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
46 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ: ἐκ Ναζαρὲτ δύναταί τι ἀγαθὸν εἶναι; λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Φίλιππος: ἔρχου καὶ ἴδε. 47 εἶδεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὸν Ναθαναὴλ ἐρχόμενον πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ λέγει περὶ αὐτοῦ: ἴδε ἀληθῶς Ἰσραηλίτης, ἐν ᾧ δόλος οὐκ ἔστιν. 48 λέγει αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ: πόθεν με γινώσκεις; ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ: πρὸ τοῦ σε Φίλιππον φωνῆσαι ὄντα ὑπὸ τὴν συκῆν εἶδόν σε. 49 ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ: ῥαββί, σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, σὺ βασιλεὺς εἶ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. 50 ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ: ὅτι εἶπόν σοι ὅτι εἶδόν σε ὑποκάτω τῆς συκῆς, πιστεύεις; μείζω τούτων ὄψῃ. 51 καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ: ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὄψεσθε τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνεῳγότα καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους τοῦ θεοῦ ἀναβαίνοντας καὶ καταβαίνοντας ἐπὶ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.
Exposition
46 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ: ἐκ Ναζαρὲτ δύναταί τι ἀγαθὸν εἶναι; λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Φίλιππος: ἔρχου καὶ ἴδε.
- καὶ: conjunction, “and”
- εἶπεν: verb, 3rd, sing, aorist, ind, act, “(he) said”
- αὐτῷ: pronoun, masc, sing, dat, “to him”
- Ναθαναήλ: substantive noun, masc, sing, nom, “Nathanael”
- ἐκ: preposition (+ gen.), “out of”
- Ναζαρὲτ: substantive noun, masc, sing, gen, “Nazareth”
- δύναταί: verb, 3rd, sing, pres, ind, mid/pass, “(it) is able”
- τι: adjective, neut, sing, nom, “anything”
- ἀγαθὸν: adjective, neut, sing, nom, “good”
- εἶναι: verb, pres, act, inf., “to be”
- λέγει: verb, 3rd,sing, pres, act, ind, “(he) says”
- αὐτῷ: pronoun, masc, sing, dat, “to him”
- ὁ: def. art., masc, sing, nom, “the”
- Φίλιππος: substantive noun, masc, sing, nom, “Philip”
- ἔρχου: verb, 2nd, sing, pres, dep, imperative, “come”
- καὶ: conjunction, “and”
- ἴδε: verb, 2nd, sing, aor, act, imperative, “see”
Translation: “And said to him Nathanael: out of Nazareth is able anything good to be says to him (the) Philip, “Come and see.”.
47 εἶδεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὸν Ναθαναὴλ ἐρχόμενον πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ λέγει περὶ αὐτοῦ: ἴδε ἀληθῶς Ἰσραηλίτης, ἐν ᾧ δόλος οὐκ ἔστιν.
- εἶδεν: verb, 3rd, sing, aorist, ind, act, “(he) saw”
- ὁ: def. art., masc, sing, nom, “the”
- Ἰησοῦς: substantive noun, masc, sing, nom, “Jesus”
- τὸν: def. art., masc, sing, acc, “the”
- Ναθαναὴλ: substantive noun, masc, sing, acc, “Nathanael”
- ἐρχόμενον: participle, present, midd/pass, masc, sing, acc, “coming”
- πρὸς: preposition (+ acc.), “to”
- αὐτὸν: pronoun, masc, sing, acc, “him”
- καὶ: conjunction, “and”
- λέγει: verb, 3rd, sing, pres, ind, act, “(he) says”
- περὶ: preposition (+ gen.), “concerning”
- αὐτοῦ: pronoun, masc, sing, gen, “him”
- ἴδε: verb, 2nd, sing, aor, act, imperative, “see”
- ἀληθῶς: adverb, “truly”
- Ἰσραηλίτης: substantive noun, masc, sing, nom, “Israelite”
- ἐν: preposition (+ dat.), “in”
- ᾧ: pronoun, masc, sing, dat, “whom”
- δόλος: substantive noun, masc, sing, nom, “deceit”
- οὐκ: adverb, “not”
- ἔστιν: verb, 3rd, sing, pres, ind, act, “(it) is”
Translation: Saw Jesus Nathanael coming to him and (he) says concerning him, “See indeed (an) Israelite in whom deceit not is.”
