Greek · Lesson 9

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Prepositionscase-driven meaning; the spatial picture

Foundations of Greek prepositions: how case and preposition together determine meaning, the three-fold spatial picture (from / at / to), a detailed visualization of how each case behaves with prepositions, the 17 single-case prepositions sorted by case, a side-by-side comparison grid for the eight multi-case prepositions, compound verbs as a vocabulary multiplier, conjunctions and postpositive position, the οὐ/μή negation rule, a parsing workflow for prepositional phrases with worked examples, and twelve translation-practice sentences spanning single- and multi-case scenarios. διά with genitive means "through"; διά with accusative means "because of." Same preposition, different case, different meaning — that's the engine of this lesson.

Watch · 22-Slide Overview

Prepositions — The Visual Tour

A complete tour of case-driven prepositions: the read-both-preposition-and-case rule, the case-picture (gen=source, dat=rest, acc=motion-toward), the spatial geometry around an object, single-case prepositions in all three cases, the two great pairs (εις/εκ and προς/απο), all the multi-case prepositions (δια, κατα, μετα, παρα, επι, υπο, υπερ), drilling as case-pairs, compound verbs as a vocabulary multiplier, the article-prep-infinitive construction, and the υπο-as-passive-agent construction. Watch first for the framework; the detailed written exposition below works through every point at depth.

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LESSON 9 · Unit II — The Noun System · ~45 minutes

By the End of This Lesson

Articulate the core rule: preposition + case together = the meaning, with case as an integral part of the lexical unit
Internalize the three-fold spatial picture: genitive = "from," dative = "at," accusative = "to"
Distinguish single-case prepositions (locked to one case) from multi-case prepositions (case shifts meaning)
Memorize the 17 most frequent prepositions with their cases, sorted by which case(s) they govern
Read the eight multi-case prepositions (διά, κατά, μετά, παρά, περί, ἐπί, ὑπό, ὑπέρ) as case-pairs, not as single words
Recognize compound verbs (preposition + verb stem) as a vocabulary-multiplying pattern
Add the major conjunctions, conditional particles, and the οὐ/μή negation rule
Run a parsing workflow on any prepositional phrase: spot the preposition → identify the case → pair them for meaning → translate the phrase
Apply all the above to twelve NT-style translation-practice sentences spanning single- and multi-case prepositions, negation, and conjunctions

New to Greek? Use the 3-pass path

Pass 1 — UnderstandWatch the overview and read the main explanation. Do not try to master every detail today.

Pass 2 — RecognizeMemorize the main chart or paradigm and do the first trainer sets.

Pass 3 — MasterWork through the 20 worked examples, translation exercises, and mastery test slowly.

Today's minimum

If you are new, this is enough for today.

Learn each preposition with its case as a unit: ἐν + dat = "in."
Case can change the meaning: διά + gen = "through," διά + acc = "because of."
ἐν, εἰς, ἐκ are the three highest-frequency prepositions.
Do only the first 2–3 trainer sets today.

CorePart 1: Prepositions — Foundations

Lessons 4–7 walked through the noun system; Lesson 8 added pronouns. Lesson 9 closes Unit II with the small connector words that bind nouns and clauses together — prepositions, conjunctions, particles, and negatives. Before working through the lists, name the foundational ideas that govern Greek prepositions. Most of these words are short and frequent; what trips beginners up isn’t the vocabulary — it’s the case-driven nature of preposition meaning. Lock these foundations in first, and the rest of the lesson lands clean.

1.1 What a preposition does in Greek (vs in English)

A preposition tags a noun phrase with a spatial, temporal, causal, or relational meaning — in the house, after the meal, because of the storm, with a friend. In English, the preposition does all the work on its own: “in” and “into” are two different words because they mean different things (rest vs motion).

In Greek, the work is split between TWO pieces: the preposition and the case of the noun that follows. The two are read together as a single lexical unit. ἐκ + genitive means “out of”; ἐν + dative means “in”; εἰς + accusative means “into.” The case isn’t a separate grammatical fact you note in passing — it is intrinsic to the preposition’s meaning. Read the preposition and the case as one thing, the way you read “ice cream” as one thing, not “ice” plus “cream.”

One practical consequence: when you write a Greek preposition’s gloss in a vocabulary card, never write the preposition alone. Write “ἐν + dat — in, on, by.” The case label IS part of the entry.

Memory hook

English: the preposition alone carries the meaning (“in” vs “into”). Greek: preposition + case = the meaning. Memorize them as a unit. Never write “διά = through” — always write “διά + gen = through; διά + acc = because of.”

1.2 The case-picture — three spatial metaphors

The simplest way to remember which case does what is to picture a house, and three different relationships to it. Greek prepositions inherited their meanings from this spatial logic, and even the abstract uses (“through faith,” “in Christ”) echo it.

Genitive answers “where from?” — source, origin, motion away from the house. Examples: “from God,” “out of heaven,” “through the city” (passing through = entering and leaving = motion-along-a-path, still a source notion).
Dative answers “where at?” — rest, location, sphere, the inside of the house. Examples: “in the house,” “at the door,” “in Christ” (metaphorical sphere).
Accusative answers “where to?” — motion toward, extent, direction into the house. Examples: “into the house,” “toward Jesus,” “against the law.”

Picture the three answers as a simple geometry:

The three-fold spatial picture — one diagram

Genitive on the left (from), dative in the middle (at), accusative on the right (to)

  from   <------   • LOCATION •   ------>   to

  GENITIVE         DATIVE             ACCUSATIVE
   (source)       (rest at)            (motion to)
    ἐκ, ἀπό          ἐν, σύν          εἰς, πρός
   διά + gen      ἐπί + dat          διά + acc
  "through"       "on/in"           "because of"

Three positions, three answers, three default senses. This single picture is the engine behind every Greek preposition’s meaning. When you encounter any preposition (even one you don’t remember), check the case of its object first — the case alone gets you 70% of the way to the meaning.

1.3 Single-case vs multi-case prepositions

Of the seventeen common NT prepositions, most are single-case — they always take the same case, no choice involved. ἐν always takes dative; εἰς always accusative; ἐκ always genitive. With a single-case preposition, you only need to learn one meaning, and the case is fixed once you’ve learned the preposition.

But about eight of the common prepositions are multi-case: they accept two or three different cases, and the meaning shifts when the case shifts. διά with a genitive object means “through”; with an accusative object it means “because of.” These are not the same word with a stylistic variation; they function as two separate lexical entries that happen to share spelling. The case-picture (1.2) often explains why — “through (motion)” fits the genitive/source picture, while “because of (motion toward a goal)” fits the accusative/motion picture.

The practical rule is: when you see a multi-case preposition, your eye should jump immediately to the case of its object before settling on a translation. Same preposition + new case = new meaning.

⚠ The case-shift is a meaning-shift, not a stylistic shift A common beginner error is to treat the alternate-case meaning of a multi-case preposition as a minor variation (“through-ish”). It is not. διὰ Χριστοῦ = “through Christ” (Christ is the means/instrument of God’s action). διὰ Χριστόν = “because of Christ” (Christ is the reason/cause). These are different theological framings, not synonyms. Reformation-era debates about justification turned on exactly this kind of case-shift (ἐκ πίστεως vs διὰ πίστεως vs ἐν πίστει). Treat case-shifts as meaning-shifts.

1.4 The eight multi-case prepositions worth knowing

Eight prepositions appear with more than one case in the NT, and each case-pairing is its own idiom. You’ll meet the full grid in Part 4 with examples, and a side-by-side comparison grid in Part 5; here is the preview:

διά — + gen “through” / + acc “because of”
κατά — + gen “down from, against” / + acc “according to, throughout”
μετά — + gen “with” / + acc “after”
παρά — + gen “from (a person)” / + dat “beside” / + acc “alongside, against” (three cases)
περί — + gen “about, concerning” / + acc “around (spatial)”
ἐπί — + gen “on, in the time of” / + dat “on, on the basis of” / + acc “onto, against, for” (three cases)
ὑπό — + gen “by (agent of passive)” / + acc “under”
ὑπέρ — + gen “on behalf of, for” / + acc “above, beyond”

Six of the eight take two cases; two of them (παρά, ἐπί) take all three. Learn each case-meaning as a separate idiom rather than as a variation on a single core meaning.

1.5 Compound verbs — prepositions attached to verb stems

Many NT verbs are formed by fusing a preposition to a verb stem. ἐκβάλλω = ἐκ + βάλλω = “I throw out” (cast out). εἰσέρχομαι = εἰς + ἔρχομαι = “I go in.” ἀναβαίνω = ἀνά + βαίνω = “I go up.” The preposition’s meaning composes with the verb’s, often quite predictably.

This is one of the great vocabulary multipliers of NT Greek. Once you know the simple verb and the meaning of a preposition, you can usually decode hundreds of compound verbs you’ve never seen before. Lesson 9 vocabulary is the foundation; every later verb-lesson benefits. Part 6 walks through the workflow in detail.

Summary — Lesson 9 in one paragraph Preposition + case = the meaning. The case is intrinsic to the preposition’s lexical entry; never separate them. Three spatial metaphors: from (gen) / at (dat) / to (acc). Most prepositions are single-case (one fixed case, one meaning). Eight are multi-case — learn each case-meaning as a separate idiom: διά, κατά, μετά, παρά, περί, ἐπί, ὑπό, ὑπέρ. Compound verbs (preposition + verb stem) compose meaning predictably and multiply your NT vocabulary at low cost. Conjunctions, conditional particles, and the οὐ/μή negation rule round out Unit II.

