Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language &amp; Linguistics

koine-greek.comPublication Announcement: Force Dynamics, Image Schemas, and Constructional PolysemyWe are pleased to announce that our article, “Force Dynamics, Image Schemas, and Constructional Polysemy in the Prepositions ἐπί and κατά in Postclassical Greek,” has been published in the Journal of Translation. Aubrey & Aubrey (2026) Force Dynamics, Image Schemas, and Constructional Polysemy in the Prepositions ἐπί and κατά in Postclassical GreekDownload Series: Journal of Translation Volume Issue: 22(1) DOI: Author(s): Aubrey, Rachel E. and Michael G. Aubrey Issue Date: 2026 Field: Linguistics; Translation Pages: 53–88 Entry Number: 111043 Abstract: Greek prepositions ἐπί and κατά are among the most semantically complex in the Koine lexicon, generating English glosses that offer little coherent explanation for their diversity.

6 July

#biblicalgreek

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics@koine-greek.com

We are pleased to announce that our article, “Force Dynamics, Image Schemas, and Constructional Polysemy in the Prepositions ἐπί and κατά in Postclassical Greek,” has been published in the Journal of Translation.

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

6 July

koine-greek.comForthcoming: Greek Prepositions in the New Testament: A Semantic DescriptionWe are excited to see that our forthcoming book, Greek Prepositions in the New Testament: A Semantic Description, is officially listed: Baker Publishing Group Amazon Logos Bible Software We are in the midst of the laborious process of reviewing galleys right now, but hope to see proofs in the coming months. Originally, the hope had been that the book would be available this fall in time for conferences, but we took some extra time this past January to add visual figures and image schemas for each preposition article with the hope of improving its usefulness for students.

3 July

#biblicalgreek

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics@koine-greek.com

We are excited to announce that our forthcoming book, Greek Prepositions in the New Testament: A Semantic Description, is officially listed for preorder.

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

3 July

We are excited to announce that our forthcoming book, Greek Prepositions in the New Testament: A Semantic Description, is officially listed for preorder.

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics reposted

koine-greek.comForce Dynamics and the prepositions ἐπί & κατάIn November 2025 Rachel and Mike Aubrey presented on the ongoing work on Greek prepositions at the Cognitive Linguistics and Biblical Interpretation Section of the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting in Boston. The video above is a recorded version of that presentation. If you would also like to follow along with the slides, you can find them here: Aubrey & Aubrey (2025) Force Dynamics, Image Schemas, and Constructional Polysemy in the Prepositions ἐπί and κατά in Postclassical Greek PresentationDownload The written version of the presentation has just been accepted for publication in the Journal of Translation (JOT).

16 Apr

#biblicalgreek

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics@koine-greek.com

We've just published out SBL2025 paper on Greek prepositions on YouTube! Find out how the category of Force Dynamics motivates the meaning of two Greek prepositions.

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

16 Apr

We've just published out SBL2025 paper on Greek prepositions on YouTube! Find out how the category of Force Dynamics motivates the meaning of two Greek prepositions.

bakeracademic.comGreek Prepositions in the New TestamentThe meanings of prepositions can be challenging to describe and understand, especially when one preposition is used in a variety of ways. A woman might hold an umbrella over her head while puzzling ov...

18 Mar

He forgot the #linguistics and #biblicalgreek tags again.

Mike Aubrey@mikeaubrey.bsky.social

It isn't up on Amazon, yet, but here we are.

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

11 Feb

In November, Rachel & Mike Aubrey presented ongoing research on Greek prepositions at SBL 2025 in Boston. Today they're making the notes & slides available for your reading pleasure. Below are the details of our presentation, our slides, and then the abstract. #linguistics #biblicalgreek

koine-greek.comSBL2025 Prepositions, Constructions & Force DynamicsIn November, we (Rachel and Michael Aubrey) presented the most recent piece of the ongoing research on Greek prepositions at SBL 2025 in Boston. Our paper was titled: Force Dynamics, Image Schemas, and Constructional Polysemy in Prepositions: ἐπί and κατά in Postclassical Greek. Today we are making our notes and slides available from our SBL paper for your reading pleasure. Below are the details of our presentation, our slides, and then the abstract.

