New Testament Greek

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

Matthew 23:7 is part of Jesus’ powerful denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees — a chapter known for its “woes.” In the opening verses, Jesus exposes the gap between their public religious performance and their private hypocrisy. Verse 7 continues the list of behaviors that reveal their desire for prominence, focusing here on how they seek recognition both socially and religiously. The syntax is deceptively simple but rich with theological irony.

καὶ τοὺς ἀσπασμοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἀγοραῖς καὶ καλεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ῥαββὶ ῥαββί.

This verse consists of two parallel desires: (1) τοὺς ἀσπασμοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἀγοραῖς — “the greetings in the marketplaces” and (2) καλεῖσθαι…ῥαββὶ ῥαββί — “to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’”… Learn Koine Greek