Tag Archives: Matthew 3:14

Ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης διεκώλυεν αὐτὸν λέγων· ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι καὶ σὺ ἔρχῃ πρός με; Introduction

Matthew 3:14 records John the Baptist’s theological resistance to baptizing Jesus. The Greek syntax encapsulates a profound reversal of roles, expressed through tense contrast, passive voice, rhetorical questioning, and emphatic word order. Each grammatical element in this verse serves the narrative’s purpose: to portray John’s astonishment and theological insight regarding Jesus’ superior identity.

Main Clause: Ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης διεκώλυεν αὐτὸν

– Ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης: Nominative subject with definite article and postpositive conjunction. – ὁ: definite article, masculine singular. – δὲ: mild adversative conjunction—”but,” marking a narrative shift from Jesus’ approach (v.… Learn Koine Greek