Greek Definite Article:
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The: Strong’s # 3588. Originally a demonstrative pronoun, (this, that,) but in Attic Greek, and in later usage mostly a prepositive article, (the).
1-a. As a demonstrative pronoun, “this, that.”
1-b. Skimpily once in the words cited from the poet Aratus, Acts 17:28, “For we are also his offspring,” for of this one (him,) we are also the offspring.
1-b. In distinctions and distribution, with, the one, the other, that one, this one. Phil.1:16-17, “The one preach Christ, — the other of love.” Heb.7:5-6, “They that are, — he whose.” So distributively, “One — another;” plur. some — others. Matt.13:23, “Some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matt.22:5-6, “But they, — and the rest.” Acts 14:4, 17:32, 28:24, “Some believed — some believed not.” Rom.2:7-8, “To them who, — But unto them that.” Eph.4:11.
Also Matt.16:14, “They said, — and others.” John 7:12. Acts 17:18, “Some said, — other some.” Matt.28:17, “But some doubted,”as in antith. To all as impl. in “They worshipped.”
1-c. In the narrative style, “but he, is used by way of transition to another person or party already mentioned, without a preceding, “But this one,” as in, “But he,” “And he,” etc. Matt.2:5, “They said unto him.” Matt.16:14. Mark 8:28, “And they answered.” Luke 7:40, “And he said.” Luke 8:30-48. John 6:20, 8:11. So with a participle intervening, Matt.2:9, “When they had heard the king, they departed.” Matt.2:14-21, “When he arose, he took the young child.” Matt.4:4, “But he answered and said.” with ver.20, “They straightway left.” Matt.12:39. Mark 1:45. Luke 6:8. John 8:9.
2. As the prepositive article, originally a demonstrative as above, but having its demonstrative power gradually softened down so as simply to mark an object as definite or specific. It corresponds in many respects to the English the, though it is sometimes used where we still say, “This,” often where we employ no article, and sometimes, even where we put the indefinite a, an. Usually it is omitted where the English omits it. The usage of languages varies much in respect to their articles; and in Greek especially, the usage seems in many cases never to have become fixed, but to have been left to the taste and judgment of the writer or speaker; as is also in some measure the case with our English, the. Further, to the writers of the N.T. the use of the Hebrew article was vernacular; and this could hardly fail to impart a shade of coloring to their mode of employing the article in Greek; though probably not to such an extent as is often supposed.
2-a. With Substantives, or words standing for substantives.
2-a-1. Simply, as without adjectives or other adjuncts, where the subst. is to be expressed as definite or specific.
2-a-1-a. Genr. where the subst. refers to a person or thing as well known, as either as already mentioned, or as of common notoriety. So in English. as already mentioned, Matt.1:24, “The angel of the Lord,” coll. with ver.20. Matt.
2:7, “The wise men,” coll. with ver.1, “There came wise men. Matt.5:1, “The multitudes,” coll. with Matt. 4:25, “All sick people.” Matt.13:25-26, “Among the wheat, — the blade — the tares,” there spoken of, with ver.30, “Gather the tares, — gather the wheat.” Matt.19:14. Mark 5:39. Matt.21:18, “Returning into the city,” as in Jerusalem, but in John 4:8, “Unto the city,” as in Sichem. Acts 9:17, “Into the house,” coll. with ver.9.
2-a-1-b. As of common notoriety. Matt.1:22, “By the prophet,” meaning Isaiah. But Matt.2:15, “By the prophet,” meaning Hosea. Matt.2:4, “The people,” as in the Jewish people. Matt.2:7, “What time,” for which the Magi were inquiring. Matt.5:1, “Into a mountain,” as in near by. Matt.
5:25, “In the way,” to the judge. Matt.9:28, “Into the house,” as where he was to lodge. Matt.8:12, “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Which are well known as belonging to that place. Matt.12:41, “Shall rise in judgement,” as the day of judgment. Matt.21:8, “From the trees,” which grew there. Matt.13:2, “Into a ship,” which was there, or which he had bespoken. Matt.26:27, “The cup,” usually served at table. Mark 2:24 and 3:2, “On the sabbath day,” as on a certain sabath. But Matt.12:2, “Upon the sabbath day,” indefinite. Luke 5:14, “The priest,” as in the proper priest. Luke 5:16, “Into the wilderness,” near the city. Luke 12:54, “A cloud,” the harbinger of rain. Luke16:21 “The dogs came,” of that city. John 3:10, “A master = (teacher) of Israel.” John 13:5, “Poured water into a basin,” which belonged to the chamber. John 21:20, “At supper,” coll. with 13:23 sq. Acts 11:13, “An angel,” coll. Acts 10:3. Acts 21:38, in English, “That Egyptian.” Rom.4:3, “The scripture?” Rom.5:15, “Many be dead,” the many, the great mass, etc. 1 Cor.10:1-2, “In the cloud and in the sea,” as the pillar of cloud and the Red Sea. James 2:25, “The messengers,” the spies sent by Joshua. Rev.5:13, “Which is in heaven, and on the earth and under the earth, — in the sea, Blessing and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him, that sitteth upon the throne,” as in the glory, etc. which belongs to God and none other. Rom.11:36. Here however it often depends on the feeling of the writer, whether the object shall be expressed as definite or not; as Matt.12:1, “Pluck the ears of corn,” as some ears, indef. But Mark 2:23 and Luke 6:1, “Disciples plucked the ears of corn,” of the grain just before mentioned. Mark 6:8, “Take nothing for their journey,” as for journeying, for this or any other journey; But Luke 9:3, “For your journey,” as for this journey.
