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New Testament Greek Online

Lesson 4

Winfred P. Lehmann and Jonathan Slocum

After St. Luke describes the baptism of Jesus by John, followed by an account of Jesus's genealogy beginning with Adam, he reports in chapter 4:1-13 how Jesus was "led by the spirit into the wilderness," there to be tempted by the devil. The temptation is one of the central episodes in the life of Jesus. After overcoming the devil, Jesus goes to Galilee in the "power of the Spirit." It is also reported in two of the other gospels, briefly by St. Mark 1:12-13 and fully also by St. Matthew 4:1-11. While the basic accounts are similar, Mark refers to the tempter as Satan, the term Jesus uses in St. Matthew's account when he addresses the devil, but not by St. Luke. On the other hand, the order of the temptations differs. The first is the same, but in the account by St. Matthew the second has the devil taking Jesus to "a pinnacle of the temple" in the holy city, identified specifically by St. Luke as Jerusalem in his report of the third temptation. It is also interesting to compare other items such as the Old Testament passages that Jesus cites.

Reading and Textual Analysis

Luke 4:1-13, and Romans 8:31b (memory verse)

The story of the temptation has been central in treatments of the life of Jesus. It provides the basis for John Milton's Paradise Regained, which follows St. Luke in the order of temptations. The first lines of the poem may illustrate the importance that Milton and many others have given the episode:

I who e're while the Happy Garden sung,
By one man's disobedience lost, now sing
Recover'd Paradise to all mankind,
By one man's firm obedience fully tri'd
Through all temptation, and the Tempter foil'd
In all his wiles, defeated and repuls't,
And Eden rais'd in the waste Wilderness.

4:1 - ʼΙησου̂ς δὲ πλήρης πνεύματος ἁγίου ὑπέστρεψεν ἀπὸ του̂ ʼΙορδάνου, καὶ ʼήγετο ἐν τῳ̂ πνεύματι ἐν τῃ̂ ἐρήμῳ ἡμέρας τεσσεράκοντα πειραζόμενος ὑπὸ του̂ διαβόλου.

4:2 - Καὶ οὐκ ʼέφαγεν οὐδὲν ται̂ς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις, καὶ συντελεσθεισω̂ν αὐτω̂ν ἐπείνασεν.

4:3 - εʼι̂πεν δὲ αὐτῳ̂ ὁ διάβολος, εἰ υἱὸς εʼι̂ του̂ θεου̂, εἰπὲ τῳ̂ λίθῳ̂ τούτῳ ʽίνα γένηται ʼάρτος.

4:4 - καὶ ἀπεκρίθη πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ʼΙησου̂ς, γέγραπται ʽότι οὐκ ἐπ' ʼάρτῳ μόνῳ ζήσεται ὁ ʼάνθρωπος.

4:5 - καὶ ἀναγαγω̂ν αὐτὸν ʼέδειξεν αὐτῳ̂ πάσας τὰς βασιλείας τη̂ς οἰκουμένης ἐν στιγμῃ̂ χρόνου.

4:6 - καὶ εʼι̂πεν αὐτῳ̂ ὁ διάβολος, σοὶ δώσω τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην ʽάπασαν καὶ τὴν δόξαν αὐτω̂ν, ʽότι ἐμοὶ παραδέδοται καὶ ʽῳ̂ ἐὰν θέλω δίδωμι αὐτὴν.

4:7 - σὺ οʼυ̂ν ἐὰν προσκυνήσῃς ἐνώπιον ἐμου̂, ʼέσται σου̂ πα̂σα.

4:8 - Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ ʼΙησου̂ς εʼι̂πεν αὐτῳ̂, γέγραπται προσκυνήσεις κύριον τὸν θεὸν σου̂ καὶ αὐτῳ̂ μονῳ̂ λατρεύσεις.

4:9 - ʼΉγαγεν δὲ αὐτὸν εἰς ʽΙερουσαλὴμ καὶ ʼέστησεν ἐπὶ τὸ πτερύγιον του̂ ἱερου̂.

καὶ εʼι̂πεν αὐτῳ̂, εἰ υἱὸς εʼι̂ του̂ θεου̂, βάλε σεαυτὸν ἐντευ̂θεν κάτω.

4:10 - γέγραπται

        γὰρ ʽότι τοι̂ς ἀγγέλοις αὐτου̂ ἐντελει̂ται περὶ σου̂
        του̂ διαφυλάξαι σε,

4:11 - καὶ

        ʽότι ἐπὶ χειρω̂ν ἀρου̂σίν σε,
        μήποτε προσκόψῃς πρὸς λίθον τὸν πόδα σου̂.

4:12 - καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς εʼι̂πεν αὐτῳ̂ ὁ ʼΙησου̂ς ʽότι εʼι̂ρηται, οὐκ ἐκπειράσεις κύριον τὸν θεὸν σου̂.

4:13 - Καὶ συντελέσας πάντα πειρασμὸν ὁ διάβολος ἀπέστη ἀπ' αὐτου̂ ʼάχρι καιρου̂.