48 λέγει αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ: πόθεν με γινώσκεις; ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ: πρὸ τοῦ σε Φίλιππον[efn_note]πρὸ τοῦ σε Φίλιππον φωνῆσαι: The preposition πρὸ (before) governs the genitive case. The article τοῦ represents the genitive case and makes a genitive of the phrase [σε Φίλιππον φωνῆσαι] (you Philip called): πρὸ τοῦ [σε Φίλιππον φωνῆσαι] = before [Philip called you]. .[/efn_note] φωνῆσαι ὄντα ὑπὸ τὴν συκῆν εἶδόν σε.
- λέγει: verb, 3rd, sing, pres, ind, act, “(he) says”
- αὐτῷ: pronoun, masc, sing, dat, “to him”
- Ναθαναήλ: substantive noun, masc, sing, nom, “Nathanael”
- πόθεν: adverb, “whence?”
- με: pronoun, masc, sing, acc, “me”
- γινώσκεις: verb, 2nd sing, pres, ind, act, “(you) know”
- ἀπεκρίθη: verb, 3rd sing, aorist, ind, dep, “(he) answered”
- Ἰησοῦς: substantive noun, masc, sing, nom, “Jesus”
- καὶ: conjunction, “and”
- εἶπεν: verb, 3rd, sing, aorist, ind, act, “(he) said”
- αὐτῷ: pronoun, masc, sing, dat, “to him”
- πρὸ: preposition (+gen), “before” (Smyth 1694)
- τοῦ: pronoun, neut, sing, gen, “that”
- σε: pronoun, masc, sing, acc, “you”
- Φίλιππον: substantive noun, masc, sing, acc, “Philip” (Smyth 1975)
- φωνῆσαι: verb, aorist, infinitive, act, “calling” (Smyth 1968.c)
- ὄντα: participle, present, act, masc, sing, acc, “being” (Smyth 305)
- ὑπὸ: preposition (+ acc), “under” (Smyth 1698.3)
- τὴν: def. article, fem, sing, acc, “the”
- συκῆν: substantive noun, fem, sing, acc, “fig tree”
- εἶδόν: verb, 1st, sing, aor, ind, act, “(I) saw” (Smyth 431)
- σε: pronoun, masc, sing, acc, “you”
Translation: Says to him Nathanael, “Whence me (do) you know?” Answered Jesus and said to him, “Before the you Philip called being under the fig tree, I saw you.
49 ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ: ῥαββί, σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, σὺ βασιλεὺς εἶ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ.
- ἀπεκρίθη: verb, 3rd sing, aorist, ind, dep, “(he) answered”
- αὐτῷ: pronoun, masc, sing, dat, “to him”
- Ναθαναήλ: substantive noun, masc, sing, nom, “Nathanael”
- ῥαββί: substantive noun, masc, sing, voc, “Rabbi”
- σὺ: pronoun, masc, sing, voc, “you”
- εἶ: verb, 2nd, sing, pres, ind, act, “(you) are”
- ὁ: def. art., masc, sing, nom, “the”
- υἱὸς: substantive noun, masc, sing, nom, “son”
- τοῦ: def. art., masc, sing, gen., “of the”
- θεοῦ: substantive noun, masc, sing, gen, “of God”
- σὺ: pronoun, masc, sing, voc, “you”
- βασιλεὺς: substantive noun, masc, sing, nom, “king”
- εἶ: verb, 2nd, sing, pres, ind, act, “(you) are”
- τοῦ: def. art., masc, sing, gen., “of the”
- Ἰσραήλ: substantive noun, masc, sing, gen, “of Israel”
Translation: Answered to him Nathanael, “Rabbi, you are the son of (the) God, you (the) king of (the) Israel.”.