2-b. With proper names of persons, places, etc. Here the usage is various, and seems to depend mostly on the will of the writer, or on some special idiom.
2-b-1. Of persons, as “Jesus” Matt.3:13-15, and so almost universally in Matt, and generally in the other gospels, but less frequently elsewhere; also Luke 24:15, “Jesus himself,” without article, as in Luke 2:52, 4:1, 1 John 2:22.Matt.3:13, 11:1; without article Matt. 3:4, “Unto John,” Matt.9:14, “Disciples of John,” Matt.11:2-4. Matt.27:13-17-22, “Pilate said unto them,” and so more usually; but without article. Luke 13:1, 23:6, Acts 13:28, Acts 14:11-19, 15:2, “Paul;” without article Acts 13:16, 15:36. Acts 13:43-46, “Paul and Barnabas.” Without article, Acts 15:2-12-25. Acts 6:9, 7:59, 8:2, “Stephen;” without art. Acts 6:5-8.
So before the compound pr. n. for Jehovah, Rev.1:4,
“From Him which is, and which was, and which is to come.” Where the proper name has an adjunct of title, office, family, etc. the article is omitted, as Matt.3:1, “John the Baptist.” Mark 8:28. Matt.27:2, “Pontius Pilate the governor.” Gal.1:19, “James the Lord’s brother.” Matt.10:4, “Simon the Canaanite.” Acts 18:8-17. Where the pr. name is indeclinable, the article would seem to be more necessary, in order to mark the case; but usage is here equally variable, as in Matt.1:18-24, “Joseph,” without article, Luke 2:33, 4:22. Acts 13:22, “David.” Matt.22:42; usually without art. Matt.1:20. Mark 2:25. Comp. the genealogies in Matt.1:1. Luke 3:23.
2-b-2. With geographical names; where as a general rule names of countries take the article more frequently than those of cities. Generally also where two or more names follow each other, only the first takes the article, as Matt.4:25, “People from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.” Luke 3:1. Acts 1:8, 2:9, 6:9, 9:31, 14:21, 1 Thes.1:8. But see Acts 2:9, “and Asia,” and 1 Thes.1:7. Spec. (1) Names of countries, as “Asia,” Acts 19:10-22-26-27, and so always except Acts 6:9, 1 Pet.1:1, by the above rule. Acts 18:12-27, “Into Achaia,” and usually; but without article, 2 Cor. 9:2. 1 Cor.11:1, Gal.1:2,”Of Galatia,” without article, 2 Tim.4:10. Matt.2:22, 4:12, “Into Galilee,” and so always except Matt.4:15, and Luke 17:11. Acts 9:31, by precedent rule. Matt.2:1-5, and so always except Matt.4:25. Acts 2:9, by preced. rule. Acts 18:2, “From Italy,” and always, “Cyprus,” Acts 13:4, 21:3; without article Acts 15:39. Acts 16:10, 19:21, “Through Macedonia,” without article 16:9. 1 Cor.16:5. Matt.4:24. Acts 18:18, “Into Syria,” without article Acts 21:3. The name, “Egyptian,” never has the article.
2-b-3. Names of cities have the article least frequently, especially after the prep. “in, at, unto,” As only Acts 15:23, “In Antioc,” Acts 9:3, 22:6; “Damascus,” once Acts 26:12, “To Damascus,” only, “From Ephesus,” Acts 18:21 19:17, 20:16. “At Jerusalem,” twice John 5:2, 10:22. “Filled Jerusalem,” once Acts 5:28. c. adj. Gal. 4:25-26. “In Capernaum,” Luke 4:23. Twice Matt.4:13, “Leaving Nazareth,” Luke 4:16, “Came to Nazareth.” “From Rome,” Acts 18:2, Acts 28:14, “Toward Rome.”
2-b-4. Names of rivers take the art. as in English. As, “The Jordan,” always, Matt.3:5-6. Rev.16:12, “The great river Euphrates,” c. adj Rev.9:14. Names of mountains do not occur in N.T. Names of nations belong properly under 3-d, below. The rule has been laid down for geographical names, that where first mentioned they are without the article, but take it afterwards; but the converse of this is just as often true. As in Acts 17:10, “Unto Berea,” with ver.13, “At Berea.” Acts 20:15, “To Miletus,” with ver.17, “From Miletus.” But also verses 13-14, “Unto Assos,” compare verses 16-18; also 17:1-11-13, 18:1,19:1.
