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
6 ἦσαν δὲ ἐκεῖ λίθιναι ὑδρίαι ἓξ κατὰ τὸν καθαρισμὸν τῶν Ἰουδαίων κείμεναι, χωροῦσαι ἀνὰ μετρητὰς δύο ἢ τρεῖς. 7 λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς: γεμίσατε τὰς ὑδρίας ὕδατος. καὶ ἐγέμισαν αὐτὰς ἕως ἄνω. 8 καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς: ἀντλήσατε νῦν καὶ φέρετε τῷ ἀρχιτρικλίνῳ. οἱ δὲ ἤνεγκαν. 9 ὡς δὲ ἐγεύσατο ὁ ἀρχιτρίκλινος τὸ ὕδωρ οἶνον γεγενημένον, καὶ οὐκ ᾔδει πόθεν ἐστίν, οἱ δὲ διάκονοι ᾔδεισαν οἱ ἠντληκότες τὸ ὕδωρ, φωνεῖ τὸν νυμφίον ὁ ἀρχιτρίκλινος 10 καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ: πᾶς ἄνθρωπος πρῶτον τὸν καλὸν οἶνον τίθησιν, καὶ ὅταν μεθυσθῶσιν τὸν ἐλάσσω: σὺ τετήρηκας τὸν καλὸν οἶνον ἕως ἄρτι.
Exposition
6 ἦσαν δὲ ἐκεῖ λίθιναι ὑδρίαι ἓξ κατὰ τὸν καθαρισμὸν τῶν Ἰουδαίων κείμεναι, χωροῦσαι ἀνὰ μετρητὰς δύο ἢ τρεῖς.
- ἦσαν: verb, 3rd, pl, 2 aor, ind, act: “(there) were” (erant)
- δὲ: conjunction, “however” (autem)
- ἐκεῖ: adverb, “there” (ibi)
- λίθιναι: adjective noun, fem, pl, nom, “stone” (lapideae)
- ὑδρίαι: substantive noun, fem, pl, nom, “water pots” (hydriae)
- ἓξ: adjective noun, undeclined, “six” (sex)
- κατὰ: prep (+ acc.), “according to” (secundum)
- τὸν: def. art., neut, sing, acc, “the”
- καθαρισμὸν: substantive noun, neut, sing, acc., “purification” (purificationem)
- τῶν: def. art., masc, pl, gen, “of the”
- Ἰουδαίων: adjective noun, masc, plur, gen, “of Jewish” (Judaeorum)
- κείμεναι: participle, present, active, nom, fem, pl, “standing”
- χωροῦσαι: participle, present, active, fem, pl, “holding” (capientes)
- ἀνὰ: prep. (+acc.), “up to”
- μετρητὰς: substantive, fem, pl, acc, “measures” (metratas)
- δύο: adjective, “two” (binas)
- ἢ: conjunction, “or” (vel)
- τρεῖς: adjective, “three” (ternas)
Translation: There were however there stone jars six according to the purification of Jewish (men) standing, holding up to measures two or three.
7 λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς: γεμίσατε τὰς ὑδρίας ὕδατος. καὶ ἐγέμισαν αὐτὰς ἕως ἄνω.
- λέγει: verb, pres, ind, act, 3rd, sing, “he says” (dicit)
- αὐτοῖς: pronoun, masc, dat, pl, “to them” (eis)
- ὁ: def. art., masc, sing, nom, “the”
- Ἰησοῦς: substantive, masc, sing, nom, “Jesus” (Jesus)
- γεμίσατε: verb, aor, imp, act, 2nd, pl, “fill” (implete)
- τὰς: def. art., fem, acc, pl, “the”
- ὑδρίας: substantive noun, fem, pl, acc, “water pots” (hydrias)
- ὕδατος: substantive, neut, sing, gen, “of water” (aqua)
- καὶ: conjunction, “and” (et)
- ἐγέμισαν: verb, aor, ind, act, 3rd, pl, “they filled” (impleverunt)
- αὐτὰς: pronoun, fem, pl, acc, “them” (eas)
- ἕως ἄνω: adverb, “up to the top” (usque ad summum)
Translation: (He) says to them (the) Jesus: Fill the water pots of water. And they filled them up to the top.
8 καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς: ἀντλήσατε νῦν καὶ φέρετε τῷ ἀρχιτρικλίνῳ. οἱ δὲ ἤνεγκαν.
- καὶ: conj, “and” (et)
- λέγει: verb, pres, ind, act, 3rd, sing, “he says” (dicit)
- αὐτοῖς: pronoun, masc, pl, dat, “to them” (eis)
- ἀντλήσατε: verb, aor, imp, act, 2, pl, “draw out” (haurite)
- νῦν: adverb, “now” (nunc)
- καὶ: conj, “and” (et)
- φέρετε: verb, pres, imp, act, 2nd, pl, “take” (ferte)
- τῷ: def art, masc, sing, dat, “to the”
- ἀρχιτρικλίνῳ: substantive, masc, sing, dat, “to chief steward of the feast” (architriclinio)
- οἱ: def art, masc, nom, pl, “they”
- δὲ: conj, “and” (et)
- ἤνεγκαν: verb, aor, ind, act, 3rd, pl, “they took” (tulerunt)
Translation: And he says to them: draw out now and take (it) to the chief steward of the feast. And they took (it).
