In this lesson, we study the first five verses of the first chapter of the Gospel of St. John.
ANALYSIS
1 Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος.
Ἐν (en): prep (dat) = “in”
ἀρχῇ (archē): sub, dat, sing, fem = “beginning”
ἦν (ēn): verb, 3rd, sing, imperf, act, ind = “was”
ὁ (ho): art, nom, sing, masc = “the”
λόγος (logos): sub, nom, sing, masc = “word”
καὶ (kai): conj = “and”
ὁ (ho): art, nom, sing, masc = “the”
λόγος (logos): sub, nom, sing, masc = “word”
ἦν (ēn): verb, 3rd, sing, imperf, act, ind = “was”
πρὸς (pros): prep (acc) = “with”
τὸν (ton): art, acc, sing, masc = “the”
θεόν (theon): sub, acc, sing, masc = “God”
καὶ (kai): conj = “and”
θεὸς (theos): sub, nom, sing, masc = “God”
ἦν (ēn): verb, 3rd, sing, imperf, act, ind = “was”
ὁ (ho): art, nom, sing, masc = “the”
λόγος (logos): sub, nom, sing, masc = “word”
Translation: In beginning was the Word, and the Word was with the God, and God was the Word.
2 Οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν θεόν.
Οὗτος (houtos): pron, nom, sing, masc = “this”
ἦν (ēn): verb, 3rd, sing, imperf, act, ind = “was”
ἐν (en): prep (dat) = “in”
ἀρχῇ (archē): sub, dat, sing, fem = “beginning”
πρὸς (pros): prep (acc) = “with”
τὸν (ton): art, acc, sing, masc = “the”
θεόν (theon): sub, acc, sing, masc = “God”
This was in beginning with the God.
3 πάντα δι᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν ὃ γέγονεν.
πάντα (panta): adj, acc, pl, neu = “everything”
δι᾽ (di’): prep (gen) = “through”
αὐτοῦ (autou): pron, gen, sing, masc = “him”
ἐγένετο (egeneto): verb, 3rd, sing, aor, mid, ind = “was made”
καὶ (kai): conj = “and”
χωρὶς (chōris): prep (gen) = “apart from”
αὐτοῦ (autou): pron, gen, sing, masc = “him”
ἐγένετο (egeneto): verb, 3rd, sing, aor, mid, ind = “was made”
οὐδὲ (oude): conj = “not”
ἕν (hen): adj, nom/acc, sing, neu = “one”
ὃ (ho): pron, nom, sing, neu = “which”
γέγονεν (gegonen): verb, 3rd, sing, perf, act, ind = “has been made”
Everything through him was made, and apart from him was made not even one (thing) which has been made.
4 ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων:
ἐν (en): prep (dat) = “in”
αὐτῷ (autō): pron, dat, sing, masc = “him”
ζωὴ (zōē): sub, nom, sing, fem = “life”
ἦν (ēn): verb, 3rd, sing, imperf, act, ind = “was”
καὶ (kai): conj = “and”
ἡ (hē): art, nom, sing, fem = “the”
ζωὴ (zōē): sub, nom, sing, fem = “life”
ἦν (ēn): verb, 3rd, sing, imperf, act, ind = “was”
τὸ (to): art, nom, sing, neu = “the”
φῶς (phōs): sub, nom, sing, neu = “light”
τῶν (tōn): art, gen, pl, masc = “of the”
ἀνθρώπων (anthrōpōn): sub, gen, pl, masc = “men”
In him life was, and the life was the light of the men.
5 καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει, καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν.
καὶ (kai): conj = “and”
τὸ (to): art, nom, sing, neu = “the”
φῶς (phōs): sub, nom, sing, neu = “light”
ἐν (en): prep (dat) = “in”
τῇ (tē): art, dat, sing, fem = “the”
σκοτίᾳ (skotia): sub, dat, sing, fem = “darkness”
φαίνει (phainei): verb, 3rd, sing, pres, act, ind = “shines”
καὶ (kai): conj = “and”
ἡ (hē): art, nom, sing, fem = “the”
σκοτία (skotia): sub, nom, sing, fem = “darkness”
αὐτὸ (auto): pron, acc, sing, neu = “it”
οὐ (ou): adv = “not”
κατέλαβεν (katelaben): verb, 3rd, sing, aor, act, ind = “did comprehend”
And the light in the darkness shiness, and teh darkness it not did comprehend.