3. With nouns implying a person or thing as alone or monadic = (un-extended point) either as preeminent above all others, or as alone existing; thus approaching the nature of a proper name, and sometimes passing over into one As, “The Christ, the Messiah,” Matt.1:17, 2:4, and so almost always where it stands alone; without the art. as a proper name very rarely in the Gospels and Acts, as Luke 23:2. John 9:22; but oftener in the Epistles, Rom.5:6, 6:4. 1 Cor.1:17-23. Mark 14:14, “The Master.” So, “The devil,” Matt.4:1-5-8, and always except Acts 13:10, “The child of the devil,” comp. with 1 Pet.5:8, “Your adversary the devil.” Matt.6:13, “Deliver us from evil,” or, the evil one. Matt.13:19-25. 1 John 2:18, “That antichrist shall come.” 1 Thes.3:5, “The tempter.” Rev.6:8, “Was Death,” Rev.20:13-14, “Death and hell.” Rev.8:11, “The star is called Wormwood.” Augustus, pp. the August, Acts 25:21-25. The names of God, and Christ, often have the article, but more frequently omit it, especially in the oblique cases; see in a-1, and 2-b. B. The name applied to God has usually the article and genitive, but also simply Luke 10:22, “The Father.” John 1:14, “Of the Father.” So, Matt.28:19, “The Father.” Acts 1:8, “The Holy Ghost.” Acts 10:19, “The Spirit.” Rom.15:30. 1 Cor.2:10. 2 Cor.13:3. Without the article in the Greek text, added in Bible. 1 Pet.1:2. Acts 8:15. 1 Cor.12:3. Jude 20. Also with nouns or names of single objects, concrete or abstract, where also the article is often omitted when they are otherwise so definite that no ambiguity can arise. As Matt.13:43, “The sun.” Mark 1:32. without article, Matt.13:6.the added in Bible. Luke 21:25; and so Rev.7:2, “Ascending from (the) east.” Rev.16:12, “Kings (of the) east.” Matt.3:2-16, and usually in the Gospels and Apocalypse; without article Matt.5:45, 6:20. 1 Cor.8:5, and more usually in the epistles. Matt.5:13-18, “and earth.” Without article 1 Pet.3:5-10. Acts 17:24.
Always without article, Matt.13:35, “(The) foundation (of the) world.” Also Matt.20:3, “In the marketplace.”Acts16:19; but Mark 7:4, “From the market.” comp. English from market. Luke 7:32. The law of Moses, Matt.5:18, 22:36, “In the law.” John 1:17; without art. Rom.2:23, 3:20-21-31. Gal.2:21, 3:2, “Works of (the) law.” Matt.6:28-30, “Of the field,” but as opp. to the city, Mark 15:21, “Out of the country,” Luke 15:25. So with abstract nouns, in respect to which languages vary, as in English, virtue always without article, but truth or the truth; the Greek inserts it or also omits it where no ambiguity can arise. As in 2 Pet.1:5, “To virtue,” bis; without article verse 3. Rom.13:10, “of (the) law.” 1 Cor.13:4-8; without article verses 2-3. 2 Cor.2:8, Rom.5:12, “By one man sin.” Rom.6:1-2-17-18; without article Rom.3:9-20, 5:13. Rom.5:17, 6:18-19-20, “From righteousness.” Without the article Rom.4:9, “For,” 5:21, “Through,” Rom.9:30, “To righteousness.” Rom.3:30-31, 4:9; without article Acts 6:5. Rom.1:17, 3:28 etc. See Also Matt.15:19. Gal.5:19 seq. Col.3:8.
4. With nouns implying a dedinite genus or class of individuals, distinct from all others.
4-a. Genr. in plur Matt.8:20, “The foxes.” Matt. 24:28, “The eagles.” So the dead, Matt.14:2, 22:31. Mark 12:26. 1 Cor.15:29-42; but more frequently also without the article, especially in connection with words referring to a rising from the dead, as etc. Matt.17:9, “From among (the) dead.” Luke 24:46. Acts 3:15. Rom.10:7. Here belong also the plural names of nations, which take the article as generic, as in, “The Jews” as in the whole nation. Matt. 2:2. Luke 7:3. John 2:18-20; but, “Jews,” indefinite Acts 2:5-10. So John 7:35, “The Gentiles.” John 11:48, “The Romans.”
4-b. In the Singular where the noun expresses a generic idea, or stands as the representative of a class, where in English also, we commonly put “the,” Matt.12:35, “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart — an evil man etc.” Mark 3:27. Luke 10:7, “The labourer.” John 10:11,
“The good shepherd.” Rom.1:17, “The just.” Gal.3:20, 4:1. Here too we may refer the sower, Matt.13:3, “To sow.” Mark 4:3. Also Matt.7:24-26, “Upon a rock.”
5. With nouns in themselves indefinite, which yet become definite as standing in some certain relation to the definite person or thing there spoken of. As in Luke 18:15, “Also infants,” their own children. John 5:36. Acts 14:10, “With a loud voice.” 1 Cor.11:5, “With her head uncovered,” so in English with the head uncovered, as in her head. Heb.7:24. Rev.4:7. The definiteness of such nouns is often strengthened by the genit. of a pronoun, as in Matt.3:4, “The same John had his raiment of camel’s hair.” Mark 8:17. John 19:2. Rev.2:18. So Matt.1:21-23, “Shall call His name Emmanuel.” Luke 1:13. The article may also be omitted before such nouns, when otherwise definite, as, 1 Tim.2:8, “Lifting up holy hands.” 2 Pet.2:14.
6. Where two or more nouns in the same case are connected by, “and,” etc. if the first have the article, the second takes or omits it in certain circumstances, viz.
