/r/Koine

Photograph via snooOG

A place to discuss all things related to Koine Greek.

/r/koine exists to do a few things...

  1. Be a place to discuss Koine Greek - grammar, syntax, and exegesis

  2. Be a place to ask for help and get answers

  3. Support and encourage others in their quest to climb the Everest of languages.

If you have a question, ask! If you have an insight, share, and if you know of a great resource, let us know! We're a community which hopes to support all, regardless of each person's level of familiarity with the language.

A few other subs worth your time:

/r/AcademicBiblical

/r/AncientGreek

What is Greek of the Week?

Greek of the Week is a discussion of (usually) New Testament texts from the Greek, and generally come from the Revised Common Lectionary for the following week. Discussion, questions, and musings from all levels are welcome!

/r/Koine

3,268 Subscribers

1

Question about genitive usage

ἀκούοντες τού Ίησοῢ πιστεύουσιν αύτῷ is translated as "Hearing Jesus they believe in Him" or "While they are listening to Jesus they trust in Him." It seems to me that τού Ίησοῢ is "of Jesus" - as in, Hearing of Jesus they believe in Him, which is not correct. Why is the genitive used here?

(This is taken from Lesson 8 of "Learn New Testament Greek" by John H. Dobson. Any typing mistakes are purely my own.)

5 Comments
2024/05/04
19:52 UTC

3

Hi, I have a quick question about a word in Koine Greek. In the Bible, why is the word αιωνας translated as "worlds" in Heb 1:1-3 (KJV), when the word (to my understanding) typically means "ages"? Can it mean "words" as well?

Thank you

4 Comments
2024/05/03
22:13 UTC

3

Invite to Study Group in Scriptural App

If anyone has the Scripturial app and would like to join a study team (basically for motivation), I'd love to have friends.

Team: Not By Bread Alone

Secret join code: 862188

Looking for active learners.

2 Comments
2024/04/30
16:35 UTC

2

Telegram group

I created a Telegram group with the aim of learning Koinè Greek by helping each other (with particular attention to the Septuagint, the New Testament and the church fathers). Those of you who are interested, comment on this post and I will send the link.

3 Comments
2024/04/27
12:13 UTC

2

A Primer of Biblical Greek - autodidact exercises help

TLDR; How do I get my answers to the "exercises" assessed given I self-study?

So I bought Croy's book and the companion reader last week and am loving them! The other materials I've been using focus on formal translation, but my interest has always been in the direction of "just reading" biblical Greek. In just the last week I've felt like by ability to do this has really started to develop.

I've hit a problem tho. As far as I can tell there's no "teachers edition" or "instructors manual" to accompany it. So there's an assumption that there'll be a teacher/tutor/professor somewhere around to assess the student's answers to the exercises. Of course with the NT and LXX parts I can go to translations and I am happy to do that work (and more). But with the "Practice and Review" and "English to Greek" sections that's not an option.

I have found some material on mythfolklore.net and brainscape/quizlet but it's incomplete and I'm not sure I always agree with the few answers I find. So right now I am just having to either wade through those exercises very slowly (well the parts I'm not totally confident in) or skip them altogether. Neither of which is ideal.

So... Thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

8 Comments
2024/04/27
07:36 UTC

0

Koine Greek Help - Tattoo

https://preview.redd.it/uyl5b5nm6bwc1.png?width=590&format=png&auto=webp&s=dd139051e8c33c4ed57b507e997b2bcbbe945cd8

I would like a tattoo that reads.

"Son of God.

Slave of Christ.

Destroyer of Kleos."

Can anyone help me to ensure my translation is correct? If you have corrections would you mind just typing the whole thing out so I can copy/paste? Thank you!

20 Comments
2024/04/23
22:54 UTC

1

Noun for "Eternity"

Hey,

I'm a new learner of ancient/koine greek just getting started and was wondering what the word meaning "eternity" would be in ancient greek. I know that αιων is usually the most common translation, but I did find that it's actual connotation was a bit different, referring to an age or a period. Would there be another word that would be a more accurate translation of "eternity"? Thanks!

1 Comment
2024/04/16
21:52 UTC

4

A reading group of Septuagint or Greek New Testament?

I'm quite in need of such a group, and even encourage someone to make one.
I've seen groups for English Bible, also for Homer, Plato etc. But is it any special thing avoided or I am unaware?

