Original Text (Mark 13:2)
καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Βλέπεις ταύτας τὰς μεγάλας οἰκοδομάς; οὐ μὴ ἀφεθῇ ὧδε λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον ὃς οὐ μὴ καταλυθῇ.
Literal English Translation
And Jesus, having answered, said to him: Do you see these great buildings? There shall certainly not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be torn down.
1. Structural Breakdown: Phrase-by-Phrase Parallel Commentary
| Phrase | Koine Greek Usage | Classical Greek Usage | Key Insight |
|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν | Typical Koine periphrastic participle construction: ἀποκριθεὶς (aorist passive participle) + εἶπεν (aorist active indicative). Used frequently in narrative Greek to convey action + speech. | Classical authors tend to use either the finite verb alone or a simpler construction. The participle + verb combo exists, especially in Herodotus and Xenophon, but more varied in register. | Koine formulaic style: common Gospel rhythm. The participle prepares the listener for the speech act. |
| Βλέπεις ταύτας τὰς μεγάλας οἰκοδομάς; | Present active indicative 2nd person singular (βλέπεις). Direct address with interrogative nuance. ταύτας = accusative demonstrative pronoun. μεγάλας is a common Koine adjective for magnitude. | Classical authors might use ὁρᾷς or θεωρεῖς depending on nuance. οἰκοδομή is rare in Classical (typically οἴκημα or οἶκος); οἰκοδομή grows in frequency in Koine. | Semantic shift: Koine expands οἰκοδομή to include large monumental structures, not just homes. |
| οὐ μὴ ἀφεθῇ ὧδε λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον | οὐ μὴ + subjunctive (here future passive ἀφεθῇ) is an emphatic negation—“certainly not.” ὧδε = “here.” The repetition λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον is emphatic and poetic, a Hebrew-style idiom. | In Classical Greek, οὐ μὴ with future indicative or aorist subjunctive is extremely rare and marked. Typically, μήποτε or simple οὐ is preferred for negative futures. λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον would be poetic or dramatic (e.g., Sophocles). | Hebraic idiom: “not one stone on another” echoes Semitic prophecy, transformed into Koine syntax with strong eschatological flair. |
| ὃς οὐ μὴ καταλυθῇ | Relative clause modifying λίθος. The subjunctive καταλυθῇ continues the emphatic negation with οὐ μὴ. καταλύω = “destroy, demolish” in Koine usage, especially of structures or systems. | In Classical Greek, καταλύω means “to put down, dissolve” — commonly used of treaties, assemblies, or military camps. Destruction of buildings would more likely use σκάπτω (to tear down) or ἀνατίθημι in context. | Koine shift: καταλύω broadens to encompass apocalyptic demolition. This is prophetic Greek in the mouth of Jesus. |
2. Semantic Shift Diagram: From Classical to Koine
- οἰκοδομή (building):
- Classical: rare, usually abstract (“building-up” or “edification”).
- Koine: physical structure; large stone buildings, temples.
- καταλύω (tear down):
- Classical: “to dissolve, to dismiss” (troops, agreements).
- Koine: expanded to mean “to destroy,” especially of architecture or systems (e.g., Law, temple).
- οὐ μὴ + subjunctive:
- Classical: extremely rare, found mainly in poetry.
- Koine: standard construction for absolute negation (esp. LXX and NT).
3. Rhetorical Device Spotlight: Repetition and Word Order
λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον (stone upon stone): This is both a poetic device and a Semitic parallelism. In Hebrew prophecy (cf. Jeremiah, Micah), judgment is frequently portrayed through total collapse metaphors. Mark’s Greek imports this style, using repetition for emphasis.
ὃς οὐ μὴ καταλυθῇ: Relative clause postponed for dramatic impact. Classical Greek would more likely front the verb. In Koine, and especially in apocalyptic speech, suspense is built by holding the verb for last.
4. Cultural-Linguistic Insight
This entire utterance reflects a distinctly Second Temple prophetic register in Greek clothing. The syntax is Koine, but the soul is Hebraic: judicial warning, symbolic speech, and metaphorical architecture. Jesus here stands in the tradition of Jeremiah and Amos—but his words come to us in Hellenistic Greek that carries traces of both worlds: Semitic urgency and Greek structure.
5. Function-Based Summary Grid
| Function | Expression in This Verse | Classical Equivalent | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prophetic Certainty | οὐ μὴ + subjunctive | Rare poetic device | Common in LXX and NT to mirror Hebrew certainty constructions |
| Architectural Vocabulary | οἰκοδομάς, λίθος, καταλύω | οἴκημα, δομή, σκάπτω | Koine prefers broader, more dramatic terms for theological weight |
| Hebraic Syntax | stone upon stone… not destroyed | Uncommon parallelism | Greek molds to Hebraic form for prophetic effect |
| Verbal Emphasis | ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν | εἶπεν or φησί alone | Koine likes speech-action layering for narrative vividness |
