Greek Word: Because.
Because: 3739. Greek is, hos; or he; or ho.
See Strong’s Concordance for numbering system.
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Because: 3739. Greek is, hos; or he; or ho. genit. Originally a demonstrative pronoun, this, that, like, but in Attic Greek, and later usage mostly a post-positive article or relative pronoun, who which, what that.
1. As a demonstrative pronoun, this, that, only in distinctions and distribution. that one, this one, the one, the other, etc. less frequent in Attic writers. But equally common with it in later writers and in N.T. As 2 Corinthians 2:16, “To the one we are the savor or death unto death; and to the other the savor of life.” Matthew 21:35, “Beat one, and killed the other, and stoned another.” Matthew 13:8, “But other fell into good ground.” Matthew 25:15. Luke 23:33. Romans 9:21. further, Matthew 13:4, “Some seed fell.” 1 Corinthians 12:8, “To one is given — to another –.” Luke 8:5.
2. As the post-positive article, or relative pronoun, who which, what, that; The construction with the relative strictly implies two clauses; in the first of which there should stand with the verb a noun (the antecedent,) and in the second the corresponding relative, each in the case which the verb of its own clause demands, the relative also agreeing with the antecedent in gender and number. But the form and power of the relative is much varied, both in construction, in signification, and by connecting with it other particles.
2-a. Construct, as to Gender, the relative agrees regularly with its antecedent, Matthew 2:9, “The watar, which they saw.” Luke 5:3. John 6:51. So where it relates to a remoter antecedent, as 1 Corinthians 1:8, “Who shall also confirm you.” with verse 4, “Which is given,” compare with verse 9, “By whom ye were called.” But from this rule there are two departures in form/ Where the relative with the verb to be etc. conforms in gender to the following noun. So, Galatians 3:16, “And to seeds, as of many but as of one, and to thy seed which is Christ.” Ephesians 1:14, 6:17, “The Spirit, which is the word of God.” 1 Timothy 3:15.
2-b. Where by the constructic ad sensum the relative takes the gender implied in the antecedent, and not that of its external form. Romans 9:23, “On vessels of mercy, which He hath afore.” Galatians 4:19. Philippians 2:15. 2 Peter 3:16, “In all his epistles, speaking in them of these things.” 2 John 1. So neuter “which,” often refers to a masculine or feminine, antecedent, taken in the general sense of things. So in explanations, Matthew 1:23, “Which being interpreted is God with us.” Matthew 27:33. Mark 3:17, 12:42, “Which made a farthing.” Mark 15:16-42. John 1:39. Colossians 1:24. Hebrews 7:2. Otherwise Acts 9:39. Also where neuter “which,” refers to a whole preceding clause, Mark 15:34. 1 John 2:8.
2-c. As a number, the relation agrees regularly with its antecedent, as in the examples above cited. The departures from this rule are rare, as,
2-c-1. Relation, singular after a plural antecedent, once in Philippians 3:20, “In heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour.” where however “which, because, etc.” may be taken for an adverb.
2-c-2. Relat. plur. after an antecedent, sing. collectively, Philippians 2:15, “In the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom ye shine.” Here the construction is ad sensum, both in number and gender. So where the antecedent includes in any way the idea of plurality, Acts 15:36, “In every city where we have preached the word.” 2 Peter 3:1, “I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance,” in both which, the first and second.
2-d. As to Case; here the general rule is, that the relative stands in that case which the verb of its own clause demands. As subject, John 1:9, “That was the true light, which lighteth every man.” Verse 30, “A man which is preferred before me.” Acts 8:27. Matthew 10:26. As object, accommodation, Matthew 2:9, “The star, which they saw.” Acts 6:3, 22:9. Dative, Acts 8:10, “To whom they all gave heed.” Colossians 1:27. 1 Peter 1:12, 5:9. But the departures from this rule are frequent,
2-d-1. By Attraction, as where the relative in respect to its own verb would stand in the accusative. But the antecedent stands in the genitive or dative, and then the relative is attracted by the antecedent into the same case with itself. As genitive, Matthew 18:19. John 4:14, “Drinketh of the water that I shall give him.” John 7:31, “Than these which the man hath done?” with verse 39. Acts 1:1, 24:21. Ephesians 4:1. Jude 15. Septuagint, Zephaniah 3:11. Revelation 1:20. Neglected, Hebrews 8:2, “Of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched.”