11 Feb

SBL2025 Prepositions, Constructions & Force Dynamics In November, we (Rachel and Michael Aubrey) presented the most recent piece of the ongoing research on Greek prepositions at SBL 2025 in Boston. Our paper was titled: Force Dynamics, Image Schemas, and Constructional Polysemy in Prepositions:…

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics reposted

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

20 Jan

We've got a cover and we're racing to get our final adjustments to the body finished in the next 10 days!

koine-greek.comBook: The Life Cycles of Counterfactuals in the History of GreekEzra la Roi's work on various domains of modality (conditionals, insubordination, counterfactuals, and more) in Ancient Greek has been pretty prolific over the past number of years and it is exciting to see his new monograph, The Life Cycles of Counterfactuals in the History of Greek published this past year (2025)—not the least because I am also currently reading Leonard Talmy's (2021) …

15 Jan

#linguistics #biblicalgreek

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics@koine-greek.com

Book: The Life Cycles of Counterfactuals in the History of Greek Ezra la Roi's work on various domains of modality (conditionals, insubordination, counterfactuals, and more) in Ancient Greek has been pretty prolific over the past number of years and it is exciting to see his new monograph, The…

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

15 Jan

koine-greek.comRelevance Theory is not Cognitive LinguisticsCognitive Linguistics has grown in popularity in biblical studies. There's much to praise about that. Biblical interpretation requires attention first and foremost to grammar. Basil of Caesarea writes, ούδεμίαν άδιερεύνητον. . . χρήναι καταλιμπάνειν φωνήν, τῶν ὅσαι περὶ Θεοῦ ("not one utterance of all that concerns God should be left unexamined"). It would be a mistake for biblical scholars to ignore the scientific study of language.

26 Dec 2025

Relevance Theory is not Cognitive Linguistics Cognitive Linguistics has grown in popularity in biblical studies. There's much to praise about that. Biblical interpretation requires attention first and foremost to grammar. Basil of Caesarea writes, ούδεμίαν άδιερεύνητον. . . χρήναι καταλιμπάνειν…

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

koine-greek.comForce dynamics and Greek prepositionsThis picture is relevant. We promise. Have you ever stopped to consider how we use prepositions in language? Sometimes prepositions play unexpected roles. The English preposition on, for example, helps you talk about “putting a book on a shelf” or “hanging a picture on the wall”, and that despite the fact that shelves are horizontal and walls are vertical. The word “on” can do a lot more:

6 Nov 2025

Force dynamics and Greek prepositions This picture is relevant. We promise. Have you ever stopped to consider how we use prepositions in language? Sometimes prepositions play unexpected roles. The English preposition on, for example, helps you talk about “putting a book on a shelf” or “hanging a…

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

koine-greek.comVerbal Aspect Theory and the Prohibitions in the Greek New TestamentI'm way behind on using this website to record and document ongoing publications that interface Greek and linguistics. This post is part of my renewed efforts for correct that. This morning in the mail I received a copy of Douglas Huffman's Verbal Aspect Theory and the Prohibitions in the Greek New Testament, volume 16 in the Studies in Biblical Greek series published by Peter Lang.

17 Oct 2025

Verbal Aspect Theory and the Prohibitions in the Greek New Testament

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

verbingnouns.bsky.socialBluesky

8 Sept 2025

Hi @verbingnouns.bsky.social could we be added to your linguistics feed? We just posted about Julia Falks monograph on women in the LSA in the early 20th century. Cheers!

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

koine-greek.comEdith Claflin, the Greek linguist you’ve never heard ofOver the past year, I’ve been off-and-on reading Julia Falk’s Women, Language and Linguistics: Three American Stories from the First Half of the Twentieth Century. It’s a superb b…

8 Sept 2025

Edith Claflin's work on voice and aspect in Greek and Latin should have been part of the linguistics foundation we all have been building on, yet you rarely find her cited. #linguistics #biblicalgreek

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

8 Sept 2025

(via @mikeaubrey.bsky.social)

koine-greek.comAcademic Forum: The Source-Path-Goal Schema in Bible TranslationWe, Rachel and Michael Aubrey, are giving an academic forum at Dallas International University on Thursday, July 31⋅12:30 – 1:20pm CDT. Title: Greek & Hebrew Prepositions and the Source-Path-Goal Schema in Bible Translation Abstract: What do constructions like "from strength to strength", "from glory to glory", or "from faith to faith" mean? Come explore their cognitive basis. The SOURCE-PATH-GOAL (SPG) image schema constitutes a common meaning structure across languages that is grounded in our shared embodied human experience (Lakoff 1987, Hampe and Grady 2005).

18 July 2025

Academic Forum: The Source-Path-Goal Schema in Bible Translation We, Rachel and Michael Aubrey, are giving an academic forum at Dallas International University on Thursday, July 31⋅12:30 – 1:20pm CDT. Title: Greek & Hebrew Prepositions and the Source-Path-Goal Schema in Bible Translation Abstract:…

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

koine-greek.comPrepositions and Perpetual Virginity: Matthew 1:25Because I aim to win friends and influence people, I have just published a completely uncontroversial article on Matthew 1:25 and the issue of Mary's perpetual virginity. It's freely available here. This paper is basically an accident: I was studying a change in LXX Genesis 8:7 where the translator (against the MT) inserted the word until, changed the verb, and then placed it under negation to produce an actualization inference that the raven eventually returned to Noah.

