Comparison of Adjectives. Genitive of Comparison and Use of ἤ. Genitive of Time

§456

The comparative degree of adjectives ends sometimes in -τερος, α, ον, (declined like a regular adjective of the second and first declension) and sometimes in -ίων, -ίων, -ιον (declined according to the third declension in all three genders).

§457

The superlative degree ends in -τατος, η, ον, or -ιστος, η, ον. But in the New Testament the superlative is rather rare.

§458

A number of adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms. These can be learned from the lexicon as they occur.

Example: μικρός, little; é\acowr, less; ἐλάχιστος, least.

§459

The declension of μείζων, ον, greater, the comparative of μέγας, is as follows:

σώφρων, wise, ἄφρων, foolish, ἐλάσσων, less, πλείων, more, κρείσσων, better, etc., are similarly declined.

A table appears here in the book — see Paradigms below.

§461

The shortened form, μείζω, can stand for μείζονα in the accusative singular masculine and feminine and neuter plural nominative and accusative, and the shortened form, μείζους, in the nominative and accusative plural masculine and feminine.

§462

Where English uses than after a comparative word, Greek uses either (1) the genitive of comparison or (2) ἤ followed by the same case as that which stands in the other member of the comparison.

Examples: (1) μείζονα τούτων ποιήσει, greater things than these will he do. (2) ἠγάπησαν οἱ ἄνθρωποι μᾶλλον τὸ σκότος ἢ τὸ φῶς, men loved darkness more than light. Here φῶς is accusative. The meaning is men loved darkness more than they loved light.

§463

Example: καλός, good; genitive plural, καλῶν ; adverb, καλῶς, well.

§464

The comparative degree of adverbs is like the accusative singular neuter of the comparative degree of the corresponding adjective; and the superlative degree of the adverb is like the accusative plural neuter of the superlative degree of the corresponding adjective.

§465

Many adverbs, however, are of diverse forms which must be learned by observation.

§466

Adverbs of place take the genitive. Example: ἔξω, outside; ἔξω τῆς πόλεως, outside of the city; ἐγγὺς τῆς πόλεως, near the city.

§467

The genitive is occasionally used to express time within which.

Example: παρέλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ νυκτός, he took the young child and His mother by night.

§468

The genitive of the articular infinitive, without any preposition, is sometimes used to express purpose.

Example: ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν προφήτην τοῦ βαπτισθῆναι ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, he came to the prophet in order to be baptized by him. It will be remembered that for the most part the articular infinitive is used in the same constructions as those in which an ordinary noun with the article can be used. This use of the genitive to express purpose, however, would not be possible for an ordinary noun.

§469

The dative is used to indicate the respect in which anything exists or is true.

Example: γινωσκόμενος τῷ προσώπῳ, being known by face (i.e. being known so far as the face is concerned); καθαρὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, pure in heart (i.e. pure so far as the heart is concerned); ἀνὴρ ὀνόματι Ἰάκωβος, a man by name James (i.e. a man who is James so far as the name is concerned).

§470

The accusative of specification is very much the same in meaning as the dative of respect, but is less frequently used.

Example: τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὡς πεντακισχίλιοι, about five thousand in number.

§471

The dative is sometimes used to express time when. Example: ἐθεράπευσε τῷ σαββάτῳ, he healed on the sabbath.

§472

Usually, however, time when is expressed by prepositional phrases. So on the sabbath could be ἐν τῷ σαββάτῳ.

§473

The possessive adjectives ἐμός, my, σός, thy, ἡμέτερος, our, ὑμέτερος, your, are sometimes used instead of the genitive case of the personal pronouns when emphasis is desired. These possessive adjectives are declined like regular adjectives of the second and first declension. They can stand in the attributive position with the article.

Examples: ὁ ἐμὸς λόγος, the belonging-to-me word (i. e., my word); ἡ χαρὰ ἡ ἐμή, my joy; τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμόν, my will; τὰ ἐμὰ πάντα σά ἐστιν, all the belonging-to-me things are thine (i. e., all my things are thine); ὁ ἡμέτερος λόγος, our word; ὁ ὑμέτερος λόγος, your word.

§474

This usage is comparatively infrequent. The common way of saying my word is not ὁ ἐμὸς λόγος or ὁ λόγος ὁ ἐμός, but ὁ λόγος μου (the word of me).

§475

Words denoting fear are followed by μή, lest, with the subjunctive. μή is here not an adverb, as is the case when it means not, but a conjunction.

Example: φοβοῦμαι μὴ ἔλθῃ, I fear lest he come.

§476

Negative clauses of purpose may also be introduced by the simple μή instead of by ἵνα μή.

Example: τοῦτο ποιεῖτε μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς κρίσιν, do this lest you come into judgment.

In addition to the use by which it expresses purpose, ἵνα with the subjunctive is very frequently used after words of exhorting, wishing, striving, and in various ways that are not easily classified.

Examples: (1) εἰπὲ τῷ λίθῳ τούτῳ ἵνα γένηται ἄρτος, say to this stone that it become bread. (2) αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐντολὴ ἡ ἐμὴ ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους, this is my commandment, that you should love one another.

§478

Questions expecting a negative answer are expressed by μή with the indicative.

§479

This rule constitutes an important exception to the general rule for the use of οὐ and μή (see §256). Questions expecting a positive answer have οὐ with the indicative.

Example: μὴ ἰσχυρότεροι αὐτοῦ ἐσμεν; are we stronger than he? The answer expected is “‘No, of course not.” Compare οὐκ ἰσχυρότεροί ἐσμεν αὐτοῦ; are we not stronger than he? Here the answer expected is ‘‘Yes, certainly we are.”