CorePart 2: The Case-Picture — How to Read a Preposition When You See One

When you encounter a preposition in a Greek sentence, you have two pieces of information to extract immediately: which preposition and what case is its object in. Together, these two pieces give you the meaning. Same preposition + different case = different meaning. This is a feature of Greek that English doesn't have, and it's the most important thing to internalize about Greek prepositions.

What to do when reading

Spot the preposition. Recognize it in the small list of common ones (most NT prepositions are among the 17 most common).
Identify the case of its object. The article and noun ending tell you the case. Genitive, dative, or accusative? (Prepositions never govern nominative.)
Apply the case-picture. Use the table below to get the spatial sense. Then refine based on the specific preposition's known meanings.

The case-picture (the default sense)

Imagine a house. Different cases describe different relationships to that house. Greek prepositions inherited their meanings from this spatial logic, and even the abstract uses ("through faith," "in Christ") echo it.

The Case-Picture for Prepositions

Case	Spatial picture	Abstract sense
Genitive	Motion away from or through the house	Source, separation, agent, means
Dative	Stationary at or in the house	Location, sphere, time when, instrument
Accusative	Motion toward or into the house	Direction, extent, cause, purpose

A worked example showing the case shift in action

Take the preposition διά ("through, because of"). It appears with both genitive and accusative, and the meaning shifts noticeably:

σωθήσεται διὰ πίστεως.

"He will be saved through faith." διά + genitive = means/agency. Genitive case-picture: motion through the house. So διά + gen = "through" in the instrumental sense. Faith is the means by which salvation is received.

διὰ τὴν πίστιν σωθήσεται.

"He will be saved because of faith." διά + accusative = cause. Accusative case-picture: motion toward a goal. So διά + acc = "because of, on account of." Faith is the reason for the salvation, not the means of it. (Theologically a different framing!)

Same preposition, two cases, two different meanings, two different theological framings. The case shift is the meaning shift. Always check the case of a preposition's object before settling on a translation.

When the case-picture doesn't fit literally

Greek has plenty of idiom. ἐν Χριστῷ ("in Christ") doesn't literally mean inside a person — but the dative's sense of sphere/location is preserved metaphorically. διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ("through the Lord") doesn't mean physically passing through Jesus — but the genitive's sense of agency/means is preserved.

The case-picture is a powerful default, not a hard rule. When a usage seems metaphorical or idiomatic, ask which spatial sense is being extended. Almost always the answer is recognizable.

CorePart 3: Visualizing Spatial Prepositions

Most NT prepositions started life as spatial relations, and many keep that sense in NT usage. Picturing the spatial geometry helps you remember which preposition does what.

The classic preposition picture

Imagine a box (the object). The spatial prepositions describe different relationships to it:

The diagram shows the spatial defaults. Every preposition has additional non-spatial uses (instrument, agent, time, manner), but the spatial picture is usually how the abstract uses extend. If you can recall the spatial sense, you can usually predict the abstract sense.

A reading practice

When you encounter a preposition in a NT verse, before consulting your lexicon, try this: (a) recall its spatial picture, (b) check the case, (c) apply the spatial sense literally if possible, (d) extend metaphorically if needed. Most of the time, the spatial-default + case will get you to the right reading. Only when the meaning seems strained should you consult a lexicon for an idiomatic use.

CorePart 3b: The Spatial Picture in Detail — Case by Case

Before listing individual prepositions, take a closer look at how each case behaves when a preposition governs it. The diagram in Part 1.2 was the headline; this section unpacks it with example phrases for each case. The goal is to make the case-picture visceral — so that when you see a genitive after a preposition, your default reading is “from” before you even read the preposition.

Genitive after a preposition — the “from” case

Source, origin, separation, agency, means — everything that radiates outward from a point

Phrase	Literal	Sense
ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ	from God	Source — God is the origin point.
ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ	out of heaven	Motion from inside to outside — out of an interior.
διὰ τῆς πόλεως	through the city	Motion along a path that originates somewhere; still a “from” sense.
ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ	by God (agent)	Source of action in a passive verb — “from God” metaphorically.

All four examples have the same case-picture: motion or origin away from a point. The English glosses differ (“from,” “out of,” “through,” “by”), but the genitive’s underlying logic is consistent: it answers where from?.

Dative after a preposition — the “at” case

Location, sphere, rest, accompaniment, instrument — everything that stays put

Phrase	Literal	Sense
ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ	in the world	Location — inside something.
ἐν Χριστῷ	in Christ	Sphere — metaphorical location, the Pauline phrase.
σὺν τοῖς μαθηταῖς	with the disciples	Accompaniment — alongside, at the same place.
ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι	on the name	Resting on a basis or foundation.

The dative is the “parked” case. The action (if any) takes place at the noun, not toward it or away from it. Even abstract uses like “in Christ” preserve the sense of inhering or remaining in a sphere.

Accusative after a preposition — the “to” case

Direction, extent, motion toward, cause, purpose — everything that points outward

Phrase	Literal	Sense
εἰς τὸν οἶκον	into the house	Motion from outside to inside — into an interior.
πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν	toward Jesus	Motion or orientation toward a person.
διὰ τὸν Χριστόν	because of Christ	Causal “motion toward a goal” — Christ is the reason.
ὑπὸ τὸν λύχνον	under the lampstand	Spatial placement under a target.

The accusative is the “directional” case. Even when no literal motion is happening (“because of Christ,” “under the lampstand”), the case still points outward toward a target rather than sitting at a point.

Read the case first, then the preposition A useful habit when reading Greek: when you see a prepositional phrase, look at the article and noun ending FIRST — identify the case — and then read the preposition. The case alone narrows down the meaning to one of three buckets (from / at / to). Then the preposition specifies which from/at/to is in view. This habit is faster than memorizing every preposition’s meanings in isolation, and it makes multi-case prepositions tractable.

CorePart 4: Single-Case Prepositions

These prepositions take only one case. Memorize each with its case label so you never have to guess.

Prepositions Taking Only the Genitive

Greek	Meaning	Notes
ἀπό	from, away from	Motion away from a starting point. Common in "from God," "from heaven."
ἐκ / ἐξ	from, out of	Motion out of something (interior to exterior). ἐξ before a vowel.
πρό	before, in front of	Spatial or temporal precedence.

Prepositions Taking Only the Dative

Greek	Meaning	Notes
ἐν	in, on, by, among, with	The most flexible preposition in NT Greek — location, sphere, instrument, manner.
σύν	with	Accompaniment. Less common than μετά + gen for "with."

Prepositions Taking Only the Accusative

Greek	Meaning	Notes
εἰς	into, to, for	Motion into something. Also "for the purpose of." Counterpart to ἐκ.
πρός	to, toward, with	Motion or orientation toward a person/thing. Often "to" someone in conversation.
ἀνά	up, again	Rare in NT; mostly in compound verbs and distributive expressions ("by twos").

The two great pairs εἰς (acc) / ἐκ (gen) are spatial opposites: motion into vs. motion out of. εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν = "into the house"; ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας = "out of the house."

πρός (acc) / ἀπό (gen) are also opposites: motion toward vs. motion away from.

ἐν (dat) sits in the middle: rest in, no motion either way.

CorePart 5: Multi-Case Prepositions

These prepositions take two or three cases. The case-picture above explains most of the meaning shifts. Memorize each combination.

⚠ Gotcha — preposition + different case = different meaning With multi-case prepositions, the case of the object changes the meaning significantly, not just slightly. ἐν only takes dative ("in/among"). But ἐπί takes all three cases with different spatial senses. διά + genitive = "through"; διά + accusative = "because of." Always note the case of the object when translating prepositions.

διά — 'through' / 'because of'

Case	Meaning	Example
+ Gen	through (motion or agency)	διὰ τῆς πόλεως — "through the city"
+ Acc	because of, on account of	διὰ τὸν Χριστόν — "because of Christ"

κατά — 'down from' / 'according to'

Case	Meaning	Example
+ Gen	down from; against	κατὰ τοῦ ὄρους — "down from the mountain"
+ Acc	according to; throughout	κατὰ τὸν νόμον — "according to the law"

μετά — 'with' / 'after'

Case	Meaning	Example
+ Gen	with (accompaniment)	μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν — "with the disciples"
+ Acc	after (in time)	μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας — "after three days"

περί — 'about' / 'around'

Case	Meaning	Example
+ Gen	about, concerning	περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ — "concerning Christ"
+ Acc	around (spatial); approximately (temporal)	περὶ τὴν πόλιν — "around the city"

παρά — 'from' / 'beside' / 'along'

Case	Meaning	Example
+ Gen	from (a person)	παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ — "from God"
+ Dat	beside, with, in the presence of	παρὰ τῷ κυρίῳ — "with the Lord"
+ Acc	alongside; against; beyond	παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν — "alongside the sea"

ἐπί — 'on, over, at'

Takes all three cases — the most flexible multi-case preposition

Case	Meaning	Example
+ Gen	on, upon (location); in the time of	ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς — "on the earth"
+ Dat	on, at, on the basis of	ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι — "on/in the name"
+ Acc	onto, against (motion); for (extent of time)	ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν — "onto the sea"

ὑπό — 'by (agent)' / 'under'

Case	Meaning	Example
+ Gen	by (agent of passive verbs)	ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ — "by God"
+ Acc	under (spatial)	ὑπὸ τὸν λύχνον — "under the lampstand"

ὑπέρ — 'on behalf of' / 'above'

Case	Meaning	Example
+ Gen	on behalf of, for the sake of	ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν — "for us / on our behalf"
+ Acc	above, beyond	ὑπὲρ πάντα — "above all"

⚠ Drill these as case-pairs Don't memorize "διά means through-or-because-of." Memorize the pair: "διά + gen = through; διά + acc = because of." When you see διά in a text, your eye should jump to the case of its object first, then assign the meaning.