18 July 2025

Is the Greek grammar of Matthew 1:25 consistent with the perpetual virginity of Mary?

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

koine-greek.comPrepositions and Perpetual Virginity: Matthew 1:25Because I aim to win friends and influence people, I have just published an uncontroversial article on the grammar of Matthew 1:25 and the issue of Mary's perpetual virginity. It's freely available here. Many thanks to the editors and peer reviewers for helpful comments and suggestions. This paper is basically an accident: I found a plus in LXX Gen. 8…

20 May 2025

"Matthew 1:25 says nothing about whether Joseph and Mary had conjugal relations." Is this true? No. It's not.

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

koine-greek.comMA Degree in Biblical Languages and LinguisticsDallas International University (DIU) has announced their new masters degree program that combines the biblical languages and linguistics in one place: MA in Biblical Languages and Linguistics.

24 Apr 2025

Dallas International University (DIU) has announced their new masters degree program that combines the biblical languages and linguistics in one place: MA in Biblical Languages and Linguistics. #biblicalgreek #biblicalhebrew

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

21 Apr 2025

I cannot believe how hard it is to find ἀνά meaning 'up' in postclassical Greek.

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

8 Apr 2025

Things have been really quiet lately at Koine-Greek.com, because ... reasons. I'll talk about those soon. But I am working on some new pedagogy material for teaching (and learning) Greek prepositions. #biblicalgreek

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

19 Mar 2025

Metaphors used in SOURCE-PATH-GOAL Constructions: CAUSES ARE SOURCES ὁ φεύγων [ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ φόβου]ἐνπεσεῖται [εἰς τὸν βόθυνον] He who flees [from the face of fear] willfall [into the pit] (Jer 31:44). #biblicalgreek 1/2

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

19 Mar 2025

Metaphors used in SOURCE-PATH-GOAL Constructions: PURPOSES ARE DESTINATIONS ἄρτον [ἐξ οὐρανοῦ] ἔδωκας αὐτοῖς [εἰςσιτοδοτείαν αὐτῶν]You gave them bread [from heaven][for their famine] (Esdr B 19:15) #biblicalgreek 2/2

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

23 Feb 2025

Yesterday, I posted an announcement on Twitter that I was no longer going to be using twitter for sharing Koine-Greek.com stuff and that everyone could either find us on FB or here on Blusky. Man, people were not happy with that.

koine-greek.comGreek prepositions as conventional patternsWhen we talk about the semantics of prepositional phrases, we are talking about a specific kind of conventionalized pattern. Conventional patterns are arbitrary in the sense that they are not predictable from one language to another. But in another way, they are nevertheless motivated (Sweetser 1990). There is a reason they occur as they do. Basic cognitive processes influence how different prepositions extend from spatial meanings to more abstract ones.

23 Feb 2025

Greek prepositions as conventional patterns When we talk about the semantics of prepositional phrases, we are talking about a specific kind of conventionalized pattern. Conventional patterns are arbitrary in the sense that they are not predictable from one language to another. But in another way,…

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

koine-greek.comCarl Conrad passed away 2/20/25Jonathan Robie contacted me this morning to let me know that yesterday Carl Conrad passed away. There won't be a memorial service, but if you have an memories or tributes to Carl, there is a forum thread at B-Greek dedicated to his memory. I encourage you to share any impact he had on your Greek education there. Tributes to Carl Conrad…

21 Feb 2025

Carl Conrad passed away 2/20/25 Jonathan Robie contacted me this morning to let me know that yesterday Carl Conrad passed away. There won't be a memorial service, but if you have an memories or tributes to Carl, there is a forum thread at B-Greek dedicated to his memory. I encourage you to share…

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

We could repeat this for basically every Greek prepositions. #biblicalgreek thread. 1/#

Mike Aubrey@mikeaubrey.bsky.social

#biblicalgreek

View full thread

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

Our Greek dictionaries, with their glosses, suggest that the paraphrases are the meaning of the preposition. But think about how ridiculous that is. Can you recreate the meaning of the English preposition 'over' from these glosses???

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

No. You can't. And you can't do it with ὑπέρ either.

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

We could repeat this for basically every Greek prepositions. #biblicalgreek thread. 1/#

Mike Aubrey@mikeaubrey.bsky.social

#biblicalgreek

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

But let's talk about English 'over'. All of these are examples of English 'over' usage, both spatial and abstract.