EXPOSITION
The passage begins with the phrase Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος. The word Ἐν is a preposition that takes the dative case and means “in.” The noun ἀρχῇ is in the dative singular feminine form and means “beginning.” Together, these mean “in [the] beginning.” The verb ἦν is in the third person singular, imperfect, active, indicative form, and means “was.” It expresses ongoing action in past time. The noun λόγος, preceded by the article ὁ (masculine nominative singular), means “the word.” So this first clause reads, “In [the] beginning was the word.”
The sentence continues: καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν. The conjunction καὶ simply means “and.” The phrase ὁ λόγος ἦν is the same noun and verb construction from the first clause, again meaning “the word was.” The preposition πρὸς takes the accusative case and means “with.” It is followed by τὸν θεόν, where τὸν is the accusative singular masculine article, and θεόν is the accusative singular masculine form of the noun meaning “God.” So, the phrase means “and the word was with the God.”
The final clause in verse one is καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος. Again, καὶ means “and.” The noun θεὸς here is nominative singular masculine, without the article. The verb ἦν, as before, means “was.” ὁ λόγος is the same subject as earlier, “the word,” with its nominative article. So this final clause reads “and God was the word.”
Verse two reads: Οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν θεόν. The pronoun Οὗτος is masculine nominative singular and means “this.” The verb ἦν remains the same: third person singular, imperfect, active, indicative, “was.” The prepositional phrase ἐν ἀρχῇ again means “in [the] beginning,” with ἀρχῇ in the dative singular feminine. The phrase πρὸς τὸν θεόν repeats from verse one, “with the God.” The sentence as a whole says, “This one was in [the] beginning with the God.”
Verse three introduces the neuter plural adjective πάντα, which is accusative plural and means “everything” or “all things.” The preposition δι᾽ is a contraction of διά, which when used with the genitive means “through.” It is followed by αὐτοῦ, a genitive singular masculine pronoun meaning “him.” The verb ἐγένετο is third person singular, aorist, middle, indicative, and means “was made” or “came into being.” So, the clause reads, “Everything through him was made.”
The next phrase, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, begins with καὶ, “and,” followed by χωρὶς, a preposition with the genitive meaning “apart from.” It governs αὐτοῦ, again “him” in the genitive singular masculine. The verb ἐγένετο is repeated: “was made.” This gives the phrase, “and apart from him was made.”
Continuing in verse three, we find οὐδὲ ἕν ὃ γέγονεν. οὐδὲ is a conjunction meaning “not even.” The adjective ἕν is neuter singular, nominative or accusative, and means “one.” The relative pronoun ὃ is neuter singular nominative and means “which.” The verb γέγονεν is third person singular, perfect, active, indicative, and means “has been made” or “has come into being.” The entire clause reads, “not even one which has been made.”
Verse four begins with ἐν αὐτῷ, where ἐν is “in,” and αὐτῷ is dative singular masculine, meaning “him.” The noun ζωὴ is nominative singular feminine and means “life.” The verb ἦν remains “was.” So, this opening phrase means, “in him was life.” The next clause, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, starts with καὶ, “and.” The noun ζωὴ is again nominative singular feminine, preceded by ἡ, the article. The verb ἦν again means “was.” The noun φῶς is nominative singular neuter, meaning “light,” and is preceded by τὸ, the article. τῶν ἀνθρώπων is the genitive plural masculine form of the noun for “men.” So the clause reads, “and the life was the light of men.”
The fifth and final verse begins: καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει. καὶ means “and,” τὸ φῶς is “the light,” nominative singular neuter. ἐν means “in,” τῇ σκοτίᾳ is dative singular feminine, “the darkness.” The verb φαίνει is present, active, indicative, third person singular, and means “shines.” This clause reads, “and the light shines in the darkness.”
The verse concludes: καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν. καὶ again means “and.” ἡ σκοτία is nominative singular feminine, “the darkness.” αὐτὸ is accusative singular neuter, meaning “it.” The adverb οὐ negates the verb. κατέλαβεν is aorist, active, indicative, third person singular, and means “did comprehend” or “did seize.” So, this final phrase reads, “and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
Mr. William C. Michael, O.P.
Headmaster
Classical Liberal Arts Academy
