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Greek Lessons
- You Are the Light: Visibility and Vocation in Matthew 5:14
- Before the Law: The Logic of Sin in Romans 5:13
- The Optative Mood and Supplication: A Grammar of Hope in Luke 5:12
- Subjunctive Chains in Koine Greek: Coordinated Volition and Unfolding Persecution in Matthew 5:11
- Before the Judgment Seat: Greek Grammar in Eschatological Clarity
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Category
Greek Verbal Nuance, Syntax, and Semantic Tension in John 21:16
Λέγει αὐτῷ πάλιν δεύτερον· Σίμων Ἰωνᾶ, ἀγαπᾷς με; Λέγει αὐτῷ· ναί κύριε, σὺ οἶδας ὅτι φιλῶ σε. Λέγει αὐτῷ· ποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατά μου.
Introduction
John 21:16 is the second of three similar Study more .....
“ἵνα φάγωσιν οὗτοι”: Purpose Clause and Aorist Subjunctive in John 6:5
Introduction: Bread for the Multitude
John 6:5 introduces the setting for the feeding of the 5,000. Jesus looks up and sees the crowd approaching:
Ἐπάρας οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, καὶ θεασάμενος ὅτι πολὺς ὄχλος ἔρχεται Study more .....
“τοῦ Ἰωανάν, τοῦ Ῥησά…”: Patronymic Genitives and Ellipsis in Luke 3:27
Introduction: A Lineage Without Verbs
In Luke 3:23–38, the evangelist presents the genealogy of Jesus in reverse, going from Jesus all the way back to Adam. Each generation is presented in a minimalist formula:
τοῦ [Name] — “of [Name]”
Our focus here is on this segment:
τοῦ Ἰωανάν, Study more .....
When Three Men Appeared: Acts 11:11 in the Light of Classical Greek
Καὶ ἰδού, ἐξαυτῆς τρεῖς ἄνδρες ἐπέστησαν ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐν ᾗ ἤμην, ἀπεσταλμένοι ἀπὸ Καισαρείας πρός με.
And behold, immediately three men stood near the house in which I was, having been sent from Caesarea Study more .....
“ἐξετίθετο”: The Imperfect Middle of Reasoned Defense in Acts 11:4
Introduction: Unfolding the Account
Acts 11:4 says:
Ἀρξάμενος δὲ ὁ Πέτρος ἐξετίθετο αὐτοῖς καθεξῆς, λέγων·
“But Peter, having begun, began to explain to them in order, saying…”
The main verb here is ἐξετίθετο {exetítheto}, Study more .....
“Ἀρξάμενος… ἐξετίθετο”: Participial Introduction and Imperfect Exposition in Acts 11:4
Introduction: Peter Begins to Speak
Acts 11:4 sets the stage for Peter’s explanatory defense before the Jerusalem believers:
Ἀρξάμενος δὲ ὁ Πέτρος ἐξετίθετο αὐτοῖς καθεξῆς, λέγων·
“But Peter, having begun, explained to them in order, saying…”
This Study more .....
“οὐκ ἔλαβον μεθ’ ἑαυτῶν ἔλαιον”: Aorist Negation and Reflexive Emphasis in Matthew 25:3
Introduction: What They Failed to Bring
The final clause in this verse exposes the foolish virgins’ core mistake:
οὐκ ἔλαβον μεθ’ ἑαυτῶν ἔλαιον —
“they did not take oil with themselves.”
The verb ἔλαβον {elabon} is aorist active, and the phrase μεθ’ Study more .....
“λαβοῦσαι τὰς λαμπάδας αὐτῶν”: Aorist Participial Sequence in Matthew 25:3
Introduction: What They Took—And What They Didn’t
Matthew 25:3 reads:
Αἵτινες μωραὶ, λαβοῦσαι τὰς λαμπάδας αὐτῶν, οὐκ ἔλαβον μεθ’ ἑαυτῶν ἔλαιον.
“Those who were foolish, having taken their lamps, did not take oil with themselves.”
Here Study more .....
