greek Lesson 25

John 3:1

Ἦν δὲ ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τῶν Φαρισαίων, Νικόδημος ὄνομα αὐτῷ, ἄρχων τῶν Ἰουδαίων·

• ἄρχων looks genitive plural but it actually is nominative singular (cf. MBG p. 196). With what is it in apposition?
• Ἰουδαίων is a genitive of subordination (GGBB p. 103).

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John 3:2

οὗτος ἦλθεν πρὸς αὐτὸν νυκτὸς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ῥαββί, οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀπὸ θεοῦ ἐλήλυθας διδάσκαλος· οὐδεὶς γὰρ δύναται ταῦτα τὰ σημεῖα ποιεῖν ἃ σὺ ποιεὶς, ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ ὁ θεὸς μετ’ αὐτοῦ.

• νυκτὸς is a genitive of time (GGBB p. 122).
• Wvocative; cf. BBG 13.10.hat case is ῥαββίΝικόδημος?
• ἐὰν μή is an idiom meaning “unless…”

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οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀπὸ θεοῦ ἐλήλυθας διδάσκαλος

There are two ellipses in this speech of Nicodemus.

• You need to assume ει in, “we know that [you are] a teacher…”
• You need to assume a relative pronoun “…[who] has come from God.”

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ὅτι ἀπὸ θεοῦ ἐλήλυθας διδάσκαλος

• This clause is the DO of οἴδαμεν.
• What kind of infinitive is ποιεῖνcomplementary infinitive?
• What kind of clause is ἃ σὺ ποιεὶςa dependent clause?  What word does it modifyσημεῖα?  What is the DMWἃ?
• What kind of clause is ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ ὁ θεὸς μετ’ αὐτοῦdependent?  What word does it modifyδύναται?  What is the DMWἐὰν?
• What is the lexical form of ᾖειμι?

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John 3:3

ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν, οὐ δύναται ἰδεῖν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ.

• What kind of infinitive is ἰδεῖνcomplementary infinitive?
• Of what is βασιλείαν the objectἰδεῖν?
• Abbott says ἄνωθεν is the most important adverb in John.

Evolution of γεννηθῇ:

γεννα-          stem
εγεννα          no augment in subjunctive mood (principle 13)
γενναθη         tense formative
γεννηθη         principle 12
γεννηθηη         lengthened connecting vowel for subjunctive
γεννηθηηι         add the verb ending
γεννηθηι            contraction (BBG p. 343)
γεννηθῇ            the iota subscripts

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John 3:4

λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Νικόδημος· πῶς δύναται ἄνθρωπος γεννηθῆναι γέρων ὤν; μὴ δύναται εἰς τὴν κοιλίαν τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ δεύτερον εἰσελθεῖν καὶ γεννηθῆναι;.

• What kind of infinitive is γεννηθῆναιcomplementary infinitive?
• ὤν is an adverbial participle showing time (answering the when? question).  γέρων is a noun meaning “old man”.  The clause should be translated “…when he is an old man.“
• How is principle 26 relevant to this verse? cf. RWP.

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John 3:5

ἀπεκρίθη ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος οὐ δύναται εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ.

• What usage of ἐξ heremeans? (GGBB p. 371)?
• Here μή is used because of principle 22.

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John 3:6

τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς σάρξ ἐστιν καὶ τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος πνεῦμα ἐστιν.

• What noun function is σάρξpredicate nominative?   πνεῦμαpredicate nominative?
• Note the substantival participlesBoth instances of γεγεννημένον are substantival participles, functioning as subjects..

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John 3:7

μὴ θαυμάσῃς ὅτι εἶπον σοι· δεῖ ὑμᾶς γεννηθῆναι ἄνωθεν.

• Why μὴ hereAn imperative or subjunctive verb is always negatived by μη, not ου.?
• How do you know that θαυμάσῃς is subjunctivethe lengthened connecting vowel?
• The subjunctive is here used as a prohibition (BBG 33.18.4).

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John 3:8

τὸ πνεῦμα ὅπου θέλει πνεῖ καὶ τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ ἀκούεις, ἀλλ’ οὐκ οἶδας πόθεν ἔρχεται καὶ ποῦ ὑπάγει· οὕτως ἐστὶν πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ πνεὐματος.

• ὅπου is a DMW; a subordinating conjunction. What adverbial question does it answerwhere??
• πνεῦμα is the subject of πνει. ὅπου θέλει is a dependent clause modifying πνει.
• οἶδας has two objects, πόθεν ἔρχεται and ποῦ ὑπάγει. Both are dependent clauses. Why can’t they be phrasesbecause they both have subjects/verbs?
• Which adverbial question does οὕτως answerhow??

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John 3:10

ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καῖ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· σὺ εἶ ὁ διδάσκαλος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ταῦτα οὐ γινώσκεις;

Note what RWP says about the articles in this verse.