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
- Matthew 2:9τῇ · the; τὸ · theAfter they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the Child was.
- Matthew 2:10τὸν · theWhen they saw the star, they rejoiced with great delight.
- Matthew 2:11τὴν · the; τὸ · the; τῆς; τοὺςOn coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.
- Matthew 2:12τὴνAnd having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they withdrew to their country by another route.
- Matthew 2:13τῷ; τὸ · the; τὴν; τὸ · the; τοῦWhen the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.”
- Matthew 2:14Ὁ; τὸ · the; τὴνSo he got up, took the Child and His mother by night, and withdrew to Egypt,
- Matthew 2:15τῆς · the; τὸ · what; τοῦ · the; τὸν…where he stayed until the death of Herod. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
- Matthew 2:16τῶν · the; τοὺς · the; τοὺς; τοῖς; τὸν · the; τῶν · theWhen Herod saw that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was filled with rage. Sending orders, he put to death all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, according to the time he had learned from the Magi.
- Matthew 2:17τὸ · what was; τοῦ · theThen what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
- “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
- Matthew 2:19τοῦ; τῷ · toAfter Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.
- Matthew 2:20τὸ · the; τὴν; οἱ · those; τὴν · the; τοῦ“Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those seeking the Child’s life are now dead.”
- Matthew 2:21Ὁ; τὸ · the; τὴνSo Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and went to the land of Israel.
- Matthew 2:22τῆς; τοῦ; τὰ · the; τῆςBut when he learned that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee,
- Matthew 2:23τὸ · what; τῶν · the…and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
- Matthew 3:1ταῖς; ὁ · the; τῇ · the; τῆςIn those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea
- Matthew 3:2ἡ · the…and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”