27
NON-FINITE VERBS: PART 6
GENITIVE ABSOLUTES AND PERIPHRASTICS
27.1. This chapter introduces two new functions of participles, the genitive absolute construction and the periphrastic. There are no new forms in this chapter, just two new ways in which participles are used.
27.2. Genitive absolutes are an interesting solution to a problem posed by the grammar of the participle. If you remember that an adverbial participle modifies the verb and assumes the same subject, how could you use an adverbial participle that refers to someone other than that subject? Of course you might reply, Why do you need to use a participle at all? Is it not possible to make two separate statements, one referring to each person? Yes, you could, but the point of using a participle for this purpose is to indicate the writer’s focus. Which of the two actions is primary, and which is secondary? By using a participle, the writer can tell the reader that its action is less prominent and that the main subject and verb is the primary focus. Study this illustration.[1]
| θεραπεύων τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς ὁ μαθητὴς κηρύσσει τὸ εὐαγγέλιον. | Healing the sick, the disciple is preaching the gospel. |
In this sentence the main point is that the disciple is preaching. Along with that, presumably as a simultaneous temporal adverbial participle, he is also healing the sick. The same person, the disciple, is doing both the preaching and the healing, but the healing is secondary to the main statement.
27.3. What if we wanted to indicate that someone else, perhaps Jesus, was doing the healing but still keep the focus on the disciple’s preaching? We cannot just add Ἰησοῦς to the first clause (Ἰησοῦς θεραπεύων τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς ὁ μαθητὴς κηρύσσει τὸ εὐαγγέλιον), because participles cannot take a subject in the nominative case. We could make this into two sentences, but then the two actions (healing and preaching) would be equal. We could also use a subordinate clause for the healing (e.g., ὁ μαθητὴς κηρύσσει τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ὅταν Ἰησοῦς ἐθεράπευεν τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς), but this is only one option. Greek has a way to do this with a participle.
θεραπεύοντος τοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς ὁ μαθητὴς κηρύσσει τὸ εὐαγγέλιον.
Notice what has stayed the same and what has changed. There is still only one finite verb with the same subject (ὁ μαθητὴς κηρύσσει), but the participle has become a genitive (θεραπεύοντος instead of θεραπεύων), and a genitive-case substantive has been added (τοῦ Ἰησοῦ). This construction is called a genitive absolute. It would be represented in English something like this:
a New Oxford American Dictionary, 3rd ed., s.v. “absolute.”
b The English example is from Fairbairn, Understanding Language, 160.
While Jesus is healing the sick, the disciple is preaching the gospel.
27.4. Most genitive absolutes are temporal (their primary function is to describe an event that is related in time to the main verb), but they can express any of the relationships that could be expressed by adverbial participles alone. Most such constructions occur at the beginning of the sentence. The second most common position is at the end. Genitive absolutes in the middle of a clause are unusual, but possible.[2]
There are normally four elements in a genitive absolute:
1. A substantive (usually a noun or pronoun) in genitive case
2. An anarthrous[3] participle in genitive case
3. No grammatical connection with the rest of the sentence (This is another way of saying that the subject of the participle is not the same as the subject of the main verb; i.e., someone different is doing the two actions.)[4]
4. A thought connection with the sentence (The actions of the participle and the main verb are related in some way; they are not irrelevant to each other.)
There are some examples that may not have all four of these elements, but the norm is for all four elements to be present. The most common item that is sometimes missing is the third. This is sometimes because there is an overlap of subjects.
| Mark 11:12, τῇ ἐπαύριον ἐξελθόντων αὐτῶν ἀπὸ Βηθανίας ἐπείνασεν. | On the next day as they were leaving Bethany, he was hungry. |
Here αὐτῶν refers to Jesus and the Twelve. The third singular subject of ἐπείνασεν is Jesus—even though he is also included in the plural pronoun reference of αὐτῶν in the genitive absolute.