6-a. If the nouns are different genders the article is by rule repeated, as in Matt.15:4, “Thy father and mother,” with ver.5. Matt.8:26. Luke 14:26. Acts 13:50, “Honorable women, and the chief men of the city.” Acts 15:20. Rom.8:2. 1 Cor.2:4. Eph.2:3. Col.2:13. So as connected by, “Neither,” 1 Cor.3:7. But sometimes the article is here omitted, especially where the nouns express kindred ideas, Col.2:22, “The commandments and doctrines of men.” Luke 1:6, 14:23, 23:49. Rev.5:12.
6-b. If the nouns are of the same gender, but express different and independent objects, the article is repeated, as Mark 2:16, “The scribes and Pharisees,” with ver.18, “The disciples of John and of the Pharisees.” Mark 12:13. Luke 1:58, 11:39, 12:11, 23:4. Acts 6:4. Rev.22:1. So with both Paul, and Silas, Acts 17:10-14. Also where the article is necessary for distinctness, as 1 Cor. 1:28.
6-c. But if the nouns be of the same gender and stand in near relation to each other, the article is more commonly not repeated. As when they all are parts of one general idea of a whole, etc. Mark 15:1, “The chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes,” where the elders and scribes stand as one division over against the priests. Luke 14:3-21. Phil.2:17. Col.2:8-19. 1 Tim. 4:7. 1 Pet.2:25. Or where a noun is added for nearer explanation, Col.3:17, “Giving thanks to God and the Father.” Eph.1:3. Phil.4:20. 2 Pet.1:11, 2:20. Or where with the first noun and its article there is connected a genit. or other adjunct which refer also to the second, Phil.1:25, “For your furtherance and joy of faith.” 1 Thes.2:12, 3:7. Eph.3:5. Acts 1:25, “This ministry and apostleship.” Or where the nouns thus connected are adjectives or other predicates referring to one subject, Acts 3:14, “Ye denied the Holy One and the Just.” Acts 2:20. Mark 9:25. John 21:24. Phil.3:3. 1 Thes.2:15. So with, “But,” John 10:1. Also in proper names, when they all stand in like relation, Acts 1:13, 15:23.
7. With the subject or predicate of a sentence; here a common rule is, that the subject takes the article and the predicate omits it. But this is true only in so far as the former is more frequently definite than the latter; and the case may be inverted; or both may be definite or indefinite; so that strictly speaking the subject and predicate as such neither take nor reject the article, but are governed in respect to it by the same principles as other nouns.
7-a. As The subject takes the article, but not the predicate. John 1:1, “Word was God.” John 4:24, “God was a Spirit,” John 6:63, “The words that I speak — they are spirit, and they are life.” Rom.6:21-23. 1 John 3:15, 4:8, “For God is love.” So Luke 1:35.
7-b. Both subjects and predicate have the article. As Matt.6:22, “The light of the body is the eye.” John 1:4, “The life was the light of men.” John 6:63, 1 Cor.15:56. 2 Cor.3:17, “The Lord is that Spirit.” Phil.3:19, “Whose God is their belly.” 1 John 2:7, 3:4, “Sin is the transgression of the law.” Rev.18:23. So Matt.13:19-23. where the subject c. art. is repeated by, (this).
7-c. The predicate has the article, where the subject is without it. As where the subject is a proper name, 1 John 4:15, 3:1-6. or a pronoun, as “I,” John 6:51, “I am the living bread.” Acts 7:32. 2 Cor.3:2, (Ye) “Are our epistle.” Matt.5:13-14. Matt.3:17, (this) “Is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Mark 6:3, John 1:19, “This is the record of John.” Acts 4:11. 1 Cor.11:24-25. So where the predicate is a participle with the article, the subject being still a pronoun, as in, John 8:18, “I am one that bear witness.” Matt.10:20. Mark 4:16. John 9:8, Mark 7:15. So Luke 8:21, where the subject without the article is repeated by, (it.) Once the predicate has two nouns, one without and the other with the article, John 8:44, “For he is a liar, and the father of it.”
7-d. But sometimes both subject and predicate are without the article, Matt.20:16, “For many be called, but few chosen.” Matt.22:14.
8. With a noun in the nominative, where it stands for the vocative. Matt.27:29, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Mark 9:25, 10:47, “Thou son of David, have mercy on me.” Luke 8:54, “Saying, Maid = (child,) arise.” Luke 12:32. John 8:10. Acts 13:41. Rom.8:15.
9. With nouns as accompanied by adjuncts. Here the use of the article depends on the definiteness of the noun, either in itself, or as affected by the adjunct. The adjunct may stand before the noun, as between it and the article, if it have one; or also after the noun, and then if the noun have an article, this may be repeated before the adjunct, or not, according to circumstances.
9-a. C. Subst. as adjunct, either in the genit. or in apposition. In the genit. and here each noun, both the leading and the governed, takes or omits the article. As between the article and noun, 1 Pet.3:20, “The longsuffering of God.” 2 Pet.3:20; here the two articles stand side by side.
9-b. More frequent the gen. is put last, as Matt. 3:2, “the kingdom of heaven.” Matt.3:1, “In the wilderness of Judaea,” with ver.3, “The way of the LORD.” Here the article is sometimes for the sake of emphasis repeated, as Matt.26:28, “This is my blood of the new testament.” Mark 14:24. 1 Cor.1:18, “The preaching of the cross.” Where the leading noun is readily understood from the connection, it is very commonly omitted, and then its article stands alone before the genitive of the adjunct; so especially the words, woman or wife, mother, young, child, brother, etc. As Matt.
