In the Beginning Was the Verb: A Deep Dive into John 1:1c

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Advanced Greek Grammar
καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος.

Let us begin with a phrase that has echoed through centuries of theological discourse, a sentence that is deceptively simple in form yet astonishingly rich in grammatical nuance and doctrinal weight:

> John 1:1c: καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος.

This final clause of the prologue to the Gospel of John—“and the Word was God”—has been at the heart of Christological debates since antiquity. Yet beneath its surface lies a grammatical structure that is both subtle and instructive: the subject-predicate nominative construction with the verb ἦν, the imperfect tense of εἰμί (“to be”).

In this lesson, we will explore how the syntax of this clause functions within the broader framework of Koine Greek grammar, especially focusing on the predicative use of the nominative case without the article, and what this reveals about the identity of the λόγος (Word) as presented by the evangelist.… Learn Koine Greek

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Greek Grammar Lesson from 2 Peter 1:21

Posted on January 1, 2021 by New Testament Greek
Οὐ γὰρ θελήματι ἀνθρώπου ἠνέχθη ποτὲ προφητεία, ἀλλ’ ὑπὸ Πνεύματος ἁγίου φερόμενοι ἐλάλησαν ἅγιοι Θεοῦ ἄνθρωποι. (2 Peter 1:21) Focus Topic: Passive Voice and Dative of Agency vs. ὑπό + Genitive

This verse contrasts human will with divine agency using distinct grammatical structures. It provides a compelling example of passive voice, prepositional agency, and subject placement to support theological claims about prophecy’s origin.

Passive Verb: ἠνέχθη

ἠνέχθη is the aorist passive indicative, 3rd person singular of φέρω (“to bring, carry, bear”). Here it means “was brought forth” or “was made.” This passive construction shows that prophecy did not originate by its own effort or human cause.… Learn Koine Greek

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Tracing Grammatical Evolution from Koine to Modern Greek in Luke 16:1

Posted on December 16, 2020 by Νέα Ελληνικά

Among the more linguistically layered passages in the New Testament, Luke 16:1 provides an excellent point of comparison for the grammatical and lexical trajectories that have shaped the Greek language over time. The verse introduces the Parable of the Unjust Steward and, in doing so, encapsulates several hallmark features of Koine syntax—particularly participial construction, aspectual nuance, and case usage. When placed beside its Modern Greek rendering, this single verse quietly narrates centuries of linguistic refinement.

Koine Greek: Ἔλεγε δὲ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητάς αὐτοῦ· Ἄνθρωπός τις ἦν πλούσιος, ὃς εἶχεν οἰκονόμον, καὶ οὗτος διεβλήθη αὐτῷ ὡς διασκορπίζων τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ.

Modern Greek: Και είπε και προς τους μαθητές του: Κάποιος άνθρωπος ήταν πλούσιος και είχε έναν διαχειριστή, και αυτός κατηγορήθηκε μπροστά του ότι σπαταλούσε την περιουσία του.… Learn Koine Greek

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Comparative Greek Analysis: Hebrews 12:2 in Koine vs. Classical Greek

Posted on December 2, 2020 by Classical Greek
Ἀφορῶντες εἰς τὸν τῆς πίστεως ἀρχηγὸν καὶ τελειωτὴν Ἰησοῦν, ὃς ἀντὶ τῆς προκειμένης αὐτῷ χαρᾶς ὑπέμεινε σταυρὸν, αἰσχύνης καταφρονήσας, ἐν δεξιᾷ τε τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ Θεοῦ κεκάθικεν. (Hebrews 12:2)

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who, for the joy set before him, endured the cross, having despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Grammar and Syntax Analysis (Koine Greek) ἀφορῶντες εἰς – Present active participle, nominative masculine plural, from ἀφοράω (“to look away to,” “to fix one’s gaze upon”). A uniquely Koine construction—Classical Greek prefers βλέπω or ὁρῶ for “look.”… Learn Koine Greek
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The Vanishing Cosmos: A Greek Look at Revelation 20:11

Posted on November 20, 2020 by New Testament Greek
Καὶ εἶδον θρόνον μέγαν λευκὸν καὶ τὸν καθήμενον ἐπ’ αὐτῷ, οὗ ἀπὸ προσώπου ἔφυγεν ἡ γῆ καὶ ὁ οὐρανός, καὶ τόπος οὐχ εὑρέθη αὐτοῖς. (Revelation 20:11)

And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it; from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.

The Vision of the Throne

Καὶ εἶδον θρόνον μέγαν λευκόν – “And I saw a great white throne.”

εἶδον – aorist active of ὁράω, “I saw.” Typical of apocalyptic narrative, introducing a new visionary scene. θρόνον μέγαν λευκόν – “a great white throne.” μέγας (great) refers to majesty and authority; λευκός (white) symbolizes purity, righteousness, or holiness.… Learn Koine Greek
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From Middle to Passive: The Evolution of Reception in 1 Corinthians 16:11

Posted on November 16, 2020 by Νέα Ελληνικά

This article explores the rich grammatical texture of a passage from the New Testament — specifically 1 Corinthians 16:11. We examine how the verb ἐκδέχομαι, a middle-voice verb in Koine Greek, conveys agency and personal involvement — and how its evolution into Modern Greek reveals shifts in voice, syntax, and relational nuance.