Other times a pronoun in the main statement refers to the same person as the subject of the genitive absolute.
| Mark 13:1, ἐκπορευομένου αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ λέγει αὐτῷ εἷς τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ. | As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him. |
In this instance, the genitive subject of the participle, αὐτοῦ, is the same as the referent of the pronoun αὐτῷ, the indirect object in the main clause.
The function of the participle is to change the reference of the subject,[5] and in this situation, the subject of the genitive absolute is rarely the subject of the main clause. The focus shifts from one party in the genitive absolute to a different party that is the subject of the verb in the main clause.
27.5. Examples of Genitive Absolutes
| Mark 5:2, ἐξελθόντος αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ πλοίου εὐθὺς ὑπήντησεν αὐτῷ ἐκ τῶν μνημείων ἄνθρωπος ἐν πνεύματι ἀκαθάρτῳ. | As he was getting out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. |
Two people are mentioned in this sentence. The main subject is the demon-possessed man; the secondary focus is on Jesus, who is getting out of the boat.
| Rom. 5:6, ἔτι γὰρ Χριστὸς ὄντων ἡμῶν ἀσθενῶν ἔτι κατὰ καιρὸν ὑπὲρ ἀσεβῶν ἀπέθανεν. | For while we were yet powerless, at just the right time Christ died for the ungodly. |
The word order in this sentence is tricky; the subject stands at the beginning, and the main verb at the end. This shows the less common situation of a genitive absolute occurring in the middle of a sentence. The word order probably accounts for the repetition of ἔτι, which is needed only once in English. This sentence can be expressed several different ways in English, depending largely on how the phrases are arranged; compare various English translations to see some of the alternatives.
| Gal. 3:25, ἐλθούσης δὲ τῆς πίστεως οὐκέτι ὑπὸ παιδαγωγόν ἐσμεν. | Because faith came we are no longer under a tutor. |
The translation given above takes the genitive absolute as a causal expression. It could also be understood temporally: “Now that this faith has come” (NIV and most English translations).
| Heb. 2:3–4, τηλικαύτης σωτηρίας εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐβεβαιώθη, συνεπιμαρτυροῦντος τοῦ θεοῦ σημείοις τε καὶ τέρασιν καὶ ποικίλαις δυνάμεσιν. | Such a great salvation was confirmed to us, God bearing witness by both signs and wonders and various deeds of power. |
| 1 Clem. 40.1, Προδήλων οὖν ἡμῖν ὄντων τούτων καὶ ἐγκεκυφότες εἰς τὰ βάθη τῆς θείας γνώσεως, πάντα τάξει ποιεῖν ὀφείλομεν ὅσα ὁ δεσπότης ἐπιτελεῖν ἐκέλευσεν κατὰ καιροὺς τεταγμένους. | Therefore these things being clear to us, and having searched into the depths of the divine knowledge, we ought to do all things in order which the Master commanded [us] to do at the appointed time. |
| Mark 5:18, ἐμβαίνοντος αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ πλοῖον παρεκάλει αὐτὸν ὁ δαιμονισθεὶς ἵνα μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ ᾖ.a | |
a ᾖ is a form you have not yet learned; it is a subjunctive form of εἰμί and is translated here as “he might be.” |
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| John 2:3, ὑστερήσαντος οἴνου λέγει ἡ μήτηρ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ πρὸς αὐτόν, Οἶνον οὐκ ἔχουσιν. | |
| Mark 14:43, ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος παραγίνεται Ἰούδας εἷς τῶν δώδεκα καὶ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ ὄχλος μετὰ μαχαιρῶν καὶ ξύλων παρὰ τῶν ἀρχιερέων καὶ τῶν γραμματέων καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων. | |
| 1 Pet. 5:4, φανερωθέντος τοῦ ἀρχιποίμενος κομιεῖσθεa τὸν ἀμαράντινον τῆς δόξης στέφανον. | |
a This is an Attic future form (see chap. 21): 2nd pl. fut. mid. ind. ► κομίζω, “I receive” |
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| Josh. 4:22–23, Ἐπὶ ξηρᾶς διέβηa Ἰσραὴλ τὸν Ἰορδάνην ἀποξηράναντοςb κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν τὸ ὕδωρ τοῦ Ἰορδάνου ἐκ τοῦ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν μέχρι οὗ διέβησαν, καθάπερ ἐποίησεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν τὴν ἐρυθρὰν θάλασσαν, ἣν ἀπεξήρανεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ἔμπροσθεν ἡμῶν ἕως παρήλθομεν. | |
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a 3rd sg. aor. act. ind. ► διαβαίνω, “I go through” (See also διέβησαν later in the sentence.) b ἀποξηραίνω, “I dry up.” This is a liquid verb. What changes have taken place? The same verb shows up again later in the sentence. |
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27.7. Advanced Information for Reference:
Diagramming Genitive Absolutes
| Gal. 3:25, ἐλθούσης δὲ τῆς πίστεως οὐκέτι ὑπὸ παιδαγωγόν ἐσμεν. | Because faith came we are no longer under a tutor. |
Figure 27.1
Genitive absolutes are placed below the main clause, bracketed, labeled, and connected to the baseline by a dotted line. The participle is on a right-angle bracket under the genitive subject.
