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
16 ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἐλάβομεν, καὶ χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος: 17 ὅτι ὁ νόμος διὰ Μωϋσέως ἐδόθη, ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο. 18 θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν πώποτε: μονογενὴς θεὸς ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρὸς, ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο. 19 Καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ μαρτυρία τοῦ Ἰωάννου, ὅτε ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς αὐτὸν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἐξ Ἱεροσολύμων ἱερεῖς καὶ Λευίτας ἵνα ἐρωτήσωσιν αὐτόν: σὺ τίς εἶ; 20 καὶ ὡμολόγησεν καὶ οὐκ ἠρνήσατο, καὶ ὡμολόγησεν ὅτι ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ὁ Χριστός.
Exposition
Use the following guide to study the meaning of each Greek word in context.
16 ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἐλάβομεν, καὶ χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος:
- ὅτι: conjunction, “because”
- ἐκ: preposition, “from” (de)
- τοῦ: def. article, “(of) the”
- πληρώματος: substantive noun, “(of) fullness” (plenitudine)
- αὐτοῦ: pronoun, “(of) him” (eius)
- ἡμεῖς: pronoun, “we” (nos)
- πάντες: adjective noun, “all” (omnes)
- ἐλάβομεν: verb, “(we) have received” (receperunt)
- καὶ: conjunction, “and” (et)
- χάριν: substantive noun, “grace” (gratiam)
- ἀντὶ: preposition, “for” (pro)
- χάριτος: substantive noun, “grace” (gratia)
17 ὅτι ὁ νόμος διὰ Μωϋσέως ἐδόθη, ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο.
- ὅτι: conjunction, “because” (quia)
- ὁ: def. article, “the”
- νόμος: substantive noun, “law” (lex)
- διὰ: preposition, “through” (per)
- Μωϋσέως: substantive noun, “Moses” (Moysen)
- ἐδόθη: verb, “(it) was given” (data est)
- ἡ: def. article, “the”
- χάρις: substantive noun, “grace” (gratia)
- καὶ: conjunction, “and” (et)
- ἡ: def. article, “the”
- ἀλήθεια: substantive noun, “truth” (veritas)
- διὰ: preposition, “through” (per)
- Ἰησοῦ: substantive noun, “Jesus” (Iesum)
- Χριστοῦ: substantive noun, “Christ” (Christum)
- ἐγένετο: verb, “came to be” (facta est)
18 θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν πώποτε: μονογενὴς θεὸς ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρὸς, ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο.
- θεὸν: substantive noun, “God” (Deum)
- οὐδεὶς: substantive noun, “no one” (nemo)
- ἑώρακεν: verb, “(he) has seen” (vidit)
- πώποτε: adverb, “ever” (umquam)
- μονογενὴς: adjective noun, “(the) only-begotten” (unigenitus)
- θεὸς: substantive noun, “God” (filius)
- ὁ pronoun, “who” (qui)
- ὢν: participle, “being” (est)
- εἰς: preposition, “in” (in)
- τὸν: def. article, “the”
- κόλπον: substantive noun, “bosom” (sinu)
- τοῦ: def. article, “(of) the”
- πατρὸς: substantive noun, “(of) father” (patris)
- ἐκεῖνος: pronoun, “he” (ipse)
- ἐξηγήσατο: verb, “(he) has declared” (enarravit)
19 Καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ μαρτυρία τοῦ Ἰωάννου, ὅτε ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς αὐτὸν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἐξ Ἱεροσολύμων ἱερεῖς καὶ Λευίτας ἵνα ἐρωτήσωσιν αὐτόν: σὺ τίς εἶ;
- καὶ: conjunction, “and” (et)
- αὕτη: pronoun, “this” (hoc)
- ἐστὶν: verb, “(it) is”
- ἡ: def. article, “the”
- μαρτυρία: substantive noun, “testimony” (testimonium)
- τοῦ: def. article, “(of) the”
- Ἰωάννου: substantive noun, “(of) John”
- ὅτε: adverb, “when” (quando)
- ἀπέστειλαν: verb, “(they) sent” (miserunt)
- πρὸς: preposition, “to” (ad)
- αὐτὸν: pronoun, “him” (eum)
- οἱ: def. article, “the”
- Ἰουδαῖοι: substantive noun, “Jews” (Iudaei)
- ἐξ: preposition, “from” (ab)
- Ἱεροσολύμων: substantive noun, “Jerusalem” (Jerosolymis)
- ἱερεῖς: substantive noun, “priests” (sacerdotes)
- καὶ: conjunction, “and” (et)
- Λευίτας: substantive noun, “Levites” (Levitas)
- ἵνα: conjunction, “so that” (ut)
- ἐρωτήσωσιν: verb, “(they) might ask” (interrogaverunt)
- αὐτόν: pronoun, “him” (eum)
- σὺ pronoun, “you” (tu)
- τίς: pronoun, “who” (quis)
- εἶ: verb, “(you) are” (es)
Note that the semicolon (;) in Greek marks a question. Therefore, σὺ τίς εἶ; reads, “You who are (you)?”
20 καὶ ὡμολόγησεν καὶ οὐκ ἠρνήσατο, καὶ ὡμολόγησεν ὅτι ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ὁ Χριστός.
- καὶ: conjunction, “and” (et)
- ὡμολόγησεν: verb, “(he) confessed” (confessus est)
- καὶ: conjunction, “and” (et)
- οὐκ: adverb, “not” (non)
- ἠρνήσατο: verb, “(he) denied” (negavit)
- καὶ: conjunction, “and” (et)
- ὡμολόγησεν: verb, “(he) confessed” (confessus est)
- ὅτι: conjunction, “that” (quia)
- ἐγὼ: pronoun, “I” (ego)
- οὐκ: adverb, “not” (non)
- εἰμὶ: verb, “(I) am” (sum)
- ὁ: def. article, “the”
- Χριστός: substantive noun, “Christ” (Christus)
Translation
The following is a literal based on the expositions above.
16 Because from the fullness of him we all have received, and grace for grace. 17 Because the law by Moses was given; the grace and the truth came by Jesus Christ. 18 God noone has seen ever: the only begotten God who being in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. 19 And this is the testimony of John, when sent to him the Jews from Jerusalem priests and Levites that they might ask him: You who are (you)? 20 And he confessed and not denied, and he confessed that not I am the Christ.