50 ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ: ὅτι εἶπόν σοι ὅτι εἶδόν σε ὑποκάτω τῆς συκῆς, πιστεύεις; μείζω τούτων[efn_note]Note that St. Jerome translates the genitive pronoun τούτων with the ablative case in Latin, majus his.[/efn_note] ὄψῃ.
- ἀπεκρίθη: verb, 3rd sing, aorist, ind, dep, “(he) answered”
- Ἰησοῦς: substantive noun, masc, sing, nom, “Jesus”
- καὶ: conjunction, “and”
- εἶπεν: verb, 3rd, sing, aorist, ind, act, “(he) said”
- αὐτῷ: pronoun, masc, sing, dat, “to him”
- ὅτι: conjunction, “because”
- εἶπόν: verb, 1st, sing, aorist, ind, act, “I said”
- σοι: pronoun, masc sing, dat., “to you”
- ὅτι: conjunction, “that”
- εἶδόν: verb, 1st, sing, aor, ind, act, “(I) saw” (Smyth 431)
- σε: pronoun, masc, sing, acc, “you”
- ὑποκάτω: preposition (+ gen), “under”
- τῆς: def. art., fem, sing, gen, “the”
- συκῆς: substantive noun, fem, sing, gen, “fig tree”
- πιστεύεις: verb, 2nd, sing, pres, ind, act, “(you) believe”
- μείζω: adjective (comp.), neut, pl, acc, “greater” (Smyth, 318)
- τούτων: pronoun, neut, pl, gen., “of these” (Smyth, 333, 1069)
- ὄψῃ: verb, 2nd, sing, fut, ind, mid/pass, “(you) shall see”. (Smyth, 529.6, 383.2)
Translation: Answered Jesus and (He) said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree you believe? Greater (things) (than) these you shall see.”
51 καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ: ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὄψεσθε τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνεῳγότα καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους τοῦ θεοῦ ἀναβαίνοντας καὶ καταβαίνοντας ἐπὶ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.
- καὶ: conjunction, “and”
- λέγει: verb, 3rd, sing, pres, ind, act, “(he) says”
- αὐτῷ: pronoun, masc, sing, dat, “to him”
- ἀμὴν: adverb, “truly”
- λέγω: verb, 1st, sing, pres, ind, act, “(I) say”
- ὑμῖν: pronoun, masc, pl, dat, “to you”
- ὄψεσθε: verb, 2nd, pl, fut, ind, mid/pass, “(you) shall see”. (Smyth, 383.2)
- τὸν: def. art., masc, sing, acc, “the”
- οὐρανὸν: substantive noun, masc, sing, acc, “heaven”
- ἀνεῳγότα: participle, perf, act, ind, masc, sing, “opened”
- καὶ: conjunction, “and”
- τοὺς: def. art., masc, plur, acc, “the”
- ἀγγέλους: substantive noun, masc, pl, acc, “angels”
- τοῦ: def. art., masc, sing, gen, “of the”
- θεοῦ: substantive noun, masc, sing, gen, “of God”
- ἀναβαίνοντας: participle, pres, act, masc, pl, acc, “going up”
- καὶ: conjunction, “and”
- καταβαίνοντας: participle, pres, act, masc, pl, acc, “going down”
- ἐπὶ: preposition, “upon”
- τὸν: def. art., masc, sing, acc, “the”
- υἱὸν: substantive noun, masc, sing, acc, “Son”
- τοῦ: def. art., masc, sing, gen, “of the”
- ἀνθρώπου: substantive noun, masc, sing, gen, “of man”
Translation: And he says to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you (all), you (all) shall see the heaven opened and the angels of God going up and going down upon the Son of man.”
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