The lesson below belongs to the Classical Liberal Arts Academy’s Greek Reading I course. In this course, we study the Gospel of St. John in the New Testament. Students wishing to master the lesson below are to complete translation exercises daily from Greek into English and English into Greek, until every Greek word and its English meaning are memorized.
Text
11 εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἦλθεν, καὶ οἱ ἴδιοι αὐτὸν οὐ παρέλαβον. 12 ὅσοι δὲ ἔλαβον αὐτόν, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα θεοῦ γενέσθαι, τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, 13 οἳ οὐκ ἐξ αἱμάτων οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκὸς οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος ἀνδρὸς ἀλλ’ ἐκ θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν. 14 καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας. 15 Ἰωάννης μαρτυρεῖ περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ κέκραγεν λέγων: οὗτος ἦν ὃν εἶπον: ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν, ὅτι πρῶτός μου ἦν.
Exposition
Use the following guide to study the meaning of each Greek word in context.
11 εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἦλθεν, καὶ οἱ ἴδιοι αὐτὸν οὐ παρέλαβον.
- εἰς – preposition (acc.), “unto” (in)
- τὰ – def. article, “the”
- ἴδια – adjective noun, “(his) own” (propria)
- ἦλθεν – verb, “(he) came” (venit)
- καὶ – conjunction, “and” (et)
- οἱ – def. article, “the”
- ἴδιοι – adjective noun, “(his) own” (sui)
- αὐτὸν – pronoun, “him” (eum)
- οὐ – adverb, “not” (non)
- παρέλαβον: verb, “(they) did receive” (receperunt).
12 ὅσοι δὲ ἔλαβον αὐτόν, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα θεοῦ γενέσθαι, τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ,
- ὅσοι – adjective noun, “however many” (quotquot)
- δὲ – conjunction, “however” (autem)
- ἔλαβον – verb, “(they) did receive” (receperunt)
- αὐτόν – pronoun, “him” (eum)
- ἔδωκεν – verb, “(he) gave” (dedit)
- αὐτοῖς – pronoun, “to them” (eis)
- ἐξουσίαν – substantive noun, “power” (potestatem)
- τέκνα – substantive noun, “sons” (filios)
- θεοῦ – substantive noun, “of God” (Dei)
- γενέσθαι – verb, “to become” (fieri)
- τοῖς – def. article, “to those”
- πιστεύουσιν – verb, “(they) believe” (credunt)
- εἰς – preposition, “in” (in)
- τὸ – def. article, “the”
- ὄνομα – substantive noun, “name” (nomine)
- αὐτοῦ – pronoun, “of him” (eius)
13 οἳ οὐκ ἐξ αἱμάτων οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκὸς οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος ἀνδρὸς ἀλλ’ ἐκ θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν.
- οἳ – pronoun, “who” (qui)
- οὐκ – adverb, “not” (non)
- ἐξ – preposition, “out of” (ex)
- αἱμάτων – substantive noun, “(of) bloods” (sanguinibus)
- οὐδὲ – adverb, “nor” (neque)
- ἐκ – preposition, “out of” (ex)
- θελήματος – substantive noun, “(of) will” (voluntate)
- σαρκὸς – substantive noun, “(of) flesh” (carnis)
- οὐδὲ – adverb, “nor” (neque)
- ἐκ – preposition, “out of” (ex)
- θελήματος – substantive noun, “(of) will” (voluntate)
- ἀνδρὸς – substantive noun, “of man” (viri)
- ἀλλ’ – conjunction, “but” (sed)
- ἐκ – preposition, “out of” (ex)
- θεοῦ – substantive noun, “of God” (Deo)
- ἐγεννήθησαν – verb, “(they) were born” (nati sunt)
14 καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας.
- καὶ – conjunction, “and” (et)
- ὁ – def. article, “the”
- λόγος – substantive noun, “word” (verbum)
- σὰρξ – substantive noun, “flesh” (caro)
- ἐγένετο – verb, “(it) became” (factum est)
- καὶ – conjunction, “and” (et)
- ἐσκήνωσεν – verb, “(he) dwelt” (habitavit)
- ἐν – preposition, “among” (in)
- ἡμῖν – pronoun, “us” (nobis)
- καὶ – conjunction, “and” (et)
- ἐθεασάμεθα – verb, “(we) beheld” (vidimus)
- τὴν – def. article, “the”
- δόξαν – substantive noun, “glory” (gloriam)
- αὐτοῦ – pronoun, “of him” (eius)
- δόξαν – substantive noun, “glory” (gloriam)
- ὡς – adverb, “as if” (quasi)
- μονογενοῦς – adjective noun, “only-begotten (son)” (unigeniti)
- παρὰ – preposition, “from” (a)
- πατρός – substantive noun, “father” (patre)
- πλήρης – adjective noun, “full” (plenum)
- χάριτος – substantive noun, “of grace” (gratiae)
- καὶ – conjunction, “and” (et)
- ἀληθείας – substantive noun, “of truth” (veritatis)
15 Ἰωάννης μαρτυρεῖ περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ κέκραγεν λέγων: οὗτος ἦν ὃν εἶπον: ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν, ὅτι πρῶτός μου ἦν.
- Ἰωάννης – substantive noun, “John” (Ioannes)
- μαρτυρεῖ – verb, “(he) bears witness” (testimonium perhibet)
- περὶ – preposition, “concerning” (de)
- αὐτοῦ – pronoun, “him” (ipso)
- καὶ – conjunction, “and” (et)
- κέκραγεν – verb, “(he) cried” (clamat)
- λέγων – participle, “saying” (dicens)
- οὗτος – pronoun, “this” (hic)
- ἦν – verb, “(he) was” (erat)
- ὃν – pronoun, “whom” (quem)
- εἶπον – verb, “(I) said” (dixi)
- ὁ – pronoun, “the (one)” (qui)
- ὀπίσω – preposition, “after” (post)
- μου – pronoun, “me” (me)
- ἐρχόμενος – participle, “coming” (venturus est)
- ἔμπροσθέν – preposition, “before” (ante)
- μου – pronoun, “me” (me)
- γέγονεν – verb, “(he) was made” (factus est)
- ὅτι – conjunction, “because” (quia)
- πρῶτός – adjective noun, “before” (prior)
- μου – pronoun, “me” (me)
- ἦν – verb, “(he) was” (erat)
Translation
The following is a literal based on the expositions above.
11 Unto his own he came, and his own him not did receive. 12 However many, however, (they) did receive him (he) gave to them power sons of God to become, to those who believe in the name of him; 13 those who not out of bloods nor out of will (of) flesh nor out of will of man but out of of God (they) were born. 14 And the word flesh became and (he) dwelt among us and (we) beheld the glory of him, glory as if of (the) only-begotten (son) from (the) father, full of grace and of truth. 15 John (he) bears witness concerning him and (he) cried, saying, This (he) was whom (I) said the (one) after me coming before me (he) was made because before me (he) was.