Septuagint, Jeremiah 51:54. Dative, Mark 7:13. Luke 2:20, “For all things which they were told them.” Luke 5:9. John 4:50, “The man believed the word that Jesus had spoken.” Acts 7:16, 20:38. 2 Corinthians 12:21. 2 Thessalonians 1:4. Septuagint, Jeremiah 15:14, “Which thou knowest.” Here the antecedent is often omitted, especially the demonstrative pronoun. Then the relative stands alone in a case not properly belonging to it; The relative itself then stands like English, what, for that which, he who, etc. As, Luke 9:36, “Which they had seen.” Luke 23:41, “The due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.” Acts 9:24, 22:15, 26:16. Romans 15:18. 2 Corinthians 12:17.
2-d-2. By inverted Attraction, as where the antecedent is attracted by the relative into the same case with itself. Where the antecedent remains connected with its own clause, and before the relative. Matthew 21:42, “The stone which the builders rejected.” Luke 1:73, “The oath which he sware.” Luke 20:17. 1 Corinthians 10:16, “The bread which we break.” Where the antecedent itself is attracted over into the clause of the relative, and stands after it in the proper case of the relative. Mark 6:16, “Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John whom I beheaded.” Luke 1:4. Acts 21:16, “Brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, and old disciple, with whom we should lodge.” Romans 6:17. Philemon 10. 1 John 2:25. Revelation 17:8, “When they beheld.”
This transposition may also take place when the antecedent would already stand in the same case with the relative. as John 11:6, “He abode two days still in the same place where he was.” Matthew 7:2, “With what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Matthew 24:44. Mark 15:22. Here belongs the adverbial phrase, past particle, in the manner which, in the same manner as and hence, as, Matthew 23:37. Luke 13:34. Acts 15:11, “Even as they.” Septuagint, Isaiah 14:19-24. No example occurs in N.T. where after such transposition both relative and antecedent take the proper case of the latter, as in Greek writers.
2-d-3. Often the case of the relative depends on the preposition with which the verb is construed. as,
a. Generally, Matthew 3:17, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 10:11, 11:10, “For this is he, of whom it is written.” Luke 1:4. Romans 10:14. 1 Corinthians 8:6, “There is but one God, the Father, — and one Lord Jesus Christ.”
b. Sometimes the preposition which stands with the antecedent is repeated before the relative, John 4:53, “At the same hour, in the which Jesus said.” Acts 7:4, 20:18. More commonly when the preposition stands before the antecedent, it is omitted before the relative. As, Matthew 24:50, “Shall come in a day when he looketh not for him.” Luke 1:25, 12:46. Acts 13:2, “For the work whereunto I have called him.” Acts 13:39.
c. By attraction the relative is put with the preposition belonging to the omitted antecedent. John 6:29, “That ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” John 19:37. Romans 14:22. 1 Corinthians 7:1. Galatians 1:8-9. Hebrews 5:8. 2 Peter 2:12.
2-d-4. Sometimes the relative is not dependent on the verb, but on some noun connected with the verb, and then the relative is put in the genitive, Matthew 3:11, “I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear.” Verse 12, “Whose fan is in his hand.” Mark 14:32. Luke 13:1, “Whose blood.” John 1:27, 4:46, 11:2. Acts 16:14. Romans 2:29. Colossians 1:25. Revelation 13:12. Septuagint, Daniel 2:11
d. As to Position; here the relative with its clause regularly follows the antecedent, as in most of the preceding examples. But for the sake of emphasis, the relative clause may be put first, especially where a demonstrative pronoun follows; as Matthew 26:48, “Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he.” John 3:26, “He that was with the — behold the same baptizeth.”