27.8. A periphrastic is a grammatical circumlocution: a roundabout way of saying something that could be said more directly.[6] The periphrastic construction uses a linking verb (usually a form of εἰμί) and a participle together instead of a finite verb alone. The two elements can be in either order, but the most common is for the verb to precede the participle (about 70 percent of the time in the NT), which will always be anarthrous and nominative. There is no difference in meaning between the equivalent finite verb and the periphrastic; it is just another way to say it. Although periphrastic use is very common in language in general,[7] it is not nearly as common in Greek.
For example, the one-word sentence ἐδίδασκεν uses the usual finite verb form. By contrast, the following expression says the exact same thing but uses a circumlocution to say it: ἦν διδάσκων. Both have the same meaning: “he was teaching.” In most periphrastic constructions the form of εἰμί supplies person, number, and mood, while the participle supplies aspect, voice, and lexis.[8] In this example, ἦν is third person, singular number, indicative mood, and the participle διδάσκων is imperfective aspect (present tense-form), active voice, from διδάσκω (“I teach”). The resulting form thus functions as a third singular present active indicative of διδάσκω.
27.9. To understand the meaning of the most common periphrastic constructions,[9] parse the equivalent single-verb form by using the person, number, and mood of the linking verb and the tense-form, voice, and lexis of the participle, then interpret accordingly. For example, ἦν ἐνδεδυμένος (Mark 1:6) is evaluated as follows. The linking verb ἦν is a third singular imperfect active indicative of εἰμί, and it supplies these semantics: third person, singular number, and indicative mood. The participle ἐνδεδυμένος is a perfect middle participle masculine singular nominative of ἐνδύω, and it supplies these semantics: perfect tense-form, middle voice, and the lexical form ἐνδύω, “I put on, clothe.” The periphrastic thus functions as a third singular perfect middle indicative of ἐνδύω, “he was clothed.”
The complete parsing system for periphrastics may be summarized in the following table.
| Aspect of the Periphrastic | Tense-Form of the Participle | Tense-Form of εἰμί | Finite Tense-Form Equivalent |
| Imperfect | Present | Present Imperfect Future |
Present Imperfect Future |
| Stative | Perfect | Present Imperfect Future |
Perfect Pluperfect Future-Perfect |
| Perfective | Aorist | Imperfect | Aorist |
You will notice that mood is not included in the table above. Although most periphrastics are indicatives, they occasionally occur in the subjunctive (e.g., John 3:27; 2 John 12) and imperative (e.g., Matt. 5:25; Luke 19:17) moods. Subjunctive forms are more common than imperatives (12 vs. 4 in the NT). The mood of the periphrastic is determined by the mood of εἰμί.