1:6, “The wife of Urias.” Matt.4:21, “The son of Zebedee, and John his brother.” In N.T. this occurs mostly in apposition, see below.
9-c. In apposition, and here the leading noun takes or omits the article. while with the adjunct the article is inserted or omitted, according as the latter is or is not intended to distinguish the leading noun from all others of the like kind or name, comp. As Rom.8:23, “Waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” John 16:13, “When he, the Spirit of truth, is come.” More usually with proper names, which then themselves commonly omit the article as in Matt.2:1-3, “Herod the king.” Matt. 4:21,”And John his brother.” Matt.21:11, “Jesus the prophet.” Matt.
27:2. Mark 10:47. Acts 21:8, 25:13. Eph. 3:1. Here too the article often stands without its substantive. Matt.10:2, “James the son of Zebedee,” with ver.3, “James the son of Alphaeus.” Mark 2:14, 16:1, “Mary the mother of James,” comp. with Mark 15:40, “Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome.” Also Luke 24:10, comp. with Acts 1:13. John 19:25, “Mary the wife of Cleophas,” (his mother.) Acts. 13:22. But where the noun is apposition is not meant for definite distinction, it omits the article, as in Luke 2:36, “Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel.” Luke 3:1, “Tiberius Caesar.” Acts 6:5, 7:10, “Pharaoh king of Egypt.” Matt.12:24. Rom.1:1, “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ.” Jude 1. Luke 4:31, “Capernaum, a city of Galilee.” Luke 23:51. Sometimes a proper name is thus added in apposition, espec. names of rivers, either with or without the article. Rev.16:12, “Poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates,” but Rev. 9:14, “Which are bound in the great river Euphrates.” Or the name is put between the article and, “River,” as in Mark 1:5, in Greek, “In the Jordan river by him.” English, “River of Jordan.”
10-a. Adjective as adjunct. pp. as expressing an essential or intrinsic quality of the subst. and forming with it one idea. Here if the subst. have no article, the adjective, takes none, and is put either before or after the noun, as Matt.14:14, “And saw a great multitude.” Matt. 26:47, Greek is, “Crowd great.” Luke 11:13, “Good gifts.” Matt.7:11, Greek is, “Gifts good.” But if the noun have the article, the adjective may stand between the noun and its article, (as before the noun); or after the noun, and then the article is repeated before the adjective. As in Matt. 7:13, “Enter ye in at the strait gate.” Matt.12:35, “A good man.” Matt.28:19, “The Holy Ghost.” Mark 6:39. Luke 1:35. John 4:23. More commonly after the noun, Acts 12:10, “Came unto the iron gate.” Luke 8:8, “Fell on good ground.” Mark 13:11, “But the Holy Ghost,” in Greek, “The Spirit the Holy.” Luke 21:3, Greek is, “Poor this more,” English is, “More than they all.” John 6:13, 10:11. James 1:9, 3:7. So where the noun has also a genit. as Matt.1:25, “Her firstborn son.” Matt.3:17, 6:6. Tit.2:11.
10-b. Where the adject is the predicate of a clause or sentence, it naturally stands without the article as being indefinite. Its place is then usually before the subject, as Matt.7:13, Heb.5:11, But also after the subject, as Matt.9:37, James 2:26.
10-c. Where an adject. connected with a noun having the article, expresses, not an intrinsic quality belonging to the noun, but a circumstance or condition predicated of it, the adject. then stands without the art. either after the noun, or before the noun and its article, and constitutes a species of indirect predicate. As in John 5:36, “But I have greater witness than that of John.” So where an adj. has an adverbial sense, Luke 23:45, “The veil of the temple was rent in the midst.” Also the adjectives of quantity, “all,” and, “the,” as in Matt.4:23, “All Galilee.” Luke 4:14, 5:5, “Toiled all the night.” Rom.8:36; also Matt. 16:26, “The whole world, “Mark 1:33, “All the city.” John 4:53.
So, “The,” Matt.6:29, “In all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” Acts 1:18. James 1:8; also Matt.9:35, “All the cities.” Luke 12:7. Rev.13:12. Adjective, “all,” follows the same rule, Matt.28:11. Luke 3:21. Mark 16:15. Luke 19:48. Less frequently, “the,” stands between the article and subst. and is then emphatic, Acts 20:18, “All the seasons.” Gal.5:14. 1 Tim.1:16. To the above rule belong apparently the following: 1 John 5:20, “And eternal life,” in K.J.V. Luke 12:12, “For the Holy Spirit,” in K.J.V. 1 Cor.10:3, “The same spiritual meat.” Gal.1:4, “From this present evil world.” But in all these the adj. expresses an intrinsic quality; and the construction is rather to be referred to the later Greek sage, which began in such cases to omit the article.
10-d. Numerals follow the general rule in (a) above; as cardinals, Matt.10:1, “His twelve disciples.” Matt.20:21, “My two sons.” Mark 6:41. Ordinals, Matt.20:6, “The eleventh hour.” Mark 14:12. Luke 1:59; also Mark 15:34, “At the ninth hour.” John 2:1. Heb.4:4.
11-a. Pron. as adjunct, as Personal pronouns in the genit. used instead of possessives, follow the same general rule as the gen. of nouns. As in Matt.5:30, “If the right hand offend thee.” Rom. 6:12, “In your mortal body.” Oftener after the noun, Matt.3:17, “My beloved Son.” Acts 2:39, “The Lord our God.”
