis

The structure unfolds in a cause-effect form:

περὶ δὲ τῶν πεπιστευκότων ἐθνῶν ἡμεῖς ἐπεστείλαμεν κρίναντες μηδὲν τοιοῦτον τηρεῖν αὐτοὺς εἰ μὴ φυλάσσεσθαι αὐτοὺς τό τε εἰδωλόθυτον καὶ τὸ αἷμα καὶ πνικτὸν καὶ πορνείαν

The main verb ἐπεστείλαμεν (“we wrote/commanded”) is qualified by κρίναντες (“having judged/decided”), which introduces the rationale.… Learn Koine Greek

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Declensions in Divine Imitation: The Grammar of Christlike Welcome in Romans 15:7

Posted on July 15, 2021 by New Testament Greek
Διὸ προσλαμβάνεσθε ἀλλήλους, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς προσελάβετο ἡμᾶς εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ. (Romans 15:7)

Therefore welcome one another, just as also the Messiah welcomed us, for the glory of God.

Why Declensions Matter Here

In this compact verse, Paul commands imitation—not in abstract terms but in grammatical precision. The morphosyntactic alignment of subject, object, and preposition in the verse reinforces the mutuality of Christian love and the theocentric purpose behind it. From the middle imperative to the articular subject, each declinable element contributes to the theology of inclusion.

Detailed Declension Breakdown Greek Word Morphology Case & Syntactic Role Notes ἀλλήλους Reciprocal pronoun, accusative plural masculine Direct object of προσλαμβάνεσθε Mutuality emphasized: “one another” highlights equality and inclusion ὁ Χριστός 2nd declension masculine nominative singular noun with article Subject of προσελάβετο Emphatic by placement and article: the Messiah himself is the model ἡμᾶς 1st person plural personal pronoun, accusative Object of προσελάβετο Refers to believers—those formerly excluded but now received δόξαν 3rd declension feminine accusative singular noun Object of preposition εἰς Denotes goal or result: the entire movement aims toward “glory” Θεοῦ 2nd declension masculine genitive singular noun Genitive of possession Defines whose glory: not man’s glory, but God’s Case Functions that Reflect Theological Logic

– The accusative ἀλλήλους reinforces mutual reception: both subject and object are the same collective body.… Learn Koine Greek

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No Word Powerless: The Future Tense and the Certainty of Divine Speech in Luke 1:37

Posted on July 13, 2021 by Greek Insights
Ὅτι οὐκ ἀδυνατήσει παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ πᾶν ῥῆμα. (Luke 1:37)

For nothing will be impossible with God.

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.… Learn Koine Greek

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The Self-Emptying: Greek Grammar in the Descent of Christ

Posted on July 2, 2021 by New Testament Greek

Philippians 2:7 stands at the center of the famous “Christ Hymn” (Philippians 2:6–11), portraying Jesus’ voluntary humility. The verse — ἀλλ’ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε μορφὴν δούλου λαβών, ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος — contains two aorist participles that unpack the main verb ἐκένωσε (“emptied himself”). The grammar intensifies the mystery: the eternal Son of God empties himself not by subtraction, but by taking — taking the form of a servant, becoming like us.

The Greek Text in Focus

ἀλλ’ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε μορφὴν δούλου λαβών, ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος (Philippians 2:7)

“But he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.”… Learn Koine Greek

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Legal Dominion and Human Life in Romans 7:1: Rhetorical Question and Juridical Syntax in Pauline Argument

Posted on July 1, 2021 by Biblical Greek
Ἢ ἀγνοεῖτε, ἀδελφοί· γινώσκουσι γὰρ νόμον λαλῶ· ὅτι ὁ νόμος κυριεύει τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐφ’ ὅσον χρόνον ζῇ; (Romans 7:1)

Or do you not know, brothers: I am speaking to those who know the law, that the law rules over a person as long as he lives?

Disjunctive Introduction and Rhetorical Provocation: Ἢ ἀγνοεῖτε, ἀδελφοί; Ἢ: Disjunctive particle—”Or.” Used to introduce a rhetorical question that assumes a negative answer or challenges the audience’s knowledge. Functions as a transition from the previous argument in Romans 6. ἀγνοεῖτε: Present active indicative, 2nd person plural of ἀγνοέω, “do you not know?” Implies the information is assumed to be known, inviting reflection.… Learn Koine Greek
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Crasis in New Testament Greek

Posted on June 29, 2021 by New Testament Greek
Definition of Crasis

Crasis (Greek: κρᾶσις) is a linguistic phenomenon in Greek where two adjacent words, especially when one ends in a vowel and the next begins with a vowel, combine to form a single word. The term itself means “mixing” or “blending,” which captures the essence of this contraction process. Crasis primarily occurs to simplify pronunciation, creating a smoother flow of speech by avoiding the need to articulate two consecutive vowel sounds. In New Testament Greek, crasis is most commonly seen with the conjunction καὶ (“and”) blending with pronouns, articles, or particles that begin with vowels.

Function and Importance in New Testament Greek

The presence of crasis in New Testament Greek helps to streamline phrases, making them easier to say and, in some cases, more efficient to write.… Learn Koine Greek

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