Greek for Bible Readers

Greek has no indefinite article (English “a” or “an”). Thus a[nqrwpo~ means “man” or “a man.” When Greek wants to indicate that a noun is definite, it places the definite article in front of it. Thus oJ a[nqrwpo~ means “the man.” In general, the presence of the article emphasizes particular identity, while the absence of the article emphasizes quality or characteristics. In Luke 18:13, for example, the tax collector, by using the article, identifies himself as “the sinner,” a point largely missed in English translations. On the other hand, Paul’s claim in Galatians 1:1 to be “an apostle” emphasizes […]