Vocabulary
Greek | Meaning | Notes |
---|---|---|
ζωή, -ῆς, ἡ | life, existence | used of animals: zoology |
βίος, -ου, ὁ | manner of life | used of man: biography, biology |
ἀλαζονία, ἡ | vainglory | |
ἔγνωκα | I have known | perfect active of γινώσκω |
νεανίσκος, ὁ | a young man | νέος = new |
νικάω | I overcome, conquer |
The article
- Indefinite article
- In Greek there is no indefinite article (a, an)
- Sometimes the words τις and εἷς are used to give the uncertainty idea of our indefinite article.
- Definite article
- The basic function of the definite article ὁ, ἡ, τό is to identify
- When the article is used with a construction, the thing emphasized is identity.
- ὁ νόμος means "the law."
- It points out a particular law and give specific identity.
- When the article is not used, the thing emphasized is quality of character.
- νόμος (without the article) means law in general, i.e., any law
- Consider Romans 3:21 Νυνὶ δὲ χωρὶς νόμου δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ πεφανέρωται
- "But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed" (NKJV)
- Notice there is no article in front of "law."
- Thus it should be translated, "But now the righteousness of God apart from any law (or based on a law-method) is revealed."
- Uses of the article
- To point out particular objects: ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ἡ βασιλεία
- Used with abstract nouns where English omits the article
- In English we say truth, grace, hope as in "We are saved by grace." "Stand up for truth."
- In Greek these abstract nouns have the article: ἡ ἀλήθεια, ἡ χάρις, ἡ ἐλπίς.
- With proper nouns or names where English omits the article: ὁ Πέτρος, ὁ ̓Ιησοῦς
- With classes or groups of things where English omits the article: αἱ ἀλώπεκες foxes; τὰ πετεινά birds
- With pronouns.
- We saw this usage in previous lessons where the article was placed before a pronoun in what was called the attributive position especially with αὐτός, οὗτος, ἐκεῖνος, πᾶς
- With adverbs. ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν = "from the now" and really means "from the present time" or "from now on."
- With infinitives: ἐν τῷ σπείρειν = "in the to sow" really means "while he was sowing."
- The article in this construction is always neuter.
- We will look further at the infinitive in the next lesson.
- With prepositional phrases: οἱ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ literally means "the in the house ones" or better: "the ones who are in the house."
- Granville-Sharp Rule: When two nouns are joined by the conjunction καί:
- If both nouns have the definite article, they refer to different persons (or things)
- ὁ ἀπόστολος καὶ ὁ μαθητής
- these are two people
- If the first of the two nouns has the article and second does not, then the two are one person (or thing)
- ὁ ἀπόστολος καὶ μαθητής
- this is just one person who is both an apostle and a disciple
- Consider II Peter 2:20
- τοῦ κυρίου καὶ σωτῆρος ̓Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ
- "the lord and saviour Jesus Christ."
- Since there is no article before σωτῆρος, then Jesus Christ is both lord and saviour.
- Consider II Peter 1:1
- τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος
- "our God and saviour"
- Again, the one article "controls" both terms.
- Thus He is both God and saviour.
- Consider Titus 2:13
- τοῦ μεγάλου θεοῦ καί σωτῆρος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
- "the great God and saviour Jesus Christ"
- This verse says that Jesus Christ is both the great God and saviour.
- It is not referring to two people.
- If there were an article in front of σωτῆρος, then there would be two persons
- If both nouns have the definite article, they refer to different persons (or things)
- Other uses of the article
- Used with the conjunction pair: μέν ... δέ
- The article before μέν and before δέ gives the force of an alternative pronoun
- οἱ μὲν ἦσαν σὺν τοῖς ̓Ιουδαίοις, οἱ δὲ σὺν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις (Acts 14:4)
- "Some were with the Jews, but others were with the apostles."
- The article gives the force of a demonstrative pronoun
- οἱ οὖν ἡρώτων αὐτόν
- "These, therefore, were asking him."
- The article gives the force of a possessive pronoun
- συνεπέμψαμεν μετʼ αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀδελφόν
- "We have sent with him his brother."
- The article gives the force of a relative pronoun (who, which)
- τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν τὸ αἷμα μου τῆς διαθήκης τὸ περὶ πολλῶν ἐκχυννόμενον
- "For this is my blood of the covenant which is shed for many."
- The article before nouns with the forms of εἰμί
- If two nouns are joined by the verb εἰμί and one has the article, but the other does not, then the one with the article is the subject.
- ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν (I John 4:8) God is love (not love is God).
- μάρτυς γάρ μού ἐστιν ὁ θεός (Rom. 1:9) For God is my witness.
- ἔρημός ἐστιν ὁ τόπος (Mark 6:35) The place is desert.
- If both nouns have the article then the terms are interchangeable. Either one could be understood to be the subject.
- ἡ δύναμις τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐστὶν ὁ νόμος "the power of sin is the law" or "the law is the power of sin."
- If one of the terms is a pronoun and the other is a noun with or without an article, the pronoun is the subject.
- ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς I am the light (John 8:12)
- οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ λόγος This is the word.
- If two nouns are joined by the verb εἰμί and one has the article, but the other does not, then the one with the article is the subject.
- Used with the conjunction pair: μέν ... δέ
Translate the following:
I John 2:12-17
12 Γράφω ὑμῖν, τεκνία, ὅτι ἀφέωνται ὑμῖν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι διὰ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ.
13 γράφω ὑμῖν, πατέρες, ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς. γράφω ὑμῖν, νεανίσκοι, ὅτι νενικήκατε τὸν πονηρόν.
14 ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, παιδία, ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν πατέρα. ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, πατέρες, ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς. ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, νεανίσκοι, ὅτι ἰσχυροί ἐστε καὶ ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν μένει καὶ νενικήκατε τὸν πονηρόν.
15 Μὴ ἀγαπᾶτε τὸν κόσμον μηδὲ τὰ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ. ἐάν τις ἀγαπᾷ τὸν κόσμον, οὐκ ἔστιν ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ πατρὸς ἐν αὐτῷ·
16 ὅτι πᾶν τὸ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ ἡ ἀλαζονεία τοῦ βίου, οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου ἐστίν.
17 καὶ ὁ κόσμος παράγεται καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία αὐτοῦ, ὁ δὲ ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.