The agent-of-passive use of ὑπό + gen is theologically dense in the NT — "baptized by John," "tempted by the devil," "sent by God." Pay attention to it.

ReferencePart 5b: Multi-Case Prepositions — Side-by-Side Comparison

Part 5 walked through each multi-case preposition one at a time. This is the consolidating view: all eight in one grid, with each case-pairing’s meaning lined up. Use this as a single drill table for the most exegetically rich section of Lesson 9.

All eight multi-case prepositions, all cases, side by side

A dash means “does not take this case in the NT.” Headers retain Greek lowercase casing for accuracy.

Preposition	+ gen	+ dat	+ acc
διά	through (means, agency)	—	because of, on account of
κατά	down from; against	—	according to; throughout
μετά	with (accompaniment)	—	after (in time)
παρά	from (a person, as source)	beside, with, in the presence of	alongside; against; beyond
περί	about, concerning	—	around (spatial); approximately (time)
ἐπί	on, upon; in the time of	on, at, on the basis of	onto, against; for (extent of time)
ὑπό	by (agent of passive verbs)	—	under (spatial)
ὑπέρ	on behalf of, for the sake of	—	above, beyond

Three patterns to notice in the grid

The genitive column is dominated by “from” senses. Through, down from, with (accompaniment as “sharing source”), from a person, about (concerning, as a topic “sourced from”), on (upon a surface), by (agent), on behalf of. Every one is recognisably a “from” idea, however abstract.
The dative column is the rest column. Only three of the eight prepositions take dative (παρά, ἐπί, plus the single-case σύν and ἐν you already know). The dative always carries a sense of resting at or being on the basis of — a stationary relationship.
The accusative column points outward. Because of, according to, after, alongside, around, onto, under, above. Each preposition’s accusative sense involves direction, extent, or motion toward something — literal or metaphorical.

⚠ Drill these as case-pairs, not as single words Do NOT memorize “διά means through-or-because-of.” Memorize the pair: “διά + gen = through; διά + acc = because of.” When you see διά in a text, your eye should jump first to the case of its object, then assign the meaning. Same procedure for κατά, μετά, περί, ὑπό, ὑπέρ. For παρά and ἐπί (three cases), think of them as three separate idioms sharing a spelling.

CorePart 6: Compound Verbs — Prepositions as Verb Prefixes

Many Greek verbs in the NT are compound verbs: a preposition fused to the front of a simpler verb. The preposition modifies or intensifies the verb's meaning. Once you can spot the compound structure, you can decode hundreds of NT verbs you've never seen before by knowing the simple verb and the preposition.

💡 Tip — compound verbs: augment goes between prefix and stem In compound verbs (preposition + verb), the augment is added between the preposition and the verb stem, not at the front of the word. ἀπο + λύω → ἀπέλυσα (not ἔαπολυσα). If the preposition ends in a vowel, it usually drops before the augment: ἀπο- + ε- → ἀπ-. Knowing this saves you from failing to recognize compound verbs in the indicative past tenses.

What to do when reading

Spot the prefix. A common preposition (ἀπό, εἰς, ἐκ, ἐν, ἐπί, διά, παρά, πρός, σύν, ὑπό, ἀνά, κατά) at the start of a verb is your cue.
Strip the prefix. Find the underlying simple verb. The vowel of the preposition often elides before a vowel-initial verb: ἀπ-ἔρχομαι (with ο of ἀπό dropped before ἔ). Or breathing/accent shifts may occur.
Combine the meanings. The preposition + verb meaning often gives the compound's meaning, sometimes with a metaphorical twist.

Worked examples

ἔρχομαι (I come) → ἀπέρχομαι, εἰσέρχομαι, ἐξέρχομαι, διέρχομαι

The verb of motion + each spatial preposition: ἀπέρχομαι = "I go away" (ἀπό = from). εἰσέρχομαι = "I go in, enter" (εἰς = into). ἐξέρχομαι = "I go out, exit" (ἐκ = out of, with vowel change before vowel). διέρχομαι = "I go through, pass through" (διά). Each compound is the simple verb + the spatial sense of the preposition.

βάλλω (I throw) → ἐκβάλλω, ἐμβάλλω, ἐπιβάλλω, παραβάλλω

The verb "throw" + various prepositions: ἐκβάλλω = "I throw out, cast out" (used of demons). ἐμβάλλω = "I throw into." ἐπιβάλλω = "I lay upon, throw on" (used of laying hands on someone). παραβάλλω = "I throw alongside, compare" (the source of parable). Same root verb, different prefixes, distinct meanings.

High-frequency compounds in the NT

ἀναβαίνω = "I go up" (ἀνά = up + βαίνω = I go)
καταβαίνω = "I go down" (κατά = down + βαίνω)
ἀποστέλλω = "I send away, send forth" (root of ἀπόστολος, "sent one")
προσέρχομαι = "I approach, come toward" (πρός + ἔρχομαι)
συνέρχομαι = "I come together, gather" (σύν + ἔρχομαι)
ἀκολουθέω → ἐπακολουθέω, παρακολουθέω — different shades of "following"
γινώσκω → ἐπιγινώσκω = "I know fully, recognize" — ἐπί intensifies

Once you can decode compound verbs at sight, your effective vocabulary multiplies. You don't need to memorize each compound separately — you just need to know the simple verb and the meaning of the preposition.

CorePart 7: Article + Preposition + Infinitive — A Common Construction to Recognize

A construction you'll encounter throughout the NT but won't formally learn until later: an infinitive preceded by an article and (usually) a preposition. You don't need to produce these yet, but you do need to recognize them when reading because they appear constantly in Pauline letters and Luke-Acts.

An infinitive is the "to X" form of a verb (English: "to loose," "to believe"). Greek infinitives end in -ειν, -σαι, -θῆναι, and similar forms — you'll formally meet them in Lesson 22. For now, just recognize the pattern.

The structure

διὰ τὸ ἀγαπᾶν τὸν θεόν

"because of loving God" or "because [we] love God." Structure: preposition διά + neuter article τό + infinitive ἀγαπᾶν. The article + infinitive together act like a noun ("the loving"), governed by the preposition.

Common patterns to recognize

Articular infinitives by preposition

διὰ τό + infinitive → "because of [verb-ing]", "because [subject] [verb]s"
εἰς τό + infinitive → "in order to [verb]" or "for the purpose of [verb-ing]"
πρὸς τό + infinitive → "with a view to [verb-ing]", similar purpose meaning
ἐν τῷ + infinitive → "while [verb-ing]" or "when [subject] [verb]s" (time)
μετὰ τό + infinitive → "after [verb-ing]"
πρὸ τοῦ + infinitive → "before [verb-ing]"

The preposition + article combination tells you the relationship; the infinitive tells you what action is in view; any nouns in the accusative inside the construction are usually the implicit subject of the infinitive's action.

A worked NT example

ἐν τῷ διδάσκειν αὐτὸν τοὺς ὄχλους...

"While he was teaching the crowds..." Structure: ἐν + dative article τῷ + infinitive διδάσκειν ("to teach"). αὐτόν (acc) is the implicit subject of the infinitive ("he"). τοὺς ὄχλους (acc) is the direct object ("the crowds"). The whole construction modifies the main verb of the sentence with a temporal meaning ("while he was teaching"). Common in Luke and Acts.

You'll learn to produce these constructions in Lesson 22+. For now, just spot them: when you see preposition + article + something ending in -ειν or -σαι or similar, you're looking at an articular infinitive. Use the preposition+article pattern above to translate.

CorePart 8: Conjunctions, Particles, and Negation

These are the connecting tissue of Greek prose. Most you've already met casually; this is the consolidating list. They're not declined — they just sit there doing their grammatical work.

Coordinating Conjunctions

Greek	Meaning	Notes
καί	and; also; even	The most frequent word in the NT after ὁ. Joins anything to anything.
δέ	but; and; now	Postpositive (always 2nd word in clause). Mild contrast or transition.
ἀλλά	but, rather	Stronger contrast than δέ. "Not X, but Y."
γάρ	for, because	Postpositive. Gives reason.
οὖν	therefore, then	Postpositive. Draws inference.
ἤ	or; than	Disjunctive ("X or Y"); also comparative ("more than").

Subordinating Conjunctions

Greek	Meaning	Notes
ὅτι	that; because	Introduces content clauses ("he says that...") or causal ("because...").
ἵνα	in order that; that	Purpose. Always followed by subjunctive (Lesson 24).
ὡς	as, like; that; when	Comparison or temporal.
ὅτε	when	Temporal.
ὅπως	how; in order that	Purpose, similar to ἵνα.
ἕως	until; while; as far as	Temporal or spatial extent.

