Tag Archives: Matthew

“ἐταράχθη”: The Aorist Passive of Emotional Turmoil in Matthew 2:3

Posted on February 3, 2025 by New Testament Greek
Introduction: A King Troubled, A City Disturbed

In Matthew 2:3, the reaction to the magi’s inquiry about the “king of the Jews” is immediate and intense: Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. The verb ἐταράχθη {etarachthē} is central to the scene, both grammatically and dramatically. It is an aorist passive indicative form of ταράσσω {tarassō}, a verb often associated with agitation, emotional upheaval, or alarm.

In this passage, the grammatical voice and tense do more than locate the event in time—they convey depth of response, suggesting that Herod is acted upon, overwhelmed by the implications of the magi’s words.… Learn Koine Greek

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The Neuter Articular Aorist Passive Participle in Matthew 1:20: “τὸ ἐν αὐτῇ γεννηθὲν”

Posted on January 20, 2025 by New Testament Greek
Introduction: Participles and the Mystery of Conception

In Matthew 1:20, the angelic message to Ἰωσὴφ {Iōsēph} delivers the revelation that Μαρίαμ is pregnant, but not by human means. The phrase τὸ ἐν αὐτῇ γεννηθὲν is central to this divine disclosure. At the heart of the sentence lies a neuter articular participle: γεννηθὲν (“that which has been conceived”), governed by the article τὸ and qualified by the prepositional phrase ἐν αὐτῇ.

This construction is not a casual grammatical flourish—it is a deliberate, theologically packed choice that encapsulates incarnation, divine agency, and mystery. Let’s explore the grammar that conveys this truth.

Ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐνθυμηθέντος ἰδοὺ ἄγγελος Κυρίου κατ’ ὄναρ ἐφάνη αὐτῷ λέγων· Ἰωσὴφ υἱὸς Δαυὶδ, μὴ φοβηθῇς παραλαβεῖν Μαρίαμ τὴν γυναῖκά σου· τὸ γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ γεννηθὲν ἐκ πνεύματος ἐστιν ἁγίου.… Learn Koine Greek
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