Ἑλληνικὴ Κοινή

word, reason, discourse, rational principle

c. 330 occ. NT. Masc. 2nd decl. The central term of John 1:1: ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος.

John 1:1, 14; Rev 19:13; Heb 4:12

faith, faithfulness, trust

c. 243 occ. Fem. 3rd decl. The central term of the sola fide debate (Rom 3:28; Gal 2:16).

Rom 3:22-28; Gal 2:16; Heb 11:1

self-giving love, charity

c. 116 occ. NT. Fem. 1st decl. Distinct from φιλία (friendship) and ἔρως (desire). The Pauline hymn of 1 Cor 13.

1 Cor 13; 1 John 4:8, 16; Rom 5:5

grace, unmerited favour, gratitude

c. 155 occ. Fem. 3rd decl. The cornerstone of Pauline theology (sola gratia).

Rom 3:24; Eph 2:8-9; 2 Cor 12:9

righteousness, justification

c. 92 occ. Fem. 1st decl. A double sense: forensic (a declaration of righteousness) and ethical. The subject of Luther’s iustitia Dei.

Rom 1:17; 3:21-26; Phil 3:9

spirit, breath, wind

c. 379 occ. Neuter 3rd decl. Denotes the Holy Spirit, the human spirit, breath, wind. Cf. Hebrew רו׺חַ.

John 3:8; Rom 8; Acts 2:4

salvation, deliverance

c. 46 occ. Fem. 1st decl. Salvation in both the eschatological and present sense; the root of the verb σῷζω.

Rom 1:16; Eph 1:13; Phil 2:12

good news, gospel

c. 76 occ. Neuter 2nd decl. Very frequent in Paul (60 occ.) and Mark. Originally: the announcement of a military victory.

Mark 1:1, 14-15; Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 15:1

kingship, kingdom, reign

c. 162 occ. Fem. 1st decl. A central concept of Jesus’ preaching: βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ (the kingdom of God).

Matt 4:17; Mark 1:15; Luke 17:21

sin, fault, transgression

c. 173 occ. Fem. 1st decl. Etymologically “to miss the mark”. Pauline in Rom 5-7 as a personified power.

Rom 3:23; 6:23; 1 John 1:9

life

c. 135 occ. Fem. 1st decl. Life in a qualitative and eschatological sense. To be distinguished from βίος (biological life). ζωὴ αἰώνιος = eternal life.

John 3:16; 14:6; 1 John 5:11

assembly, church

c. 114 occ. Fem. 1st decl. Etym. ἐκ-καλέω, “those called out”. Denotes the local or the universal assembly.

Matt 16:18; Acts 2:47; 1 Cor 12:28

Lord, master

c. 717 occ. Masc. 2nd decl. Renders the tetragrammaton יהוה in the LXX. The central confession: Κύριος Ἰησοῦς.

Rom 10:9; Phil 2:11; 1 Cor 12:3

flesh

c. 147 occ. Fem. 3rd decl. In Paul: humanity in its weakness and hostility to God (Rom 7-8). In John: the incarnation (John 1:14).

John 1:14; Rom 8:3-13; Gal 5:16-24

truth, reality

c. 109 occ. Fem. 1st decl. Especially in John (a quarter of the occurrences): Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6); doing the truth (John 3:21).

John 1:17; 14:6; 17:17

God

c. 1,317 occ. Masc. 2nd decl. With the article: the one God of Israel. Without the article in John 1:1c: an interpretation much discussed.

John 1:1; Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 8:6

man, human being

c. 550 occ. Masc. 2nd decl. Generic for a human. Cf. ἀνήρ, which denotes a male man.

Matt 4:4; Mark 2:28; Rom 5:12

son

c. 377 occ. Masc. 2nd decl. υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ Son of God; υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου Son of Man (a messianic title).

Mark 1:1; 14:62; Rom 1:4

father

c. 413 occ. Masc. 3rd decl. Genitive πατρός. Denotes God as Father (John 5:17). Cf. ἀββά, Mark 14:36.

Matt 6:9; John 14:6; Rom 8:15

heaven, sky

c. 273 occ. Masc. 2nd decl. Often in the plural. In Matthew: βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν, out of reticence to name God.

Matt 5:16; Mark 1:10; Acts 1:11

earth, ground, land

c. 250 occ. Fem. 1st decl. Denotes the earth (the planet), cultivated ground, or a territory (the land of Israel).