Conditional Particles

Greek	Meaning	Notes
εἰ	if; whether	Used with the indicative for "real" conditions. Also introduces indirect questions.
ἐάν	if	Used with the subjunctive for "potential" or "general" conditions.

Negation

Greek	Meaning	Notes
οὐ / οὐκ / οὐχ	not	Negates the indicative mood. οὐκ before vowel with smooth breathing; οὐχ before vowel with rough breathing; οὐ elsewhere.
μή	not	Negates non-indicative moods (subjunctive, imperative, infinitive, participle). Also "lest."

οὐ vs μή — choose by mood Greek has two negatives because the indicative and the non-indicative get treated differently. Indicative → οὐ. Anything else → μή.

οὐ λέγω = "I do not say" (indicative). μὴ λέγε = "do not say!" (imperative — Lesson 25). They're not interchangeable.

οὐ μή + subjunctive is an emphatic negation: "absolutely not, never." Common in NT for divine promises and prohibitions.

CorePart 9: Reading Passage — Ephesians 2:8-10 (Saved by Grace, Through Faith)

Three short verses dense with prepositions. Watch how each preposition + case combination tunes the meaning.

⁸ τῇ γὰρ χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι διὰ πίστεως· καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον·

"For by grace you have been saved through faith — and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God." τῇ χάριτι = dative of means ("by grace" — no preposition needed). διὰ πίστεως = preposition διά + gen ("through faith" — means or instrument). ἐξ ὑμῶν = preposition ἐκ + gen ("from yourselves" — source). Three different ways of expressing "by/from/through" — three different cases doing different work.

⁹ οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων, ἵνα μή τις καυχήσηται.

"Not from works, so that no one may boast." Same construction (ἐξ + gen) for source. The contrast to v.8b: salvation is from grace, not from human accomplishment. ἵνα + subjunctive expresses purpose ("so that...").

¹⁰ αὐτοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν ποίημα, κτισθέντες ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐπὶ ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works." αὐτοῦ = genitive of possession ("his"). ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ = preposition ἐν + dat ("in Christ Jesus" — sphere/location, the great Pauline phrase). ἐπὶ ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς = preposition ἐπί + dat ("for/upon good works" — purpose or basis). Watch ἐπί here: with dative it can mean "for the purpose of," "upon," "based on." Different uses with the same preposition.

CorePart 10: Parsing a Prepositional Phrase — The Workflow

When you meet a Greek prepositional phrase in the wild, you don’t need to guess. Four steps take you from a string of words to a confident translation. The whole point of Parts 1–5 was to make this workflow fast and habitual.

The four-step parsing routine

Step	What you do	Why it works
1	Identify the preposition. Look at the first word of the phrase — if it’s in your 17-preposition list, you’re looking at a prepositional phrase.	Most NT prepositions are among the same small set. Recognition is fast after a few weeks of vocabulary drill.
2	Identify the case of the noun that follows. Read the article (or the noun ending if no article). Genitive, dative, or accusative?	The case is what gives a multi-case preposition its specific meaning. Even for a single-case preposition, the case-check confirms the parse.
3	Pair preposition + case to find the meaning. Use the Part 5b grid (or memory). For single-case prepositions, the meaning is locked. For multi-case, the case determines which idiom applies.	Same preposition + new case = new meaning. Without step 2, multi-case prepositions are guesswork.
4	Translate the whole phrase. Combine the preposition’s meaning with the noun and any descriptors. Render the phrase idiomatically in English.	A prepositional phrase is a single semantic unit; translate it as a chunk, not word by word.

Worked examples — covering single- and multi-case

ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ

Parse: (1) Preposition: ἐν. (2) Case: τῷ κόσμῳ — article τῷ is dat sg masc/neut; noun κόσμῳ dat sg. (3) Pair: ἐν is single-case (always + dat) = “in/at/by.” (4) English: “in the world.”

εἰς τὸν οἶκον

Parse: (1) Preposition: εἰς. (2) Case: τὸν οἶκον — article τόν = acc sg masc. (3) Pair: εἰς is single-case (always + acc) = “into.” (4) English: “into the house.”

διὰ τὸν Χριστόν vs διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ

Parse (both): (1) Preposition: διά — a multi-case preposition. (2) Case differs: τὸν Χριστόν = acc sg masc; τοῦ Χριστοῦ = gen sg masc. (3) Pair: διά + acc = “because of, on account of”; διά + gen = “through, by means of.” (4) English: “because of Christ” vs “through Christ.” Same preposition, two cases, two completely different theological framings — cause vs means.

κατὰ τὸν νόμον

Parse: (1) Preposition: κατά (multi-case). (2) Case: τὸν νόμον = acc sg masc. (3) Pair: κατά + acc = “according to.” (4) English: “according to the law.” (Compare κατὰ τοῦ νόμου — κατά + gen = “against the law,” a different sense entirely.)

μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν

Parse: (1) Preposition: μετά (multi-case). (2) Case: τῶν ἀδελφῶν = gen pl masc (article τῶν + noun ending -ων). (3) Pair: μετά + gen = “with” (accompaniment). (4) English: “with the brothers.” (Compare μετὰ τοὺς ἀδελφούς — μετά + acc = “after the brothers,” a temporal/sequential sense.)

ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ

Parse: (1) Preposition: ὑπό (multi-case). (2) Case: τοῦ θεοῦ = gen sg masc. (3) Pair: ὑπό + gen = “by (agent of a passive verb).” (4) English: “by God.” This is the standard NT construction for marking the AGENT of a passive verb: “sent BY God,” “tempted BY the devil,” “baptized BY John.” (Compare ὑπὸ τὸν θεόν — ὑπό + acc = “under God,” spatial.)

💡 Tip — build the habit on every reading For the next few weeks, run the four-step routine on every prepositional phrase you meet, even the easy ones. Within a month it becomes invisible: when you see ἐν Χριστῷ, your brain reads “ἐν + dat = in/sphere = ‘in Christ’” in a single step. The cost is small; the payoff is reading NT Greek instead of guessing at it.

ReferenceVocabulary Notes

Five high-frequency NT prepositions with their case-by-case nuances.

ἐν + dative — "in, on, by, with" Most frequent NT preposition (~2,750 occurrences). Always takes the dative. The basic sense is location ("in [something]"), but it expands to instrument ("by means of"), sphere ("in [a domain]"), accompaniment ("with"), and time ("at [a time]"). The Pauline phrase ἐν Χριστῷ ("in Christ") is the most theologically loaded use — appearing 73 times in Paul. Whether it means "in union with Christ," "in the sphere of Christ," or "by means of Christ" has been debated for centuries. The Greek preposition is silent on the question; theology answers it.

εἰς + accusative — "into, to, for" About 1,750 NT occurrences. Always takes the accusative. The basic sense is motion-toward ("into [something]"). It also expresses purpose ("for [the purpose of]"), result ("resulting in"), reference ("with respect to"). The Christian phrase πιστεύω εἰς ("believe into [Christ]") is a NT innovation; pre-Christian Greek did not normally combine πιστεύω with εἰς, and the unusual collocation expresses something more than intellectual assent — entrusting oneself into Christ.

ἐκ / ἐξ + genitive — "out of, from" About 915 NT occurrences. Always takes the genitive. ἐξ is the form before vowels; ἐκ before consonants. The basic sense is motion-away-from ("out of"). Extends to source ("from"), origin ("descended from"), means ("by means of"), and material ("made of"). Paul's contrast in Eph 2 — saved οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν ("not from yourselves"), οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ("not from works") — uses the source-meaning forcefully.

διά — "through" (multiple cases) About 670 NT occurrences. Takes either genitive or accusative with markedly different meanings. διά + gen = "through" in the sense of means or agency ("through faith," "through Christ"). διά + acc = "because of, on account of" (cause or reason). The same preposition, two cases, two meanings. διὰ τοῦτο ("for this reason," διά + acc) is a frequent NT phrase introducing Christian ethics ("therefore, do this..."). Always check the case.

οὐ / μή — the two negatives Greek has two main "not" words, and they don't overlap. οὐ (or οὐκ before vowels, οὐχ before rough breathings) negates indicative-mood verbs — straightforward factual denials. μή negates everything else — subjunctives, imperatives, infinitives, participles, conditional constructions, and so on. So "I do not see" (indicative) is οὐ βλέπω; "in order that I may not see" (subjunctive) is ἵνα μὴ βλέπω. When you encounter a negative, identify the verb's mood first; the negative will confirm.

PracticeChallenge Verses — Try It on the Greek NT

Four NT phrases focused on prepositions and their case interactions. Identify the case after each preposition and the meaning that follows.

Challenge 1 — Same preposition, two cases

διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ vs διὰ τὸν Χριστόν

Reveal answer

First: διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ — διά + genitive — "through Christ" (means/agency). Second: διὰ τὸν Χριστόν — διά + accusative — "because of Christ" (cause). Same preposition, two cases, completely different meaning. This case-shift is one of Greek's most exegetically important features. τοῦ Χριστοῦ = gen sg; τὸν Χριστόν = acc sg.

Challenge 2 — A famous Pauline phrase

ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ

Reveal answer

"In Christ Jesus." Preposition ἐν + dative singular. The most theologically loaded prepositional phrase in Paul (73 occurrences in his letters). It can mean "in union with," "in the sphere of," "incorporated into" — translation is hard because English prepositions don't carry the same theological weight. Many Pauline scholars argue that this phrase, taken seriously, structures Paul's entire soteriology.

