The Book of The Gospel of John

Download Second Declension

In linguistic terms, declension refers to the way nouns, pronouns, and adjectives in languages, particularly inflected ones like Greek, Latin, or Hebrew, change their form to express different grammatical categories such as case (nominative, genitive, etc.), number (singular, plural), and gender (masculine, feminine, neuter). In Greek and Hebrew, declensions are crucial because they help to indicate the function of a word in a sentence, such as whether it is the subject, object, or shows possession, among other roles.

First Declension: The first declension is characterized by long vowel endings like -η and -α in the nominative singular. Typically includes nouns that are mostly feminine but also some masculine nouns.

Second Declension: The second declension is categorized by o class vowels. Masculine nouns generally have endings in -ος (e.g., λόγος) in the nominative singular, while neuter nouns end in -ον.

Third Declension: This declension is more irregular and diverse, containing nouns of all three genders (masculine, feminine, and neuter). The nouns in the third declension can have various stem endings and exhibit more complex case endings, such as -ς (e.g., βασιλεύς).

Gender refers to a system of noun classification that affects how nouns and related words (such as adjectives, pronouns, and verbs) are inflected in a language. In languages with grammatical gender, nouns are categorized into specific gender classes, which often determine the form of associated words (e.g., adjectives and pronouns) and can sometimes affect the verb conjugation.

In Koine Greek, there are three grammatical genders:

1. Masculine: This gender is often used for nouns referring to males but also includes many inanimate objects and abstract concepts. For example, ἀδελφός (adelphos) means “brother” and is masculine, while λόγος (logos) meaning “word” is also masculine, despite referring to an inanimate concept.

1. Feminine: This gender is generally used for nouns referring to females but also includes many non-personal and abstract nouns. For example, μήτηρ (mētēr) means “mother” and is feminine, as is γλῶσσα (glōssa) meaning “tongue” or “language.”

1. Neuter: This gender is used for many inanimate objects or abstract concepts. For example, παιδίον (paidion) meaning “child” and δῶρον (dōron) meaning “gift” are both neuter.

Grammatically, adjectives and articles must agree in gender with the noun they modify, and pronouns will take the same gender as the noun they replace.

Second Declension Vocabulary

The Nominative Singular ending is the lexicon form of the word.

ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) – man, human being

δοῦλος (doulos) – servant, slave

θάνατος (thanatos) – death

οὐρανός (ouranos) – heaven

υἱός (huios) – son

ἀδελφός (adelphos) – brother

καρπός (karpos) – fruit

νόμος (nomos) – law

κόσμος (kosmos) – world, universe, Inhabited world

δῶρον (dōron) – gift

παιδίον (paidion) – young child

ἄρτος (artos) – bread

Declining a noun refers to the process of changing the form of a noun to indicate its grammatical function in a sentence. This involves altering the noun’s ending according to its case, number, and gender. In languages like Koine Greek and Latin, nouns are inflected, meaning their endings change based on these grammatical categories.

When declining a noun, it is inflected to show the following:

1. Case: This shows the noun’s syntactical role in the sentence (subject, object, possession, etc.).

• Nominative: The case of specific designation, the naming case.
• Genitive: The case of definition or description.
• Ablative: The case of separation.
• Dative: The case of personal interest. It expresses the indirect object.
• Instrumental: The case of means or association.
• Locative: The case of position or location.
• Accusative: The case of limitation or extension.
• Vocative: The case of direct address.

1. Number: Indicates whether the noun is singular or plural.
2. Gender: The noun’s grammatical gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter), which affects how it declines.

Case is determined by function, not form. In the Koine Greek language, it is important to understand that the relationship of the noun to the other words in the sentence always governs the case. Hence, although Genitive and Ablative share the same endings, they are clearly distinguished within the context and function of the sentence. There are eight cases in the Greek language: Nominative, Genitive, Ablative, Dative, Locative, Instrumental, Accusative, and Vocative.

Declension of λόγος (Masculine Second Declension):

Singular

Nominative: λόγος

Genitive: λόγου

Ablative: λόγου

Dative: λόγῳ

Locative: λόγῳ

Instrumental: λόγῳ

Accusative: λόγον

Vocative: λόγε

Plural

Nominative: λόγοι

Genitive: λόγων

Ablative: λόγων

Dative: λόγοις

Locative: λόγοις

Instrumental: λόγοις

Accusative: λόγους

Vocative: λόγοι

Second Declension Endings

Masculine Endings

Neuter Endings

Second Declension Nouns in Scripture:

John 1:1 Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος. In a quality of a beginning was the word.

John 3:16 τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ. the son of him, the one of a kind.

Ephesians 2:10 αὐτοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν ποίημα, κτισθέντες ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐπὶ ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς. For we are his workmanship (poem), created in Christ Jesus on the basis of good works.

Download The Present Indicative Active

Present Indicative Active Endings:

Singular:

1st Person: -ω

2nd Person: -εις

3rd Person: -ει

Plural:

1st Person: -ομεν

2nd Person: -ετε

3rd Person: -ουσι(ν)

Infinitive λέγειν, to be saying, to say

The Present Indicative Active form in Greek is used to denote an action that is occurring in the present time from the writer’s perspective. It can indicate a continuous, habitual, or general truth.

The indicative is the only mode in which the tenses show absolute time. The main idea of tense is always the kind of action.; therefore, even in the indicative time is secondary. Duration or linear action in a continuous or progressive manner is the action expressed by the tense.