Matt 5:5; Acts 1:8; Rev 21:1

day

c. 389 occ. Fem. 1st decl. ἡμέρα κυρίου = the day of the Lord (eschatological).

Matt 24:36; Acts 2:20; 2 Pet 3:10

heart

c. 157 occ. Fem. 1st decl. The seat of the will, thought and feeling in biblical thought; not solely emotional.

Matt 5:8; Rom 10:9; Luke 24:32

water

c. 76 occ. Neuter 3rd decl. Genitive ὕδατος. Baptismal significance (Matt 3) and symbolism in John (John 4; 7:38).

John 4:10-14; Matt 3:11; Rev 22:17

bread

c. 97 occ. Masc. 2nd decl. A staple food and eucharistic symbol. ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς (John 6:35).

Matt 6:11; Luke 22:19; John 6:35

disciple, learner

c. 261 occ. Masc. 1st decl. (an irregular -ης form). Root μανθάνω, to learn. Often denotes the Twelve.

Matt 28:19; John 13:35; Luke 14:26-27

apostle, one sent

c. 80 occ. Masc. 2nd decl. Root ἀποστέλλω, to send. Denotes the Twelve, Paul (Rom 1:1), and occasionally other envoys (Rom 16:7).

Rom 1:1; 1 Cor 12:28; Eph 4:11

law

c. 194 occ. Masc. 2nd decl. Renders the Torah in the LXX. The centre of the Pauline debate: Law versus grace (Rom, Gal).

Rom 3:20; 7:12; Gal 3:24

slave, servant

c. 124 occ. Masc. 2nd decl. The strong sense “slave”. Paul calls himself a δοῦλος Χριστοῦ (Rom 1:1). Phil 2:7: kenosis.

Rom 1:1; Phil 2:7; Gal 4:7

glory, splendour, honour

c. 166 occ. Fem. 1st decl. Renders Hebrew כָּבוֹד. The visible manifestation of the divine presence (shekinah). Soli Deo gloria.

John 1:14; Rom 3:23; 2 Cor 3:18

to be

c. 2,462 occ. An irregular athematic verb. Present: εἰμί, εἶ, ἐστί(ν), ἐσμέν, ἐστέ, εἰσί(ν). Imperfect: ἦμην, ἦς/ἦσθα, ἦν…

John 8:58; Exod 3:14 LXX

to say, speak

c. 2,354 occ. A regular thematic verb in the present. But the aorist is supplied by εἶπον (“I said”). The most frequent verb in the NT.

Very frequent; Matt 5:22; Mark 1:15

to have, hold

c. 711 occ. Future ἕξω (irregular), aorist ἔσχον. With an adjective or adverb can mean “to fare, to be”.

Mark 4:9; John 5:24; 1 John 5:11

to do, make

c. 568 occ. A contract verb in -έω. Covers action in general: to create, accomplish, produce.

Matt 7:21; John 1:3; James 2:17

to believe, have faith

c. 241 occ. Often followed by εἰς + accusative (“to believe in”) in John. The construction πιστεύω εἰς is almost exclusive to the NT.

John 3:16; Mark 1:15; Rom 4:3

to love (with self-giving love)

c. 143 occ. A contract verb in -άω. Distinguished from φιλέω (to love as a friend) in the famous dialogue of John 21:15-17.

John 3:16; 21:15-17; 1 Cor 13

to know (by experience)

c. 222 occ. Aorist ἔγνων (intransitive, root -γνω-). Experiential knowledge; distinct from οἶδα (intellectual knowing).

John 1:10; 17:3; 1 Cor 13:12

to hear, listen

c. 428 occ. A variable government: accusative (to hear a voice), genitive (to listen to someone). ὁ ἔχων ὡτα ἀκουέτω (Matt 11:15).

Mark 4:9; Rom 10:14; Acts 2:8

to come, go

c. 636 occ. A deponent verb (middle form, active sense). An irregular aorist ἦλθον. Present imperative ἔρχου.

Matt 11:28; John 1:46; Rev 22:20

to see, look

c. 133 occ. Distinguished from ὁράω, whose forms are completed by ὄψομαι (future) and εἶδον (aorist). “To see” in a concrete, present sense.