Challenge 3 — Two negatives in one sentence

οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει, ἵνα μὴ ἁμαρτάνῃ.

Reveal answer

"He does not sin, so that he may not sin." (Constructed for illustration — close to 1 John 3:6, 9 in idea.) Two negatives, two reasons: οὐχ negates the indicative ἁμαρτάνει (factual: "he does not sin"); μή negates the subjunctive ἁμαρτάνῃ in a purpose clause ("so that he may not sin"). Mood-of-verb determines which negative.

Challenge 4 — Source vs sphere

ἐκ θεοῦ ἐσμεν vs ἐν θεῷ ἐσμεν

Reveal answer

First: "We are from God" (ἐκ + gen — origin/source). Second: "We are in God" (ἐν + dat — location/sphere). Both phrases appear in 1 John (1 John 4:6, 4:13 area). The first emphasizes our origin in God; the second emphasizes our ongoing relational location in God. Same noun, different prepositions, different theological emphases.

Deep DiveOptional Deep Dive — A Cultural Note — Why Prepositions Are the Underestimated Workhorses of NT Theology

Most students treat prepositions as filler — small words to memorize quickly and move past. That's a mistake. Many of the central debates of Christian theology hinge on the meaning of three or four letters.

Take the doctrine of justification. Romans 5:1 says δικαιωθέντες οὖν ἐκ πίστεως ("having been justified from faith"). The preposition is ἐκ + genitive — source. Paul uses ἐκ πίστεως 21 times in his letters. He distinguishes it from διὰ πίστεως (through faith — means) and ἐν πίστει (in faith — sphere). Each preposition portrays the relationship between faith and justification differently. Whether justification is from faith, through faith, or in faith is partly a question of how Paul's preposition usage works — and partly the Reformation in two pages.

Or take baptism. Matthew 28:19 commands disciples to be baptized εἰς τὸ ὄνομα ("into the name") of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The preposition εἰς + accusative implies motion-toward, transfer of ownership ("into the name of"). It's the same preposition Paul uses when he says we were baptized εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν ("into Christ Jesus" — Rom 6:3). Christian initiation, in this preposition, is a transfer-of-ownership act. The Greek preposition is small; the implication is enormous.

A third example: ὑπέρ + gen means "on behalf of, for the sake of." Christ died ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν ("for our sins" — 1 Cor 15:3). The preposition shades whether Paul means "on behalf of" (substitutionary), "concerning" (in connection with), or "for the sake of" (motive). All three readings have shaped atonement theory. The Greek doesn't resolve the question; it sets the parameters.

When you read Greek, train yourself to slow down at every preposition. Note its case. Try out two or three of its possible meanings. Often the writer's point is in the choice. The little words pay attention back when you pay attention to them.

Going further Murray Harris's Prepositions and Theology in the Greek New Testament (Zondervan, 2012) is the indispensable reference for NT prepositions and their theological weight. Each chapter takes a single preposition and walks through its NT usage with exegetical notes. For technical reference, BDAG's entries on individual prepositions are exhaustive.

PracticePrepositions in Action

ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος.

— en archē ēn ho logos, kai ho logos ēn pros ton theon, kai theos ēn ho logos.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1.) Two prepositional phrases: ἐν ἀρχῇ (ἐν + dat = "in the beginning"); πρὸς τὸν θεόν (πρός + acc = "with God" — note the directional sense, "facing God"). ἦν = "was" (imperfect of εἰμί).

ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν.

— ho Iēsous apethanen hyper tōn hamartiōn hēmōn.

"Jesus died for our sins." ὑπέρ + gen = "on behalf of, for the sake of." ἡμῶν = "of us" / "our," genitive of ἐγώ.

ἀκούει διὰ τοῦ προφήτου.

— akouei dia tou prophētou.

"He hears through the prophet." Compare: ἀκούει διὰ τὸν προφήτην = "he hears because of the prophet." Same preposition, different case, completely different meaning.

μετὰ ταῦτα ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν.

— meta tauta ēlthen eis tēn Galilaian.

"After these things he went into Galilee." μετὰ ταῦτα = μετά + acc = "after." εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν = εἰς + acc = "into Galilee."

οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ μαθητὴς ὑπὲρ τὸν διδάσκαλον.

— ouk estin ho mathētēs hyper ton didaskalon.

"A disciple is not above his teacher." (Matt 10:24, paraphrased.) Here ὑπέρ + acc = "above" — different from "on behalf of (+ gen)" you saw two examples up.

PracticeNow You Try It

Three sets of guided exercises — case-after-preposition, compound-verb decoding, and reading the articular infinitive.

Set 1 — Same preposition, different case, different meaning

For each pair, identify the case after the preposition and explain how the meaning differs.

διὰ Χριστοῦ vs διὰ Χριστόν

First: case of Χριστοῦ?
Second: case of Χριστόν?
Translation of each?

μετὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ vs μετὰ τὸν Ἰησοῦν

Cases?
μετά + gen vs μετά + acc — different meanings?

κατὰ τὸν νόμον vs κατὰ τοῦ νόμου

Cases?
How do the meanings differ?

Reveal answers

διὰ Χριστοῦ vs διὰ Χριστόν: First is genitive ("through Christ" — agency/means). Second is accusative ("because of Christ" — cause). The case-shift makes Christ the means or the reason.

μετὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ vs μετὰ τὸν Ἰησοῦν: First is genitive: μετά + gen = "with Jesus" (accompaniment). Second is accusative: μετά + acc = "after Jesus" (succession in time or place). Same preposition, drastically different meanings.

κατὰ τὸν νόμον vs κατὰ τοῦ νόμου: First is accusative: κατά + acc = "according to the law." Second is genitive: κατά + gen = "against the law." Crucial distinction in Romans and Galatians where Paul speaks of being "according to" or "against" the Mosaic law.

Set 2 — Decode the compound verb

For each compound verb, identify the preposition prefix, the underlying simple verb, and the meaning that emerges from combining them.

ἀναβαίνει εἰς τὸ ὄρος.

Compound verb?
Preposition prefix?
Underlying simple verb?
Translation?

ἐκβάλλει τὰ δαιμόνια.

Compound verb?
Preposition + simple verb?
Translation?

προσέρχεται τῷ Ἰησοῦ.

Compound verb?
Why is τῷ Ἰησοῦ in the dative?
Translation?

Reveal answers

ἀναβαίνει εἰς τὸ ὄρος: Compound = ἀναβαίνω. Prefix = ἀνά ("up"). Simple verb = βαίνω ("I go"). So ἀναβαίνω = "I go up." Translation: "He goes up onto the mountain." (NT pattern: Jesus often "goes up" to a mountain to teach or pray.)

ἐκβάλλει τὰ δαιμόνια: Compound = ἐκβάλλω. Prefix = ἐκ ("out of"). Simple verb = βάλλω ("I throw"). ἐκβάλλω = "I throw out, cast out." Translation: "He casts out the demons."

προσέρχεται τῷ Ἰησοῦ: Compound = προσέρχομαι. Prefix = πρός ("toward") + ἔρχομαι ("come"). προσέρχομαι = "I approach, come to." It takes a dative object (verbs of approaching/following often do — Lesson 5). Translation: "He approaches Jesus" or "He comes to Jesus."

Set 3 — Articular infinitives in the wild

For each phrase, identify the preposition + article + infinitive structure and translate using the patterns from above.

εἰς τὸ σῶσαι τὸν κόσμον.

What's the preposition?
What's the article?
Where's the infinitive?
Translation?

ἐν τῷ ἀκούειν τὸν λόγον.

Preposition + article?
Infinitive?
What case is τὸν λόγον, and why?
Translation?

διὰ τὸ μὴ πιστεύειν αὐτούς.

Construction?
Why αὐτούς in the accusative?
What does μή do here?
Translation?

Reveal answers

εἰς τὸ σῶσαι τὸν κόσμον: Preposition = εἰς, article = τό, infinitive = σῶσαι (aorist active inf of σῴζω). εἰς τό + inf = purpose ("in order to"). Translation: "in order to save the world."

ἐν τῷ ἀκούειν τὸν λόγον: Preposition = ἐν, article = τῷ (dative), infinitive = ἀκούειν. ἐν τῷ + inf = temporal ("while"). τὸν λόγον is accusative because it's the direct object of the infinitive ("hearing the word"). Translation: "while hearing the word" or "when [someone] hears the word."

διὰ τὸ μὴ πιστεύειν αὐτούς: Construction = διὰ τό + inf = causal ("because of"). αὐτούς (acc pl masc) is the accusative subject of the infinitive — when an articular infinitive has its own subject, that subject goes in the accusative. μή negates the infinitive (non-indicative verbs normally take μή rather than οὐ — with a few set constructions like the emphatic οὐ μή + subjunctive as exceptions). Translation: "because they did not believe."

PracticeBDAG-Style Parsing Drill — 20 Worked Examples

Guided Practice Do not rush this section. These examples are not a test. Understanding the first five today is success.