Present Tense: Indicates the time of the action as present.

It can denote a continuous action (e.g., “I am studying”).

It can represent a habitual action (e.g., “I study every day”).

It can also indicate a general truth (e.g., “The earth revolves around the sun”).

Indicative Mood: This mood is used for making factual statements or asking questions that are seen as actual.

Active Voice: In the active voice, the subject of the verb is the one performing the action (e.g., “He writes a letter” – the subject “he” is doing the action of writing).

Parsing a Present Indicative Active Verb

Parsing involves identifying five components of a verb: tense, mood, voice, person, and number.

1. Tense: Present.
2. Mood: Indicative.
3. Voice: Active.
4. Person: Indicates who is performing the action:
   1. 1st person: “I” or “we”
   2. 2nd person: “you” (singular or plural)
   3. 3rd person: “he/she/it” or “they”
5. Number: Singular or Plural.

Parsing Example: λέγω (I say)

λέγω (I say) – ω ending for 1st person singular.

λέγεις (You say) – εις ending for 2nd person singular.

λέγει (He/She/It says) – ει ending for 3rd person singular.

λέγομεν (We say) – ομεν ending for 1st person plural.

λέγετε (You all say) – ετε ending for 2nd person plural.

λέγουσι(ν) (They say) – ουσι(ν) ending for 3rd person plural.

The thematic vowel is a vowel that appears between the verb stem and the personal ending in many Greek verbs. It serves as a linking element that helps to form different tenses, moods, and voices in Greek conjugation.

The Thematic Vowel in the Present Indicative Active.

In the Present Indicative Active conjugation for thematic verbs, two thematic vowels are used, depending on the form:

1. ο (omicron): Used in most forms where the ending begins with a consonant.
2. ε (epsilon): Used in the second-person singular and plural forms.

Thematic Vowel Usage in “λέγω” (Present Indicative Active)

1. λέγω – The verb stem is “λεγ-“. The thematic vowel -ο- is inserted, followed by the ending -ω.
2. λέγεις – The stem is “λεγ-“. The thematic vowel -ε- is used, followed by the ending -εις.
3. λέγει – The stem is “λεγ-“. The thematic vowel -ε- is used, followed by the ending -ει.
4. λέγομεν – The stem is “λεγ-“. The thematic vowel -ο- is used, followed by the ending -ομεν.
5. λέγετε – The stem is “λεγ-“. The thematic vowel -ε- is used, followed by the ending -ετε.
6. λέγουσι(ν) – The stem is “λεγ-“. The thematic vowel -ο- is used, followed by the ending -ουσι(ν).

The infinitive does not use personal ending. It is a verbal noun in a fixed case form (-ειν).

Practical Examples

Peter’s mind is not framed on the things of God, Matthew 16:23.

ὁ δὲ στραφεὶς εἶπεν τῷ Πέτρῳ· ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, σατανᾶ· σκάνδαλον εἶ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι οὐ φρονεῖς τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀλλὰ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων.

Those who walk according to the flesh have their mind framed on the things of the flesh, Romans 8:5.

οἱ γὰρ κατὰ σάρκα ὄντες τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς φρονοῦσιν, οἱ δὲ κατὰ πνεῦμα τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος

We walk through faith, not through sight, 1 Corinthian 5:7.

διὰ πίστεως γὰρ περιπατοῦμεν, οὐ διὰ εἴδους

Exercise: Conjugating λέγω in the Present Indicative Active

Instructions:

1. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb λέγω in the Present Indicative Active tense.
2. Each sentence provides a clue regarding the person and number to guide your conjugation.

Sentences:

1. 1st Person Singular: Ἐγὼ _______ ὅτι ἀγαπῶ σε.
   (Translation: I say that I love you.)
2. 2nd Person Singular: Σὺ _______ τὴν ἀλήθειαν.
   (Translation: You (singular) say the truth.)
3. 3rd Person Singular: Αὐτὸς _______ τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ.
   (Translation: He says the word of God.)
4. 1st Person Plural: Ἡμεῖς _______ περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
   (Translation: We say about Jesus Christ.)
5. 2nd Person Plural: Ὑμεῖς _______ καὶ μαρτυρεῖτε περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων.
   (Translation: You all say and testify about the things.)
6. 3rd Person Plural: Αὐτοὶ _______ πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα λόγια.
   (Translation: They say many great words.)

Answer Key:

1. λέγω (Ἐγὼ λέγω ὅτι ἀγαπῶ σε.)
2. λέγεις (Σὺ λέγεις τὴν ἀλήθειαν.)
3. λέγει (Αὐτὸς λέγει τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ.)
4. λέγομεν (Ἡμεῖς λέγομεν περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.)
5. λέγετε (Ὑμεῖς λέγετε καὶ μαρτυρεῖτε περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων.)
6. λέγουσι(ν) (Αὐτοὶ λέγουσι πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα λόγια.)

Vocabulary:

1. ἔχω (echō) – I have, I hold
2. γινώσκω (ginōskō) – I experientially know
3. ἀκούω (akouō) – I hear
4. λαμβάνω (lambanō) – I take, I receive
5. βλέπω (blepō) – I see
6. λέγω (legō) – I say, I speak
7. πιστεύω (pisteuō) – I believe
8. γράφω (graphō) – I write
9. μένω (menō) – I remain, I abide, I stay
10. ποιέω (poieō) – I do, I make