In this lesson, we study verses 6-10 of the first chapter of the Gospel of St. John.
ANALYSIS
6 Ἐγένετο ἄνθρωπος ἀπεσταλμένος παρὰ θεοῦ, ὄνομα αὐτῷ Ἰωάννης:
Ἐγένετο (egeneto): verb, 3rd, sing, aor, mid, ind = “there was”
ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos): sub, nom, sing, masc = “man”
ἀπεσταλμένος (apestalmenos): part, nom, sing, masc, perf, pass = “sent”
παρὰ (para): prep (gen) = “from”
θεοῦ (theou): sub, gen, sing, masc = “God”
ὄνομα (onoma): sub, nom/acc, sing, neu = “name”
αὐτῷ (autō): pron, dat, sing, masc = “for him”
Ἰωάνης (Iōanēs): sub, nom, sing, masc = “John”
7 οὗτος ἦλθεν εἰς μαρτυρίαν, ἵνα μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ φωτός, ἵνα πάντες πιστεύσωσιν δι᾽ αὐτοῦ.
οὗτος (houtos): pron, nom, sing, masc = “this”
ἦλθεν (ēlthen): verb, 3rd, sing, aor, act, ind = “came”
εἰς (eis): prep (acc) = “for”
μαρτυρίαν (marturian): sub, acc, sing, fem = “testimony”
ἵνα (hina): conj = “in order that”
μαρτυρήσῃ (marturēsē): verb, 3rd, sing, aor, act, subj = “he might bear witness”
περὶ (peri): prep (gen) = “about”
τοῦ (tou): art, gen, sing, neu = “the”
φωτός (phōtos): sub, gen, sing, neu = “light”
ἵνα (hina): conj = “in order that”
πάντες (pantes): pron, nom, pl, masc = “all”
πιστεύσωσιν (pisteusōsin): verb, 3rd, pl, aor, act, subj = “might believe”
δι᾽ (di’): prep (gen) = “through”
αὐτοῦ (autou): pron, gen, sing, masc = “him”
8 οὐκ ἦν ἐκεῖνος τὸ φῶς, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ φωτός.
οὐκ (ouk): adv = “not”
ἦν (ēn): verb, 3rd, sing, imperf, act, ind = “was”
ἐκεῖνος (ekeinos): pron, nom, sing, masc = “that”
τὸ (to): art, nom, sing, neu = “the”
φῶς (phōs): sub, nom, sing, neu = “light”
ἀλλ᾽ (all’): conj = “but”
ἵνα (hina): conj = “in order that”
μαρτυρήσῃ (marturēsē): verb, 3rd, sing, aor, act, subj = “he might bear witness”
περὶ (peri): prep (gen) = “about”
τοῦ (tou): art, gen, sing, neu = “the”
φωτός (phōtos): sub, gen, sing, neu = “light”
9 Ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον.
Ἦν (ēn): verb, 3rd, sing, imperf, act, ind = “was”
τὸ (to): art, nom, sing, neu = “the”
φῶς (phōs): sub, nom, sing, neu = “light”
τὸ (to): art, nom, sing, neu = “the”
ἀληθινὸν (alēthinon): adj, nom, sing, neu = “true”
ὃ (ho): pron, nom, sing, neu = “which”
φωτίζει (phōtizei): verb, 3rd, sing, pres, act, ind = “illuminates”
πάντα (panta): adj, acc, sing, masc = “every”
ἄνθρωπον (anthrōpon): sub, acc, sing, masc = “man”
ἐρχόμενον (erchomenon): part, acc, sing, masc, pres, mid = “coming”
εἰς (eis): prep (acc) = “into”
τὸν (ton): art, acc, sing, masc = “the”
κόσμον (kosmon): sub, acc, sing, masc = “world”
10 ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἦν, καὶ ὁ κόσμος δι᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ ὁ κόσμος αὐτὸν οὐκ ἔγνω.
ἐν (en): prep (dat) = “in”
τῷ (tō): art, dat, sing, masc = “the”
κόσμῳ (kosmō): sub, dat, sing, masc = “world”
ἦν (ēn): verb, 3rd, sing, imperf, act, ind = “he was”
καὶ (kai): conj = “and”
ὁ (ho): art, nom, sing, masc = “the”
κόσμος (kosmos): sub, nom, sing, masc = “world”
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”
ὁ (ho): art, nom, sing, masc = “the”
κόσμος (kosmos): sub, nom, sing, masc = “world”
αὐτὸν (auton): pron, acc, sing, masc = “him”
οὐκ (ouk): adv = “not”
ἔγνω (egnō): verb, 3rd, sing, aor, act, ind = “knew”
EXPOSITION
The sixth verse begins: Ἐγένετο ἄνθρωπος ἀπεσταλμένος παρὰ θεοῦ, ὄνομα αὐτῷ Ἰωάννης. The verb Ἐγένετο is in the third person singular, aorist, middle, indicative form, meaning “there was” or “came into being.” The noun ἄνθρωπος is nominative singular masculine and means “man.” The participle ἀπεσταλμένος is in the perfect passive nominative singular masculine form and means “having been sent.” It describes the man. The preposition παρὰ takes the genitive case and means “from,” followed by θεοῦ, which is genitive singular masculine and means “God.” The next phrase is ὄνομα αὐτῷ Ἰωάννης. ὄνομα is a neuter noun in the nominative or accusative singular, meaning “name.” The pronoun αὐτῷ is dative singular masculine and means “to him” or “for him.” The final word Ἰωάννης is a proper noun, nominative singular masculine, meaning “John.” The entire sentence reads: “There was a man, having been sent from God; name to him: John.”
