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Greek Lessons
- The Grammar of Perception and Presence
- Opened Eyes and Stern Silence: Syntax and Tension in Matthew 9:30
- Shining Like Lightning: Syntax, Transformation, and Prayer in Luke 9:29
- The Syntax of Survival: Postdiluvian Duration in a Simple Sentence
- Confession in the Aorist: Pharaoh’s Syntax of Contrition
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Category
Tag Archives: Matthew 17:2
Brilliance in the Verb: Morphology of the Transfiguration
καὶ μετεμορφώθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔλαμψε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, τὰ δὲ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο λευκὰ ὡς τὸ φῶς. (Matthew 17:2)
And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white like the light.
Introduction: Three Verbs, One GloryMatthew 17:2 describes the transfiguration of Jesus with a burst of vivid imagery. But underneath that glowing scene lies a triad of Greek verbs, each carefully chosen to convey supernatural transformation and divine glory. They are:
μετεμορφώθη — aorist passive indicative, describing the transformation ἔλαμψε — aorist active indicative, describing the radiant shining ἐγένετο — aorist middle indicative, describing the becoming of brightnessEach verb is in the aorist tense, but each contributes differently to the theological portrait.… Learn Koine Greek
“And He Was Transfigured Before Them” — A Study in Voice, Light, and Theological Transformation
Καὶ μετεμορφώθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔλαμψε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, τὰ δὲ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο λευκὰ ὡς τὸ φῶς. (Matthew 17:2)
And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white like the light.
In this radiant moment from Matthew 17:2, the Transfiguration of Jesus, we witness one of the most visually and theologically rich scenes in the Gospels. Yet beyond its theological grandeur lies a subtle but profound grammatical feature that shapes our understanding of divine revelation: the passive voice as a vehicle for divine transformation.
The verb μετεμορφώθη, “He was transfigured,” stands at the head of the passage like a door swung open to glory.… Learn Koine Greek
