Review of Level I Grammar and Vocabulary

Introduction

Welcome back to your journey in Biblical Greek! You’ve already accomplished something significant in completing Biblical Greek I. You learned the alphabet, basic pronunciation, how nouns and verbs work, and how to translate simple sentences. That foundation is vital — without it, moving into advanced Greek would be like trying to build a house without a solid frame.

This first lesson of Biblical Greek II will serve as a review and consolidation of what you learned in the first course. Before we dive into advanced forms like participles and infinitives (coming next week), you need to make sure that the basics are second nature.

This review is not busywork — it’s essential preparation. The goal is not simply to “remember” what you learned in Level I but to solidify it so deeply that you can recognize and use it instantly. The truth is, if you have to stop and think too long about case endings or indicative verb forms, you’ll struggle when you encounter more complex constructions.

So this week, we’ll:

• Revisit the noun case system and declensions.

• Refresh our understanding of verbs in the indicative mood.

• Consolidate basic syntax (how words fit together).

• Strengthen vocabulary knowledge.

• Practice translating authentic New Testament passages to make sure the fundamentals are sharp.

By the end of this lesson, you should feel confident that you have not only reviewed but also mastered the Level I material — ready to press forward into the challenges of advanced syntax.

Noun System Review

The Five Cases

Greek is an inflected language, meaning that nouns change their endings depending on their grammatical role. In Biblical Greek, you must know the five main cases and their typical functions:

• Nominative (subject): the noun doing the action.

  • Example: ὁ μαθητής γράφει (“the disciple writes”).

• Genitive (possession, description, source): often translated “of.”

  • Example: ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ (“the word of God”).

• Dative (indirect object, instrument, location): often translated “to,” “for,” or “by.”

  • Example: δίδωσι τῷ διδασκάλῳ βιβλίον (“he gives the teacher a book”).

• Accusative (direct object, extent, motion toward): the noun receiving the action.

  • Example: βλέπω τὸν ἄνθρωπον (“I see the man”).

• Vocative (direct address): calling someone directly.

  • Example: ὦ ἄνθρωπε, ἄκουσον (“O man, listen”).

Declensions

Greek nouns belong to different declensions, which are groups of endings. The main ones are:

• First Declension: often feminine (e.g., γραφή, “writing”).

• Second Declension: often masculine or neuter (e.g., λόγος, “word”; δῶρον, “gift”).

• Third Declension: more irregular, but very common (e.g., πατήρ, “father”; πίστις, “faith”).

👉 Practice Exercise: Decline the word λόγος (word) through all five cases, singular and plural. Then try γραφή (writing).

Verb System Review

Indicative Mood

In Greek I, you focused on verbs in the indicative mood, which express actions as real events.

Principal Tenses in the Indicative

• Present: λύω = I loose / I am loosing

• Imperfect: ἔλυον = I was loosing

• Future: λύσω = I will loose

• Aorist: ἔλυσα = I loosed (simple past, not ongoing)

• Perfect: λέλυκα = I have loosed

Voices

Greek verbs can appear in different voices:

• Active: subject does the action (λύω = I loose).

• Middle: subject acts on itself or for its benefit (λύομαι = I loose for myself).

• Passive: subject receives the action (λύομαι = I am loosed).

👉 Practice Exercise: Conjugate λύω in the present, future, imperfect, and aorist active indicative.

Syntax Review

Syntax is about how words fit together in sentences. In Level I, you practiced identifying subjects, verbs, and objects. Here are three key reminders:

1. Word order is flexible in Greek — endings matter more than word order.

   • Example: τὸν θεὸν ἀγαπῶ means the same as ἀγαπῶ τὸν θεόν (“I love God”).

2. Articles are very important. The definite article (ὁ, ἡ, τό) can signal emphasis, identification, or function as a substantive marker.

   • Example: ὁ λόγος = “the word.”

3. Clauses are building blocks. Always identify the main verb first; everything else builds around it.

👉 Practice Exercise: Translate and diagram this sentence:
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν (John 1:1).

Vocabulary Review

Core Vocabulary

By now, you should have mastery of the 500–1,000 most common words in the New Testament. Research shows that knowing the top 500 words gives you recognition of about 80% of the NT text (Metzger, 2001).

Strategies for Retention

• Review daily using flashcards or spaced repetition software.

• Group words by root families (e.g., πιστεύω, πίστις, πιστός).

• Always review words in context, not isolation.

👉 Practice Exercise: Write out John 3:16 in Greek. Circle every word you recognize instantly without translation help. Those you hesitate on should go into your flashcards for review.

Practice Translations

Here are short passages for you to translate using only Level I grammar and vocabulary:

1. Matthew 5:14 — Ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου.

2. John 1:4 — Ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων.

3. Romans 5:8 — συνίστησιν δὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀγάπην εἰς ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός.

4. Philippians 4:13 — πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί με.

👉 Assignment: Translate these verses and write a one-page reflection on how your grasp of grammar and vocabulary makes these texts clearer.

Suggested Assignments

1. Declension Drill: Decline five nouns (λόγος, γραφή, θεός, πατήρ, πίστις) in full across cases and numbers.

2. Parsing Practice: Parse 20 verbs from John 1:1–18. Identify tense, voice, mood, person, and number.

3. Vocabulary Quiz: Memorize 25 new words from your master NT frequency list. Write them in Greek and English.

4. Translation Exercise: Translate John 1:1–14, identifying the subject, verb, and object in each verse.

Conclusion

The purpose of this first week is not to overwhelm you with new material but to remind you of how much you already know. The grammar and vocabulary from Greek I are the tools you’ll use constantly in this course. Make sure they are sharp and ready.

If you feel shaky, don’t panic — the assignments are designed to strengthen those weak spots. Review now, because starting next week, we’ll dive into participles and infinitives, and you’ll need to be confident with the foundations.

The better you know the basics, the more you will enjoy the challenge and beauty of advanced Greek.

References

Blass, F., Debrunner, A., & Funk, R. W. (1961). A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Mounce, W. D. (2019). Basics of Biblical Greek (4th ed.). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Porter, S. E. (1992). Idioms of the Greek New Testament. Sheffield: JSOT Press.

Robertson, A. T. (1934). A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research. Nashville: Broadman.

Wallace, D. B. (1996). Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Metzger, B. M. (2001). A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (2nd ed.). Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft.

Young, R. A. (1994). Intermediate New Testament Greek: A Linguistic and Exegetical Approach. Nashville: Broadman & Holman.