Matt 5:28; Mark 4:12; 1 Cor 13:12

to give

c. 415 occ. An athematic verb in -μι (with ἵστημι, τίθημι, ἀφίημι). Root -δω-/-δο-. Aorist ἔδωκα.

John 3:16; Matt 7:7; Luke 11:13

to save, heal, preserve

c. 106 occ. A triple sense: eschatological salvation, physical healing, preservation. Aorist ἔσωσα; passive ἐσώθην.

Matt 1:21; Rom 10:9; Eph 2:8

to immerse, baptise

c. 77 occ. Etym. “to plunge, immerse”. Aorist ἐβάπτισα; passive βαπτίζεσθαι, to be baptised.

Matt 28:19; Mark 1:8; Rom 6:3-4

to proclaim, preach

c. 61 occ. The root of κήρυγμα (proclamation, preaching). The activity of the κῆρυξ, a herald.

Mark 1:14; Rom 10:14-15; 2 Tim 4:2

to rise, be raised

c. 108 occ. A verb in -μι, root -στα-. With ἐκ νεκρῶν: to rise from the dead. Cf. ἀνάστασις, resurrection.

Mark 16:9; Acts 2:24; 1 Cor 15:4

the (definite article)

Masc. (ὁ) / fem. (ἡ) / neuter (τό). Declinable. Its presence or absence is sometimes theologically significant (John 1:1c).

Very frequent; c. 19,870 occ. NT

and, also, even

c. 9,018 occ. A coordinating conjunction. Also an adverb (“even, also”). Mark’s Semitising style links sentence after sentence with καί.

Very frequent; cf. Hebrew וְ, waw

but, now, and (postpositive)

c. 2,792 occ. Postpositive (never first in its clause). Marks a transition or mild contrast. Often correlated with μέν.

Matt 1:2; Mark 1:8; Rom 3:21

for, indeed

c. 1,041 occ. Postpositive. Introduces a justification. Very frequent in Paul's argumentation.

Rom 1:16; John 3:16; 1 Cor 1:18

therefore, so, then

c. 499 occ. Postpositive. Marks a consequence or narrative resumption. Very frequent in John.

John 4:9; 6:5; Rom 5:1

in, within (+ dative)

c. 2,752 occ. A preposition governing the dative only. Locative, temporal and instrumental senses. ἐν Χριστῷ in Paul = a foundational formula.

John 1:1; Rom 6:11; 2 Cor 5:17

through (+ gen.) / because of (+ acc.)

c. 667 occ. Its sense varies with the case. + gen. = means, agency. + acc. = cause. Both crucial for Paul (Rom 1:5).

John 1:3; Rom 3:22; 5:1

towards, into, unto (+ acc.)

c. 1,768 occ. Always + accusative. Motion towards, purpose, the object of belief (πιστεύω εἰς).

Matt 28:19; John 3:16; Rom 1:5

not

οὐ for the indicative (c. 1,623+1,606 occ.); μή for the other moods, the infinitive, the participle. οὐκ/οὐχ before a vowel.

Mark 12:17; John 1:3; 14:6

so that, in order that, that

c. 663 occ. A final conjunction + subjunctive. Very frequent in John; also introduces content clauses.

John 3:16; 17:21; Phil 2:10

[a] short or [aː] long

The first letter. A vowel, of the [a] type. Corresponds to Hebrew א, aleph. τὸ Ἄλφα καὶ τὸ ᾿Ω = the Alpha and the Omega (Rev 1:8).

Rev 1:8; 21:6; 22:13

[tʰ] aspirated th

The 8th letter. An aspirated stop consonant. Found in θεός, θάλασσα, ἀλήθεια. Transliterated “th” in modern transcriptions.

θεός, θάνατος, θρόνος, ἀλήθεια

[kʰ] aspirated k, like German ch

The 22nd letter. An aspirated stop consonant. Important: Χριστός (Christ), χάρις (grace), ψυχή (soul).

Χριστός, χάρις, χαρά

[ɔː] a long open o

The 24th and last letter. To be distinguished from ο (omicron, “short o”). τὸ ᾿Ω = the Omega, the end (Rev).

Rev 1:8; 21:6; 22:13

aspiration or its absence at the start of a word

Every initial vowel carries a breathing: smooth (ἀ, no aspiration) or rough (ἁ, aspirated h). An initial ρ always carries the rough breathing (ῥ).

ἁμαρτία [h-] vs ἀγάπη [-]