9 ὡς δὲ ἐγεύσατο ὁ ἀρχιτρίκλινος τὸ ὕδωρ οἶνον γεγενημένον, καὶ οὐκ ᾔδει πόθεν ἐστίν, οἱ δὲ διάκονοι ᾔδεισαν οἱ ἠντληκότες τὸ ὕδωρ, φωνεῖ τὸν νυμφίον ὁ ἀρχιτρίκλινος
- ὡς: adverb, “when” (ut)
- δὲ: conjunction, “however” (autem)
- ἐγεύσατο: verb, aor, ind, mid, 3rd, sing, “(he) tasted” (gustavit)
- ὁ: def. art., masc, sing, nom, “the”
- ἀρχιτρίκλινος: substantive, masc, sing, nom, “chief steward of the feast” (archtriclinius)
- τὸ: def. art., neut, sing, acc, “the”
- ὕδωρ: substantive, neut, acc, sing, “water” (aquam)
- οἶνον: substantive, acc, masc, sing, “wine” (vinum)
- γεγενημένον: participle, perf, pass, neut, acc, sing, “made” (factam)
- καὶ: conjunction, “and” (et)
- οὐκ: adverb, “not” (non)
- ᾔδει: verb, pluperf, ind, act, “he knew” (sciebat)
- πόθεν: adverb, “whence” (unde)
- ἐστίν: verb, pres, ind, act, 3rd, sing, “it is” (esset)
- οἱ: def. art., masc, pl, nom, “the”
- δὲ: conjunction, “however”
- διάκονοι: substantive, masc, pl, nom, “ministers” (ministri)
- ᾔδεισαν: verb, pluperf, ind, act, 3rd, pl, “they knew” (sciebant)
- οἱ: def. art., “the”
- ἠντληκότες: participle, perf, pass, “who had drawn” (hauserant)
- τὸ: def. art. neut, sing, acc, “the”
- ὕδωρ: substantive, neut, sing, acc, “water” (aquam)
- φωνεῖ: verb, pres, ind, act, “calls” (vocat)
- τὸν: def. art., masc, acc, sing, “the”
- νυμφίον: substantive, masc, sing, acc, “bridegroom” (sponsum)
- ὁ: def. art. masc, sing, nom, “the”
- ἀρχιτρίκλινος: substantive, masc, sing, nom, “chief steward of the feast” (architriclinius)
Translation: When however tasted the chieft steward of the feast the water wine made, and not knew whence it is, but the ministers knew the (ministers) who had drawn the water; calls the bridegroom the chief steward of the feast
10 καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ: πᾶς ἄνθρωπος πρῶτον τὸν καλὸν οἶνον τίθησιν, καὶ ὅταν μεθυσθῶσιν τὸν ἐλάσσω: σὺ τετήρηκας τὸν καλὸν οἶνον ἕως ἄρτι.
- καὶ: conjunction, “and” (et)
- λέγει: verb, pres, ind, act, 3rd, sing, “he says” (dicit)
- αὐτῷ: pronoun, masc, sing, dat, “to him” (ei)
- πᾶς: adjective, masc, sing, nom, “every” (omnis)
- ἄνθρωπος: substantive, masc, sing, nom, “man” (homo)
- πρῶτον: adverb, “first” (primum)
- τὸν: def. art., masc, sing, acc, “the”
- καλὸν: adjective noun, masc, sing, acc, “good” (bonum)
- οἶνον: substantive, masc, sing, acc, “wine” (vinum)
- τίθησιν: verb, pres, ind, act, “he serves” (ponit)
- καὶ: conjunction, “and” (et)
- ὅταν: conjunction, “whenever” (cum)
- μεθυσθῶσιν: verb, aor, subj, pass, 3rd, pl, “they have drunk freely” (inebriati)
- τὸν: def. art., masc, sing, acc, “the”
- ἐλάσσω: adjective, masc, sing, acc, “worse” (deterius)
- σὺ: pronoun, masc, sing, nom, “you” (tu)
- τετήρηκας: verb, perf, ind, act, “you have saved” (servasti)
- τὸν: def. art., masc, sing, acc, “the”
- καλὸν: adjective noun, masc, sing, acc, “good”
- οἶνον: substantive, masc, sing, acc, “wine” (vinum)
- ἕως: adverb, “until” (usque)
- ἄρτι: adverb, “now” (adhuc)
Translation: And he says to him: every man first the good wine serves, and when they have drunk freely the worse: you have saved the good wine until now
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