Romans 8:31b (memory verse) -

        Εἰ ὁ θεὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμω̂ν, τίς καθ' ἡμω̂ν;

Lesson Text

4:1 ʼΙησου̂ς δὲ πλήρης πνεύματος ἁγίου ὑπέστρεψεν ἀπὸ του̂ ʼΙορδάνου, καὶ ʼήγετο ἐν τῳ̂ πνεύματι ἐν τῃ̂ ἐρήμῳ ἡμέρας τεσσεράκοντα πειραζόμενος ὑπὸ του̂ διαβόλου. 4:2 Καὶ οὐκ ʼέφαγεν οὐδὲν ται̂ς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις, καὶ συντελεσθεισω̂ν αὐτω̂ν ἐπείνασεν.

4:3 εʼι̂πεν δὲ αὐτῳ̂ ὁ διάβολος, εἰ υἱὸς εʼι̂ του̂ θεου̂, εἰπὲ τῳ̂ λίθῳ̂ τούτῳ ʽίνα γένηται ʼάρτος.

4:4 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ ʼΙησου̂ς, γέγραπται ʽότι οὐκ ἐπ' ʼάρτῳ μόνῳ ζήσεται ὁ ʼάνθρωπος.

4:5 καὶ ἀναγαγω̂ν αὐτὸν ʼέδειξεν αὐτῳ̂ πάσας τὰς βασιλείας τη̂ς οἰκουμένης ἐν στιγμῃ̂ χρόνου. 4:6 καὶ εʼι̂πεν αὐτῳ̂ ὁ διάβολος, σοὶ δώσω τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην ʽάπασαν καὶ τὴν δόξαν αὐτω̂ν, ʽότι ἐμοὶ παραδέδοται καὶ ʽῳ̂ ἐὰν θέλω δίδωμι αὐτὴν. 4:7 σὺ οʼυ̂ν ἐὰν προσκυνήσῃς ἐνώπιον ἐμου̂, ʼέσται σου̂ πα̂σα.

4:8 Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ ʼΙησου̂ς εʼι̂πεν αὐτῳ̂, γέγραπται προσκυνήσεις κύριον τὸν θεὸν σου̂ καὶ αὐτῳ̂ μονῳ̂ λατρεύσεις.

4:9 ʼΉγαγεν δὲ αὐτὸν εἰς ʽΙερουσαλὴμ καὶ ʼέστησεν ἐπὶ τὸ πτερύγιον του̂ ἱερου̂. καὶ εʼι̂πεν αὐτῳ̂, εἰ υἱὸς εʼι̂ του̂ θεου̂, βάλε σεαυτὸν ἐντευ̂θεν κάτω. 4:10 γέγραπται

        γὰρ ʽότι τοι̂ς ἀγγέλοις αὐτου̂ ἐντελει̂ται περὶ σου̂
        του̂ διαφυλάξαι σε,

4:11 καὶ

        ʽότι ἐπὶ χειρω̂ν ἀρου̂σίν σε,
        μήποτε προσκόψῃς πρὸς λίθον τὸν πόδα σου̂.

4:12 καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς εʼι̂πεν αὐτῳ̂ ὁ ʼΙησου̂ς ʽότι εʼι̂ρηται, οὐκ ἐκπειράσεις κύριον τὸν θεὸν σου̂.

4:13 Καὶ συντελέσας πάντα πειρασμὸν ὁ διάβολος ἀπέστη ἀπ' αὐτου̂ ʼάχρι καιρου̂.

Romans 8:31b (memory verse) -

        Εἰ ὁ θεὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμω̂ν, τίς καθ' ἡμω̂ν;

Translation

From the King James version:
4:1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: 10 For it is written,
He shall give his angels charge over thee,
to keep thee:
11 And
in their hands they shall bear thee up,
lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
Romans 8:31b (memory verse) --
If God is for us, who can be against us?

Grammar

16. Nouns ending in -ηρ.

The basic relationship terms, among other nouns, end in -ηρ, and have no -ε- in the genitive and dative singular, and the dative plural. The following are examples.

    father   daughter   man
Nom. sg.   ὁ πατήρ   ἡ θυγάτηρ   ὁ ἀνήρ
Gen. sg.   του̂ πατρός   τη̂ς θυγατρός   του̂ ἀνδρός
Dat. sg.   τῳ̂ πατρί   τῃ̂ θυγατρί   τῳ̂ ανδρί
Acc. sg.   τὸν πατέρα   τη̂ν θυγατέρα   τὸν ʼάνδρα
             
Nom. pl.   οἱ πατέρες   αἱ θυγατέρες   οἱ ʼάνδρες
Gen. pl.   τω̂ν πατέρων   τω̂ν θυγατέρων   τω̂ν ἀνδρω̂ν
Dat. pl.   τοι̂ς πατράσι   ται̂ς θυγατράσι   τοι̂ς ἀνδράσι
Acc. pl.   τοὺς πατέρας   τὰς θυγατέρας   τοὺς ʼάνδρας
17. Irregular nouns.