All of these prepositional phrases have non-'over' paraphrases.

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics reposted

12 Jan 2025

WE ABSOLUTELY KNOW HOW ANCIENT GREEK WAS PRONOUNCED!!!

Sarah M@lore.house

Louder for the people in the back.

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics reposted

12 Jan 2025

Regarding Wes Huff words on Ancient Greek on that one podcast: We *absolutely* know how Ancient Greek was pronounced. We know how it was pronounced in multiple dialects. We know how it was pronounced across multiple centuries. There is no debate on this. #biblicalgreek

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics reposted

8 Jan 2025

#biblicalgreek

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics reposted

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

Unsurprisingly Michael Holmes get the translation right, in his Apostolic Fathers diglot where 1 Clement quotes this Psalm. ἡ γλῶσσά σου περιέπλεκεν δολιότητα your tongue wove deceit (I Cl 35.8, Holmes' translation). #biblicalgreek

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics@koine-greek.com

Filing mistranslations in the Lexham English Septuagint (LES2) in hopes of getting the gain back together for a 3rd edition some day. #biblicalgreek ἡ γλῶσσά σου περιέπλεκεν δολιότητα· your tongue embraces deceit (Ps 49:19) LES2 mistranslates active περιέπλεκεν as 'embrace'. Should be 'weave'. 1/#

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

View full thread

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

But the LES2's rendering of Ps 49:19 is also wrong because the the aorist and the imperfect are both past tenses. The full version should be: τὸ στόμα σου ἐπλεόνασεν κακίαν, ἡ γλῶσσά σου περιέπλεκεν δολιότητα· Your mouth abounded in wickedness, your tongue weaved deceit. 3/#

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

Because the origin of the LES2 is an interlinear project, issues like these have never been systematically checked. As one of the editors (@mikeaubrey.bsky.social) I continue collect them as I find them because I want to make this LXX translation even better. Here's to a 3rd edition some day. 4/4.

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

The middle form would mean 'embrace', as in 3 Macc 5:49: περιπλεκόμενοι τοῖς συγγενέσιν 'embracing their kinsmen', Here, the LES2 has is correct. But the form in Ps 49:19 cannot have this meaning because the active is necessarily causative—a weaver CAUSES cloth TO BECOME woven (i.e. weave). 2/#

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics reposted

amzn.toWomen, Language and Linguistics (Routledge Studies in the History of Linguistics)Amazon.com: Women, Language and Linguistics (Routledge Studies in the History of Linguistics): 9780415756600: Falk, Julia S.: Books

18 Dec 2024

Just started Julia Falk's Women, Language and Linguistics. It's incredible & disappointing how standard modes of historiography obscure the work of women in the field from the start of the LSA, but really pleased to discover this fascinating history. #linguistics

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

8 Dec 2024

We're really pleased with how this second edition of /Greek prepositions in the New Testament: A cognitive-functional description/ is turning out for print! Headed toward proofreading now.

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics reposted

Matthew Scarborough 𓏎

@mattitiahu.bsky.social

29 Nov 2024

Behold, the inside cover of the Teubner text of Phrynicus's Praeparatio Sophistica from the Boston Public Library. No one ever withdrew it.

koine-greek.comNo Tense Outside the Indicative Mood: Origin?One claim that you'll regularly encounter once you start reading various contemporary works on the Greek Verb from NT scholars is the idea that Georg Curtius (1873 [English: 1883]) was the originator ...

29 Nov 2024

Who was first to argue that only the indicative mood marks tense? Probably nobody. Because nobody needed to argue it. #biblicalgreek

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics@koine-greek.com

One claim you’ll regularly find from NT scholars is that Curtius (1873 [English: 1883]) was the one who came up with the idea that Greek doesn't grammaticalize tense outside the indicative. It's more complicated than that. koine-greek.com/2016/05/28/n... via @mikeaubrey.bsky.social.

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics reposted

Paul Prins

@paul.urbanmonastic.org

26 Nov 2024

Replying to @paul.urbanmonastic.org

You'll probably see some familiar faces in there like Dr @wilgafney.bsky.social, @mikeaubrey.bsky.social, @koine-greek.com, @duck5.bsky.social, and others.

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics reposted

Koine Greek: Studies in Greek Language & Linguistics

18 Nov 2024

This podcast episode raises a lot of important issues and is making me rethink how undemocratic open source and open licencing is in my own field.

Tech Won’t Save Us@techwontsave.us

The drama at Wordpress and a new “open source AI” definition that doesn’t require sharing training data is prompting new questions about open source. This week @tante.cc joins @parismarx.bsky.social to discuss the corporate corruption of open source. Full ep: techwontsave.us/episode/249_...