Elementary New Testament Greek, 2014a

The Rules of Substitutes for Nouns
Somehow you and I have already learned (in our native tongues) how to make these
substitutions. We know that, in these particular sentences, James becomes he, mustang
and woods become it, Susan becomes her, and James and Susan become they. We
know that violating the rules will create wrong and/or nonsensical expressions:
James bought a red mustang yesterday. His drove they to church today.
Susan owns two businesses in Fresno. Them have been performing well
for she.
James and Susan have often walked beside the woods. Him love them
aroma.
In both English and Greek, certain kinds of agreement must hold between the
original noun (called the antecedent) and the pronoun that replaces it. It stands to
reason, for example, that:
James should be replaced by a pronoun that is masculine and singular
(he, him, his);
Susan should be replaced by a pronoun that is feminine and singular (she,
her, hers);
An impersonal entity should (in English) be replaced by a pronoun that is
neuter and singular (it, its).
But while a pronoun must agree with its antecedent in gender and number, it does
not need to agree in case. The reason is apparent: the pronoun must be free to
function in its own sentence (or clause) according to the grammatical needs of that
clause. Notice the variation in case between a pronoun and its antecedent if these
sentences were translated into Greek:
James bought a red mustang yesterday.
[James, as Subject, would be Nominative here.]
He drove it to church today.
[He, as Subject, would be Nominative here too.]
Susan owns two businesses in Fresno.
[Susan, as Subject, would be Nominative here.]
[Businesses, as Direct Object, would be Accusative here.]
They have been performing well for her.
[But her, as Indirect Object, would be Dative here.]*
[But they, as Subject, would be Nominative here.]*
James and Susan have often walked beside the woods.
[Woods, as Object of the preposition, could be Dative here.]
They love its Aroma.
[But its, as Possessor, would be Genitive here.]*
The sentences marked with asterisks (*) illustrate our point well: The pronoun will
stand in the case required by its use in its own sentence (or clause). If a pronoun
does agree in case with its antecedent in case (as in the rst example), such agreement
would be purely accidental. To restate the rule: A pronoun must agree with its
antecedent in gender and number (but not necessarily in case).
7: Pronouns
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