Twenty NT-style prepositional phrases (specific NT references cited inside each drill) parsed step by step using the four-step routine from Part 10. Every example follows the same pattern: (1) identify the preposition, (2) identify the case of the noun that follows (read the article, or the bare noun ending if no article, or note that some prep+inf constructions need extra logic), (3) pair preposition + case to find the specific meaning (using the lex entry or your Part 5b grid), (4) translate the whole phrase as a unit. The twenty cover all six single-case patterns and all eight multi-case prepositions — with the multi-case ones drilled twice (once per case) so you feel the difference.

How to read a preposition's BDAG entry A lexicon entry for a single-case preposition just lists the case it takes: ἐν + dat = "in, at, by." A multi-case entry lists each case separately, with its own meaning(s): διά + gen = "through, by means of"; διά + acc = "because of, on account of." The case is what unlocks the meaning. Without parsing the case, you cannot parse the preposition.

1ἐν τῷ κόσμῳἐν + dat

BDAG-style entry: ἐν + dat — in; at; on; with; by (sphere, location, instrument)

Preposition. ἐν — one of the most common single-case prepositions in the NT.
Case of object. Article τῷ (masc/neut dat sg) + noun κόσμῳ ending -ῳ → dat sg masc.
Pair. ἐν is single-case: always + dative. Confirms dat sg. Meaning: location/sphere ("in").
Translate. "in the world."

Parse: ἐν + dat sg masc (κόσμῳ, from κόσμος, ου, ὁ)

Translation: "in the world." Locative sphere. ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ θλῖψιν ἔχετε (John 16:33), "in the world you will have tribulation."

Exact NT form: Jn 9:5

2εἰς τὸν οἶκονεἰς + acc

BDAG-style entry: εἰς + acc — into; to; for; against (motion-toward; goal; purpose)

Preposition. εἰς — another high-frequency single-case preposition.
Case of object. Article τόν (masc acc sg) + noun οἶκον ending -ον → acc sg masc.
Pair. εἰς is single-case: always + accusative. Confirms acc sg. Meaning: motion into / goal.
Translate. "into the house."

Parse: εἰς + acc sg masc (οἶκον, from οἶκος, ου, ὁ)

Translation: "into the house." Motion-toward picture. εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον (Mark 7:24), "he entered into the house."

Exact NT form: Mt 9:6

3ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦἐκ + gen

BDAG-style entry: ἐκ (or ἐξ before a vowel) + gen — out of; from; source

Preposition. ἐκ (becomes ἐξ before vowels: ἐξ αὐτοῦ).
Case of object. Article τοῦ (masc/neut gen sg) + noun οὐρανοῦ ending -ου → gen sg masc.
Pair. ἐκ is single-case: always + genitive. Confirms gen sg. Meaning: motion-from / source.
Translate. "out of heaven" / "from heaven."

Parse: ἐκ + gen sg masc (οὐρανοῦ, from οὐρανός, οῦ, ὁ)

Translation: "from heaven." Source. ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβαίνων (John 6:50), "the bread coming down from heaven."

Exact NT form: Mt 16:1

4ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦἀπό + gen

BDAG-style entry: ἀπό + gen — from; away from; out of (separation, source)

Preposition. ἀπό — single-case; commonly elides to ἀπ' before a vowel.
Case of object. τοῦ θεοῦ → gen sg masc.
Pair. ἀπό is single-case + gen. Meaning: "from" (separation, source). Subtler than ἐκ: ἀπό emphasizes departure from a point, while ἐκ emphasizes emergence from within.
Translate. "from God."

Parse: ἀπό + gen sg masc (θεοῦ, from θεός, οῦ, ὁ)

Translation: "from God." Source/origin. ἀπεστάλη ἄγγελος ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ (Luke 1:26), "a messenger was sent from God."

Exact NT form: Lk 1:26

5σὺν τοῖς ἁγίοιςσύν + dat

BDAG-style entry: σύν + dat — with (association); together with

Preposition. σύν — single-case; rarer in the NT than μετά + gen, but a workhorse in Paul ("together with").
Case of object. Article τοῖς (masc/neut dat pl) + adjective ἁγίοις ending -οις → dat pl masc (substantival: "the holy ones / saints").
Pair. σύν is single-case + dat. Meaning: "with" (association).
Translate. "with the saints / holy ones."

Parse: σύν + dat pl masc (ἁγίοις, substantival adj from ἅγιος, α, ον)

Translation: "with the saints." σὺν Χριστῷ ("with Christ") and its variants are Paul's union-with-Christ shorthand (Rom 6:8; Phil 1:23; Col 3:3).

Exact NT form: 2Co 1:1

6πρὸ τοῦ κόσμουπρό + gen

BDAG-style entry: πρό + gen — before (time or place); in front of

Preposition. πρό — single-case; means "before" temporally or spatially.
Case of object. τοῦ κόσμου → gen sg masc.
Pair. πρό is single-case + gen. Meaning: "before."
Translate. "before the world."

Parse: πρό + gen sg masc (κόσμου, from κόσμος, ου, ὁ)

Translation: "before the world [was]." ἠγάπησάς με πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου (John 17:24), "you loved me before the foundation of the world." Theology of pre-creation election lives in this preposition.

Exact NT form: Mt 4:8

7πρὸς τὸν θεόνπρός + acc

BDAG-style entry: πρός — technically multi-case (in classical Greek + gen, + dat, + acc), but in the NT it is overwhelmingly + acc: "to, toward, with (face-to-face presence)"

Preposition. πρός.
Case of object. τὸν θεόν → acc sg masc.
Pair. πρός + acc in the NT means motion-toward OR "with" in the sense of face-to-face presence. The latter is the John 1:1 sense.
Translate. "with God" (face-to-face) or "toward God" (depending on verb). Famously, John 1:1 (ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν) — "the Word was with God." Not motion, but personal relation.

Parse: πρός + acc sg masc (θεόν, from θεός, οῦ, ὁ)

Translation: "with God." John 1:1's chosen preposition is theologically loaded: πρός + acc here pictures the Word in personal presence with God, distinct from but oriented toward God.

Exact NT form: Jn 1:1

8διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦδιά + gen

BDAG-style entry: διά + gen — through; by means of (means / agency / intermediate cause)

Preposition. διά — multi-case. Step 2's case-check is non-negotiable here.
Case of object. τοῦ Χριστοῦ → gen sg masc.
Pair. διά + gen = "through, by means of." διά + acc would mean something entirely different ("because of"). The case is the meaning.
Translate. "through Christ."

Parse: διά + gen sg masc (Χριστοῦ, from Χριστός, οῦ, ὁ)

Translation: "through Christ." Christ is the means. πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο (John 1:3), "all things came into being through him."

Exact NT form: 2Co 1:5

9διὰ τὸν Χριστόνδιά + acc

BDAG-style entry: διά + acc — because of; on account of; for the sake of (cause / reason)

Preposition. διά — same preposition as drill 8.
Case of object. τὸν Χριστόν → acc sg masc. Different from drill 8 only by case.
Pair. διά + acc = "because of." Same preposition, different case, different meaning — cause vs means.
Translate. "because of Christ."

Parse: διά + acc sg masc (Χριστόν, from Χριστός, οῦ, ὁ)

Translation: "because of Christ." Christ is the reason. Compare drill 8 and drill 9 carefully: theology depends on which case Paul uses. Christ as means of salvation (gen) vs Christ as reason for an attitude or action (acc) are different theological moves.

Exact NT form: Php 3:7

10ἐπὶ τῆς γῆςἐπί + gen

BDAG-style entry: ἐπί + gen — on; upon (resting on a surface); in the time of

Preposition. ἐπί — the trickiest multi-case preposition (three different cases, overlapping meanings).
Case of object. τῆς γῆς → gen sg fem.
Pair. ἐπί + gen = location "on, upon" (resting). Often also "in the time of" (e.g., "in the time of Caesar").
Translate. "on the earth."

Parse: ἐπί + gen sg fem (γῆς, from γῆ, γῆς, ἡ)

Translation: "on the earth." ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς (Matt 6:10), "as in heaven, so on earth."

Exact NT form: Mt 6:19

11ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματιἐπί + dat

BDAG-style entry: ἐπί + dat — on the basis of; in (the name of); over; at

Preposition. ἐπί — same preposition, second of its three cases.
Case of object. τῷ ὀνόματι (Lesson 7 πνεῦμα-pattern -μα neuter) → dat sg neut.
Pair. ἐπί + dat = "on the basis of" / "in [the name of]" / "at." Less spatial than + gen.
Translate. "in the name of [Jesus]" / "on the basis of the name."

Parse: ἐπί + dat sg neut (ὀνόματι, from ὄνομα, ὀνόματος, τό)

Translation: "in/on the name." βαπτισθήτω ἕκαστος ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ (Acts 2:38), "each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ." Ground/basis of action.

Exact NT form: Mt 18:5

12ἐπὶ τὴν γῆνἐπί + acc

BDAG-style entry: ἐπί + acc — onto; against; toward; upon (motion onto a surface, or extension over)

Preposition. ἐπί — third of three cases. Same preposition as drills 10 and 11 — read all three together for the full case-driven picture.
Case of object. τὴν γῆν → acc sg fem.
Pair. ἐπί + acc = motion onto / extension. Compare: + gen is static resting on; + acc is motion or directed extension onto.
Translate. "onto the earth" / "upon the earth."

Parse: ἐπί + acc sg fem (γῆν, from γῆ, γῆς, ἡ)

Translation: "upon the earth." κατέβη πῦρ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, "fire came down onto the earth." Drills 10, 11, and 12 together show ἐπί's whole shape: rest (gen), basis (dat), motion (acc).

