Basic Syntax

I!TTIT'IIIIIII'!TIIIITI'TIIIIIITIIIT'T!TIIIIII!TIIITTIIITT

In This Lesson:
) The Genitive Absolute
) The Accusative of General Reference
) Conditional Sentences
) Exercises
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Bosic Syntox
\7hat is covered in this last lesson are constructions that cause many eager students to gr* '
up Greek because these constructions appear incomprehensible when they compare the
Greek with an English ffanslation.

This lesson makes it possible for you to move forward with confidence in both your
translation and your interpretation.
.

PART ONE: The Genitive Absolute

In sentences which have two separate actions, NT Greek uses a construction called the
Genitive Absolute to make sure the reader knows which of the rwo actions is primary and
which is secondary. The secondary action is the Genitive Absolute. [See Appendix G for
many additional examples.]
. The reader can recognize which the secondary line of action is because the ordinarily
expected case for the subject (Nominative) is in the Genitive case, and the ordinarily
expected verb form is in a participle in the Genitive case.

. Illustration in English. There are two activities in the following sentence:

John was speaking on the telephone when the doorbell rang.

. The nvo distinct actions: John was speaking, and the doorbell rang.
o In English, we clearly recognize that Johnt speaking is the major clause. NT
Greek used the Genitive Absolute to convey the same thing, namely, "when
the doorbell rang" is shown to be the secondary line of action by the Genitive
Absolute construction.
. How do I recognize the Greek language way of doing this, and what do I do to
make a smooth English translation?
. Here are the steps:

Possibility of hoving o Genitive Absolute is:

. Awhvard translation. If there is an awlcward translation:
. Look for nlro things, noun or pronoun in the Genitive and a participle in the
Genitive.
 Bosic Syntox 109

' If these grammatical forms exist, proceed in the following manner:

' Tirrn the noun or pronoun into a nominative and the participle into a verb that
agrees with the new nominative.

' Add a word such as: while, as, after, during, etc., in front of the newly shaped
clause to show the temporal connection with the main clause.r
'W'e
now demonstrate this process: In John 2:3, the Greek reads: rcaI toteq{oavtoc
otvou A,tyetrl prlqA toOlqoo0 trQog aut6v ...

' Recognize an awkrvard translation: "and of the having failed of the wine"

' There is a participle in the genitive and a noun in the genitive (underlined)

' Applying the steps produces the following translation: "And when the wine failed,
the mother ofJesus said to him."

PART TWO: Accusotive of Generol Pefeeence

Observe the close similarities in both recognizing and proceeding with this construction
tothe Genitive Absolute.

This construction involves the use of a noun or a pronoun in the accusative case and
an infinitive, neither of which has any grammatical relationship to the main clause, but,
as with the Genitive Absolute, this construction is also a secondary line of action. [See
Appendix G for many more examples.]
. How do I recognize theAccusative of General Reference, and what do I do to make
a smooth English translation?

. Here are the steps and, as mentioned above, note the many parallel steps taken in
dealing with the Genitive Absolute:

Possibility of hoving on occusotive of Generol Reference is:

. Awkward translation. If there is an aw-kward translation: ,,i

. Look for nvo things, noun or pronoun in the accusative case and an infinitive.

I . Deciding which of these terms is supplied depends on the tense of the main verb and the tense of the participle in the
Genitive. Context makes this an easy decision.
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'When
' translating, turn t}re noun or pronoun into a nominative and the infinitive
,:

into a verb for the new nominative.

n Hebrews 5:12 rcaA,w lqreiav tytrt to0 bLbaorce w riprag twa.

' Recogn ize anawlcward translation: Still you have need to teach you someone

' You still have a need for someone to teach you / You still have need that someone
teaches you.

. Mark 14:30 nglv 11 6Lq aAerctoqa Qrovqoarrq,tq pe anagvr1o11. Before the

cock crows twice you will deny me three times.

PART THREE: Conditionol Sentences

Conditional sentences are those that begin with "if" in English, and immediately point to
a condition. [See Appendix G for many examples.]

' The "if" clause is called the protasis (Greek "stands before," from nqro and iotqpr)
and the "results" clause is called the apodosis (Greek arc6booq=to give back, see
anoblbr^.rpL).

