Biblical Readings 9.1

For each of the following Greek sentences: 

• Read it aloud.
• Parse each verb and noun.
• Translate each sentence into English. Notes for each of the sentences are below.

1. Jacob wrestles with a man through the night until dawn. His opponent asks to be let go, but Jacob refuses until the mysterious wrestler blesses him. The wrestler asks:
Τί τὸ ὄνομά σού ἐστιν;
LXX Gen. 32:28

τί what?
σου your
 

2. After the Exodus from Egypt, Moses prepares to (re)impose the Sabbath and says:
Τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμά ἐστιν.
LXX Ex. 16:23
 

τοῦτο (nom/acc sg) τό this
 

3. A common formula of rules in Leviticus:
βδέλυγμά ἐστιν.
βδελύγματά ἐστιν ὑμῖν.
LXX Lev. 11

βδέλυγμα, βδελύγματος τό abomination, something sickening
ὑμῖν (dat pl) y’all
 

4. The introduction to the catalog of David’s army:
ταῦτά [εἰσι] τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν ἀρχόντων τῆς στρατιᾶς
LXX 1 Chron. 12:23
 

ταῦτα (nom/acc pl) τό these.

στρατιᾶς (gen sg) from στρατιά, στρατιᾶς, ἡ army (from a declension you will learn in Lesson 19)

5. Job laments his suffering:
τὰ ῥήματά μού ἐστιν φαῦλα
LXX Job 6:4
 

μου my
φαῦλα (nom/acc pl) trivial, worthless

Note: Here and and elsewhere in Koine (Biblical) Greek, you'll see that the movable -nu (e.g., ἐστι(ν)) is sometimes used even before a consonant. Can you spot other examples in the sentences that follow?

6. An admonition from Proverbs:
πρόσεχε ῥήμασιν στόματός μου
LXX Pr 7:24

πρόσεχε pay attention to! 

μου my

7. The prophet Isaiah quotes God:
ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ θεός, τοῦτό μού ἐστιν τὸ ὄνομα
LXX Is. 42:8

ἐγώ (nom sg) I

κύριος (nom sg) from κύριος, κυρίου, ὁ lord (from a declension you will learn in Lesson 20)

θεός (nom sg) from θεός, θεοῦ, ὁ god (from a declension you will learn in Lesson 20)

τοῦτο (nom/acc sg) τό this

μου my (in English, modifies τὸ ὄνομα)

 

8. The prophet Hosea is listing crimes:
αἵματα ἐφ’ αἵμασιν μίσγουσιν.
LXX Is. 42:8

ἐφ΄ = ἐπί on, to

μίσγουσιν = μιγνύασιν

9. In 142 BC, the Maccabean leader Simon and the Seleucid king Demetrius II Nicator came to terms. This comes from Demetrius’ letter to Simon:
ἀφίεμεν δὲ ἀγνοήματα καὶ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα
LXX 1 Maccabees 13:39

ἀγνόημα, ἀγνόηατος, τό error from ignorance 
ἁμάρτημα ἁμαρτήματος τό error, mistake
δέ and
καί and

10. From the Last Supper:
τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου.
...
Τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ αἷμά μου
Κατὰ Μαθθαῖον 26:26, 28
Κατὰ Μᾶρκον 14:22, 24
Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 22:19
 

τοῦτο (nom sg) τό this

μου my

11. From Jesus’ final speech:
Εἰρήνην ἀφίημι ὑμῖν, εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν· οὐ καθὼς ὁ κόσμος δίδωσιν ἐγὼ δίδωμι ὑμῖν.
Κατὰ Ἰωάννην 14:27
 

εἰρήνην (acc sg) from εἰρήνη, εἰρήνης, ἡ peace (from a declension you will learn in Lesson 19)
ὑμῖν (dat pl) y’all

εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν = ἐμὴν εἰρήνην

ἐμὴν (fem. acc sg) ἡ my
καθώς as

κόσμος (nom sg) from κόσμος, κόσμου, ὁ world (from a declension you will learn in Lesson 20)
ἐγώ (nom sg) I

12. From the Clementine Homilies: Peter mentions honors often given to those killed by lightning:
τῶν τεθνεώτων ἰδίων μορφῶν ἱστᾶσιν ἀγάλματα.
Homily 9 5.4

τῶν τεθνεώτων ἰδίων: modifies μορφῶν

τεθνεώς, τεθνεῶτος ὁ dead

ἰδίων (gen pl) their

μορφῶν: modifies ἀγάλματα

μορφῶν (gen pl) from μορφή, μορφῆς, ἡ shape, form, appearance (from a declension you will learn in Lesson 19)

ἱστᾶσιν: when ἵστημι takes a direct object, it means "to stand/set up"
ἄγαλμα, ἀγάλματος τό statue