Verse seven continues: οὗτος ἦλθεν εἰς μαρτυρίαν, ἵνα μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ φωτός, ἵνα πάντες πιστεύσωσιν δι᾽ αὐτοῦ. The pronoun οὗτος is nominative singular masculine and means “this [man].” The verb ἦλθεν is third person singular, aorist, active, indicative, meaning “came.” The preposition εἰς takes the accusative case and means “into” or “for,” and the noun μαρτυρίαν is accusative singular feminine, meaning “testimony.” The conjunction ἵνα means “in order that” and introduces a purpose clause. The verb μαρτυρήσῃ is third person singular, aorist, active, subjunctive, and means “he might bear witness.” The preposition περὶ governs the genitive and means “about.” The article τοῦ and noun φωτός are both genitive singular neuter, meaning “the light.” The second ἵνα introduces another purpose clause: ἵνα πάντες πιστεύσωσιν δι᾽ αὐτοῦ. The word πάντες is nominative plural masculine and means “all.” The verb πιστεύσωσιν is third person plural, aorist, active, subjunctive, and means “they might believe.” The preposition δι᾽, from διά, takes the genitive and means “through,” and the pronoun αὐτοῦ is genitive singular masculine, meaning “him.” So the full verse states: “This one came for testimony, in order that he might bear witness about the light, in order that all might believe through him.”
Verse eight begins: οὐκ ἦν ἐκεῖνος τὸ φῶς, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ φωτός. The adverb οὐκ is a negative meaning “not.” The verb ἦν is third person singular, imperfect, active, indicative, meaning “was.” The pronoun ἐκεῖνος is nominative singular masculine and means “that [one].” The noun φῶς, with its article τὸ, is nominative singular neuter and means “the light.” So the first clause reads, “That one was not the light.” The conjunction ἀλλ᾽, a contraction of ἀλλά, means “but.” The following clause is ἵνα μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ φωτός. The conjunction ἵνα again means “in order that.” The verb μαρτυρήσῃ is third person singular, aorist, active, subjunctive, meaning “he might bear witness.” The preposition περὶ takes the genitive and means “about,” and τοῦ φωτός is genitive singular neuter, “the light.” This verse, therefore, reads: “That one was not the light, but [came] in order that he might bear witness about the light.”
Verse nine states: Ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον. The verb Ἦν is again imperfect, third person singular, active indicative, meaning “was.” The noun φῶς, with the article τὸ, is nominative singular neuter, “the light.” It is followed by τὸ ἀληθινὸν, the adjective “true,” in the same case, number, and gender: nominative singular neuter. The clause ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον begins with ὃ, a relative pronoun, nominative singular neuter, meaning “which.” The verb φωτίζει is third person singular, present, active, indicative, meaning “illuminates.” The adjective πάντα is accusative singular masculine and means “every.” The noun ἄνθρωπον is accusative singular masculine and means “man.” Then follows ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον. ἐρχόμενον is a present middle participle, accusative singular masculine, meaning “coming.” The preposition εἰς means “into,” and τὸν κόσμον is accusative singular masculine, meaning “the world.” The sentence as a whole reads: “The true light was, which illuminates every man coming into the world.”
Verse ten continues with: ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἦν, καὶ ὁ κόσμος δι᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ ὁ κόσμος αὐτὸν οὐκ ἔγνω. The preposition ἐν governs the dative and means “in.” τῷ κόσμῳ is dative singular masculine, meaning “the world.” The verb ἦν means “was,” in the third person singular imperfect active indicative form. καὶ is the conjunction “and.” Then we have ὁ κόσμος, nominative singular masculine, meaning “the world.” The preposition δι᾽, from διά, takes the genitive αὐτοῦ, meaning “through him.” The verb ἐγένετο is third person singular, aorist, middle, indicative, meaning “was made.” The phrase repeats ὁ κόσμος, “the world,” and adds αὐτὸν, accusative singular masculine pronoun, meaning “him.” The final verb ἔγνω is third person singular, aorist, active, indicative, and means “knew.” The negative οὐκ means “not.” This verse reads: “In the world he was, and the world through him was made, and the world him not knew.”
Mr. William C. Michael, O.P.
Headmaster
Classical Liberal Arts Academy
