Luke 18:7
ὁ δὲ Θεὸς οὐ μὴ ποιήσῃ τὴν ἐκδίκησιν τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν αὐτοῦ τῶν βοώντων πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός, καὶ μακροθυμῶν ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς;
Modern Greek Pronunciation: o de Theós ou mí piísi tin ekdíkisin ton eklektón aftú ton voónton pros aftón iméras ke nyktós, ke makrothimón ep’ aftís?
Literal English Translation: And will not God do justice for His chosen ones, the ones crying out to Him day and night, while He is patient with them?
Koine Greek Morphology
- ὁ δὲ Θεὸς – ὁ: article, nom. masc. sing.; Θεὸς: noun, nom. masc. sing. – subject.
- οὐ μὴ ποιήσῃ – emphatic negation (οὐ μὴ) + verb ποιήσῃ: aorist subjunctive, 3rd sing., active; from ποιέω.
- τὴν ἐκδίκησιν – noun, acc. fem. sing.; object of verb; from ἐκδίκησις (“vindication, justice”).
- τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν αὐτοῦ – genitive plural; modifies ἐκδίκησιν as the possessors of justice.
- τῶν βοώντων – present active participle, gen. masc. plural, from βοάω; modifying ἐκλεκτῶν.
- πρὸς αὐτὸν – preposition + acc.; destination of their cry.
- ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός – genitive time expressions (“by day and by night”).
- καὶ μακροθυμῶν – present active participle, nom. masc. sing.; from μακροθυμέω (“be patient”); modifies God.
- ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς – preposition + dat.; indicates the ones upon whom patience is exercised.
Modern Greek Rendering
Καὶ ο Θεός δεν θα κάνει την εκδίκηση για τους εκλεκτούς του που φωνάζουν σ’ αυτόν μέρα και νύχτα, ενώ δείχνει υπομονή σ’ αυτούς;
Grammar Comparison
- οὐ μὴ ποιήσῃ → δεν θα κάνει: Koine’s emphatic subjunctive replaced with future + negation in Modern Greek.
- ἐκδίκησιν → εκδίκηση: Noun preserved, spelling and pronunciation updated.
- ἐκλεκτῶν → εκλεκτούς: Genitive in Koine becomes accusative in Modern Greek, reflecting word order and case simplification.
- βοώντων → φωνάζουν: Present active participle becomes finite verb.
- ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός → μέρα και νύχτα: Retains structure but moves to accusative adverbial usage.
- μακροθυμῶν ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς → δείχνει υπομονή σ’ αυτούς: Participial phrase becomes full clause.
Key Grammar Changes in Table Form
| Feature | Koine Greek | Modern Greek | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negative Future | οὐ μὴ ποιήσῃ | δεν θα κάνει | Koine uses emphatic negation with subjunctive; Modern uses future with simple negation |
| Participles | βοώντων, μακροθυμῶν | φωνάζουν, δείχνει υπομονή | Participles restructured as finite verbs in Modern Greek |
| Case Usage | Genitive (ἐκλεκτῶν, νυκτός) | Accusative (εκλεκτούς, νύχτα) | Modern Greek reduces genitive in favor of accusative |
| Prepositions | πρὸς, ἐπ’ + dative/acc. | σε, σ’ + accusative | Modern Greek favors simplified preposition + accusative forms |
Why This Verse Matters for Language History
Luke 18:7 offers a vivid snapshot of Greek’s grammatical streamlining. From emphatic subjunctive constructions to direct verbal declarations, and from nuanced participial clauses to finite verb usage, we witness Koine’s layered precision giving way to Modern Greek’s accessibility and clarity. Yet the heartbeat of the sentence—divine justice and human plea—remains rhythmically intact across time.