Μὴ τις οὖν αὐτὸν ἐξουθενήσῃ· προπέμψατε δὲ αὐτὸν ἐν εἰρήνῃ, ἵνα ἔλθῃ πρός με· ἐκδέχομαι γὰρ αὐτὸν μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν. (1 Corinthians 16:11)

Therefore let no one despise him; but send him on his way in peace, so that he may come to me; for I am expecting him with the brothers.… Learn Koine Greek

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Missionary Initiative and Grammatical Identity in Acts 11:20: Syntax and Semantic Range in the Expansion of the Gospel

Posted on November 1, 2020 by New Testament Greek
Ἦσαν δέ τινες ἐξ αὐτῶν ἄνδρες Κύπριοι καὶ Κυρηναῖοι, οἵτινες εἰσελθόντες εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν, ἐλάλουν πρὸς τοὺς Ἑλληνιστάς, εὐαγγελιζόμενοι τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν. Introduction

Acts 11:20 marks a decisive moment in the development of early Christian mission, describing the geographical and linguistic outreach beyond Judea. Grammatically, it contains significant constructions: periphrastic participles, prepositional phrases with directional focus, and a key debated noun—Ἑλληνιστάς. Each component of the Greek informs both the theology and the literary style of Luke’s narrative.

Verbal Core and Periphrastic Structure: Ἦσαν … ἐλάλουν

– Ἦσαν: Imperfect active indicative, 3rd person plural of εἰμί, meaning “they were.” – This sets the background as continuous past action.… Learn Koine Greek

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Disentangling the Genitive Absolute: Temporal and Circumstantial Framing in Koine Greek

Posted on October 27, 2020 by New Testament Greek
Πρωΐας δὲ γενομένης, συμβούλιον ἔλαβον πάντες οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ λαοῦ κατὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ὥστε θανατῶσαι αὐτόν· (Matthew 27:1)

Now when morning had come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus in order to put Him to death.

What Is the Genitive Absolute?

The genitive absolute is a syntactic construction in Greek where a noun or pronoun and a participle, both in the genitive case, form a clause that is grammatically disconnected from the main clause of the sentence. It typically serves to:

– Indicate time (“when”) – Indicate cause (“since” or “because”) – Indicate condition (“if”) – Indicate concession (“although”)

This construction is “absolute” because the subject of the participle is not the subject of the main verb.… Learn Koine Greek

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When Declensions Seal the Door: Grammatical Revelation in Matthew 25:10

Posted on October 25, 2020 by New Testament Greek
Ἀπερχομένων δὲ αὐτῶν ἀγοράσαι ἦλθεν ὁ νυμφίος, καὶ αἱ ἕτοιμοι εἰσῆλθον μετ’ αὐτοῦ εἰς τοὺς γάμους, καὶ ἐκλείσθη ἡ θύρα. (Matthew 25:10)

Now while they were going away to buy, the bridegroom came, and the ready ones went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut.

Unpacking the Declined Forms

This powerful verse in the Parable of the Ten Virgins pivots on carefully declined words: articles, nouns, and participles that deepen the narrative with precision and tension. Let’s explore their morphology, syntax, and spiritual weight.

Case-by-Case Insight Greek Word Form & Morphology Case & Function Notes ἀπερχομένων Genitive plural masculine present middle/passive participle of ἀπέρχομαι Genitive absolute Used with αὐτῶν to form a genitive absolute clause: “while they were going away” αὐτῶν Genitive plural masculine personal pronoun Genitive absolute (subject) Refers to the foolish virgins; governs the participle ὁ νυμφίος 2nd declension masculine nominative singular noun with article Subject of ἦλθεν The bridegroom enters the scene at the critical moment αἱ ἕτοιμοι 1st declension feminine nominative plural adjective with article Subject of εἰσῆλθον “The ready ones”—emphatic through article + adjective construction μετ’ αὐτοῦ μετά + genitive pronoun Genitive of accompaniment They go in “with him”—refers to the bridegroom εἰς τοὺς γάμους Preposition + accusative plural masculine noun with article Accusative of motion toward Literal and eschatological: “into the wedding feast” ἡ θύρα 1st declension feminine nominative singular noun with article Subject of passive verb ἐκλείσθη The door becomes its own actor—passively closed Articular Emphasis: Articles That Speak

– ὁ νυμφίος: The definite article stresses identity—this is the bridegroom, not a generic figure.… Learn Koine Greek

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When He Comes in Glory: Glorification and Amazement in 2 Thessalonians 1:10

Posted on October 1, 2020 by New Testament Greek
Ὅταν ἔλθῃ ἐνδοξασθῆναι ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ καὶ θαυμασθῆναι ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς πιστεύσασιν, ὅτι ἐπιστεύθη τὸ μαρτύριον ἡμῶν ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς, ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ.

This rich eschatological sentence from 2 Thessalonians 1:10 paints the day of the Lord’s return in stunning theological and grammatical detail. The Greek sets the moment in future expectation, marking a time when Jesus will be glorified among the saints and marveled at by believers. The structure balances temporal anticipation, passive voice theology, and a reminder of the reliability of the apostolic witness.

Grammatical Foundations

The main temporal clause begins with ὅταν ἔλθῃ—“when he comes.” ὅταν introduces a future-looking time clause and governs the aorist subjunctive ἔλθῃ (from ἔρχομαι, 3rd person singular): “whenever he comes.”… Learn Koine Greek

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