Biblical Greek – Level 1

Syllabus Summary

1. The Greek Alphabet

   Why is studying Greek essential for students of the bible, both Old and New Testament? Why were these texts, more than 200 years apart in time, written in Greek? Is it a “sacred language” or one of several languages spoken in Palestine at the time? We will learn what an “alpha-bet” is and how the Greek, Hebrew and Latin alphabets are related. Then we will start studying the uncial, capital forms of the Greek letters from Alpha to Omega, and how we will pronounce them in this course.

2. The Greek Alphabet Continued

   Review of the capital letters and some additional issues of pronunciation. On the way, we look again at the opening of the Gospel of John and learn some geographical names relevant to the Bible. We study in detail the trilingual sign which Pilate affixed to the cross: ΙΗΣΟΥΣ Ο ΝΑΖΩΡΑΙΟΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ ΤΩΝ ΙΟΥΔΑΙΩΝ, Ev. John, 19:19-20. We learn the names of the Five Books of Moses, the Pentateuh, as they appear in the Septuagint.

3. The Minuscule Alphabet

   The cursive, or minuscule form of the letters. The “breathing marks” and a few other details of orthography and pronunciation. Reading out loud.

4. Readings from the Bible in Greek

   Reading texts out loud, the Lord’s Prayer and the passage from Genesis describing the Seventh Day of Creation. Review, some new vocabulary.

5. The Foundations of Greek Grammar

   Foundations of Greek grammar – the structure of the sentence. The morphology of nouns, stems + endings. Review of grammatical terms in English grammar, definitions of parts of speech.

6. Characteristics of Greek Nouns; the Definite Article and the Principle of Agreement

   Characteristics of Greek nouns: declension of the definite article and the principle of agreement, gender number and case.

7. The Adjective

   The adjective. Review of the definite article; the forms of the first and second declension adjective. Three different uses of the adjective: attributive, predicate and substantive. The importance of word order in the Greek sentence.

8. The Good Shepherd

   Review and reading. The common depiction of Jesus as the “Good Shepherd”, in the previous text taken from John 10. Images and texts about the Good Shepherd in the pagan and Jewish traditions. Some new vocabulary, but no new grammar.

9. The Second Declension Noun & Prepositional Phrases

   The second declension noun and prepositional phrases. Two classes of nouns in the second declension, masculine and neuter. Discussion of the use of prepositional phrases and the nouns which follow the prepositions.

10. The First Declension Noun

    The first declension noun. The three categories of the first declension feminine noun, those ending in –α, -η, and the mixed type. Examples of second declension nouns which are feminine.

11. Personal Pronouns

    Personal Pronouns: declension of first and second person pronoun. The third person pronoun is discussed separately, along with its special adjectival uses.

12. Review and Reading: The Good Samaritan

    Reading and Review: The Good Samaritan. Review of nouns and pronouns, adding the form of masculine first declension nouns. Reading about “what are the greatest commandments” and the parable of the Good Samaritan in the Gospel of Luke.

13. The Greek Verb Introduced

    Introduction of the verb. The conjugation of the present, active, indicative form of the verb. The main characteristics of Greek verbs: tense, mood and voice.

14. The Verb “to be”

    The verb “to be” in the present and past tenses. The concept of “linking”, predicate adjectives and predicate nouns (the complement).

15. Voice: Middle/Passive Verbs, Deponents

    Voice: conjugation and use of middle/passive verbs in the present; deponents. The root of the verb and its appearance in other parts of speech.

16. General Review

    Reading and Review: Review of definite article, first and second declension nouns and adjectives, personal pronouns, prepositional phrases, present indicative verb active and middle/passive, the verb “to be”. The story of the Centurion’s slave from Matthew.

17. The Demonstrative Pronoun/Adjective

    The demonstrative pronoun/adjective; compound verbs.

18. Dependent and Independent Clauses; Relative Prounouns

    Dependent and independent clauses, relative pronouns.

19. The Third-Declension Noun

    The third declension noun.

20. Review and Reading

    Review and Reading. Review of the demonstrative pronoun and adjective, the relative pronouns and the forms of the third declension noun.

21. Third Declension; Indefinite and Interrogative Pronouns/Adjectives

    Third Declension: Indefinite and Interrogative Pronouns/Adjectives.

22. Imperfect Indicative Tense, Active and Middle/Passive Voice

    Imperfect Indicative Tense, Active and Middle/Passive Voice

23. Imperfect tense continued, augment and prefix; ε- and α- contract verbs

    Imperfect Tense Continued, Augment and Prefix, epsilon and alpha contract verbs

24. Review & Reading

    Review and Reading; the indefinite pronoun/adjective, the imperfect tense, and the rules for contract verbs.

25. The Future Tense: Active & Middle

    The Future Tense, Active and Middle Voice

26. Continuing the Future Tense

    Continuing the Future: consonant stems and phonetic change; future of the verb “to be”

27. Prepositions up, down and around

    The Prepositional Phrase

28. Reading and Review

    A review of the future tense and the use of prepositions, especially their significance in translation, and including their use as the prefix in compound verbs.

29. General Review and Reading

    General review and reading. Jesus the wondermaker – for what end?

30. Final Reading: From Luke to Isaiah

    Final Reading: From Luke to Isaiah. Continuation of the discussion of acts of healing, with more texts from the LXX. Review of basic forms.