Greek Grammar Lesson from Luke 21:2

Posted on February 21, 2021 by New Testament Greek
Εἶδε δέ τινα χήραν πενιχρὰν βάλλουσαν ἐκεῖ λεπτὰ δύο, (Luke 21:2) Focus Topic: Object-Complement Structure and Present Participle in Action Description

This short narrative clause captures an act of humble generosity using a combination of accusative objects and a participle of simultaneous action. The grammar tightly links identity, character, and activity through elegant syntax.

Main Verb: εἶδε

εἶδε is aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular, from ὁράω (“he saw”). It introduces the entire observation — Jesus sees a specific person doing a specific act.

Accusative Direct Object: τινα χήραν πενιχράν

This phrase serves as the object of the verb εἶδε (“he saw”):

Phrase Form Translation τινα Accusative feminine singular of τις (indefinite) “a certain” χήραν πενιχράν Noun + adjective in accusative “poor widow”

The word order places πενιχράν (“poor”) after the noun for emphasis — this widow is identified not just by status but by her poverty.… Learn Koine Greek

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Obedience in Motion: Aorist Participles and Coordinated Verbs in Matthew’s Return Narrative

Posted on February 18, 2021 by New Testament Greek
Ὁ δὲ ἐγερθεὶς παρέλαβεν τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς γῆν Ἰσραήλ. (Matthew 2:21) The Journey Home from Egypt

In Matthew 2:21, we read Joseph’s obedient response to God’s instruction through an angelic dream. The Greek structure reflects decisive obedience, conveyed through aorist forms that move swiftly and intentionally. This verse is a model of syntactic clarity and narrative momentum, driven by sequential actions in past time.

Let’s explore how the Greek grammar emphasizes faithful responsiveness.

1. Aorist Passive Participle: ὁ δὲ ἐγερθείς ὁ δὲ ἐγερθείς – “but the one having arisen” ἐγερθείς – Aorist Passive Participle, Nominative Masculine Singular of ἐγείρω, “to rise,” “to get up”

This participle functions circumstantially, indicating the first action Joseph took in response to divine instruction.… Learn Koine Greek

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Grace That Trains: Living Wisely in the Present Age — Titus 2:12

Posted on February 12, 2021 by New Testament Greek
Παιδεύουσα ἡμᾶς ἵνα ἀρνησάμενοι τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ τὰς κοσμικὰς ἐπιθυμίας σωφρόνως καὶ δικαίως καὶ εὐσεβῶς ζήσωμεν ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι,

This verse from Titus 2:12 continues Paul’s description of the grace of God (v. 11) and reveals that grace is not merely forgiving, but formative. Grace “trains” believers to renounce what is corrupt and to pursue a distinctly godly lifestyle in the present age. The Greek structure is highly instructive and rhythmically arranged for both doctrine and ethical application.

Grammatical Foundations

παιδεύουσα ἡμᾶς—“training us”

παιδεύουσα—present active participle, nominative feminine singular from παιδεύω, agreeing with χάρις (grace) in v. 11; means “teaching,” “instructing,” or “disciplining.”… Learn Koine Greek
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When the Teacher Becomes the Lesson: Participles, Rhetorical Questions, and Hypocrisy

Posted on February 1, 2021 by New Testament Greek
Ὁ οὖν διδάσκων ἕτερον σεαυτὸν οὐ διδάσκεις; ὁ κηρύσσων μὴ κλέπτειν κλέπτεις; (Romans 2:21) Paul’s Piercing Mirror: The Irony of Instruction

In Romans 2:21, Paul turns the rhetorical spotlight on those who pride themselves in religious teaching. With devastating irony, he calls out the hypocrisy of moral instruction divorced from personal integrity. The grammar here is precise and biting. Two articular participles, balanced clauses, and rhetorical questions craft a powerful challenge: Do you teach yourself? Do you steal?

In this article, we’ll explore how Greek participle constructions and the structure of rhetorical questions help Paul expose hypocrisy, both grammatically and spiritually.… Learn Koine Greek

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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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