Translation Tips LG New Testament Greek Fall 2012

1. Find the Main Verb. When you are translating, look for a verb that is not in a ὅ τι or ἵ να clause. ε ἶ πεν α ὐ το ῖ ς ὁ Ἰ ησο ῦ ς. (workbook p. 16, no. 1) ἡ ἀ γάπη το ῦ θεο ῦ ἐ κκέχυται (he/she/it has been poured) έν τα ῖ ς καρδίαις. (workbook p. 17, no. 8) σ ὺ ε ἶ ὁ Χριστ ὸ ς, ὁ υ ἱὸ ς το ῦ ε ὐ λογητο ῦ (Blessed); (workbook p. 22, no. 19)

2. Find the Subject After you have found a main verb, look for its subject, which will be in the nominative case. Can you translate the main subject and verb first, then fill in words around them? ε ἶ πεν α ὐ το ῖ ς ὁ Ἰ ησο ῦ ς. (workbook p. 16, no. 1) ἡ ἀ γάπη το ῦ θεο ῦ ἐ κκέχυται (he/she/it has been poured) έν τα ῖ ς καρδίαις. (workbook p. 17, no. 8) σ ὺ ε ἶ ὁ Χριστ ὸ ς, ὁ υ ἱὸ ς το ῦ ε ὐ λογητο ῦ (Blessed); (workbook p. 22, no. 19)

3. Stop at Conjunctions When you get to a conjunction like κα ὶ or ἀ λλά, stop. Do you have a subject/verb pair before the conjunction? If so, just focus on the words to the left of the conjunction, then move to its right. πιστεύετε (Believe) ε ἰ ς τ ὸ ν θε ὸ ν κα ὶ ε ἰ ς ἐ μ ὲ (me) πιστεύετε. (workbook p. 22, no. 18) ὁ ἀ γαθ ὸ ς ἄ νθρωπος ἐ κ το ῦ ἀ γαθο ῦ θησαυρο ῦ (treasure) ἐ κβάλλει (he/she/it brings out) άγαθ ὰ, κα ὶ ὁ πονηρ ὸ ς ἄ νθρωπος ἐ κ το ῦ πονηρο ῦ θησαυρο ῦ ἐ κβάλλει πονηρά. (workbook p. 25, no. 10)

4. Isolate Prepositional Phrases When you get to a prepositional phrase, draw lines on each side of it to remind you it is a phrase and its words stick together in translation. πιστεύετε (Believe) ε ἰ ς τ ὸ ν θε ὸ ν κα ὶ ε ἰ ς ἐ μ ὲ (me) πιστεύετε. (workbook p. 22, no. 18) ὁ ἀ γαθ ὸ ς ἄ νθρωπος ἐ κ το ῦ ἀ γαθο ῦ θησαυρο ῦ (treasure) ἐ κβάλλει (he/she/it brings out) άγαθ ὰ, κα ὶ ὁ πονηρ ὸ ς ἄ νθρωπος ἐ κ το ῦ πονηρο ῦ θησαυρο ῦ ἐ κβάλλει πονηρά. (workbook p. 25, no. 10)

5. Isolate Dependent Clauses When you get to words like ὅ τι, ἵ να, καθ ὼ ς or ἐὰ ν, stop and figure out where the subject and verb of the dependent clause started by these words is. Translate it as its own little sense unit, then put it into the sentence as a whole. με ί νατε (remain) ἐ ν τ ῇ ἀ γ ά π ῃ τ ῇ ἐ μ ῇ. ἐὰ ν τ ὰ ς ἐ ντολ ά ς μου τηρ ή σητε (you keep), μενε ῖ τε (you will remain) ἐ ν τ ῇ ἀ γ ά π ῃ μου, καθ ὼ ς ἐ γ ὼ τ ὰ ς ἐ ντολ ὰ ς το ῦ πατρ ό ς (father) μου τετ ή ρηκα (I have kept) κα ὶ μ έ νω (I remain) α ὐ το ῦ ἐ ν τ ῇ ἀ γ ά π ῃ. Α ὕ τη ἐ στ ὶ ν ἡ ἐ ντολ ὴ ἡ ἐ μ ή, ἵ να ἀ γαπ ᾶ τε (you love) ἀ λλ ή λους καθ ὼ ς ἠ γ ά πησα (I have loved) ὑ μ ᾶ ς (workbook, p. 25, no. 8).