' If this, then this=the two parts of the conditional senrence.

The Key to Working with Conditionol Sentences:

' Many students find the discussions on conditional sentences confusing because the
terms used for classification seemingly point to the second half of the conditional
clause.

' The four categories of conditional sentences, though, all relate ro rhe first part of
the conditional senrence.

' If you define conditional sentences on the basis of the apodosis, the second clause,
confusion is inevitable, for in each of the four, if the first part is true, it follows that
the conclusion is assumed or inferred.

' This problem is immediately eliminated when we relate the four categories solely
to the first clause, the protasis.

' The question we need to answer is related to the certainty or lack thereof of the
viability of the first part of the conditional senrence.
 Bosic Syntox tn
The Four Types of Conditionol Sentences.
Assumed Fulfilled2
This condition is assumed "fulfilled" for purposes of discussion, either by the speaker or the
one being spoken to. The "if" could be translated in some cases "since" if the 'bssumed"
condition is from the speaker's point ofview. If the "if" applies to the listenert point ofview
the "if" could be translated: "for the sake of argument, let us assume ..." Grammatically
this construction uses el plus the indicative mode in the protasis in any tense.

' John ll: 12 el rcercotpr;raq oa9tlotral. If (since)he has fallen asleep, he will
be cured.

., Matt. 12:27 rco.i eL Byri-r ev BeeA(epouA ilrcF,aMr,o ta barpr6vu, o[ u[oL

upa-rv ev tlvl ercpdMouow. If (as you say / for the sake of argument) I cast out
demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out?
. Gal.5:25 eL (ropev nlt':up,art, nvef patr rcal otorlr,;prev. If (since) we live
by the Spirit, Iet us also walk by the Spirit.
. Luke 4:3 Ei,ulog ei'ro0 0eo0, elne tQ Ai0q to0trp lva ydvqtar &qtoq. If
(since / as it is believed) you are the Son of God, command this stone to become
bread.

Probable3
The speaker in this condition considers that the condition stated in the protasis has the
possibility (or even probabiliry) of becoming a reality. Grammatically, the writer uses
iav or &v and the subjunctiue mode in the protasis.
. John8:51 apqv oprl, A,€ya 0prw, ictv rtq tov epov Aoyov qq4o.n,
Odvatov ou Frl Oecoqrjor;1 eiq tov o.lova. "Yrry truly, I tell you, whoever [if
someone] keeps my word [he] will never see death." = Jesus is saying that probably
there are some who will keep his word.

Impossiblea
The speaker assumes that the condition in the protasis is impossible. The apodosis states
what would have been true in the event that the protasis had been true.

2.' Sometimes called the "First Class Conditional" senrence.

3. Sometimes called the "Third Class Conditional" sentence.
4. Sometimes called the "Second Class Conditional" sentence, the condition that is "contrary to fact."
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Grammatically, in the protasis of this condition, eL is used always witha,past tense in

the indicative mode. The apodosis has tpt sttense of the inficative mode and ustially.
dv-it is too late to come true.
. Matt. 23:30 EL r1peOa iv taig ryp€garg rc,n nartgov qpc^-rv, ourc &v
rlpeOa auto-rv rcowo;voL ev tQ atyarttd-rv nqoQrlt6v. "Ifwe had lived in
the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the
blood of the prophets."
. John 5:46 eL yaq tnroteriere Moijoei, Snrote0e're dv €poi' neg[ yag
€FoO eK€ivog dlgarpev. "If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he
wrote about me."

John 14:28 elilyanard pre eldgqte &v 6tr rcogeriopa,r ftQoq tov natdqra,
6tr 6 natr;q pet(c.rv prori dotw. "If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am
going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I."

Remotely Possible
This condition implies that the possibility of the "if" clause ever occurring is very remote.
Grammatically, this construction involves tte use ofeiwith the optative inthe protasis,
&v x,ith the optative in the apodosis.

[The optative mode is the fourth mode mentioned previously that occurs just 68 times in
the NT. Its most prominent feature is the use of "ot" in the verb ending.]
. I Peter 3:14 eL rcar naoyowe 6r,a brrcaroor.ivr;v, prarcd.qrror. "Even if you
should suffer because of righteousness, (you would be) blessed."
. I Cor. 14:10 toocturaeluilory€vq Qrovc^rv eLow sv Koope. "Ifit should
happen to be (this way), there are so many kinds of sounds in the world."

