Tag Archives: A.T. Robertson

NT Greek Substantive, Adjective & Adverbs

(1) The parts of speech are connected with each other more or less. It is simply mechanical to think of anything else. Adverbs bulk largely in furnishing various parts of speech in the development of language, such as prepositions, conjunctions, particles, etc. The higher organization of speech calls for fine distinctions which are made of possible by new uses of adverbs. Adverbs themselves have various origins as verbs, substantive, adjective, pronouns. As a rule, adverbs is the fixed case-form like χαριν(freely), which also is used as preposition with genitive. In itself it is merely the accusative of χαρις. But compare ομολογουμενως and even νουνεχως.… Learn Koine Greek

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The Origin of the Greek Definite Article

The Sanskrit and Latin did not develop any article at all, and the Greek never developed the indefinite usage to any extent. Moreover, the Greek was slow in creating the definite article, though in Homer we do have the beginning of the article. The forms ο, η, το are occasionally used in Homer with the force of “the,” chiefly with adjectives, proper names, or for contrast. It is just in Homer that we see the evolution of the article, for this same form ο, η, το is very common here as a demonstrative and appears also as a relative. Hence ο is originally a demonstrative that was gradually weakened to the article or heightened to the relative.… Learn Koine Greek

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The Indefinite Article In Greek

The Latin had no article, as the Greek has no indefinite article. Not even in the modern Greek has the indefinite article of the Teutonic and Roman tounges developed, though occasionally εις or τις is used with little more force than the English a (an). Even in the New Testament we see traces of this use of εις in Mat 8:19 where εις γραμματευς is equivalent to “a” in English

Matthew 8:19 και προσελθων εις γραμματευς ειπεν αυτω διδασκαλε ακολουθησω σοι οπου εαν απερχη

and a certain scribe having come, said to him, `Teacher, I will follow thee wherever thou mayest go

In fact, the English one, Scotch ane, French un, German ein is simply the cardinal “one” adapted to this very usage.… Learn Koine Greek

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The Greek Sentence

(1) The sentence is an expression of an idea and is complex. The subject and predicate are essential to the complete expression of a sentence, which may be very brief. Indeed one word may have both as απεχει (Mark 14:41).

Mark 14:41 και ερχεται το τριτον και λεγει αυτοις καθευδετε το λοιπον και αναπαυεσθε απεχει ηλθεν η ωρα ιδου παραδιδοται ο υιος του ανθρωπου εις τας χειρας των αμαρτωλω

And he cometh the third time, and saith to them, `Sleep on henceforth, and rest – it is over; the hour did come; lo, the Son of Man is delivered up to the hands of the sinful;

Indeed the sentence does not absolutely require the expression of either subject or predicate.… Learn Koine Greek

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