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Greek Lessons
- Vindicated at the Table: How Speech Condemns and Grammar Acquits
- Carried, Not Carrying: The Grammar That Topples Boasting
- Spliced into Abundance: The Grammar of Displacement and Participation in ἐνεκεντρίσθης
- When the Heart Expands Toward Ruin: The Grammar of Self-Watchfulness
- Living, Begetting, Dying: The Grammar of Time and Continuity
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Category
Tag Archives: John 2:1
“ἐγένετο” as Divine Narrative Marker: The Aorist Middle in John 2:1
Καὶ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ γάμος ἐγένετο ἐν Κανὰ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, καὶ ἦν ἡ μήτηρ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐκεῖ. (John 2:1)
And on the third day, a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
John 2:1 opens the narrative of the wedding at Kana with a subtle but theologically rich description. For this lesson, we’ll focus on the aorist middle indicative form ἐγένετο (“there was” or “it happened”), a verb that often signals narrative transition, divine appointment, or the unfolding of significant events in Johannine literature.
Introduction: The Beginning of SignsJohn 2:1 begins with an event introduction: “Καὶ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ γάμος ἐγένετο”—“And on the third day there was a wedding.”… Learn Koine Greek
“ἦν… ἐκεῖ”: The Imperfect Tense of Presence in John 2:1
Καὶ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ γάμος ἐγένετο ἐν Κανὰ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, καὶ ἦν ἡ μήτηρ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐκεῖ. (John 2:1)
And on the third day, a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
The Mother Was ThereThe clause καὶ ἦν ἡ μήτηρ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐκεῖ appears understated, yet its grammatical structure offers insightful narrative and theological signals. The use of ἦν {ēn}, the imperfect tense of εἰμί, and the adverb ἐκεῖ {ekeī}, meaning “there,” produces a sense of continued, established presence.
This clause is not just background information—it’s a scene-setting device that positions Jesus’ mother at the center of what is about to unfold.… Learn Koine Greek
