Elementary New Testament Greek, 2014a

7: Pronouns
Digging Deeper into the New Testament
Text
1) Find I John 3:3 in your GNT. See if you can spot four different types
of pronouns in this one verse (Write them out and identify them.) Then
scan through I John 3:11-18. You should be able to spot these types of
pronouns: demonstratives (both near and far); personal (both emphatic and
unemphatic); relative; interrogative (introducing an indirect question); and
reciprocal.
2) Now open your Greek Interlinear to I John 3:3 and 3:11-18. You already
know that the Interlinear code for pronouns is the English letter r (for
pronoun). Scan across the parsing line (the third line of the Interlinear) to
check the accuracy of your work above. Did you nd them all? You will
realize that Mounce identies all pronouns, but not the types of pronouns
involved.
3) In the Interlinear at I John 3:3 you see the “far” demonstrative .
On the fourth line beneath it you see its wordlist code: 1697. Go back to
Appendix B, and note the “dictionary form” there provided. Then look
up exactly this dictionary form in BDAG. There you will see that BDAG
has listed I John 3:3 under a-. What does this suggest for how we might
understand “that one” in I John 3:3?
Look at the chart on p. 142 [320] showing the statistical distribution of
pronouns in the GNT. Notice the signicance (for learning NT Greek) of
focusing on the personal and demonstrative pronouns.
Chapter Seven Vocabulary
More Masculine Nouns of the Second Declension
This list contains more of the 22 such nouns used 100x or more in the GNT. The
comments offer translation suggestions or nuances in meaning we would nd listed
in BDAG.
God
Lord
man
Occurring with an article which is usually not
translated into English ( = “God”).
Often referring to God the Father or to Jesus, but
occasionally simply meaning “sir.”
Referring to male human beings, to humanity in
general, or to persons of either gender.
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4) In the Interlinear nd I Thessalonians 4:13-18. Scan though these lines.
Do you recognize some vocabulary? Some propositional phrases? Some
pronouns in their particular uses or positions? Do you see a particular use
of the 3rd personal pronoun opening 4:16? According to our study so far,
what nuance might this pronoun signify?
son
brother
When coupled with , translated “the Son
of Man” (with disputed meaning).
Referring to male siblings, or (generically) to anyone
in close association.
5) Go in Wallace’s Intermediate Grammar The Basics of NT Syntax to pages
140-159 [Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, pages 315–354]. Simply leaf
through these pages for now. There is no need to understand everything
you see. If you have a chance at a later point in your academic studies to
venture into Advanced Greek, you will be exploring (among other things)
the subtle but important insights that come when the Greek pronoun is
mastered.
μ
law
bread
When with the article, often referring to the Mosaic
law.
Can also refer to food in general, or to individual
pieces of bread (loaf, loaves).
this See “The Near Demonstrative” on page 86
that See “The Far Demonstrative” on page 87