LESSON 31
ADJECTIVES

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Vocabulary

Greek	Meaning	Notes
ἀληθής, ἀληθές	true
μέγας, μεγάλη, μέγα	great	megaton, megaphone, megalomania
πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν	every, all	pantheistic
πολύς, πολλή, πολύ	much, many	polygon, polygamy
ἰσχυρός, -α, -ον	strong

Adjectives

1. We have already studied adjectives in a previous lesson where we said that adjectives modify nouns.
2. Those adjectives followed the second declension in the masculine and neuter and the first declension in the feminine.
3. The adjectives μέγας and πολύς follow the 2nd declension in the masculine and neuter and 1st declension in the feminine; but they also have some short forms.

   	Singular			Plural
   	Masc	Fem	Neut	Masc	Fem	Neut
   Nom	μέγας	μεγάλη	μέγα	μεγάλοι	μεγάλαι	μεγάλα
   Gen	μεγάλου	μεγάλης	μεγάλου	μεγάλων	μεγλών	μεγάλων
   Dat	μεγάλῳ	μεγάλῃ	μεγάλῳ	μεγάλοις	μεγάλαις	μεγάλοις
   Acc	μέγαν	μεγάλην	μέγα	μεγάλους	μεγάλας	μεγάλα
   	Singular			Plural
   	Masc	Fem	Neut	Masc	Fem	Neut
   Nom	πολύς	πολλή	πολύ	πολλοί	πολλαί	πολλά
   Gen	πολλοῦ	πολλῆς	πολλοῦ	πολλῶν	πολλῶν	πολλῶν
   Dat	πολλῷ	πολλῇ	πολλῷ	πολλοῖς	πολλαῖς	πολλοῖς
   Acc	πολύν	πολλήν	πολύ	πολλούς	πολλάς	πολλά

4. The adjective ἀληθής follows the 3rd declension for all forms, but there is only one form for both the masculine and feminine.

   	Singular		Plural
   	Masc & Fem	Neut	Masc & Fem	Neut
   Nom	ἀληθής	ἀληθές	ἀληθεῖς	ἀληθῆ
   Gen	ἀληθοῦς	ἀληθοῦς	ἀληθῶν	ἀληθῶν
   Dat	ἀληθεῖ	ἀληθεῖ	ἀληθέσι (ν)	ἀληθέσι (ν)
   Acc	ἀληθῆ	ἀληθές	ἀληθεῖς	ἀληθῆ

5. The adjective πᾶς follows the 3rd declension in the masculine and neuter and the 1st declension in the feminine.

   	Singular			Plural
   	Masc	Fem	Neut	Masc	Fem	Neut
   Nom	πᾶς	πᾶσα	πᾶν	πάντες	πᾶσαι	πάντα
   Gen	παντός	πάσης	παντός	πάντων	πασῶν	πάντων
   Dat	παντί	πάσῃ	παντί	πᾶσι (ν)	πάσαις	πάσι (ν)
   Acc	πάντα	πᾶσαν	πᾶν	πάντας	πάσας	πάντα

6. Notes:
   1. In the predicate position (no "the" in front of the adjective) translate as "all the" – πᾶσα ἡ πόλις = "all the city."
   2. Attributive position ("the" in front of the adjective) translate as the whole – ἡ πᾶσα πόλις = "the whole city."
   3. Anarthrous noun (no "the" in front of the noun) translate as every – πᾶσα πόλις = "every city."
   4. Predicate position with a participle: πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων = "everyone who believes."

Degrees of adjectives

1. Just like English, adjectives in Greek have three degrees:
   1. positive, comparative, and superlative
   2. Example: good, better, best
2. The positive form is the one we have been using all along.
3. The comparative form is usually used between two groups, but often used among several groups
   1. To the stem of the adjective, add -τερος, -α, -ον and decline it like a regular adjective (2nd declension in masculine and neuter, 1st declension in feminine)
   2. If there is an article ("the") in front of the comparative adjective, then it acts like a superlative.
   3. ὁ μικρότερος ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν "the least in the kingdom of heaven."
4. The superlative form is used among several groups
   1. To the stem of the adjective, add -τατος, -η, -ον or -ιστος, -η, -ον.
   2. There are only three superlative forms in the New Testament.
   3. When the superlative form is used in the New Testament it has an elative sense and is translated "very" or "exceedingly."
5. Pattern:

   Positive	Comparative	Superlative
   ἰσχυρός, -ά, -όν = strong	ἰσχυρότερος, -α, -ον = stronger	ἰσχυρότατος, -η, -ον = strongest
   νέος, -α, -ον = new	νεώτερος, -α, -ον = newer	νεώτατος, -η, -ον = newest
   σοφός, -ή, -όν = wise	σοφώτερος, -α, -ον = wiser	σοφώτατος, -η, -ον = wisest
   μικρός = little	ἐλσσώ = less	ἐλάχιστος = least

6. Adverbs
   1. There is a great variety of ways to create adverbs in positive, comparative, and superlative forms.
   2. The most common form of the adverb uses -ως after the stem.
   3. Thus καλός = good, καλῶς = well; κακός = bad, κακῶς = badly

Translate the following:

1. I John 2:1-6

1 Τεκνία μου, ταῦτα γράφω ὑμῖν ἵνα μὴ ἁμάρτητε. καὶ ἐάν τις ἁμάρτῃ παράκλητον ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν δίκαιον· 2 καὶ αὐτὸς ἱλασμός ἐστιν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, οὐ περὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων δὲ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου. 3 καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐγνώκαμεν αὐτόν, ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν. 4 ὁ λέγων ὅτι ἔγνωκα αὐτὸν καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ μὴ τηρῶν, ψεύστης ἐστὶν καὶ ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐκ ἔστιν· 5 ὃς δ᾿ ἂν τηρῇ αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον, ἀληθῶς ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ τετελείωται, ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐσμεν. 6 ὁ λέγων ἐν αὐτῷ μένειν ὀφείλει καθὼς ἐκεῖνος περιεπάτησεν καὶ αὐτὸς [οὕτως] περιπατεῖν.

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