Weeks 3–4: Noun Cases in Koine Greek

Introduction

You have learned the alphabet, begun writing and recognizing words, and started acquiring a basic vocabulary. Now it’s time to take one of the biggest steps in learning Koine Greek: understanding noun cases.

Unlike English, which relies mostly on word order, Greek uses cases—different forms of a noun that indicate how that word functions in a sentence. Mastering the cases is essential for reading Scripture in the original language.

Step 1: What is a Case?

In English, we use word order to determine meaning:

• “The man sees the boy.”

• “The boy sees the man.”

Change the order, and the meaning changes.

But in Greek, endings on nouns tell us their role in the sentence—subject, object, possession, etc.—so word order is more flexible.

Example:

• ὁ ἀνθρωπος βλεπει τὸν μαθητην (ho anthrōpos blepei ton mathētēn) → “The man sees the disciple.”

• τὸν μαθητην βλεπει ὁ ἀνθρωπος (ton mathētēn blepei ho anthrōpos) → Same meaning! Word order changes, but endings make it clear who is doing the action.

Step 2: The Five Main Cases

1. Nominative – The Subject

• Function: Marks the subject of the sentence (the one doing the action).

• Example: ὁ ἀνθρωπος (ho anthrōpos) = “the man.”

• Sentence: ὁ ἀνθρωπος γραφει (ho anthrōpos graphei) → “The man writes.”

2. Genitive – Possession/Source

• Function: Often translated with “of.”

• Example: λογος θεου (logos theou) = “word of God.”

• Think of it as the possessive case.

3. Dative – Indirect Object/Means

• Function: Used for “to,” “for,” or sometimes “by/with.”

• Example: διδωσιν τῳ μαθητῃ βιβλον (didōsin tō mathētē biblion) → “He gives the disciple a book.”

• The disciple (indirect object) is in the dative case.

4. Accusative – Direct Object

• Function: Marks the object that receives the action.

• Example: ὁ ἀνθρωπος βλεπει τὸν μαθητην (ho anthrōpos blepei ton mathētēn) → “The man sees the disciple.”

• μαθητην (mathētēn) is accusative—he is being seen.

5. Vocative – Direct Address

• Function: Used when calling or addressing someone directly.

• Example: μαθητα, γραφε! (mathēta, graphe!) → “Disciple, write!”

Step 3: Why Cases Matter

Cases allow Greek to communicate meaning without strict word order. When you see the ending on a word, you know its function—even if it’s at the beginning, middle, or end of the sentence.

This is why Greek is so powerful and expressive, but also why learning paradigms (endings) is absolutely necessary.

Step 4: Examples in the New Testament

1. Nominative (subject):

• ὁ θεος ἀγαπη ἐστιν (ho theos agapē estin) → “God is love.”

• θεος is nominative—subject of the sentence.

2. Genitive (possession):

• βασιλεια τοῦ θεου (basileia tou theou) → “Kingdom of God.”

• θεου is genitive—showing possession.

3. Dative (indirect object):

• λαλει τοις μαθηταις (lalei tois mathētais) → “He speaks to the disciples.”

• τοις μαθηταις is dative.

4. Accusative (direct object):

• ἀκουω τὸν λογον (akouō ton logon) → “I hear the word.”

• λογον is accusative.

5. Vocative (address):

• ἀδελφοι, χαίρετε (adelphoi, chairete) → “Brothers, rejoice!”

• ἀδελφοι is vocative.

Practice Assignments

1. Identification
For each of the following, identify the case:

• λογος θεου

• ἀκουω τὸν λογον

• λαλει τοις μαθηταις

• μαθητα, γραφε!

2. Translation
Translate the following phrases:

1. ὁ μαθητης βλεπει τὸν ἀνθρωπον

2. βασιλεια τοῦ θεου

3. διδωσιν βιβλον τῳ μαθητῃ

4. ἀδελφοι, προσευχεσθε

3. Writing Practice
Write 5 original short Greek sentences using at least two different cases each. Provide both Greek and English.

4. Daily Review
Spend 10–15 minutes reviewing vocabulary words and identifying their case endings when you see them in practice exercises.

5. Scripturial App
Spend 10–15 m a day using this app. It does a phenomenal job of introducing the cases from this lesson in a logical way that builds comprehension. You will almost certainly feel overwhelmed at first as this is very different than English grammar. That’s okay. Try your best to learn these concepts. Then spend time working on the Scripturial app. Later return and review this lesson. Repeat this process three or four times and you will find that the pieces begin to come together and make sense to you.

Encouragement

The case system may feel overwhelming at first—it’s new, and it’s different from English. But here’s the truth: once you learn to recognize these endings, you will unlock the ability to read Greek with real understanding.

Every time you practice, you’re training your brain to see patterns. Soon, you won’t have to stop and think—you’ll just know the function of a word by its ending.

Stay consistent, keep practicing, and remember: you’re not just memorizing forms—you’re learning the very structure of the language of the New Testament.

You’ve got this!