PART FOUR: Exercises (token from Appendix 6)

Genilive Absolute [From the Gospel of Matthewwith Accusatives of General

Reference underscored by double lines]

l:18 To0 6e Tnoo0

Xoroto0 n viveorc otitr^rc r1v. uvnoreueeionc tfrc
Fqreqsrauto0 Maqbir,q 'Irorlb, nqlv I o,;.''ert@
Y(Iorqr Exouod, €K TrvrurraTog aYlou.
 Bosic Syntox 113

l:20 r.aurabe auto0 iv0uUn0evroc ibou ctWeAog rcuBlou Ka,r' dvao €gavr1
aurQ...

?,1 .Tou 6i'IJlool-r yewrl0dvroS

'Hqrpbou
iv Bq0A€ep trys 'Ioubahq iv r;prdgarq
rou paotAtaq,

Accusotive of Generol Referenc? [From the Gospel of Luke]

2:27 rcai,fiA0ev ev tQ rcvedpatr elq to [eq6v'rcaL ev tQ eloayayeiv totc yoveic
to narblov 'Irloo0v toO notqoar attoic rotrd. to el0roprdvov tou v6pou neqrl
aurou
3 :21'Ey tv tro 6 e ev tQ Pa nt ro0rl va r dnavta tdv Aadv rca L Ir1 oou p anrlr:. O tv rog
rcaf ngooeuloptdvou averplOrlvar tov ouQ)avov 22 rai,rcataprlvar-ro nvsuFa
to &ytov or^;patrrcQ elber ri;g neqrrotegav en' aut6v, rcai Qrovrlv iE ouqavoi
vevioOar. Lu ei o uloc-1 Lrou o ayartnt6c.
r I
ev ooi euborcnoa.
I

4:41 tlrlqyeto 6i rcaL barp6v tot and noMc.rv rqfauyla(ovra rcal Adyovra 6rt
Xu ei o ulog toO 0eo0. rcaL ercrtupo.rv ourc t]bt aisro- AaAerv, 6rr {6eroav tdv
Xerotdv autov eivar.

Conditionol Sentences [From the Gospel of Matthew]

5:46 idv ydq ayan4orl". roiq ayananrotqb4o.q, tlva proOov 61ete; ouXL rcaL
o[ teAovar td auto ror.o0ow;
23:3OrcalA€yete'ei11peOa ev targ rlpr€qarg td;v nat6qrr,;vrlpra;v, ourc d.v qpe0a
autarv rcowovol ev tQ alip,autr^;v ngoQqtc.ov.
11:23 rc:i"o6, KaQaqrvaodp, prl €roq oOqravoO u{oOr]ol; i tr,oqrfbou :rcarapqoty
6tr ei iv Lob6potg eyevrjOloav a[ buvaperq al yev6psvar iv oo[, Eprewev &v
FrdXqr trle orlpeqov.
26:33 anorcgr0elg 6i 6llitqog einev oturQ' eirtontrtq orcav6aAtoOrloovtar ev
oos iyco o0bdno'ce orcav6aAo0rjooprar.
24:23 T6te €av trq upiv elnr;' L6ou 66e 61qLot6q, {'66e, pr1 nrotefo,r)rs x

4:3 rcai rrqrooeA0ci-rv 6 nerga(cov einev ai:rQ'ei uldq ei toO 0eo0, elni [va ol
A[0or o0tor dqror yrivr,,;vtau
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12:26 rcai ei 6 oatavaq tov oaravdv ilrcpaMes eQ' Eautov ipeqio0T nuos
oOv otaOr;o€rar 11 paofieia autoO;

5:19 6g iav oOv Auon prlav trlv evtoAtov toftrov r ,ov iLayiotc.rv rcai
66a[r;1 or5tc.-rq touq avOgdsnouq, iLaytoroq r<Aq0rloetat iv tr;1 paoAer4 r,ov
ouqava-rv
22:45 ei oOv Aaul6 raA.ti a0tov rcfqrrov, nc.rg uloq autoi dotLvi

For many examples of all three of the syntax contructions above, go to Appendix G
There is also one example of the "remotely possible" condition.