LESSON 8
DECLENSION OF MASCULINE A-STEM NOUNS

ὁ μὴ εἰσερχόμενος διὰ τῆς θύρας εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τῶν προβάτων ἀλλὰ ἀναβαίνων ἀλλαχόθεν ἐκεῖνος κλέπτης ἐστὶν καὶ λῃστής.

Lexical Study

1. The masculine nouns of the first declension have some features which are similar to the feminine nouns studied in a previous lesson.
2. The stem is found by removing the last two letters of the vocabulary form.
3. Form the endings of the singular according to the following pattern:

   	ειρ	standard
   NOM	μεσσίας	προφήτης
   GEN	μεσσίου	προφήτου
   DAT	μεσσίᾳ	προφήτῃ
   ACC	μεσσίαν	προφήτην

4. There are two kinds of singular forms
   1. if the stem ends in one of the following three letters: ε, ι, ρ use -ας, -ου, -ᾳ, -αν
   2. if the stem does not end in ε, ι, ρ, then use -ης, -ου, -ῃ, -ην
   3. When we looked at the feminine first declension nouns, we saw that there was another category (λλ, σ, ξ, ψ, or ζ); but this category has no significance in these masculine first declension nouns.
   4. Notice that the GEN case has the -ου ending like the masculine second declension.
5. The plural is made in the same way as the feminine first declension

   	ειρ	standard
   NOM	μεσσίαι	προφήται
   GEN	μεσσίων	προφήτῶν
   DAT	μεσσίαις	προφήταις
   ACC	μεσσίας	προφήτας

6. Warning:
   1. Because these masculine nouns have what appears to be feminine endings, it is very easy to think that they are feminine.
   2. Thus you may want to translate προφήται as prophetesses
   3. but the word is really masculine: prophets.
   4. One of the clues which may help you is that the article before the word and all associated adjectives will be masculine.

Adjective exception

1. The conjunction δέ is postpositive, which means that δέ cannot be first in the clause.
2. In almost every instance, it will be the second word in a clause.
3. You will remember that we defined an attributive adjective as an adjective which has the article immediately in front of it.
   1. The exception to this rule is the placement of the postpositive.
   2. For instance ὁ καλὸς δοῦλος means the good slave.
   3. ὁ δὲ καλὸς δοῦλος means but the good slave not but the slave is good.
   4. Even though the postpositive interrupts the position of the article in front of the adjective, the adjective is still in the attributive position.
   5. While we are talking about exceptions to the attributive position rule, we need to mention that sometimes the conjunction καί will also appear to violate the rule.
      1. For example: ὁ καλὸς καὶ ἀγαπητὸς δοῦλος means the good and beloved slave.
      2. Obviously the first adjective is in the attributive position, but the second adjective does not have an article immediately in front of it.
      3. However, the first article "covers" both adjectives, so both adjectives are in the attributive position.
      4. In fact it would have a different meaning if it were written: ὁ καλὸς καὶ ὁ ἀγαπητὸς δοῦλος.
      5. Now there are two slaves: the good slave and the beloved slave.

Translate the following:

1. οἱ μαθηταὶ τῶν προφητῶν μένουσιν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ.
2. οἱ κακοὶ βάλλουσιν λίθους εἰς [into] τὸν οἶκον τῶν μαθητῶν.
3. ὁ θεὸς πέμπει τοὺς ἀγγέλους εἰς [into] τὸν κόσμον.
4. ὁ προφήτης πέμπει τοὺς μαθητὰς τοῦ κυρίου ἐκ [out of] τῶν οἴκων καὶ εἰς [into] τὴν ἐκκλησίαν.
5. ὁ θεὸς ἐγείρει τοὺς νεκροὺς ἐκ [out of] θανάτου.
6. λαμβάνετε τὰ καλὰ δῶρα ἀπὸ [from] τῶν τέκνων.
7. ὁ κύριος λέγει παραβολὴν τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ.
8. βλέπω τὸν καρπὸν καὶ τοὺς δοῦλους.
9. ἀκούεις τὸν πρεσβύτερον καὶ ἄγει τὸν μεσσίαν τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ θεοῦ.
10. ἀκούομεν ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων
11. γινώσκετε λόγον ἀνθρώπου καὶ γράφομεν τοὺς λόγους τοῦ θεοῦ περὶ [concerning] τοῦ νόμου.
12. ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ μεσσίου λέγει λόγους ἐκ τοῦ νόμου περὶ θανάτου.
13. ὁ θεὸς οὐρανοῦ πέμπει τοὺς ἀγγέλους τοῖς ἀνθρώποις.
14. οἱ υἱοὶ τῶν προφήτων ἄγουσι τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς τοῦ ἀγγέλου ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴκου τῶν δούλων.
15. ὁ μαθητὴς βλέπει τὸν προφήτην τῷ οἴκῳ.
16. ὁ ἄνθρωπος γινώσκει τὼν νόμων.
17. ὁ δοῦλος φέρει δῶρον.
18. ὁ ἄγγελος λέγει λόγον.
19. οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἀκούουσι τοὺς λόγους τοῦ ἀγγέλου.
20. πέμπετε δῶρα τῷ ἱερῷ.
21. βλέπομεν τοὺς οἴκους τῶν ὄχλων.
22. οἱ υἱοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἄγουσι τοὺς δούλους.
23. λαμβάνω δῶρα καρποῦ καὶ ἄρτου.
24. γράφομεν λόγους τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς.
25. βλέπω τὸν γάμον τῷ οἴκῳ.
26. οἱ ἄγγελοι γινώσκουσι θάνατον καὶ διδάσκουσιν ἀνθρώπους λόγοις.
27. οἱ ὄχλοι βλέπουσι τοὺς λίθους τῷ ἱερῷ καὶ τῷ οἰκῷ.
28. ὁ ἄγγελος λέγει λόγους θανάτου τοῖς ἀνθρώποις καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς.
29. ὁ ἀπόστολος διδάσκει παραβολὴν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις.
30. ὁ μαθητὴς βλέπει τὸν προφήτην τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ.
31. ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ μεσσίου λέγει λόγους καὶ νόμους τοῖς ὄχλοις.
32. οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου γινώσκουσιν ἀγάπην καὶ ἀλήθειαν καὶ τὰς γραφάς.
33. ὁ μεσσίας ἔχει τὴν διδαχὴν δόξης καὶ εἰρήνης.
34. ὁ μαθητὴς γινώσκει ἁμαρτίαν καὶ λέγει λόγους ἀληθείας.
35. ὁ ἀπόστολος γράφει τὴν γραφὴν τῆς βασιλείας καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας.
36. οἱ υἱοὶ γινώσκουσι τὴν ἐντολὴν καὶ λέγουσι παραβολὴν τῷ οἴκῳ.
37. ὁ προφήτης λαμβάνει ἄρτον καὶ καρπὸν τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ μαθητοῦ.
38. ὁ ἄγγελος βλἐπει τὸν μεσσίαν καὶ γινώσκει τὴν ἡμέραν εἰρήνης.