11-b. Possessive pronouns follow the rule of adjectives. Matt.18:20, “In my name.” John 4:42. Rom.15:4; and so where the subst. is implied, as Luke 5:33, “But thine eat.” Luke 22:42. 1 John 2:2; also c. article after the noun, John 5:30, “My judgement.” John 6:38, 10:27, 14:27. 1 John 1:3. Here the article is essential to definiteness.
11-c. Demonstrative pronouns are either put between the art. and noun, as 2 Cor.12:3, “Such a man.” Mark 9:37; or more commonly either before the article and noun or after the noun, as, which being definite usually require the article along with the subst. which they qualify. Matt. 3:4, “And the same John.” John 5:36, “The same works that I do.” Acts 16:18, “The same hour.” John 16:27. 1 Cor.15:28; also Gal.6:13, “They themselves who are circumcised.” So, Matt.20:21, “These my two sons.” Luke 7:44, 9:48, John 6:51-58; also Matt.3:9, “God is able of these stones.” Matt. 26:8-31. John 2:19-20. So Matt.27:63, “That deceiver.” Matt.18:1, “At the same time.” Matt.24:19; Also Matt.7:25, “That house.” Mark 3:24-25. But genit. “his,” instead of a possessive pron. stands like the genitives in (11-a) above, except that it is put before both the noun, and article, as Matt.2:2, “We have seen his star.”
11-d. Participle. as adjunct, where the construction is nearly the same as with adjectives. The particip. sometimes stands between the noun and article, as in Matt.2:2, “He that is born King,” with ver.7. Matt.3:7, “From the wrath to come.” Matt.4:18. More commonly it stands after the noun, and then if the noun be definite, the participle also takes the article when a definite, well-known, or special relation is to be expressed. Matt.7:13, “The way, that leads to destruction.” Matt.20:12, 26:28, “My blood –which is shed for many.” Luke 22:19. Acts 9:7, “the men which journeyed with him.” Rom.1:3. 2 Tim. 3:15. 1 Pet. 1:21, “In God, that raised Him up.” 1 Pet.3:5, 5:10. Elsewhere the article is not repeated, and there arises the participial construction, in which the participle merely expresses a predicate like a finite verb. c. John 4:6, “Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey,” with ver.39. Acts 3:26, 23:27, “This man was taken of the Jews.” Acts 26:4. Rom.2:27, 16:1. 1 Pet.3:5.
11-e. Common. Preposition, and its case as adjunct, like periphrasis for an adject. or the like. Here if the leading noun be indefinite the adjunct in general is so likewise, and is put after the nouns, as 1 Tim.4:3, “God had created to be received with thanksgiving.” 1 Tim.1:5, “Charity out of a pure heart.” But if the leading noun have the article, or be in itself definite, then the adjunct sometimes stands between it and the article, but more commonly after it, with the article repeated or not according to circumstances. As Matt.15:1, “Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem.” Rom.9:11, “Purpose of God according to election.” Rom.11:27, “This is my covenant unto them.” Luke 1:70. Acts 27:2. After the noun, with article repeated, Matt.6:6, “To thy Father which is in secret.” Matt.7:3. Mark 4:31. John 12:21. Acts 4:2, 27:5, 2 Cor.8:4. 1 Thes.1:8. So for the sake of definiteness or distinction where the leading noun has not the article, as Acts 26:18, “By faith that is in me.” 2 Tim.1:13, “In faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” Tit.3:5. But vice versa the adjunct sometimes omits the article when it stands before the leading noun, as Rom.9:3, “My kinsmen according to the flesh.” 2 Cor.7:7, “Your mourning, — toward me.” Eph.2:11, “Gentiles in (the) flesh.” 1 Cor.10:18, “Israel after (the) flesh.” So Col.1:4, “Of your faith in Christ Jesus.” Eph.1:15.
13-a. Adv. as adjunct, as placed between the art. and subst. and thus forming a periphrasis for an adjective. Rom.7:22, “After the inward man.” Acts 13:42, “The next Sabbath,” 2 Pet.1:9.
Note. In cases like many of the preceding, where the article is repeated with the adjunct after the noun, some writers attribute to it the nature and name of a relative pronoun, especially before participles. On the ground that in English, and other languages it is usually rendered by a relative. But this is to confound the idioms of different languages. In a still greater number of like cases the article is not used at all; and in no case can the Greek relative be substituted for it, without also changing the adjunct into a finite verb.
14. With adjectives. As connected with nouns,
14-a. Used as nouns, and then the article is employed or not precisely as with nouns. Genr. as, Rom.5:7, generic. Matt.9:28, “The blind man.” 1 Cor.1:19-27, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, — bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 1 Cor.2:6, “Wisdom of this world.” John 8:7, “He that is without sin.” So 2 Cor. 8:15, “He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack,” quoted from Sept. Ex.16:18, with allusion to ver.17. In some adjectives, a difference of signification is thus produced, as, “other, and, “the other.”
