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 23:18τῷ · the; τῷ · the; τῷAnd you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’
- Matthew 23:19τὸ · the; τὸ · the; τὸ; τὸYou blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred?
- Matthew 23:20ὁ · he who; τῷ · the; τοῖςSo then, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
- Matthew 23:21ὁ · he who; τῷ · the; τῷ · the [One]And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it.
- Matthew 23:22ὁ · he who; τῷ; τῷ; τοῦ; τῷ · the [One]And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the One who sits on it.
- Matthew 23:23τὸ; τὸ; τὸ; τὰ · the; τοῦ · of the; τὴν; τὸ; τὴνWoe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
- Matthew 23:24οἱ; τὸν; τὴνYou blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
- Matthew 23:25τὸ · the; τοῦ · of the; τῆςWoe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
- Matthew 23:26τὸ · the; τοῦ · of the; τῆς; τὸ · theBlind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.
- Matthew 23:28τοῖςIn the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
- Matthew 23:29τοὺς; τῶν · for the; τὰ · the; τῶν · of theWoe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous.
- Matthew 23:30ταῖς · the; τῶν; τῷ · the; τῶν · of theAnd you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
- Matthew 23:31τῶν · of those; τοὺς · theSo you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.
- Matthew 23:32τὸ · the; τῶν · ofFill up, then, the measure of the sin of your fathers.
- Matthew 23:33τῆς · theYou snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?