6 Comments
2024/04/16
19:56 UTC

0

Mark 16:14-18

I have a question about this passage of scripture. I am of the understanding that everything in this passage is specifically directed at Yeshua's "unbelieving and hardhearted" Apostles. While belief in Yeshua will save anyone (that is why He came and that is the message the Apostles are to bring)), I am of the understand that Yeshua was directing that statement toward the Apostles. ALSO, when Yeshua talked about the "signs" that would follow "those who believe," it is my understanding that He is still directing that statement specifically to His Apostles and NOT changing the subject to include anyone/everyone who would believe in Him. In other words, the "signs" were to be performed by the Apostles specifically (if they would repent of their unbelief). Can anyone confirm this one way or another grammatically from the Greek? Thank you.

Mark 16:14-18

14 Ὕστερον [δὲ] ἀνακειμένοις αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἕνδεκα ἐφανερώθη, καὶ ὠνείδισεν τὴν ἀπιστίαν αὐτῶν καὶ σκληροκαρδίαν ὅτι τοῖς θεασαμένοις αὐτὸν ἐγηγερμένον οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν. 15 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Πορευθέντες εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἅπαντα κηρύξατε τὸ εὐαγγέλιον πάσῃ τῇ κτίσει. 16 ὁ πιστεύσας καὶ βαπτισθεὶς σωθήσεται, ὁ δὲ ἀπιστήσας κατακριθήσεται. 17 σημεῖα δὲ τοῖς πιστεύσασιν ταῦτα παρακολουθήσει· ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου δαιμόνια ἐκβαλοῦσιν, γλώσσαις λαλήσουσιν καιναῖς, 18 [καὶ ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν] ὄφεις ἀροῦσιν, κἂν θανάσιμόν τι πίωσιν οὐ μὴ αὐτοὺς βλάψῃ, ἐπὶ ἀρρώστους χεῖρας ἐπιθήσουσιν καὶ καλῶς ἕξουσιν.

2 Comments
2024/04/15
14:23 UTC

1

Passive voice in Matthew 2:10?

So, echaresan in Matt 2:10 is in the passive voice - what's up with that?

Everywhere else, forms of chairo seem to be used actively.

Any thoughts?

2 Comments
2024/04/11
19:20 UTC

4

How should this participle be translated?

In Matthew 8:7 it says:

καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἐγὼ ἐλθὼν θεραπεύσω αὐτόν.

Would a a more accurate translation be I, coming, will heal him or I will come and heal him

Thanks for any insight you can give this stressed greek student!

6 Comments
2024/04/11
03:44 UTC

4

What is the easiest and most readable book of Septuagint?

I and another pal meet each other to read weekly. We've done some sections of NT. We do not intend to start OT from the scratch but just trying to start with easier books. Any suggestion is appreciated.

2 Comments
2024/04/07
15:09 UTC

6

I'm completely stoked to finish my first translation of 1 John after 4 months!

Χαίρετε!

I'm stoked to have finished my first translation and then read through the whole translation of 1 John. I started this journey 4 months ago (crosspost), in December, and am now working my way through the GNT.

u/Poemen8**,** u/IndividualParsnip655**,**

Your advice was helpful in this endeavour. Thank you!

Now I'm reading through the books of the NT by...

  • Learning the vocabulary upfront before reading a book.
  • Translating a verse at a time in Google word. Ensuring that I don't move on until I know the grammar of every inflected word and noting the inflections I need to go over.
  • Read multiple chapters after translating them.
  • Rinse and repeat.

What is amazing to me is I can read and understand the text after going through this process.

I'm still working on non indicative grammar identification, I have memorised the indicative system and am working on fulling recognizing the non indicatives.

I personally don't find any of the concepts in Greek hard, it is just there is a lot to put into long term memory and the only way that will happen is to put things into ones working memory repeatedly until it is in long term memory.

9 Comments
2024/04/05
08:06 UTC

1

Trying to verify the etymology of a specific Koine Greek word

The word katastolē (καταστολή)

I read something that tells me the noun is from the verb katastellō (καταστέλλω) but there are words in Koine Greek, kata and stolē (κατά and στολή)

4 Comments
2024/04/04
03:58 UTC

3

Help understanding the Greek of Luke 1:28

I was pointed here from the r/GREEK subreddit since Greek has changed a bunch over time. Anyways from my understanding in Luke 1:28 during the annunciation when the Archangel Gabriel tells Mary "Hail full of grace..." its that "full of grace" part that Catholics derive the sinlessness teaching in regards to Mary and how in the original Greek it implies she is unable to receive more grace again implying sinlessness. I was hoping someone could break down the Greek for me especially the "κεχαριτωμένη" because from what I've heard that specific conjugation of the word is what makes it special as opposed to other versions of that word.