Exact NT form: Mt 10:29

13κατὰ τὰς γραφάςκατά + acc

BDAG-style entry: κατά + acc — according to; in conformity with; throughout

Preposition. κατά — multi-case (+ gen or + acc).
Case of object. τὰς γραφάς → acc pl fem.
Pair. κατά + acc = "according to." Common in confessional/creedal language. Contrast with κατά + gen = "against" (drill 14).
Translate. "according to the Scriptures."

Parse: κατά + acc pl fem (γραφάς, from γραφή, ῆς, ἡ)

Translation: "according to the Scriptures." καὶ ἐγήγερται τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ κατὰ τὰς γραφάς (1 Cor 15:4), "and he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." The early-church creed formula.

Exact NT form: 1Co 15:3

14κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματοςκατά + gen

BDAG-style entry: κατά + gen — against; down from

Preposition. κατά — same preposition as drill 13.
Case of object. τοῦ πνεύματος (Lesson 7 -μα neuter pattern) → gen sg neut.
Pair. κατά + gen = "against." Opposite-feeling meaning from + acc. Same preposition, two cases, meanings that almost contradict each other — this is exactly why the case-check is the heart of the parsing routine.
Translate. "against the Spirit."

Parse: κατά + gen sg neut (πνεύματος, from πνεῦμα, πνεύματος, τό)

Translation: "against the Spirit." ἡ τοῦ πνεύματος βλασφημία οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται (Matt 12:31) — and similar warnings about speaking κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος, "against the Spirit." Compare drill 13 directly: "according to" vs "against" is the same preposition swung by case alone.

Exact NT form: Mt 12:32

15μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶνμετά + gen

BDAG-style entry: μετά + gen — with (accompaniment, association)

Preposition. μετά — multi-case (+ gen or + acc).
Case of object. τῶν ἀδελφῶν → gen pl masc.
Pair. μετά + gen = "with" (accompaniment). Very close to σύν + dat (drill 5), and far more common in the NT.
Translate. "with the brothers."

Parse: μετά + gen pl masc (ἀδελφῶν, from ἀδελφός, οῦ, ὁ)

Translation: "with the brothers." Accompaniment.

Exact NT form: 1Co 16:11

16μετὰ ταῦταμετά + acc

BDAG-style entry: μετά + acc — after (sequential / temporal)

Preposition. μετά — same as drill 15.
Case of object. ταῦτα (Lesson 8 demonstrative, neuter nom OR acc pl from οὗτος) — after a preposition it must be acc. So acc pl neut.
Pair. μετά + acc = "after" (temporal). Totally different semantic field from μετά + gen ("with") — spatial-companionship sense flips to temporal-sequence sense.
Translate. "after these things."

Parse: μετά + acc pl neut (ταῦτα, from οὗτος, αὕτη, τοῦτο)

Translation: "after these things." μετὰ ταῦτα ἤκουσα ὡς φωνὴν μεγάλην (Rev 19:1), "after these things I heard as it were a great voice." John's standard narrative connective in Revelation.

Exact NT form: Lk 5:27

17ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦὑπό + gen (agent)

BDAG-style entry: ὑπό + gen — by (agent of a passive verb)

Preposition. ὑπό — multi-case (+ gen or + acc).
Case of object. τοῦ θεοῦ → gen sg masc.
Pair. ὑπό + gen = "by" — and specifically marks the AGENT of a passive verb. This is a syntactic signal: when you see ὑπό + gen + passive verb, the gen object is "who did it." (We will meet passive verbs in detail in Lesson 14+; for now, just recognize the construction.)
Translate. "by God."

Parse: ὑπό + gen sg masc (θεοῦ, from θεός, οῦ, ὁ); marks agent of a passive verb

Translation: "by God." ἀπεστάλη ἄγγελος ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, "a messenger was sent by God." The standard NT agency construction.

Exact NT form: Mt 22:31

18ὑπὸ τὸν νόμονὑπό + acc (spatial)

BDAG-style entry: ὑπό + acc — under (spatial or metaphorical subjection)

Preposition. ὑπό — same as drill 17.
Case of object. τὸν νόμον → acc sg masc.
Pair. ὑπό + acc = "under." Spatial picture (literally beneath) or, very often in Paul, metaphorical: "under" subjection to a power or principle.
Translate. "under the law."

Parse: ὑπό + acc sg masc (νόμον, from νόμος, ου, ὁ)

Translation: "under the law." Pauline metaphor for jurisdiction. ὅτε ἦλθεν τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ χρόνου ... γενόμενον ὑπὸ νόμον (Gal 4:4), "[Christ] born under the law." Compare drill 17 directly — agency (gen) vs subjection (acc).

Exact NT form: Mt 5:17

19παρὰ τοῦ πατρόςπαρά + gen

BDAG-style entry: παρά + gen — from (one personal source — "from beside someone")

Preposition. παρά — multi-case (+ gen, + dat, + acc — the only common 3-case multi-prep besides ἐπί).
Case of object. τοῦ πατρός (Lesson 7 πατήρ, gen sg with short stem) → gen sg masc.
Pair. παρά + gen = "from beside" / "from [a personal source]." Distinct from ἀπό + gen and ἐκ + gen in that παρά + gen implies the source is personal (the one beside whom you've been).
Translate. "from the Father."

Parse: παρά + gen sg masc (πατρός, from πατήρ, πατρός, ὁ)

Translation: "from the Father." ὁ παράκλητος ... ὃν ἐγὼ πέμψω ὑμῖν παρὰ τοῦ πατρός (John 15:26), "the Paraclete, whom I will send to you from the Father." παρά + gen is the right preposition because the Father is a personal source.

Exact NT form: Mt 18:19

20ὑπὲρ ἡμῶνὑπέρ + gen

BDAG-style entry: ὑπέρ + gen — for; on behalf of; for the sake of

Preposition. ὑπέρ — multi-case (+ gen or + acc). Compare ὑπό (drills 17–18): one letter different, very different meaning.
Case of object. ἡμῶν (Lesson 8 personal pronoun, 1st pl gen) → gen pl.
Pair. ὑπέρ + gen = "for, on behalf of." Substitutionary/representative ("instead of, in place of" in some contexts).
Translate. "for us" / "on behalf of us."

Parse: ὑπέρ + gen pl (ἡμῶν, 1st-person personal pronoun gen pl)

Translation: "for us" / "on our behalf." Atonement language: Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν (Rom 5:8), "Christ died for us." (Compare ὑπέρ + acc = "above, beyond," a totally different semantic field.)

Exact NT form: Mk 9:40

Practice plan Run all twenty out loud, naming preposition + case + meaning + translation. The four-step routine becomes automatic in about fifty repetitions on real text. Particularly drill the matched pairs: drills 8–9 (διά: through vs because of), drills 10–11–12 (ἐπί: on/at/onto), drills 13–14 (κατά: according to vs against), drills 15–16 (μετά: with vs after), drills 17–18 (ὑπό: by [agent] vs under), and drills 19, 20 (παρά and ὑπέρ + gen, for further single-case fluency). When the case-shift becomes a habit, the whole NT becomes navigable.

PracticeTranslation Exercises

Translate, paying close attention to case

ὁ θεὸς λέγει διὰ τῶν προφητῶν.
ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν ἐστιν.
ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἦλθεν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ εἰς τὴν γῆν διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ κόσμου. [ἦλθεν = "came/went" — Preview: aorist, Lesson 15]
μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων μένομεν ἐν τῷ φωτί. [μένομεν = "we remain"]
ὁ ἀπόστολος γράφει περὶ τοῦ μυστηρίου τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
οὐκ ἔστιν δοῦλος ὑπὲρ τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ ἀπόστολος ὑπὲρ τὸν πέμψαντα αὐτόν. [John 13:16; οὐδέ = "nor"; πέμψαντα = "the one who sent" — Preview: aorist participle, Lesson 22]
πιστεύομεν εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν διὰ τὴν χάριν τοῦ θεοῦ. [πιστεύομεν = "we believe"]

Answers 1. God speaks through the prophets. (διά + gen = through, agency.)
2. The love of God is in our hearts.
3. Jesus came out of heaven into the earth because of the sins of the world. (Three prepositions in a row, three different cases: ἐκ + gen, εἰς + acc, διά + acc — and the meaning shifts accordingly.)
4. We remain with the saints in the light. (μετά + gen = with; ἐν + dat = in.)
5. The apostle writes concerning the mystery of Christ. (περί + gen = concerning.)
6. A slave is not above his master, nor an apostle above the one who sent him. (Both ὑπέρ's here are + acc = "above." The "agency" sense would be + gen.)
7. We believe in Christ because of the grace of God. (εἰς + acc = "into," but with πιστεύω idiomatically = "believe in." διά + acc = "because of.")

Watch — Bill Mounce companion lecture

BBG Ch 8

BBG Ch 8 Prepositions and εἰμί Watch on YouTube ↗

Mounce covers prepositions and the verb "to be" together. The case-driven preposition material is what our Lesson 9 focuses on.