27.10. There are three situations in which a periphrastic may be used. First, some grammatical forms do not appear in the language. They have either died out (or are in the process of doing so) or may never have been used. For example, there was formerly a future-perfect form δεδήσεται (“he will be bound,” 3rd sg. fut.-pf. mid. ind. ► δέω, “I bind”),[10] but this is extremely rare in Koine.[11] In its place a replacement periphrastic form is used—for example, ἔσται δεδεμένον (Matt. 16:19). Second, some periphrastic forms are used where there are existing finite forms with no discernible difference in usage. These equivalent form periphrastics are used for stylistic purposes. The periphrastic above, ἦν διδάσκων, is identical to ἐδίδασκεν, and both expressions occur. Third, a few periphrastics may be used to express some additional meaning not possible with a finite form, or they may express some form of emphasis. The future periphrastic is one example of the periphrastic expressing additional meaning in this category (see below). The use of ἐστε σεσῳμένοι in Eph. 2:5, 8 may represent an instance where the periphrastic contributes to some degree of emphasis in the context. These distinctive periphrastics are often imperfective, but it should not be assumed that all imperfective periphrastics have such an emphasis, nor should they be viewed as a major point in exegeting a text.[12]
27.11. The future periphrastic is one way to explicitly specify imperfective aspect in a context of future time.[13] This can be seen in Mark 13:13: ἔσεσθε μισούμενοι ὑπὸ πάντων διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου (“You will be hated by everyone because of my name”). The time value comes from the future tense-form of εἰμί, whereas the imperfective aspect comes from the participle. Perfective periphrastics (i.e., those that use an aorist participle) are very rare.[14]
Not every instance of a linking verb with an anarthrous participle is a periphrastic. Scholars differ as to how this is determined and how any given instance is to be evaluated.[15] It is possible for a wide range of words to occur between the linking verb and the participle. One general principle that is often helpful is the presence of a phrase indicating location between the two elements. In such situations it is less likely that a legitimate periphrastic occurs, though there are a few apparent exceptions. Each instance will need to be evaluated in light of its context. A decision one way or the other can sometimes make an interpretive difference in a passage (see, e.g., Mark 1:13, which is probably not a periphrastic).
Examples of Periphrastics
27.12. In each example the functional parsing of the periphrastic is given in brackets.
| Mark 1:22, ἐξεπλήσσοντο ἐπὶ τῇ διδαχῇ αὐτοῦ· ἦν γὰρ διδάσκων αὐτοὺς ὡς ἐξουσίαν ἔχων καὶ οὐχ ὡς οἱ γραμματεῖς. [3rd sg. impf. act. ind. ► διδάσκω] | They were amazed at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority and not as the scribes. |
| John 1:24, ἀπεσταλμένοι ἦσαν ἐκ τῶν Φαρισαίων. [3rd pl. plpf. pass. ind. ► ἀποστέλλω] | They were sent from the Pharisees. |
| Mark 9:4, ὤφθηa αὐτοῖς Ἠλίας σὺν Μωϋσεῖ καὶ ἦσαν συλλαλοῦντες τῷ Ἰησοῦ. [3rd pl. impf. act. ind. ► συλλαλέω] | Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. |
a ὤφθη, 3rd sg. aor. pass. ind. ► ὁράω, “I see” |
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| Mark 13:13, ἔσεσθε μισούμενοι ὑπὸ πάντων διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου. [2nd pl. fut. pass. ind. ► μισέω, with imperfective aspect] | You will be hated by everyone because of my name. |
| Matt. 10:26, Μὴ οὖν φοβηθῆτε (fear!) αὐτούς· οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστιν κεκαλυμμένον ὃ οὐκ ἀποκαλυφθήσεται καὶ κρυπτὸν ὃ οὐ γνωσθήσεται. [3rd sg. pf. pass. ind. ► καλύπτω] | Therefore do not fear them, for nothing is hidden which will not be revealed and hidden which will not be made known. |