"καὶ εἰσελθὼν πρὸς αὐτὴν εἶπεν Χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, ὁ Κύριος μετὰ σοῦ."

7 Comments
2024/04/04
02:59 UTC

5

The hardest book in the GNT to read for learners?

Greetings,

I've been doing some analysis of the Greek New Testament by getting a lemma count and placing it into a database.

Dan Wallace has created a Reading Plan with the hardest book to read as Hebrews. However I have listed the books with the most unique lemmas to the least and Hebrews is 6th on the list.

So what metric makes Hebrews the hardest book to read in the GNT? Is it its Attic like syntax or something else?

Ordering the books with the most unique lemmas, I get the following:

https://preview.redd.it/leff08jym8sc1.png?width=620&format=png&auto=webp&s=8900fc3b8e871be2c4cffe1e59c90e77ab436fd2

6 Comments
2024/04/03
10:09 UTC

2

laleō vs legō?

I’m trying to find the difference between two verbs, laleō (λαλέω) and legō (λέγω), supposedly they both mean to speak. Found in Matthew 12:32-37

2 Comments
2024/04/03
06:44 UTC

7

Question about προσκυνέω proskyneō

Hey guys I wanted to ask if this word is always meant in a worship kind of way?

Because I found: woship, show reverence, pay homage and kneel down as a possible possible translations and they all mean something different.

For example this verse of the bible: John 9:38 Then the man said, “I believe, Lord,” and he bowed (prosekynēsen | προσεκύνησεν | aor act ind 3 sg) in reverence before him.

How do we know that the man bowed in reverence meaning in a way of accepting Jesus as his God and not in a way of bowing simply to show his respect for Jesus?

Thank you for reading!

4 Comments
2024/04/02
10:26 UTC

3

Second Aorist Active Indicative 2nd Person Singular/Plural for ἀναβαινω

Following the rules, it should be ανεβας, but it doesn't seem to exist in the gloss... why is that?

5 Comments
2024/04/02
06:29 UTC

3

1 Timothy 2:9 “katastolē”

1 Timothy 2:9 NASB1995 ”Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing (katastolē), modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments (different word),”

What does katastolē mean and how do you apply the word in regards to clothing today?

2 Comments
2024/03/27
23:23 UTC

2

Accuracy of parts of the Bible

I am aware that parts of the Bible are written in Kione Greek, and I was wondering, how accurate are the translations?

20 Comments
2024/03/24
20:43 UTC

5

Translation madness

I am wanting to better study the languages the Bible was written in, and I figured I could use some help from people who are more familiar with the language. I’ll copy and paste the verse I’m looking into and I’ll put my understanding of the research I found after

οὐκ ἔνι Ἰουδαῖος οὐδὲ Ἕλλην οὐκ ἔνι δοῦλος οὐδὲ ἐλεύθερος οὐκ ἔνι ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ πάντες γὰρ ὑμεῖς εἷς ἐστε ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ

So someone said that the word καὶ should have been translated to and instead of nor in scripture (claimed it was used to trap people which seems kinda far fetched but I was interested in more studying) and the interlinear source I’ve used and have found to be reliable says it was translated to “nor” cuz it was following the pattern of οὐκ. What are your thoughts and how would you translate this?

6 Comments
2024/03/24
10:28 UTC

2

Skippable tenses?

I am learning Koine primarily to read the NT and am getting a bit overwhelmed with all the verb forms. Like I know German and Spanish but it's nothing like the complexity of verbs in Greek!

Just wondering what the most frequent/ infrequent conjugations might be in the NT to focus on until I can wrap my mind around the less common stuff. I'm using Machen and it seems things aren't necessarily taught by highest frequency (like putting participles in the back of the book).

Any thoughts would be appreciated :)

10 Comments
2024/03/22
16:23 UTC

4

The use of ἐπί in different cases

Hello, in David Black's grammar, the following explanation for the preposition ἐπί is given:

(1) ἐπί (878 occurrences)

Gen. upon ἐπὶ γῆς upon earth

Dat. upon ἐπὶ γῇ upon earth

Acc. upon ἐπὶ γήν upon earth

In the New Testament, the distinction between the uses of ἐπί with the various cases has become blurred.

My question is did Black explain ἐπί like this because for beginner learners it is not so important or is there actually no difference between the use of the preposition in the different cases? If there is a subtle difference, what is it?