14-b. Neut. adjectives with the article are often put as abstract nouns, as Sing. Rom.1:19, “That which may be known of God.” Rom.2:4, “The goodness of God.” Rom.8:3, 1 Cor. 1:25, 2 Cor.4:17, 8:8. Heb.6:17, 7:18. Sing. as collect. Heb.7:7, “The less is blessed of the better,” or, the less, the greater. Plur. c. gen. as Rom.2:16, “The secrets of men by Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor.14:25, 4:5. 2 Cor.4:5, Rom. 1:20, “For the invisible things of Him.” So Luke 18:27, “The things which are impossible with men.” Trop. for persons 1 Cor.1:27-28. So neut. accus. as adverb contrariwies, “For, contrary,” 2 Cor.2:7. Gal.2:7. 1 Pet. 3:9.
14-c. Numerals used as nouns follow the same rule, as, “The ten,” Matt.20:24. Luke 8:1. Ord. “The first,” Matt.20:10. Matt.22:26, “The second and the third.” Neut. as adv. with or without the art. as in, “At first,” John 10:40, 12:16, 19:39; more common, Matt.6:23, “Be darkness,” 1 Cor. 12:28. 2 Cor.13:2, “The second time. “Jude 5, “afterward,” Greek is, “The second place.” John 3:4, 4:54. 1 Cor.12:18, Mark 14:41, “The third time.” John 21:17. Luke 20:12, “He sent a third.” 1 Cor.12:28.
15-a. With Pronouns. Pronoun possessive, as connected with nouns. As standing for nouns these take or omit the article like nouns, “Mine own,” as literally, “The mine,” what is mine, Matt.25:27. Matt.20:15, “With mine,” Greek is, “(is) mine.” Luke 15:31. John 17:10. Matt.20:14, “Thine
is,” Luke 6:30. Mark 5:19, “To thy friends,” or thy family. Our fellow Christians, etc. Titus 3:14.
15-b. With demonstratives, as, “such a one,” either as a generic idea, every or all such, as a class, Matt.19:14. Acts 22:22, “Away with such a fellow from the earth.” Rom.16:18, “For they that are such.” 1 Cor.5:11. 2 Cor. 10:11, “Let such an one.” Acts 19:25, “With like occupation,” Greek is, “In such things.” Rom.1:32; or as a definite person already mentioned, 2 Cor.12:2-3-5.
16-a. With Participles. As connected with nouns, see 12-a.
16-b. Absolute, in the place of nouns, and then the use of the article corresponds to the usage with nouns.
16-b-1. Generally, Matt.4:3, “The tempter.” Matt.13:3, “A sower.” Mark 5:14, “They that fed the swine,” for the herdsmen. Luke 7:14. Rom.4:4. Rev.15:2. So neut. as abstract, John 3:6, “That which is born of the flesh.” c. gen. Phil. 3:8.
16-b-2. Where the idea of verbal action still remains in the participle, corresponding in English to, he who, those who, etc. Here the participle in itself is indefinite and general, but the action which it expresses is thus made definite and becomes limited to certain specified individuals or a class, which themselves thus become definite and specific. As, literally those eating, those who ate, not the same as, “The eaters,” Matt.14:21, 15:38. So Mark 4:9, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Mark 10:42. John 5:29, with ver.32, “Another that beareth witness of me.” Acts 2:47. Rom.10:5, 14:3, 16:17. 1 Cor.9:13, “They which minister about holy things.” 2 Cor. 10:17, 11:4. Gal.1:23. As followed by, “he,” emphatic, Matt. 26:23. Mark 12:40. Luke 8:14. John 6:46. As limiting a more general word, as Luke 11:10, “Every one that asks receives.” Luke 18:9, “Which trusted in themselves.” Gal.1:7. In apposition with a personal pronoun implied, Matt.7:23. Rom.2:1.
16-b-3. c. Neut. accus. as adverb as in, “For the present,” Acts 24:25.
17. Before Prepositions with their cases, which then form a periphrasis for a subst. or adjective.
17-a. Generally of persons as “those from Italy, as in the Italians, Heb.13:24. Phil.4:22, “They that are of Caesar’s household.” Rom.4:14, “They of the law.” Rom.2:8, “The contentious.” Mark 3:21, “Heard of it,” Greek is, “Those belonging to him.” Specifically before, “About,” c. acc. of persons either as, “Paul and his companions,” Acts 13:13. Or, as simply, “Martha and Mary,” John 11:19. Or also, “Those around him, his companions only,” Mark 4:10. Luke 22:49.
17-b. Neut. As Eph.1:10, “Both which are in heaven,” or, “The things celestial and terrestrial.” Luke 24:35, “What things were done in the way,” or, “The events in the way.” Rom.12:18, “Lieth in you,” or, “As far as depends on you. ” 1 Cor.13:10, “That which is in part,” comp. with ver.9. Rom.16:19,. Eph.1:10. Adverbially, Rom.9:5, “Concerning the flesh.” Luke 11:13. Acts 4:18. Luke 24:19, “The things concerning any one.” Acts 23:15. Phil.1:27, “Hear of your affairs,” My affairs, state, Phil.2:23, “How it will go with me.” The environs, Or, Acts 28, 28:7, “In the same quarters.” Heb.2:17, “Things pertaining to God,” also Heb.5:1, “Divine things. Luke 14:28-32, 19:42. Phil.1:29, “In the behalf of Christ.” Phil.4:10, “Rejoice in the Lord.”