Some of the more frequent nouns are irregular in inflection; three of them are given here.

    woman   ship   fire
Nom. sg.   ἡ γυνή   ἡ ναυ̂ς   τὸ πυ̂ρ
Gen. sg.   τη̂ς γυναικός   τη̂ς νεώς   του̂ πυρός
Dat. sg.   τῃ̂ γυναικί   τῃ̂ νηί   τῳ̂ πυρί
Acc. sg.   τη̂ν γυναι̂κα   τη̂ν ναυ̂ν   τὸ πυ̂ρ
             
Nom. pl.   αἱ γυναι̂κες   αἱ νη̂ες   τὰ πυρά
Gen. pl.   τω̂ν γυναικω̂ν   τω̂ν νεω̂ν   τω̂ν πυρω̂ν
Dat. pl.   ται̂ς γυναιξί(ν)   ται̂ς ναυσί(ν)   τοι̂ς πυροι̂ς
Acc. pl.   τὰς γυναι̂κας   τὰς ναυ̂ς   τὰ πυρά
18. Demonstrative pronouns.

There are three demonstrative pronouns. ʽόδε, ʽήδε, τόδε points to the present or future, and corresponds to 'this,' 'this one here.' οʽύτος, αʼύτη, του̂το points to the former, and corresponds to 'that.' ἐκει̂νος, ἐκείνη, ἐκει̂νο points to things remote or absent, and corresponds to 'that there.' ʽόδε is based on the definite article. The forms of ἐκει̂νος are like those of αὐτός. The forms of οʽυ̂τος are given here.

    Masculine   Feminine   Neuter
Nom. sg.   οʽυ̂τος   αʽύτη   του̂το
Gen. sg.   τούτου   ταύτης   τούτου
Dat. sg.   τούτῳ   ταύτῃ   τούτῳ
Acc. sg.   του̂τον   ταύτην   του̂το
             
Nom. pl.   οʽυ̂τοι   αʽυ̂ται   ταυ̂τα
Gen. pl.   τούτων   τούτων   τούτων
Dat. pl.   τούτοις   ταύταις   τούτοις
Acc. pl.   τούτους   ταύτας   ταυ̂τα
19. The uses of infinitives.

The syntax of New Testament Greek is relatively simple. Most sentences and clauses are completed by a finite verb governing an object, often accompanied by adverbial elements. When infinitives are used they generally complement the meaning of the principal verb as in John 3, with its repeated uses of δύναται followed by ποιει̂ν '(no one) can do' and other infinitives. They often are used to indicate purpose, as in Luke 2:1 and following in the passages including ἀπογράφεσθαι '(that all the world) be registered', and similarly in Matthew 2:2 ʼήλθομεν προσκυνη̂σαι αὐτῳ̂ 'we have come to worship him'. In this use they may be introduced by an article, as in verse 10 of this passage: του̂ διαφυλάξαι σε 'to protect you'.

Infinitives may also be treated like nouns, where English makes use of participles, as in Luke 2:4 διὰ τὸ εʼι̂ναι αὐτὸν..., literally 'through the (fact of) him be(ing)' > 'because he is'. The infinitive in verse 6 is similar though treated as a genitive after a noun: ἡμέραι του̂ τεκει̂ν αὐτήν, literally 'days of her giv(ing) birth'. But as these few examples illustrate, infinitives are relatively infrequent in New Testament Greek and readily interpreted.

20. The Present system of the Middle and the Passive.

The Greek verb has a full set of Middle and Passive forms corresponding to those of the Active. In the Present System, the forms of the two Voices are the same.

When used as Middle, the forms indicate an action or situation reflecting on the subject; thus the first singular indicative πιστεύομαι means 'I believe'. When used as Passive, the meaning corresponds to that of passives in English, so that the Passive πιστεύομαι means 'I am (being) believed.' The forms must be interpreted from the context.

The forms of the Present System (first, second, and third person, singular and plural) are as follows:

    Indicative   Imperfect   Subjunctive   Optative   Imperative
1s   πιστεύομαι   ἐπιστευόμην   πιστεύωμαι   πιστευοίμην    
2s   πιστεύῃ   ἐπιστεύου   πιστεύῃ   πιστεύοιο   πιστεύου
3s   πιστεύεται   ἐπιστεύετο   πιστεύηται   πιστευοίτο   πιστευέσθω
1p   πιστευόμεθα   ἐπιστευόμεθα   πιστευώμεθα   πιστευοίμεθα    
2p   πιστεύεσθε   ἐπιστεύεσθε   πιστεύησθε   πιστεύοισθε   πιστεύεσθε
3p   πιστεύονται   ἐπιστεύοντο   πιστεύωνται   πιστεύοιντο   πιστευέσθων

Infinitive:   πιστεύεσθαι
Participle:   πιστευόμενος, πιστευομένη, πιστευόμενον