Basics of Biblical Greek Chapters 6-9 Review 2

Chapters 6-9 Review #2 Grammar 1. How do you identify the stem of a noun or an adjective? ¥ 2. 3. The stem of a noun or an adjective is everything from the front of the word through the final letter that is omicron, alpha, or eta. 1 The stem does not include any letters that occur after the final omicron, alpha, or eta. In the plural genitive, however, the final stem vowel (omicron, alpha, or eta) has been swallowed up by the omega in the case ending wn. And in the neuter plural nominative and accusative, the final stem vowel (omicron) has been swallowed up by the case ending a. Match the following grammatical functions with their proper Greek case." Direct object Dative case Indirect object Genitive case Possession Nominative case Subject Accusative case In the following sentences write the words that correspond to the given functions. a. b. ajgapa/: oJ qeo;V to;n kovsmon, w/| e[dwke to;n uiJo;n aujtou:. Subject: qeovV is the subject of ajgapa/:. ÒHeÓ is the subject of e[dwke. Direct object: kovsmon is the direct object of ajgapa/:. uiJovn is the direct object of e[dwke. Possessive: aujtou: is a possessive pronoun that modifies uiJovn. oiJ profh:tai tou: =Ihsou: ejlavlhsan toi¾V ajnqrwvpoiV to;n lovgon. Subject: profh:tai Direct object: lovgon Possessive: =Ihsou: Indirect object: ajnqrwvpoiV 1 Note for future reference: This procedure will need to become more sophisticated when we encounter third-declension words in chapter 10. !16 Review #2 4. How does the form of the article or any adjective correspond to the noun it modifies? ¥ 5. 6. 8. 9. They have the same gender, number, and case, but do not necessarily have the same spelling at the end of the word. What is the difference between the substantival and adjectival function of an adjective? ¥ The substantival function of an adjective takes the place of a noun. ¥ The adjectival function of an adjective does not take the place of a noun. Instead, the noun is still present, and the adjective modifies the noun. How can you tell if an adjective is in the attributive or predicate position? How do you translate an adjective if you cannot tell its position? ¥ 7. ! 17 For an adjective to be in either the attributive or predicate position, it must match a nearby substantive in gender, number, and case. If it matches, and if it has an article, then it is in the attributive position. 2 If the adjective does not have an article, but the substantive it matches does, then the adjective is in the predicate position. And if neither the adjective nor the substantive it matches has an article, then it could be either attributive or predicate. In which case, try translating the adjective both ways, and use the translation that makes the most sense in the context. Give examples of the two positions of an attributive adjective. a. oJ ajgaqo;V a[nqrwpoV ÒThe good man.Ó" This is the first attributive position. b. oJ a[nqrwpoV oJ ajgaqovV ÒThe good manÓ (literally, Òthe man, the good [one]Ó)." This is the second attributive position. c. a[nqrwpoV oJ ajgaqovV ÒThe good manÓ (literally, Òa man, the good [one]Ó)" This is the third attributive position, which is advanced information because it is uncommon. You didnÕt need to list this one. What is the rule that governs whether a feminine noun will exhibit the alpha to eta shift in the feminine singular, genitive, and dative? ¥ Rule: A feminine noun with a stem ending in alpha will shift to eta in the feminine singular, genitive, and dative unless the letter before the alpha is epsilon, iota, or rho. ¥ Comment: This is important, because the case ending sigma is used in the feminine first declension for both the singular genitive and the plural accusative. As a result of this rule, when parsing a form that ends in aV, if the letter preceding the alpha is epsilon, iota, or rho, the form could be either singular genitive or plural accusative. Otherwise, it is unambiguously plural accusative, because the singular genitive form of the word would be hV. How can you tell if an adjective is used substantivally? ¥ An adjective is used substantivally if it does not match a substantive in gender, number, and case. ¥ Nuance: Matching a substantive in gender, number, and case does not necessarily disqualify an adjective from being substantival, since it is possible that the match is coincidental. Once again, the only sure way to tell is to try the alternatives and see which fits the context. But coincidental matches are rare, particularly if the adjective 2 We are assuming here that the adjective modifies the substantive that it matches in gender, number, and case. The fact that it matches and has the article does not guarantee that it is attributive, because it is possible that the match is coincidental, and the adjective is actually substantival or adverbial rather than modifying the substantive that it matches. 18 ! Review #2 is right next to the substantive, so if it matches, start out by trying attributive or predicate translations to see if they fit the context. ¥ 10. Write out the first six noun rules. a. 11. Advanced information: Actually, not matching a substantive in gender, number, and case does not guarantee that the adjective is substantival, since it could be adverbial. The way to distinguish this is to try both in context and see which fits. But since adverbial adjectives are rare and mostly confined to certain idioms, substantival is a good guess. Stems ending in alpha or eta or in the first declension," stems in omicron are in the second," and consonantal stems are in the third. b. Every neuter word has the same form in the nominative and accusative. c. Almost all neuter words end in alpha in the nominative and accusative plural. d. In the dative singular, the iota subscripts if possible. e. Vowels often change their length (ÒablautÓ). f. In the genitive and dative, the masculine and neuter will always be identical. Write out the full paradigm of the case endings for the first and second declension. masc fem neut masc fem neut Nom Sing V Ð n Nom Plur i i a Gen Sing u V u Gen Plur wn wn wn Dat Sing i i i Dat Plur iV iV iV Acc Sing n n n Acc Plur uV V a neut 12. Write out the full paradigm of the definite article. masc fem neut masc fem Nom Sing oJ hJ tov Nom Plur oiJ aiJ tav Gen Sing tou: th:V tou: Gen Plur tw:n tw:n tw:n Dat Sing tw/: th/: tw/: Dat Plur toi¾V tai¾V toi¾V Acc Sing tovn thvn tov Acc Plur touvV tavV tav Parsing 1. lovgoiV lovgoV Dative Plural Masculine Òto wordsÓ ajgavph/ ajgavph Dative Singular Feminine Òto a loveÓ 2. 3. ponhrav ponhrovV Nominative or Accusative Plural Neuter ÒevilsÓ 4. aJmartivaV aJmartiva Accusative Plural Feminine/Genitive Singular Feminine Òsins/of a sinÓ 5. tai¾V oJ Dative Plural Feminine Òto theÓ Review #2 ! 19 6. kovsmou kovsmoV Genitive Singular Masculine Òof worldÓ 7. kairw:n kairovV Genitive Plural Masculine Òof (appointed) timesÓ 8. eujaggelivw/ eujaggevlion Dative Singular Neuter Òto a good newsÓ 9. ajgaqovn 10. ajgavphV ajgaqovV Accusative Singular Masculine ÒgoodÓ ajgavph Genitive Singular Feminine Òof loveÓ Translation: 1 John 4:1-6 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to discern 3 if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 4:2 In this you know the spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 4:3 and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the Antichrist, about whom you have heard that he is coming, and he is now already in the world. 4:4 You are from God, little children, and you have overcome them, because greater is the one who is in you than the one in the world. 4:5 These are from the world. For this reason, from the world they speak and the world hears them. 4:6 We are from God. The one who knows God hears us. Whoever is not from God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of the truth and the spirit of deception. 3 dokimavzete is usually glossed as Òtest,Ó but here it is translated as Òtest to discernÓ to clarify that it does not mean Òif the spirits are from God, then test them.Ó