Practice — drill the concepts

Six skill-specific drill sets, then a cumulative Mastery Test of 54 questions on prepositions and connectives — the case-picture for spatial relationships, the multi-case prepositions where case shifts meaning (διά + gen "through" vs διά + acc "because of"; ὑπό + gen "by [agent]" vs ὑπό + acc "under"), the οὐ/μή distinction, conditional particles, and reading real NT prepositional phrases. Items you miss loop until mastered.

PracticePart 11: Translation Practice — Reading Prepositional Phrases in Context

Twelve short NT-style Greek phrases or sentences featuring Lesson 9 vocabulary. Each item gives the Greek line, identifies the preposition + case + meaning (or the conjunction / particle / negation feature in focus), and renders an idiomatic English translation. All 17 single-case prepositions appear; four pairs contrast the SAME multi-case preposition with two different cases to show the case-shift in action; two sentences use the οὐ/μή negation rule; two feature postpositive conjunctions.

1. ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ μένει ὁ πατήρ.

Parse: ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ — preposition ἐν + dat sg masc = “in the house” (location/sphere; ἐν always + dat). English: “The father remains in the house.”

2. εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν ἦλθεν ἐκ τῆς Ἰουδαίας.

Parse: Two prepositional phrases. εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν — εἰς + acc sg fem = “into Galilee” (motion-into; εἰς always + acc). ἐκ τῆς Ἰουδαίας — ἐκ + gen sg fem = “out of Judea” (motion-out-of; ἐκ always + gen). The two are the classic spatial-opposites pair. English: “He went into Galilee out of Judea.”

3. πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἦλθον οἱ μαθηταί, ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους ἀπελθόντες.

Parse: Two more spatial-opposites. πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν — πρός + acc sg masc = “toward Jesus” (motion-toward; πρός always + acc). ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους — ἀπό + gen sg neut = “from the mountain” (motion-away; ἀπό always + gen). English: “The disciples came to Jesus, having departed from the mountain.”

4. σὺν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς μένομεν πρὸ τῆς ἑορτῆς.

Parse: σὺν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς — σύν + dat pl masc = “with the brothers” (σύν always + dat, accompaniment). πρὸ τῆς ἑορτῆς — πρό + gen sg fem = “before the feast” (πρό always + gen; temporal). English: “We remain with the brothers before the feast.”

5. ἀναβαίνομεν εἰς τὸ ὄρος ἀνὰ δύο.

Parse: εἰς τὸ ὄρος — εἰς + acc sg neut = “onto the mountain.” ἀνὰ δύο — ἀνά + acc (distributive idiom) = “by twos, two by two” (ἀνά rare alone; mostly in compounds, but here in a distributive expression). The verb ἀναβαίνομεν itself is a compound (ἀνά + βαίνω = “we go up”) — previewing Part 6. English: “We go up onto the mountain by twos.”

6. διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ vs διὰ τὸν Χριστόν (multi-case contrast #1)

Parse: Same preposition διά, different cases. τοῦ Χριστοῦ = gen sg masc → διά + gen = “through, by means of.” τὸν Χριστόν = acc sg masc → διά + acc = “because of, on account of.” English: “through Christ” (means/agency) vs “because of Christ” (cause). Same word, two cases, two theological framings.

7. κατὰ τοῦ νόμου vs κατὰ τὸν νόμον (multi-case contrast #2)

Parse: Same preposition κατά, different cases. τοῦ νόμου = gen sg masc → κατά + gen = “down from / against.” τὸν νόμον = acc sg masc → κατά + acc = “according to.” English: “against the law” vs “according to the law.” A crucial distinction in Paul: Romans and Galatians turn on whether the apostle is speaking against the Mosaic law or according to it.

8. μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν vs μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας (multi-case contrast #3)

Parse: Same preposition μετά, different cases. τῶν μαθητῶν = gen pl masc → μετά + gen = “with” (accompaniment). τρεῖς ἡμέρας = acc pl fem → μετά + acc = “after” (in time). English: “with the disciples” vs “after three days.” μετὰ ταῦτα “after these things” (acc) is a frequent NT phrase, contrasting sharply with μετὰ Χριστοῦ “with Christ” (gen).

9. ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰωάννου ἐβαπτίσθη vs ὑπὸ τὸν λύχνον (multi-case contrast #4)

Parse: Same preposition ὑπό, different cases. τοῦ Ἰωάννου = gen sg masc → ὑπό + gen = “by” (agent of a passive verb — ἐβαπτίσθη is passive). τὸν λύχνον = acc sg masc → ὑπό + acc = “under” (spatial). English: “he was baptized by John” (Mark 1:9 idea) vs “under the lampstand.” The agent-of-passive use of ὑπό + gen is one of the most theologically loaded constructions in the NT.

10. ὁ θεὸς ἀγαπᾷ τὸν κόσμον, ἀλλὰ ὁ κόσμος οὐ γινώσκει αὐτόν. (negation + conjunction)

Parse: ἀλλά = “but” (strong contrastive conjunction). οὐ γινώσκει — οὐ negates the INDICATIVE γινώσκει (3sg pres ind active) — the rule is οὐ for indicative, μή for everything else. English: “God loves the world, but the world does not know him.”

11. μὴ φοβοῦ, οὖν, τέκνον· γὰρ ὁ κύριος μετὰ σοῦ ἐστιν. (negation + two postpositives)

Parse: μὴ φοβοῦ — μή negates the IMPERATIVE φοβοῦ (“fear!”); imperative is non-indicative, so μή, never οὐ. οὖν = “therefore” (POSTPOSITIVE — sliding to 2nd position in its clause). γάρ = “for, because” (POSTPOSITIVE too — here at start of the next clause but logically 2nd-position). μετὰ σοῦ — μετά + gen = “with you.” English: “Do not fear, therefore, child; for the Lord is with you.”

12. ἡ πίστις ἡμῶν ἐστιν ἐπὶ τῷ Χριστῷ, καὶ διὰ τῆς πίστεως σωθησόμεθα. (two multi-case prepositions plus καί)

Parse: ἐπὶ τῷ Χριστῷ — ἐπί (multi-case, all three) + dat sg masc = “on/upon Christ” (basis or foundation). καί = “and” (the most common NT conjunction). διὰ τῆς πίστεως — διά + gen sg fem = “through faith” (means). English: “Our faith is upon Christ, and through faith we will be saved.” Echoes Eph 2:8.

Translation tips — how to read prepositional phrases fluently

1. Lock in the case-picture (from / at / to) before looking at individual prepositions. The case alone narrows the meaning to one of three buckets. Then the preposition specifies which from/at/to.

2. For multi-case prepositions, the case is the determining factor. Don’t try to remember “διά means through-or-because-of” — check the case and choose the meaning that fits.

3. Compound verbs preserve their preposition’s meaning surprisingly often. If you don’t recognize a compound verb, strip the prefix and look for a familiar simple verb. ἐκβάλλω = ἐκ (out) + βάλλω (throw) = throw out. Guessing the meaning of an unknown compound often works.

4. Postpositive words (δέ, γάρ, οὖν) NEVER come first in a clause. They slide to second position. When translating, restore them to first position in English: ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν = “But Jesus said,” not “The but Jesus said.”

5. οὐ negates the indicative mood; μή negates everything else. Find the verb’s mood first; the negative confirms. If you see μή, the verb is non-indicative (imperative, subjunctive, infinitive, or participle).

Vocabulary — Lesson 9 32 prepositions, conjunctions, and particles

All 32 are in the Vocabulary Trainer under "Lesson 9." These are function words — they appear thousands of times. Drill until automatic.

Greek	Translit.	Meaning & case(s)
ἀπό	apo	from, away from (+ gen)
διά	dia	through (+ gen); because of (+ acc)
εἰς	eis	into, to, for (+ acc)
ἐκ / ἐξ	ek / ex	from, out of (+ gen)
ἐν	en	in, on, by, with (+ dat)
ἐπί	epi	on, over, at (+ gen/dat/acc)
κατά	kata	down from (+ gen); according to (+ acc)
μετά	meta	with (+ gen); after (+ acc)
παρά	para	from (+ gen); beside (+ dat); along (+ acc)
περί	peri	about (+ gen); around (+ acc)
πρό	pro	before, in front of (+ gen)
πρός	pros	to, toward, with (+ acc)
σύν	syn	with (+ dat)
ὑπέρ	hyper	on behalf of (+ gen); above (+ acc)
ὑπό	hypo	by [agent] (+ gen); under (+ acc)
ἀνά	ana	up, again (+ acc)
καί	kai	and, also, even
δέ	de	but, and, now (postpos.)
γάρ	gar	for, because (postpos.)
ἀλλά	alla	but, rather
ἤ	ē	or; than
οὖν	oun	therefore, then (postpos.)
οὐ / οὐκ / οὐχ	ou	not (with indicative)
μή	mē	not (with non-indicative)
εἰ	ei	if, whether
ἐάν	ean	if (+ subjunctive)
ὅτι	hoti	that; because
ὡς	hōs	as, like; that; when
ὅτε	hote	when
ὅπως	hopōs	how; in order that
ἵνα	hina	in order that, that (+ subj)
ἕως	heōs	until, while, as far as

End of Unit II With Lesson 9 you've completed the entire noun system of New Testament Greek. You can now decline any noun, agree any adjective, and connect clauses with the right preposition or conjunction. From here we move into Unit III: the Verb System — the present indicative active, then εἰμί, contract verbs, and middle/passive forms. The verb is where Greek really opens up.