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
- He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.
- Ephesians 4:11τοὺς · some; τοὺς · some; τοὺς · some; τοὺς · someAnd it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
- Ephesians 4:12τὸν; τῶν · the; τοῦ · the; τοῦ…to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ,
- Ephesians 4:13οἱ; τὴν; τῆς · in the; τῆς · in the; τοῦ · of the; τοῦ; τοῦ · the; τοῦ…until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.
- Ephesians 4:14τῆς; τῇ · the; τῶν; τὴν · [their]; τῆςThen we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.
- Ephesians 4:15τὰ · {we will} in; ἡ · theInstead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head.
- Ephesians 4:16τὸ · the; τῆς; τὴν; τοῦFrom Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part.
- Ephesians 4:17τὰ · the; τοῦ · ofSo I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
- Ephesians 4:18τῇ · in [their]; τῆς · the; τοῦ; τὴν · the; τὴν; τὴν · the; τῆς · ofThey are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.
- Ephesians 4:19τῇ · toHaving lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more.
- But this is not the way you came to know Christ.
- Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him—in keeping with the truth that is in Jesus—
- Ephesians 4:22τὴν; τὸν · [your]; τὸν · which; τὰς · [its]; τῆς…to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
- Ephesians 4:23τῷ · in the; τοῦ · of…to be renewed in the spirit of your minds;
- Ephesians 4:24τὸν · the; τὸν; τῆς…and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.