18-a. Before Adverbs, which then usually stand in place of a subst. or adjective. As subst. Matt.11:23, “Until this day.” Mark 5:1, “Unto the other side.” Mark 15:1, “In the morning.” Luke 10:35, “On the morrow.” John 1:29. Rom. 8:22. Eph.2:17. Col.3:1-2. 1 Tim.4:8.
18-b. With the adverbial sense retained, as, “now,” or, “Now, at present,” Acts. 4:29.
19-a. The Neuter of the article is prefixed: Absolute, to the Genitive of a noun, and thus expresses the abstract idea of something having relation or reference to that noun, as pertaining to it or derived from it, as done by or to it, etc. As Sing. “the,” Matt.21:21,”Which is done (the miracle) to the fig tree,” the thing of the fig tree, as in, done to it. 1 Cor.10:24, “His own, — but every man another’s wealth.” James 4:14. 2 Pet.2:22. More freq. Plural. Matt.22:21, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s ; and unto God the things that are God’s.” Matt.16:23. Luke 2:49. Rom.8:5, 14:19, “Follow after the things which make for peace.” 1 Cor.2:11, 13:11. Phil.2:4, “His own things, – the things of others.” So 2 Cor.11:30, “Things which concern
mine infirmities,” things pertaining to my infirmity, or perhaps as a mere periphrasis for simply my infirmity.
19-b. Sing. “the,” is prefixed to single words and to whole clauses when they are to be taken as independent, or as themselves constituting an object. As with single words, Gal.4:25, “For this Agar,” as in the name Agar is here used, or signifies etc. 2 Cor.1:17, “There should be yea yea, and nay nay?” James 5:12. So with a phrase or clause, Luke 22:2, “Sought how they might kill him.” Mark 9:23. Luke 1:62. 9:46, 19:48, 22:24-37. Acts 4:21, 22:30. Rom.8:26.
19-c. Sing. “That,” is prefixed to the Infinitive when taken as a noun, which is then employed in all the constructions that occur with real substantives.
19-c-a. Nominative c. “the,” Phil.1:21, “For to me to live in Christ, and to die is gain,” with, ver.29. 1 Cor.7:26. 2 Cor.8:11, “Therefore perform the doing of it.” Gal. 4:18.
19-c-b. Genitive c. — and this is the most frequent construction:
1. As depending on nouns and verbs which elsewhere govern the genitive, as on a noun, Acts 20:3, “He purposed to return through Mac-e-do-ni-a.” Rom.15:23, “Having a great desire these many years to come unto you.” 1 Cor.9:6-10. 2 Cor.8:11, “As there was a readiness to will.” Heb. 5:12. 1 Pet.4:17. So in a laxer use of the genitive. Luke 1:57, 2:21, “Eight days were accomplished = (completed) for the circumcising of the child.” Rom.11:8. Phil.3:21. On an adjective as, “meet,” or fitting,1 Cor.16:4. Luke 24:24, “Slow,” Acts 23:15, “Ready.” Also Luke 17:1. On a verb, Luke 1:9, “His lot was to burn incense.” So after verbs of restraining, hindering, Luke 4:42, 24:16, “But their eyes were holden = (restrained) that they should not know him.” Acts 10:47, 14:18, “Scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.” Acts 20:27. Rom.15:22. 1 Pet.3:10.
2. As referring to a whole sentence and expressing purpose, where many supply, “The like.” Here it nearly accords with the English infin. with “to,” as, “In order to, that,” and so, “In order not to, that not, lest, etc.” Matt. 2:13, “For Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.” Matt.3:13, 13:3, “A sower went forth to sow.” Luke 1:73 coll. with ver.68. Luke 1:79 coll. with ver.78. Luke 5:1-7. Heb.10:7. So negative, Acts 21:12, “Besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.” Rom.6:6. James 5:17. Here it sometimes alternates with the simple infin. as Luke 1:77 coll. with ver.76. Luke 2:24 coll. with ver.22. Once with, “For the sake of,” expressed 2 Cor.7:12. In this sense also after verbs of deciding, commanding, etc. which of course imply purpose, Acts 27:1, “When it was determined that we should sail into Italy.” 1 Cor.7:37. Luke 9:51, 4:10, “He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee.” Acts 15:20.
3. In a more lax sense expressing more the idea of result, (like the later use of, “that,” and put by the way of explanation, epexegetically, where the simple infin. or, “Thus, therefore,” c. infin. might stand. Here it also accords with the English infin. with so as to, so that, etc. Acts 7:19,
“He — evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.” Once after Acts 3:12, “Why look ye so earnestly on us, — we had made this man to walk?” So Rom.1:24, “God also gave them up — to dishonour their own bodies between themselves.” Rom.7:3. 1 Cor.10:13. Here too probably belongs the difficult construction in Rev.12:7, “There was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon,” where,
“Michael,” and, “His angels,” are in the nom. absolute.
4. After a preposition, as, “him,” in James 4:15, 2 Cor. 8:11, “Out of,” Matt.6:8 and James 5:17, “Before.”
4-a. Dat. c. “in,” as implying cause 2 Cor.2:12, purpose 1 Thes.3:3; after prep. “that,”
4-b. Accusative c. “that,” as depending on a verb, Luke 7:21, “Unto many that were blind he gave sight.” 1 Cor. 14:39. 2 Cor.8:11, “Therefore perform the doing of it.” Rom.14:13.
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com