Functions of The Greek Cases

Links: Greek Grammar

Nominative

  1. Subject of the verb
  2. Predicate nominative with linking/copulative/equative verb

Accusative

  1. Direct object of the verb
  2. Double accusative for verbs requiring two direct objects
  3. Adverbial accusative or accusative of manner, modifying the verb

Genitive

  1. Descriptive, providing description of the head noun
  2. Possessive, if the head noun is possessed by the word in the genitive
  3. Apposition, equals the meaning of the head noun, further information
  4. Separation, indicates something separate from the head noun (helping word: “from”)
  5. Subjective, with a head noun expressing a verbal idea, where the genitive functions as the subject of the verbal idea (helping word: “produced”; e.g., “the love produced by Christ”)
  6. Objective, opposite of subjective, functions as the direct object of the verbal idea in the head noun (helping word: “received”; e.g., “blasphemy received by the Spirit”)
  7. Plenary, combination of subjective and objective, i.e., both
  8. Relationship, indicates a familial relationship between the word and its head noun (e.g., son of, mother of)
  9. Partitive, indicates the larger unit of which the head noun is a smaller part (e.g., “some of the branches”)

Dative

Dative Proper (“to”)

  1. Indirect object, like in English (helping word: “to”)
  2. Dative of interest, expresses the idea “for someone’s (dis-)advantage” (“for” or “against”)
  3. Reference or respect, indicates what in English is expressed as “with respect to” (e.g., “consider yourselves dead to sin”)

Locative (“in”)

  1. Sphere, indicates the sphere or realm in which something occurs (e.g., “pure in heart”)
  2. Time, specifies when something occurs (e.g., “on the third day”)
  3. Association, indicates the idea “with”

Instrumental (“by”)

  1. Manner, indicates the manner in which something is done
  2. Means, indicates the means or instrument by which something is accomplished