| Gen. 4:2, καὶ ἐγένετο Ἅβελ ποιμὴν προβάτων, Κάϊν δὲ ἦν ἐργαζόμενος τὴν γῆν. [3rd sg. impf. act. ind. ► ἐργάζομαι] | Now Abel became a shepherd of sheep, but Cain was working the soil. |
| Exod. 12:5–6, πρόβατον τέλειον ἄρσεν ἐνιαύσιον ἔσται ὑμῖν· ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρνῶν καὶ τῶν ἐρίφων λήμψεσθε. καὶ ἔσται ὑμῖν διατετηρημένονa ἕως τῆς τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτης τοῦ μηνὸς τούτου, καὶ σφάξουσιν αὐτὸ πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος συναγωγῆςb υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ πρὸς ἑσπέραν. [3rd sg. fut.-pf. pass. ind. ► διατηρέω] | You will havec a perfect male sheep, one year old; take it from the lambs and kids. Then it will be kept for you until the fourteenth of this month, and all the community of the congregation of the sons of Israel will kill it toward evening. |
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a This periphrastic is an example of the replacement future-perfect form discussed earlier in this chapter. b τὸ πλῆθος συναγωγῆς, “the community of the congregation,” is redundant in English; it refers to “the whole congregation.” c “You will have” (ἔσται ὑμῖν) is more formally, “it will be to you,” but that does not communicate in English. The expression must be understood in light of the use of λαμβάνω in v. 3 to mean “I choose/select.” |
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Now You Try It
27.13. For each periphrastic, identify the functional parsing.
| Matt. 18:20, οὗa γάρ εἰσιν δύο ἢ τρεῖς συνηγμένοι εἰς τὸ ἐμὸν ὄνομα, ἐκεῖ εἰμι ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν. | |
a The word οὗ is the adverb “where,” not a relative pronoun. |
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| Acts 2:13, ἕτεροι δὲ διαχλευάζοντες ἔλεγον ὅτι Γλεύκους μεμεστωμένοι εἰσίν. | |
| Rom. 13:1, οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἐξουσία εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ θεοῦ, αἱ δὲ οὖσαι ὑπὸ θεοῦ τεταγμέναι εἰσίν. | |
| 2 Cor. 4:3, εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔστιν κεκαλυμμένον τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ἡμῶν, ἐν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις ἐστὶν κεκαλυμμένον. | |
| Gal. 1:22, ἤμην δὲ ἀγνοούμενος τῷ προσώπῳ ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τῆς Ἰουδαίας ταῖς ἐν Χριστῷ. | |
| 1 Kgdms. (1 Sam.) 3:1, Καὶ τὸ παιδάριον Σαμουὴλ ἦν λειτουργῶν τῷ κυρίῳ ἐνώπιον Ἠλὶ τοῦ ἱερέως· καὶ ῥῆμα κυρίου ἦν τίμιονa ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις, οὐκ ἦν ὅρασις διαστέλλουσα.b | |
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a Your lexicon will suggest “precious” for τίμιος, but it is precious because it is rare or scarce. b διαστέλλω here has the sense of “distinct” or “clear.” |
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| 2 Esd. 11:4 (Neh. 1:4 Eng.), καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἀκοῦσαί με τοὺς λόγους τούτους ἐκάθισα καὶ ἔκλαυσα καὶ ἐπένθησα ἡμέρας καὶ ἤμην νηστεύων καὶ προσευχόμενος ἐνώπιον θεοῦ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. |
27.14. Advanced Information for Reference:
Diagramming Periphrastics
| Gen. 4:2, καὶ ἐγένετο Ἅβελ ποιμὴν προβάτων, Κάϊν δὲ ἦν ἐργαζόμενος τὴν γῆν. | Now Abel became a shepherd of sheep, but Cain was working the soil. |
Figure 27.2
A periphrastic is diagrammed by placing the participle on stilts next to the linking verb.
27.15. Mark 1:1–22 is a very helpful review of participles. You have already read a number of verses in this pericope, so that will make it easier. You should find twenty-three participles in these verses. Included are two periphrastics, one of which is a compound construction: one form of εἰμί governs two participles.
The Beginning of Jesus’ Ministry
1Ἀρχὴ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ υἱοῦ θεοῦ.
2Καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν τῷ Ἠσαΐᾳ τῷ προφήτῃ,
Ἰδοὺ ἀποστέλλω τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου,
ὃς κατασκευάσει τὴν ὁδόν σου·
3φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ,
Ἑτοιμάσατε (Prepare!) τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου,
εὐθείας ποιεῖτε (make!) τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ,
4ἐγένετο Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτίζων ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καὶ κηρύσσων βάπτισμα μετανοίας εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν. 5καὶ ἐξεπορεύετο πρὸς αὐτὸν πᾶσα ἡ Ἰουδαία χώρα καὶ οἱ Ἱεροσολυμῖται πάντες, καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ποταμῷ ἐξομολογούμενοι τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν. 6καὶ ἦν ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐνδεδυμένος τρίχας καμήλου καὶ ζώνην δερματίνην περὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐσθίων ἀκρίδας καὶ μέλι ἄγριον. 7καὶ ἐκήρυσσεν λέγων, Ἔρχεται ὁ ἰσχυρότερός μου ὀπίσω μου, οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς κύψας λῦσαι τὸν ἱμάντα τῶν ὑποδημάτων αὐτοῦ. 8ἐγὼ ἐβάπτισα ὑμᾶς ὕδατι, αὐτὸς δὲ βαπτίσει ὑμᾶς ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ.
9Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις ἦλθεν Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ Ναζαρὲτ τῆς Γαλιλαίας καὶ ἐβαπτίσθη εἰς τὸν Ἰορδάνην ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου. 10καὶ εὐθὺςa ἀναβαίνων ἐκ τοῦ ὕδατος εἶδεν σχιζομένους τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα ὡς περιστερὰν καταβαῖνον εἰς αὐτόν· 11καὶ φωνὴ ἐγένετο ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν, Σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, ἐν σοὶ εὐδόκησα.
12Καὶ εὐθὺςa τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτὸν ἐκβάλλει εἰς τὴν ἔρημον. 13καὶ ἦν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τεσσεράκοντα ἡμέρας πειραζόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Σατανᾶ, καὶ ἦν μετὰ τῶν θηρίων, καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι διηκόνουν αὐτῷ.
14Μετὰ δὲ τὸ παραδοθῆναιb τὸν Ἰωάννην ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν κηρύσσων τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ 15καὶ λέγων ὅτι Πεπλήρωται ὁ καιρὸς καὶ ἤγγικεν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ· μετανοεῖτε (repent!) καὶ πιστεύετε (believe!) ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ.
16Καὶ παράγων παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν τῆς Γαλιλαίας εἶδεν Σίμωνα καὶ Ἀνδρέαν τὸν ἀδελφὸν Σίμωνος ἀμφιβάλλοντας ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ· ἦσαν γὰρ ἁλιεῖς. 17καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Δεῦτεc ὀπίσω μου, καὶ ποιήσω ὑμᾶς γενέσθαι ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων. 18καὶ εὐθὺς ἀφέντες (leaving)d τὰ δίκτυα ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ. 19Καὶ προβὰς ὀλίγον εἶδεν Ἰάκωβον τὸν τοῦ Ζεβεδαίου καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ καταρτίζοντας τὰ δίκτυα, 20καὶ εὐθὺς ἐκάλεσεν αὐτούς. καὶ ἀφέντες (leaving)d τὸν πατέρα αὐτῶν Ζεβεδαῖον ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ μετὰ τῶν μισθωτῶν ἀπῆλθον ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ.
21Καὶ εἰσπορεύονται εἰς Καφαρναούμ· καὶ εὐθὺςa τοῖς σάββασιν εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὴν συναγωγὴν ἐδίδασκεν. 22καὶ ἐξεπλήσσοντο ἐπὶ τῇ διδαχῇ αὐτοῦ· ἦν γὰρ διδάσκων αὐτοὺς ὡς ἐξουσίαν ἔχων καὶ οὐχ ὡς οἱ γραμματεῖς.
a Do you remember Mark’s idiomatic use of καὶ εὐθύς? You have seen it a number of times already (see the note on Mark 1:12 in §4.11).
b This is a μι verb (stem δο-; aor. pass. inf.), “I arrest.” Do you remember the significance of μετά with an articular infinitive? See chap. 22 if you do not.
c “Follow!” See the explanation of this same expression in Matt. 11:28 in §31.6.
d This form is a participle, so do not read it as the main verb in the clause.
