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 4:2οἱ…(although it was not Jesus who baptized, but His disciples),
- John 4:3τὴν; τὴνHe left Judea and returned to Galilee.
- John 4:4τῆςNow He had to pass through Samaria.
- John 4:5τῆς; τοῦ · the; τῷ · to; τῷSo He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
- John 4:6τοῦ; ὁ; τῆς · [His]; τῇ · theSince Jacob’s well was there, Jesus, weary from His journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
- John 4:7τῆς; ὁWhen a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”
- John 4:8οἱ; τὴν · the(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
- John 4:9ἡ · the; ἡ“You are a Jew,” said the woman. “How can You ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
- John 4:10τὴν · the; τοῦ; ὁJesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
- John 4:11ἡ · the; τὸ · the; τὸ · [this]; τὸ“Sir,” the woman replied, “You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then will You get this living water?
- John 4:12τοῦ; τὸ · [this]; οἱ; τὰAre You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock?”
- John 4:13ὁ · who; τοῦJesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again.
- John 4:14τοῦ · the; τὸν; τὸ · theBut whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”
- John 4:15ἡ · The; τὸThe woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water so that I will not get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
- John 4:16τὸνJesus told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
- John 4:17ἡ · the; ὁ“I have no husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said to her, “You are correct to say that you have no husband.
- John 4:19ἡ · the“Sir,” the woman said, “I see that You are a prophet.
- John 4:20οἱ; τῷ; ὁ · theOur fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where one must worship is in Jerusalem.”
- John 4:21ὁ; τῷ; τῷ · the“Believe Me, woman,” Jesus replied, “a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
- John 4:22ἡ; τῶν · theYou worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.
- John 4:23οἱ · the; τῷ · theBut a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him.