New Testament Greek

Surpassing Righteousness: Grammar and Warning in Matthew 5:20

Posted on May 20, 2025 by Νέα Ελληνικά

Λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ περισσεύσῃ ἡ δικαιοσύνη ὑμῶν πλεῖον τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. (Matthew 5:20)

Modern Greek Pronunciation: légō gàr ymîn hóti eàn mē perisseúsi̱ i̱ dikaiosýni̱ ymōn pleîon tōn grammatéōn kai Pharisáio̱n, ou mḕ eisélthēte eis tēn basileían tōn ouranōn.

Literal English Translation: For I say to you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of the heavens.

Koine Greek Grammar Analysis λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν – “For I say to you”; – λέγω: present active indicative 1st singular; – γὰρ: explanatory particle, “for”; – ὑμῖν: dative plural pronoun, “to you.”… Learn Koine Greek

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John 1:1 Grammatical and Christological Exegesis: A Balanced Study from Arian and Nicene Perspectives

Posted on May 20, 2025 by Biblical Greek

Greek Text of John 1:1

ΕΝ ΑΡΧΗ ΗΝ Ο ΛΟΓΟC ΚΑΙ Ο ΛΟΓΟC ΗΝ ΠΡΟC ΤΟΝ ΘΝ ΚΑΙ ΘC ΗΝ Ο ΛΟΓΟC

Literal Translation

IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD AND THE WORD WAS WITH THE GOD AND GOD WAS THE WORD

1. Morphological and Grammatical Analysis Ἐν ἀρχῇ (en archē) – “In [the] beginning”. The preposition ἐν governs the dative noun ἀρχῇ. Echoes Genesis 1:1 in the Septuagint. Indicates that the Logos existed before creation. ἦν (ēn) – Imperfect active indicative of εἰμί (“to be”), 3rd person singular. Continuous existence in the past. Contrasts with ἐγένετο used of created things in John 1:3.… Learn Koine Greek

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Through the Roof: Greek Grammar and the Determination of Faith

Posted on May 19, 2025 by New Testament Greek

Luke 5:19 captures the dramatic moment when friends of a paralyzed man, unable to reach Jesus because of the crowd, creatively lower him through the roof. The grammar of καὶ μὴ εὑρόντες ποίας εἰσενέγκωσιν αὐτὸν διὰ τὸν ὄχλον, ἀναβάντες ἐπὶ τὸ δῶμα διὰ τῶν κεράμων καθῆκαν αὐτὸν σὺν τῷ κλινιδίῳ εἰς τὸ μέσον ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ is rich with participial sequencing, subjunctive deliberation, and vivid narrative flow.

The Greek Text in Focus

καὶ μὴ εὑρόντες ποίας εἰσενέγκωσιν αὐτὸν διὰ τὸν ὄχλον, ἀναβάντες ἐπὶ τὸ δῶμα διὰ τῶν κεράμων καθῆκαν αὐτὸν σὺν τῷ κλινιδίῳ εἰς τὸ μέσον ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ (Luke 5:19)

“And not finding by what way they might bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his cot into the midst before Jesus.”… Learn Koine Greek

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Scripture and Wages: A Greek Look at 1 Timothy 5:18

Posted on May 18, 2025 by New Testament Greek

1 Timothy 5:18 λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφή· βοῦν ἀλοῶντα οὐ φιμώσεις· καί· ἄξιος ὁ ἐργάτης τοῦ μισθοῦ αὐτοῦ.

For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”

Introducing Scriptural Authority

λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφή – “For the Scripture says.”

λέγει – present active indicative of λέγω, “says.” The present tense emphasizes Scripture’s enduring speech—it is still speaking. ἡ γραφή – “the Scripture,” a feminine singular noun used here as the subject of divine authority. By attributing speech to Scripture, Paul attributes divine voice to the text.… Learn Koine Greek

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Not to Abolish, But to Fulfill: Greek Grammar and the Mission of the Messiah

Posted on May 17, 2025 by New Testament Greek

In one of the most important programmatic statements of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses the nature of His relationship to the Law and the Prophets. The grammar of Matthew 5:17 — Μὴ νομίσητε ὅτι ἦλθον καταλῦσαι τὸν νόμον ἢ τοὺς προφήτας· οὐκ ἦλθον καταλῦσαι ἀλλὰ πληρῶσαι — is rich in negative imperatives, complementary infinitives, and parallel contrast. The syntax not only clarifies His intent but builds tension and resolution through repetition and emphasis.

The Greek Text in Focus

Μὴ νομίσητε ὅτι ἦλθον καταλῦσαι τὸν νόμον ἢ τοὺς προφήτας· οὐκ ἦλθον καταλῦσαι ἀλλὰ πληρῶσαι (Matthew 5:17)

“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.”… Learn Koine Greek

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Not Like the Sin, but Greater: Greek Grammar and the Gift of Grace

Posted on May 16, 2025 by New Testament Greek

In Romans 5:16, Paul deepens the contrast between Adam and Christ by carefully juxtaposing legal and gracious outcomes. The verse — καὶ οὐχ ὡς δι’ ἑνὸς ἁμαρτήσαντος τὸ δώρημα· τὸ μὲν γὰρ κρίμα ἐξ ἑνὸς εἰς κατάκριμα, τὸ δὲ χάρισμα ἐκ πολλῶν παραπτωμάτων εἰς δικαίωμα — uses parallel syntax, particles of contrast, and genitive modifiers to show that the gift of grace far surpasses the condemnation brought by one man’s sin.