27.16. Vocabulary for Chapter 27
| Part of Speech | Definition | Possible Glosses | Frequency | |
| Word | NT | LXX | ||
| Adjectives | ||||
| μέσος, η, ον | A middle position (either spatial or temporal); position within or between; “the middle” (subst., τὸ μέσον) | middle, in the midst, among | 58 | 872 |
| τοιοῦτος, αύτη, οῦτον | Similar to some person or thing already mentioned in a context (used either as an adj., pron., or subst. and may be correlative with ὅστις, οἷος, or ὥσπερ) | such, of such a kind, such as this; such a person/thing (subst.) | 57 | 82 |
| τρίτος, η, ον | Third in a series; a third part of something (subst.); for the third time (adv.) | third; third part (subst.); third time, thrice (adv.) | 56 | 179 |
| Nouns | ||||
| θρόνος, ου, ὁ | A special chair set aside for someone of high status (e.g., a king) | throne | 62 | 163 |
| Γαλιλαία, ας, ἡ | A postexilic geographical area constituting the northern part of Palestine | Galilee | 61 | 25 |
| ἱμάτιον, ου, τό | Clothing in general; the outer garment worn over a χιτών | garment, clothing; cloak, coat, robe | 60 | 221 |
| συναγωγή, ῆς, ἡ | An assembly or collection of things or people; a place where people assemble; in the NT, the Jewish synagogue (where Jews assembled for worship) or a place where Christians assembled; the people who gathered in such a place (Jews or Christians) | assembly, collection; synagogue, meeting/assembly place; congregation | 56 | 228 |
| Verbs | ||||
| τηρέω | To maintain in a secure state by maintaining custody or by perpetuating a state or activity; to conduct oneself in obedience to instruction or law | I keep watch over, guard, preserve; I observe, keep | 70 | 37 |
| φέρω | To move something from one place to another by either carrying it or otherwise causing it to move; metaphorically, to carry something (positive or negative); to bring about a yield, be productive (of plants) [numerous other less common uses; see BDAG and MLS] | I carry, transport, lead, bring; I endure; I produce, yield, bear | 66 | 290 |
| δοκέω | To consider an idea as probable; to entertain an opinion | I think, suppose, believe, regard, decide; I seem, have the appearance, think | 62 | 64 |
| προσκυνέω | To do obeisance to, prostrate oneself before; to express in attitude or gesture one’s complete dependence on, submission to, or reverence of a high authority figure (human or divine) | I do obeisance to, prostrate myself before, welcome respectfully; I worship | 60 | 229 |
| θεωρέω | To observe attentively; to conclude on the basis of personal experience | I look at, observe, take notice of; I infer, perceive | 58 | 53 |
| σπείρω | To sow seeds, plant a field by sowing; to scatter abroad (LXX) | I sow (seeds), plant; I scatter, disperse | 52 | 62 |
| ὑποτάσσω | To place under/below, either under the authority of or appended in a document (LXX) (act.); to become subject to (pass.); to subject oneself to, obey (mid.) | I subject, subordinate (someone else) (act.); I append, attach (LXX) (act.); I become subject to (pass.); I submit, obey (mid.) | 38 | 28 |
| ἀδικέω | To act in an unjust manner by violating law; to do wrong to someone, treat unjustly; to cause damage to, mistreat | I do wrong, act unjustly; I wrong (someone); I injure, harm, mistreat | 25 | 70 |
27.17. Key Things to Know for Chapter 27
What four elements are necessary to have a genitive absolute?
Can you define a periphrastic?
How do you parse the functional equivalent form of a periphrastic?
Review participles and their formulas.