Reading Biblical Greek Part 6: Basic Sentence Structure & Syntax

Series Outline

• Part 1: The Greek Alphabet & Pronunciation Guide
• Part 2: Understanding Verb Conjugation
• Part 3: Part 3: Noun Declension Basics
• Part 4: Prefixes, Suffixes, and Compound Words
• Part 5: Prepositions & Articles in Greek
• Part 6: Basic Sentence Structure & Syntax
• Part 7: Vocabulary Building & Common Biblical Terms

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Introduction

Now that you’ve mastered the Greek alphabet, verb conjugation, noun declension, and how to use prepositions and articles, it’s time to put everything together. In this part, we’ll explore the basic sentence structure in biblical Greek and introduce some key rules of syntax (how words and phrases are arranged in a sentence). Understanding Greek syntax will help you read and interpret New Testament passages with greater clarity.

Word Order in Greek Sentences

In English, word order is very important because it tells us who is doing what. For example, in the sentence, “The man sees the dog,” the subject (“the man”) comes before the verb (“sees”), and the object (“the dog”) comes after the verb. Greek, however, is much more flexible with word order because the endings of words (declension and conjugation) tell us the function of each word.

While the subject-verb-object (SVO) word order is common in Greek, it’s not required. Instead, Greek relies on inflections (changes in word endings) to indicate which word is the subject, object, etc.

Example:

• ὁ ἀνήρ βλέπει τὸν κύνα – “The man sees the dog.”
• Here, ὁ ἀνήρ (ho anēr, “the man”) is the subject, and τὸν κύνα (ton kuna, “the dog”) is the object, even though the word order might change in other Greek sentences.

Identifying the Subject, Verb, and Object

In Greek, the nominative case is used for the subject of the sentence, and the accusative case is used for the direct object. The verb will indicate the action, and its form will show you the tense (present, past, future), person (first, second, third), and number (singular, plural).

Example Sentences:

1. ὁ πατὴρ γράφει τὴν ἐπιστολήν. – “The father writes the letter.”

• ὁ πατὴρ (ho patēr) is in the nominative case, so it’s the subject.
• τὴν ἐπιστολήν (tēn epistolēn) is in the accusative case, so it’s the object.
• γράφει (graphei) is the verb, indicating that the action is happening in the present tense.

1. ἡ μήτηρ ἀκούει τὸν λόγον. – “The mother hears the word.”

• ἡ μήτηρ (hē mētēr) is the subject (nominative case).
• τὸν λόγον (ton logon) is the object (accusative case).
• ἀκούει (akouei) is the verb, showing the action of hearing.

Common Greek Sentence Structures

Although Greek word order is flexible, certain patterns are more common than others. Here are a few standard sentence structures to keep in mind:

1. Subject-Verb-Object (SVO):

• ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐσθίει τὸν ἄρτον – “The man eats the bread.”
  • Subject: ὁ ἄνθρωπος (ho anthrōpos, “the man”).
  • Verb: ἐσθίει (esthiei, “eats”).
  • Object: τὸν ἄρτον (ton arton, “the bread”).

1. Verb-Subject-Object (VSO):

• ἐσθίει ὁ ἄνθρωπος τὸν ἄρτον – “The man eats the bread.”
  • This structure is also common in Greek, especially in narrative contexts.

1. Object-Verb-Subject (OVS):

• τὸν ἄρτον ἐσθίει ὁ ἄνθρωπος – “The man eats the bread.”
  • Even though the word order has changed, the subject and object are still clear from their cases (nominative and accusative, respectively).

The Importance of Inflection

In biblical Greek, the key to understanding who is doing what in a sentence lies in the inflection of the words. This is why recognizing noun cases (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative) and verb conjugations is essential for comprehension. While English depends on word order, Greek relies on these changes in the endings of words to convey meaning.

Greek Connectors: Conjunctions and Particles

Another important part of Greek syntax is the use of conjunctions and particles to connect clauses and add emphasis or nuance.

Common Conjunctions:

• καί (kai) – “And”
• ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ ἦλθον. – “Jesus and the disciples came.”
• δέ (de) – “But”
• ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἔφαγεν, ὁ δὲ παῖς ἐμεινεν. – “The man ate, but the child stayed.”
• ὅτι (hoti) – “That” or “Because”
• λέγει ὅτι κύριος ἐστίν. – “He says that he is Lord.”

Participles in Greek

Greek also uses participles—verbal adjectives—to indicate an action related to the main verb. Participles are highly flexible and can convey a variety of meanings, such as cause, time, or manner.

Example: Present Active Participle

• ὁ λαλῶν ἄνθρωπος – “The man who is speaking.”
• Here, λαλῶν (lalōn) is the present active participle of the verb λαλέω (laleō, “to speak”), modifying ὁ ἄνθρωπος (ho anthrōpos, “the man”).

Participles are often used in subordinate clauses and add richness to the meaning of sentences.

Syntax in the New Testament

The New Testament uses a variety of sentence structures to convey theological points. Greek’s flexibility with word order allows the writers of the New Testament to emphasize different elements of a sentence. For example, placing the verb first can emphasize the action, while placing the subject first emphasizes the one performing the action.

Example: John 1:1

• Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος. – “In the beginning was the Word.”
• Here, the verb (ἦν, ēn, “was”) comes before the subject (ὁ λόγος, ho logos, “the Word”), emphasizing the being of the Word in the beginning.

Practice Section: Identify Syntax

Using what you’ve learned about Greek word order, try analyzing the following sentences and identify the subject, verb, object, and any prepositions or articles:

1. ὁ ἀνήρ βλέπει τὸν ἄγγελον. – “The man sees the angel.”

• What case is τὸν ἄγγελον in? What does it tell you about its function in the sentence?

1. ἡ γυνή δίδωσι τῷ παιδί τὸν ἄρτον. – “The woman gives the bread to the child.”

• Identify the subject, direct object, and indirect object.

Homework and Next Steps

• Analyze New Testament Sentences: Take a short passage from the New Testament and try to identify the subject, verb, and object in each sentence. Pay close attention to the cases of the nouns and the form of the verbs.
• Practice Word Order Variations: Write out some simple Greek sentences and experiment with changing the word order. See how the meaning stays the same or shifts slightly depending on the emphasis.
• Memorize Common Conjunctions: Review the table of conjunctions and practice identifying them in your reading of the New Testament.

Conclusion

By understanding basic Greek sentence structure and syntax, you’re well on your way to reading and interpreting the New Testament in its original language. This knowledge will help you grasp the nuances of meaning that are sometimes lost in translation. In Part 7, we’ll explore building vocabulary and common biblical terms so you can strengthen your Greek reading skills.

Part 7: Vocabulary Building & Common Biblical Terms