Definition
ὁ, ἡ, τό,
the prepositive article (ἄρθρον προτακτικόν), originally a demonstr. pron. (so usually in Hom.), in general corresponding to the Eng. definite article.
I. As demonstr. pron.
1. As frequently in Hom., absol., he (she, it), his (etc.): Acts 17:28 (quoted from the poet Aratus).
2. Distributive, ὁ μὲν . . . ὁ δέ, the one . . . the other: 1 Corinthians 7:7, Galatians 4:22; pl., Acts 14:4; 17:32, Philippians 1:16, al.; οἱ μὲν . . . ἄλλοι δέ, Matthew 16:14, John 7:12; οἱ μεν̀ . . . ὁδέ, Hebrews 7:21, 23.
3. In narration (without ὁ μὲν preceding), ὁ δέ, but he: Matthew 2:14, Mark 1:45, Luke 8:21, John 9:38, al. mult.
II. As prepositive article, the, prefixed,
1. to nouns unmodified: ὁ θεός, τὸ φῶς, etc.; to abstract nouns, ἡ σοφία, etc., to pl. nouns which indicate a class, οἱ ἀλώπεκες, foxes, Matthew 8:20, al.; to an individual as representing a class, ὁ ἐργάτης, Luke 10:7; with nom. = voc. in addresses, Matthew 11:26, John 19:3, James 5:1, al.; to things which pertain to one, ἡ χεῖρ, his hand, Mark 3:1; to names of persons well known or already mentioned; usually to names of countries (originally adjectives), ἡ Ἰουδαία, etc.
2. To modified nouns: with of person(s) pron. genitive, μοῦ, σοῦ, etc.; with poss. pron., ἐμός, σός, etc.; with adj. between the art. and the noun, ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος, Matthew 12:35; the noun foll, by adj., both with art., ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός, John 10:11 (on ὁ ὄχλος πολύς, John 12:9, see M, Pr., 84); before adjectival phrases, ἡ κατ᾽ ἐκλογὴν πρόθεσις, Romans 9:11.
3. To Other parts of speech used as substantives;
(a) neuter adjectives: τ. ἀγαθόν, etc.;
(b) cardinal numerals: ὁ εἶς, οἷ δύο, etc.;
(with) participles: ὁ βαπτίζων (= ὁ Βαπτιστής, Matthew 14:2), Mark 6:14; πᾶς ὁ, with ptcp., every one who, etc.;
(d) adverbs: τὸ πέραν, τὰ νῦν, ὁ ἔσω ἄνθρωπος;
(e) infinitives: nom., τὸ θέλειν, Romans 7:18, al.; genitive, τοῦ, after adjectives, ἄξιον τοῦ πορεύεσθαι, 1 Corinthians 16:4; verbs, ἐλαχεν τοῦ θυμιᾶσαι, Luke 1:9; and frequently in a final sense, ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρειν, Matthew 13:3 (on the artic. inf., see Bl., §71).
4. In the neut. to sentences, phrases or single words treated as a quotation: τὸ Ἐι δύνῃ, Mark 9:23; τὸ ἔτι ἅπαξ, Hebrews 12:27; τὸ ἀνέβη, Ephesians 4:9, al.
5. To prepositional phrases: οἱ ἀπὸ Ἰταλίας, Hebrews 13:24; οἱ ἐκ νόμου, Romans 4:14; neut. accusative absol., in adverbial phrases, τὸ καθ᾽ ἡμέραν, daily, Luke 11:3; τὸ κατὰ σάρκα, as regards the flesh, Romans 9:5.
6. To nouns in the genitive, denoting kinship, association, etc.: ὁ τοῦ, the son of (unless context indicates a different relationship), Matthew 10:2, al.; τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ, the things that pertain to God, Matthew 16:23; τὰ τῆς εἰρήνης, Romans 14:19 (cf. M, Pr., 81ff.; Bl, §§46, 47).
Usage patterns
Occurrences
- “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands One you do not know.
- John 1:27ὁ · [He is] the One who; τὸν · the; τοῦHe is the One who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
- John 1:28τοῦ · the; ὁAll this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
- John 1:29Τῇ · The; τὸν; ὁ · the; τοῦ; ὁ · who; τὴν · the; τοῦ · of theThe next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
- I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel.”
- John 1:32τὸ · theThen John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him.
- John 1:33ὁ · the [One who]; τὸ · the; ὁ · HeI myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
- John 1:34ὁ · the; τοῦI have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
- John 1:35Τῇ · The; ὁ; τῶνThe next day John was there again with two of his disciples.
- John 1:36τῷ; ὁ · the; τοῦWhen he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
- John 1:37οἱ · the; τῷAnd when the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.
- John 1:38ὁ; ΟἱJesus turned and saw them following. “What do you want?” He asked. They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are You staying?”
- John 1:39τὴν“Come and see,” He replied. So they went and saw where He was staying, and spent that day with Him. It was about the tenth hour.
- John 1:40ὁ; τῶν · the; τῶν · whoAndrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus.
- John 1:41τὸν; τὸν · [his]; τὸν · theHe first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated as Christ).
- John 1:42τὸν; ὁ; ὁAndrew brought him to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated as Peter).
- John 1:43Τῇ · The; τὴν; ὁThe next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.”
- John 1:44ὁ; τῆς · theNow Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.
- John 1:45τὸν; τῷ · the; οἱ · the; τοῦ; τὸνPhilip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”