Grammatical Evolution from Koine to Modern Greek: A Focused Analysis of Matthew 17:22

1. Verse Reference : Matthew 17:22

Ἀναστρεφομένων δὲ αὐτῶν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Μέλλει ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοσθαι εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων

Modern Greek Transliteration: AnastrefoMÉnon dé aftÓN is tin GalilÉan Ípen aftÍs o IisoÚs; MÉlli o yiÓs tou anthRÓpou paradÍthosthe is chÍras anthRÓpon

Literal English Translation: While they were returning into Galilee, Jesus said to them: “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.”

2. Morphological Analysis (Koine)

1. Ἀναστρεφομένων – Form: Present middle/passive participle genitive masculine plural; Root: ἀναστρέφω; Gloss: returning; Parsing: participial genitive absolute; Notes: functions in a genitive absolute construction; common in narrative transition.
2. δὲ – Form: Coordinating conjunction; Root: δέ; Gloss: but/and; Parsing: discourse marker; Notes: mild transition marker; postpositive.
3. αὐτῶν – Form: Genitive masculine plural pronoun; Root: αὐτός; Gloss: of them; Parsing: third person plural; Notes: refers back to the disciples.
4. εἰς – Form: Preposition with accusative; Root: εἰς; Gloss: into; Parsing: governing accusative noun; Notes: spatial motion implied.
5. τὴν Γαλιλαίαν – Form: Accusative feminine singular; Root: Γαλιλαία; Gloss: Galilee; Parsing: place name; Notes: feminine article agrees with noun.
6. εἶπεν – Form: Aorist active indicative 3rd person singular; Root: λέγω; Gloss: said; Parsing: simple past; Notes: narrative backbone verb.
7. αὐτοῖς – Form: Dative masculine plural pronoun; Root: αὐτός; Gloss: to them; Parsing: indirect object; Notes: recipient of speech.
8. ὁ Ἰησοῦς – Form: Nominative masculine singular; Root: Ἰησοῦς; Gloss: Jesus; Parsing: subject; Notes: subject follows verb (common in Koine).
9. Μέλλει – Form: Present active indicative 3rd person singular; Root: μέλλω; Gloss: is about to; Parsing: verb of imminence; Notes: often introduces future infinitive.
10. ὁ υἱὸς – Form: Nominative masculine singular; Root: υἱός; Gloss: son; Parsing: subject of infinitive; Notes: article matches noun.
11. τοῦ ἀνθρώπου – Form: Genitive masculine singular; Root: ἄνθρωπος; Gloss: of man; Parsing: possessive genitive; Notes: Semitic idiom “Son of Man.”
12. παραδίδοσθαι – Form: Present passive infinitive; Root: παραδίδωμι; Gloss: to be handed over; Parsing: infinitive governed by μέλλει; Notes: passive voice shows suffering subject.
13. εἰς χεῖρας – Form: Accusative plural feminine; Root: χείρ; Gloss: hands; Parsing: object of εἰς; Notes: metaphorical for power/control.
14. ἀνθρώπων – Form: Genitive masculine plural; Root: ἄνθρωπος; Gloss: of men; Parsing: possessive genitive; Notes: those who will seize Jesus.

3. Modern Greek Grammar Comparison

• Ἀναστρεφομένων – No direct participial genitive absolute exists. Modern Greek would use a finite clause: Καθώς γύριζαν (“as they were returning”).
• δὲ – Now replaced by και or omitted entirely. Not used as a postpositive conjunction in modern syntax.
• αὐτῶν – Still used but often replaced with stronger pronouns or clearer subject reintroduction in speech.
• εἰς – Now typically replaced with σε (e.g., στη Γαλιλαία) due to prepositional simplification.
• Γαλιλαίαν – Case distinctions are mostly gone; nominative/accusative often identical.
• εἶπεν – Now είπε, a regularized past tense verb (aorist form survives).
• αὐτοῖς – Expressed as σε αυτούς or dropped when understood.
• ὁ Ἰησοῦς – Article usage remains largely unchanged.
• Μέλλει παραδίδοσθαι – Now often replaced with future periphrasis: θα παραδοθεί.
• ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου – Idiom retained in liturgical or biblical context.
• εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων – Becomes στα χέρια ανθρώπων; preposition and article have merged phonetically and syntactically.

4. Syntax and Structural Differences

• Koine Greek uses genitive absolutes, participles, and postpositive conjunctions—largely absent in Modern Greek.
• Modern Greek relies on subordinate conjunctions (e.g., καθώς) and analytical verb structures like θα + verb.
• Word order in Koine is flexible due to case endings, while Modern Greek tends toward SVO (subject–verb–object).
• Koine often omits subjects when obvious from verb endings; Modern does so less frequently and clarifies pronouns more often.

5. Pronunciation Notes

• Koine Pronunciation: /a.nas.tre.fo.mé.nɔːn de au̯.tɔ̂ːn/ … /pa.ra.dí.do.stʰai/
• Modern Pronunciation: /a.nas.tre.foˈme.non de afˈton/ … /paraˈði.ðo.θe/
• Major changes:
  • Loss of pitch accent: replaced by dynamic stress.
  • Monophthongization: diphthongs like *ει* and *οι* now pronounced as [i].
  • Loss of aspirated consonants: e.g., θ becomes [θ] rather than aspirated [tʰ].

6. Summary Table of Key Changes

7. Linguistic Reflection

This verse sharply reflects the transformation of Greek grammar from a highly inflected, syntactically flexible system (Koine) to a more rigid, analytical structure (Modern Greek). The loss of case clarity and participial constructions has ushered in clearer, but less compact syntax. The participle-rich Koine sentence unfolds into a linear sequence in Modern Greek. Future tenses are now built analytically with particles like θα, and sentence openings favor conjunctions rather than absolute constructions. Yet, the spiritual resonance and linguistic core persist across millennia, echoing from Galilee to the present tongue of the Hellenic world.