6 Comments
2024/03/21
23:52 UTC

3

Written Accents and Diacritics in Koine

Hello, everyone! I’m trying to figure out the traditional writing style of Ancient Greeks for a project to be as accurate as possible. My main concern is when it comes to accents and diacritics in Koine. What I mean is how you’ll see words typed out like “ἀρχή” or “γεννηθῇ” in various resources, but I can’t find source material to definitively say if Greeks actually used to write or scribe the accents and diacritics on papyrus and stone consistently. Was the language similar to the Russian “ё” where you’re expected to know when to use “ё” versus a standard “е” in words like “Пётер” being written as “Петер”? Or did they matter enough that you were expected to always include them? Was there a difference in writing styles between upper and lower classes?

Basically, would someone writing Koine have written words like “ἀρχή” or left them as “αρχη”?

Any help is super appreciated, thanks!

4 Comments
2024/03/19
04:17 UTC

1

2 Maccabees 7:23

I was writing a paper on Jesus' resurrection for a college class, and I was going to use this verse to make a point about Jewish beliefs on the resurrection, but there are differences between translations that slightly change the meaning of the text. Unfortunately, it's such a small change that I couldn't find any paper or article anywhere discussing this, and I don't know how to read Koine Greek. Here are the differences in translation.

NRSVUE “Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the beginning of humankind and devised the origin of all things, in his mercy gives life and breath back to you again, since you now forget yourselves for the sake of his laws.”

NRSVCE “Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the beginning of humankind and devised the origin of all things, will in his mercy give life and breath back to you again, since you now forget yourselves for the sake of his laws.”

In the NRSVUE, the mother says that God gives her martyred sons life again, but in the NRSVCE, as well as every other translation I found (NRSVA, CEB, GNT, NABRE, NCV), she said that God will give them life again. This difference is important because if the latter is the correct translation, this verse helps show that Jews who believed in resurrection always, or almost always, meant an eschatological material resurrection. If the former is correct, and this verse means that God is currently giving them life, it would most likely be referring to some sort of spiritual resurrection and would be an example of when resurrection isn't referring to a material return to life.

When I looked at an online Greek Interlinear, it said that the Greek word was grammatically in the present tense, but I don't know Koine Greek, so I don't know what reason there may or may not be to believe that it is referring to a future event.

Could someone please tell me if this verse is referring to a future resurrection, or a present resurrection, and to what degree of certainty they hold this?

7 Comments
2024/03/14
01:04 UTC

1

Modern Greek on Duolingo

Would the modern Greek version on duolingo.com facilitate in learning Koine Greek or would it be more confusing with the modern vocabulary vs koine vocabulary? Or, is there a koine version similar to duolingo.com?

Thank you, in advance for any thoughts.

7 Comments
2024/03/13
13:58 UTC

2

Can I learn Koine before Classical?

Obviously, I’m sure one CAN do this. But I’m worried I’m setting myself up for failure by first learning Koine, then Classical Greek. My ultimate goal is to be able to read a wide breadth of Greek literature, biblical and otherwise, from antiquity. I had planned for a while to use Athenaze and other resources to become proficient in Classical Greek before transitioning to Koine. But now an opportunity for a masters in biblical languages has come up and I need to pounce — timing works out with other life events.

Am I screwed for learning Classical Greek down the road? Thanks for any insight, especially from folks with first hand knowledge!

5 Comments
2024/03/13
13:09 UTC

1

Can someone give me the correct translation for: οὐδὲν δεινὸν πέπονθας

I've always been a fan of stoicism and the story of its founder Zeno in Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers by Diogenes Laertius.

In particular, I like the phrase οὐδὲν δεινὸν πέπονθας which I always believed was translated "nothing has terrible has befallen you". It has sort of been my own motto that I carry with me.

But I just also found another translation by Yonge that translates it as, "you have done no harm" which now means something very different.

Can anyone help shed some light on this for me? Is οὐδὲν δεινὸν πέπονθας mean nothing has terrible has befallen you?

Original text

Hicks translation

1 Comment
2024/03/09
23:09 UTC

6

Do you know of any simple koine readers?

Emphasis on simple.

I am working through koine now, and have hit a snag. I have relatively little difficulty understanding grammar, or memorizing vocabulary, but I get bogged down with reading comprehension.

Of course, the goal is to read NT texts, but the complexity of even the simpler sentences is a bit much. Every reader I have seen uses read material, NT, LXX, Josephus and the like. Has anyone discovered a simple, cheap reader for koine, akin to material for popular modern languages.

Ideally sentences like "This tree is large" or "The tree on the hill has no leaves"

Maybe such a resource does not actually exist. (Hopefully I explained myself well enough.)

18 Comments
2024/03/02
04:07 UTC

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