Luke 5:19 captures the dramatic moment when friends of a paralyzed man, unable to reach Jesus because of the crowd, creatively lower him through the roof. The grammar of καὶ μὴ εὑρόντες ποίας εἰσενέγκωσιν αὐτὸν διὰ τὸν ὄχλον, ἀναβάντες ἐπὶ τὸ δῶμα διὰ τῶν κεράμων καθῆκαν αὐτὸν σὺν τῷ κλινιδίῳ εἰς τὸ μέσον ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ is rich with participial sequencing, subjunctive deliberation, and vivid narrative flow.
The Greek Text in Focus
καὶ μὴ εὑρόντες ποίας εἰσενέγκωσιν αὐτὸν διὰ τὸν ὄχλον, ἀναβάντες ἐπὶ τὸ δῶμα διὰ τῶν κεράμων καθῆκαν αὐτὸν σὺν τῷ κλινιδίῳ εἰς τὸ μέσον ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ (Luke 5:19)
“And not finding by what way they might bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his cot into the midst before Jesus.”
Grammatical Highlights
- μὴ εὑρόντες — aorist participle active, nominative masculine plural; “not having found.”
- ποίας εἰσενέγκωσιν — interrogative adjective + aorist subjunctive active, 3rd plural; “by what way they might bring (him) in.”
- διὰ τὸν ὄχλον — preposition + accusative; “because of the crowd.”
- ἀναβάντες — aorist participle active, nominative masculine plural; “having gone up.”
- ἐπὶ τὸ δῶμα — preposition + accusative; “upon the roof.”
- διὰ τῶν κεράμων — preposition + genitive plural; “through the tiles.”
- καθῆκαν — aorist indicative active, 3rd plural; “they lowered (him).”
- σὺν τῷ κλινιδίῳ — preposition + dative; “with the cot.”
- εἰς τὸ μέσον — preposition + accusative; “into the midst.”
- ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ — preposition + genitive; “in front of Jesus.”
Aorist Participles in Sequence: εὑρόντες… ἀναβάντες
Two aorist participles set up the background action:
- εὑρόντες — “having found” (negated by μή): they could not find a way in.
- ἀναβάντες — “having gone up”: they ascended in response to the obstacle.
The participles express **prior or concurrent action** leading to the main verb καθῆκαν.
Deliberative Subjunctive: ποίας εἰσενέγκωσιν
The phrase ποίας εἰσενέγκωσιν reflects **deliberative uncertainty**: “what way might they bring him in?” The use of the aorist subjunctive εἰσενέγκωσιν (from εἰσφέρω) shows they are actively pondering options. The interrogative adjective ποίας modifies the implied word “ὁδοῦ” (way/path).
Main Action: καθῆκαν αὐτὸν…
The main narrative verb καθῆκαν (from καθίημι, “to lower”) tells how they executed their plan. Their descent matches their persistence: διὰ τῶν κεράμων (“through the tiles”) shows creativity and effort. The detail σὺν τῷ κλινιδίῳ shows they lowered him on his small stretcher — intact and together.
| Phrase | Form | Function | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| μὴ εὑρόντες | Aorist Participle Active | Negative background action | Not having found |
| ποίας εἰσενέγκωσιν | Interrogative + Aorist Subjunctive | Deliberative clause | How they might bring him in |
| ἀναβάντες | Aorist Participle Active | Sequential action | Having gone up |
| καθῆκαν αὐτὸν | Aorist Indicative Active | Main verb | They let him down |
| διὰ τῶν κεράμων | Preposition + Genitive | Means / path | Through the tiles |
| σὺν τῷ κλινιδίῳ | Preposition + Dative | Accompaniment | With the cot |
| εἰς τὸ μέσον ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ | Double prepositional phrase | Location | Into the middle in front of Jesus |
The Grammar of Unstoppable Faith
Luke 5:19 demonstrates how Greek grammar can narrate not just action but intention. The participles show process. The subjunctive reveals deliberation. The main verb displays resolution. These men did not just lower a man through a roof — they pierced through barriers of space and social expectation with faith. The grammar leaves no doubt: when human access ends, faith climbs higher.