In both these positions, the antecedent, especially the demonstrative pronoun, is very frequently omitted; so that the relative then stands like English, what, for that which, he who, etc. Generally, Matthew 13:17, “And to hear those things, which ye hear and have not heard them.” Matthew 14:7. Mark 2:24. Luke 8:17. John 14:22. So in the inverted position, Matthew 7:2, 10:38, “And he that taketh not his cross — is not worthy of me.” Matthew 13:12, “From him shall be taken away even that he hath.” Matthew 19:6, 25:29. Mark 9:40. Luke 4:6, 12:40.
John 8:38, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said.” John 13:27. Romans 2:1. Hebrews 2:18. Here too belongs the elliptic use of the neuter “What,” with its clause before another proposition, in the sense of as to that, in that, quod attinet ad, the corresponding, this, that, it is. or the like, being omitted before the latter clause. Romans 6:10, “For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.” Galatians 2:20.
3-a. Signification, the relative strictly serves simply to introduce a dependent clause and mark its close relation in the leading proposition; As, Matthew 2:9, “Lo the star, which they saw in the East.” But in common use it was employed in a wider extent, both as a general connective particle, and also sometimes as implying purpose, result, cause, or the like, which would properly be expressed by a conjunction. For the sense, what, that which, he who, see above in “1.”
3-b. As a general connective, as generally, John 4:46, 11:2, “It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment.” In this it is not uncommon for Paul, and also Peter, to connect two, three, or more clauses by relatives, referring either to the same or to different subjects; as Acts 26:7. Ephesians 3:11-12. Colossians 1:13-24-29. 1 Peter 1:8-10-12, 2:22, 3:9, 4:4-5. 2 Peter 2:2-3-3, 3:16.
3-c. Where it is equivalent to a demonstrative, and this, these; and he, they, etc. Luke 12:24, “Which neither have storehouse not barn.” Acts 6:6, “Whom they set before the apostles.” Acts 7:45, 11:30. Galatians 1:7. 1 Peter 1:12, 2:4. “for that,” Philippians 3:12. Luke 12:1, “When there were gathered together and innumerable multitude of people.” Colossians 1:29, “His working which worketh in me.” This is rare in early Greek writers, but more frequent in later ones.
3-d. As implying purpose, equivalent to Matthew 11:10, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.” Mark 1:2. Luke 7:27.
3-e. As marking result, events, etc. equivalent “thus, therefore.” So after, Luke 5:21, “Who is this which speaketh blasphemies?” Luke 7:49, “Who is this that forgiveth sins also?” There are some some needlessly refer also Luke 11:6, “I have nothing to set before him.” John 5:7, “I have not.”
3-f. As implying cause, ground, a reason, etc. equiv. to “because.” Luke 8:13, “And those have no root, which for a while believe.” Latin ut qui, as because, since, etc. Luke 4:18.
3-g. Once “for what,” in direct interrog. for —, Matthew 26:50, “For what purpose?”. This direct use belongs to the later Greek.
3-h. Including the notion of a particle of time, Colossians 1:6-9, “Since the day we heard it.” Luke 7:45, “Since the time I came in.” 2 Peter 3:4.
3-i-a. Neuter, genitive “where, because,” as adverb of place, where. Past particle, Luke 4:16, “Where he had bee brought up.” Luke 23:53. Acts 1:13, “Where abode Peter.” Colossians 3:1. Hebrews 3:9. Revelation 17:15, “The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth.” Trope, Romans 4:15, 5:20. So with, “there, “For where two or three are gathered.” 2 Corinthians 3:17. Septuagint, Genesis 13:4, “And there Abram called on the name of the LORD.” With prepositions, as Matthew 2:9, “The star, which they saw.” Philippians 3:20, “From whence also we look for the Savior.”
3-i-b. In attraction with verbs of motion, for whither, as in English, often where. So, Luke 10:1, “Into every city and place, whither he himself would come.” Luke 22:10, 24:28. Matthew 28:16. So, 1 Corinthians 16:6, “”Whithersoever I go.”
4-a. Connected with other particles: Who, whosoever.
4-b. Once in Romans 8:32, “Who indeed.”
4-c. Once in John 5:4, “Whosoever then.” Who indeed, who namely, “Who,” but stronger and more definite; once in Mark 15:6, “Whosoever they desired,” as in the very one whom they demanded.
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com