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
- John 2:12οἱ; οἱAfter this, He went down to Capernaum with His mother and brothers and His disciples, and they stayed there a few days.
- John 2:13τὸ · the; τῶν; ὁWhen the Jewish Passover was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
- John 2:14τῷ · the; τοὺς · [men]; τοὺςIn the temple courts He found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and money changers seated at their tables.
- John 2:15τοῦ · the; τά; τοὺς; τῶν · of the; τὰ · the; τὰς · [their]So He made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle. He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.
- John 2:16τοῖς · To those; τὰς; τὸν; τοῦTo those selling doves He said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!”
- John 2:17οἱ; Ὁ; τοῦ · forHis disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for Your house will consume Me.”
- John 2:18οἱ · theOn account of this, the Jews demanded, “What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do these things?”
- John 2:19τὸνJesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”
- John 2:20οἱ · the; ὁ“This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jews replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?”
- John 2:21τοῦ · the; τοῦBut Jesus was speaking about the temple of His body.
- John 2:22οἱ; τῇ · the; τῷ · the; ὁAfter He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this. Then they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
- John 2:23τοῖς; τῷ · the; τῇ; τὸ; τὰWhile He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the signs He was doing and believed in His name.
- But Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, for He knew them all.
- John 2:25τοῦ; τῷHe did not need any testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man.
- John 3:1τῶν · the; τῶν · of theNow there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews.
- John 3:2τὰ; ὁHe came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him.”
- John 3:3τὴν · the; τοῦJesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
- John 3:4ὁ; τὴν; τῆς“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?”
- John 3:5τὴν · the; τοῦJesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.