“Αἵτινες μωραὶ…”: Indefinite Relative Classification in Matthew 25:3
Introduction: Those Who Were Foolish
In Matthew 25:3, part of Jesus’ parable of the Ten Virgins, the foolish group is introduced with the phrase:
Αἵτινες μωραὶ, λαβοῦσαι τὰς λαμπάδας αὐτῶν, οὐκ ἔλαβον μεθ’ ἑαυτῶν ἔλαιον.
“Those Study more .....
“ἐγένετο” as Divine Narrative Marker: The Aorist Middle in John 2:1
Introduction: The Beginning of Signs
John 2:1 begins with an event introduction: “Καὶ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ γάμος ἐγένετο”—“And on the third day there was a wedding.” The seemingly ordinary statement hinges on the verb ἐγένετο {egeneto}, an aorist middle Study more .....
Greek Grammar Lesson from John 3:16
Verse in Greek
Οὕτω γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν κόσμον, ὥστε τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλ’ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον.
Focus Study more .....
Divine Intention and Participial Purpose in Matthew 3:13: A Greek Grammatical and Theological Analysis
Τότε παραγίνεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰορδάνην πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην τοῦ βαπτισθῆναι ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ.
Introduction
Matthew 3:13 introduces the solemn moment when ὁ Ἰησοῦς voluntarily Study more .....
Synonyms: Two Dimensions of Love: ἀγαπάω and φιλέω in the Greek New Testament
Few word pairs in the Greek New Testament have received as much theological and devotional attention as ἀγαπάω and φιλέω. Both are typically translated "to love," yet their nuances differ significantly. While these differences can sometimes overlap, especially in Koine Greek, their contextual Study more .....
Synonyms: Malice in the Heart: κακία and κακοήθεια in the Greek New Testament
Two Greek words—κακία and κακοήθεια—provide insight into the inner world of moral corruption in the New Testament. While both relate to evil or badness, their applications are distinct. κακία denotes general moral depravity or wickedness in character. κακοήθεια, however, Study more .....
Synonyms: From Cowardice to Reverence: δειλία, φόβος, and εὐλάβεια in the Greek New Testament
Fear in the New Testament is expressed through multiple Greek terms, each with unique connotations. The words δειλία, φόβος, and εὐλάβεια represent three distinct responses to danger, authority, or the divine: cowardice, terror or dread, and reverence. Their careful usage by biblical Study more .....
Synonyms: Servants in Function and Faith: θεράπων, δοῦλος, διάκονος, οἰκέτης, ὑπηρέτης in the Greek New Testament
The vocabulary of servanthood in the Greek New Testament is strikingly diverse. Rather than using a single term for “servant,” the Holy Spirit—through the inspired authors—employs a spectrum of words: θεράπων, δοῦλος, διάκονος, οἰκέτης, and ὑπηρέτης. These Study more .....
Synonyms: Truth in Essence and Truth in Reality: ἀληθής and ἀληθινός in the Greek New Testament
Ἀληθής and ἀληθινός are powerful and subtly distinct adjectives in the Greek New Testament. Though both are translated as “true,” their shades of meaning reveal significant theological depth, especially in the writings of John and the broader Hellenistic background.
In the Greek Study more .....
“γέγραπται” as Scriptural Formula: The Perfect Passive Indicative in Mark 1:2
Introduction: The Authority of What “Is Written”
In Mark 1:2, the evangelist introduces a prophetic quotation with the phrase Ὡς γέγραπται ἐν τοῖς προφήταις — “As it is written in the prophets.” The central verb γέγραπται {gegraptai}, from γράφω {graphō}, Study more .....
Synonyms: Justice and Correction in the Greek New Testament: τιμωρία and κόλασις
The Greek terms τιμωρία (timōria) and κόλασις (kolasis) are both associated with punishment, yet they diverge in motivation, context, and theological function in profound ways. While both τιμωρία and κόλασις are commonly translated as “punishment” in English, they carry Study more .....
Synonyms: True and False Divine Speech: προφητεύω and μαντεύομαι in the Greek New Testament
Among the various Greek terms for divine communication, προφητεύω and μαντεύομαι stand as a deliberate contrast between true prophetic revelation and false, pagan divination. Though both relate to utterances about the divine or the future, their sources, motives, and theological implications Study more .....