The Greek Text in Focus

καὶ οὐχ ὡς δι’ ἑνὸς ἁμαρτήσαντος τὸ δώρημα· τὸ μὲν γὰρ κρίμα ἐξ ἑνὸς εἰς κατάκριμα, τὸ δὲ χάρισμα ἐκ πολλῶν παραπτωμάτων εἰς δικαίωμα (Romans 5:16)

“And the gift is not like the result of the one who sinned; for the judgment came from one offense, resulting in condemnation, but the gracious gift came from many transgressions, resulting in justification.”… Learn Koine Greek

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The More It Spread: Greek Grammar and the Rising Fame of the Healer

Posted on May 15, 2025 by New Testament Greek

This verse from the Gospel of Luke captures the growing fame of Jesus and the response of the people using intensifying adverbs, imperfect verbs, and purpose-driven infinitives. The full verse reads: διήρχετο δὲ μᾶλλον ὁ λόγος περὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ συνήρχοντο ὄχλοι πολλοὶ ἀκούειν καὶ θεραπεύεσθαι ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀσθενειῶν αὐτῶν from Luke 5:15. The Greek grammar expresses not just what happened, but how it spread — both linguistically and geographically — and why the crowds came.

The Greek Text in Focus

διήρχετο δὲ μᾶλλον ὁ λόγος περὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ συνήρχοντο ὄχλοι πολλοὶ ἀκούειν καὶ θεραπεύεσθαι ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀσθενειῶν αὐτῶν (Luke 5:15)

“But the report about him was spreading all the more, and large crowds were gathering to hear and to be healed by him from their diseases.”… Learn Koine Greek

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You Are the Light: Visibility and Vocation in Matthew 5:14

Posted on May 14, 2025 by New Testament Greek

Matthew 5:14 is part of the Sermon on the Mount, immediately following the Beatitudes. In verses 13–16, Jesus uses metaphors to describe the disciples’ role in the world. After calling them the “salt of the earth,” he declares: “You are the light of the world.” This verse introduces the imagery of illumination, mission, and public witness. The second clause — about a city on a hill — intensifies the theme of visibility and influence.

Structural Analysis

Ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου. οὐ δύναται πόλις κρυβῆναι ἐπάνω ὄρους κειμένη·

The verse contains two clauses: (1) a direct identification — “You are the light of the world” — with emphatic placement of ὑμεῖς, and (2) a proverbial truth — “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” — illustrating the inescapable visibility of such light.… Learn Koine Greek

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Before the Law: The Logic of Sin in Romans 5:13

Posted on May 13, 2025 by New Testament Greek

Romans 5:13 belongs to Paul’s broader argument in Romans 5:12–21, where he contrasts Adam and Christ. Verse 12 declares that sin entered the world through one man and death through sin. Verse 13 qualifies this claim by addressing the time before the Mosaic Law. Paul’s aim is to show that sin was a universal reality even before the Torah — thereby underscoring the necessity of Christ’s redemptive work.

Structural Analysis

ἄχρι γὰρ νόμου ἁμαρτία ἦν ἐν κόσμῳ, ἁμαρτία δὲ οὐκ ἐλλογεῖται μὴ ὄντος νόμου·

The verse divides into two antithetical clauses: (1) an affirmation — “Sin was in the world until the Law”, and (2) a paradoxical negation — “but sin is not counted when there is no Law.”… Learn Koine Greek

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The Optative Mood and Supplication: A Grammar of Hope in Luke 5:12

Posted on May 12, 2025 by New Testament Greek

Text in Focus: Luke 5:12

Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ εἶναι αὐτὸν ἐν μιᾷ τῶν πόλεων, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ πλήρης λέπρας· καὶ ἰδὼν τὸν Ἰησοῦν, πεσὼν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον ἐδεήθη αὐτοῦ λέγων· κύριε, ἐὰν θέλῃς, δύνασαί με καθαρίσαι.

Literal Translation

And it happened while He was in one of the cities, behold, a man full of leprosy; and seeing Jesus, he fell on his face and begged Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You are able to cleanse me.”

The Grammar of Possibility and Will: Exploring δύνασαί and ἐὰν θέλῃς

This passage from Luke is a rich tapestry of grammatical nuances, but one thread stands out: the use of subjunctive and indicative mood in a context of supplication, where in Classical Greek we might expect an optative mood.… Learn Koine Greek

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Surpassing Righteousness: Grammar and Warning in Matthew 5:20

John 1:1 Grammatical and Christological Exegesis: A Balanced Study from Arian and Nicene Perspectives

Through the Roof: Greek Grammar and the Determination of Faith

Scripture and Wages: A Greek Look at 1 Timothy 5:18

Not to Abolish, But to Fulfill: Greek Grammar and the Mission of the Messiah

Not Like the Sin, but Greater: Greek Grammar and the Gift of Grace

The More It Spread: Greek Grammar and the Rising Fame of the Healer

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

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