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Koine and Attic Greek
1. Koine and Attic Greek
2. Lucian's The Ass
The
ancient Greek word
"ὄνος" ≈ "ass, donkey"
This book appears to be available as a
PDF (Portable Document Format). (as of 2025-12-23).
Lucian of Samosata (125-180) was a second century Hellenized (made to adopt Greek culture) Syrian writer who often used satire in his writings. He combined the classical Greek style (in a funny way) with the common or Koine Greek spoken by the people. As such, it contains many Greek words used in the
GNT (Greek New Testament).
3. Low and high languages
4. Koine and Attic Greek
One often hears how Koine Greek and Attic Greek were very different. This is somewhat like saying that street English and academic English are very different. People on the street may not understand the big words are complex grammar structures, but they get the gist of what is being said.
The Greek writer Lucian wrote many works in the second century that used Koine Greek but poked fun at the Attic Greek. These books would not have been popular had the readers (or listeners) not understood both languages.
Claiming that Koine Greek and Attic Greek were very different is sometimes used to rationalize changing the translation of the Greek to fit what the translator would like the text to say.
5. Microsoft Co-Pilot AI
Query: How well could speakers of Koine Greek understand those speaking in Attic Greek?
Answer: The ability of speakers of Koine Greek to understand those speaking in Attic Greek would have been quite good due to the shared linguistic roots and the evolution of Greek dialects. Koine Greek, which emerged after the conquests of Alexander the Great, was based mainly on Attic and related Ionic speech forms. This evolution allowed for a degree of mutual intelligibility between the two dialects. However, the simplification of Koine Greek, particularly in terms of vowel length distinctions and the merger of several vowels and diphthongs, would have made it more straightforward for speakers of Koine Greek to understand Attic Greek. Source: Wikipedia.
Microsoft Co-Pilot AI. (as of 2026-04-14)
6. Low and high languages
Most languages have two languages.
The official (high) language is the language everyone understands. This language is used in classrooms, courts of law, newspapers and books, etc.
The common (low) language is the language everyone talks in that area and which varies from place to place. Literature books may use this language to convey local flavor in reading the book.
In school, the high language is taught. When one travels overseas and starts to talk, everyone knows you are not a native since you are talking the high language and no one uses that.
7. English
The difference between high and low languages in English is more subtle than in most languages.
High language: I departed, arrived at my destination and returned. (Few people talk this way)
Low language. I left, got there and came back.
A local accent can play a part in the low language.
8. Latin
There are historically written complaints from officials in various areas of the Roman Empire (e.g., Gaul) complaining about how the locals are ruining the Latin language. Of course, these local dialects would become French, Spanish, etc.
9. Language history
First, some language history.
| Common language |
Official language |
| Low language |
High language |
| Aramaic |
Hebrew |
| Koine Greek |
Attic Greek |
| Vulgar Latin |
Classic Latin |
| Street English |
Classroom English |
| Low German (sea level) |
High German (highlands) |
The "
vulgar" in Latin and "
koine" in Greek mean "
common".
10. Low and high languages
The low language and high language concept does not mean one is better than the other. It originated from the low (sea level) and highland areas in Germany where the concept was named.
11. 2 Peter 1:4
2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. [kjv]
δι ων τα τιμια και μεγιστα ημιν επαγγελματα δεδωρηται ινα δια τουτων γενησθε θειας κοινωνοι φυσεως αποφυγοντες της εν τω κοσμω εν επιθυμια φθορας [gnt]
The English word "
partakers" from the modern Greek word
"κοινωνοί" (kee-no-NEE) ≈ "social" as in societal fellowship or community.
The term "
Koine" Greek means the common or social Greek language. In the same manner "
Vulgar" Latin is the common or social Latin language. And, in the same manner, in the time of Jesus, "
Aramaic" was the common or social Hebrew language.
12. Ground
Jesus then wrote on the ground. Jesus knows how to write. Was it in Greek, Aramaic, etc.?
John 8:8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. [kjv]
και παλιν κατακυψας εγραφεν εις την γην [gnt]
Interestingly, Adam was created out of the ground. That is, dust.
What was Jesus writing?
13. Hebrew for Babel
The Hebrew word
"בבל" (ba-vel) ≈ "Babel" as in the "
confusion" of languages that happened there. The corresponding Aramaic word is pronounced closer to "
Babel".
In English, one is said to "
babble" if one says unintelligible sounds that are somewhat like spoken language.
14. Translation difficulties
There are many translation difficulties.
Some of the original GNT appears to have spoken in Aramaic (common Hebrew of the time). It is unclear if it was ever written in Aramaic.
The GNT is then in Koine Greek.
The GNT was translated into the Latin Vulgate while the original Greek was often not available.
When the original Greek did became available, over a thousand years later, the Latin mindset effected the translation.
The Middle Ages mindset effected the translation of texts, including the KJV (King James Version).
The English in the KJV changed meaning over hundreds of years.
Some people then insist that the
KJV, as written, is inspired and inerrant.
15. John 16:29 Proverbs and parables
Are the disciples ever confused about what Jesus means when he says something?
John 16:29 His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. [kjv]
λεγουσιν οι μαθηται αυτου ιδε νυν εν παρρησια λαλεις και παροιμιαν ουδεμιαν λεγεις [gnt]
… openlice… by-spell. [wes]
What is the difference between a
"parable" and a
"proverb"? It appears that the Hebrew/Aramaic has one word for this concept and that word can be translated into Greek as
"parable" or
"proverb".
"παραβολή" ≈ "saying, proverb"
"παρά" ≈ "beyond" and "βολή" ≈ "throw".
"παροιμία" ≈ "saying, proverb"
The Wessex Gospels use
"by-spell" for
"proverb" and
"openlice" or
"openly" for
"plainly".
It is possible that whoever did the Greek translation picked the Greek word that they thought best matched the original language, but the differences and implications are yet interesting (and left for another time and place).
16. Daniel 4: Witness statement of a non-Jew
In Daniel, the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar is sometimes depicted as a narcissistic, overbearing and unreasonable person. Perhaps this is undercut the authority given by God to some on earth.
The Jewish scriptures, known from the Christian viewpoint as the
OT (Old Testament), were written in Hebrew. Well, almost all of them. And all were written by Jews, with the interesting exception of Daniel 4.
Daniel 4 is written in
Aramaic, is written in the first person, and is the .witness statement of King Nebuchadnezzar.
17. Unpronounceable name of God
Pilate might have written something like the following.
| ישוע |
י |
Jesus |
(yeshua) |
| הנצרי |
ה |
of Nazareth |
(na nazarei) |
| ומלך |
ו |
King |
(ve melech) |
| היהודים |
ה |
of the Jews |
(na ye hudim) |
| יהוה |
|
Yahwey |
Hebrew is written and read right to left. Take the first (rightmost) letter of each word (bottom to top). Would this have upset the Jewish leaders? Note: The Jewish leaders could read Hebrew, but most other people only knew Aramaic.
18. Abba: Son of the Father
The word "
abba" is used in the
GNT in Greek but was not a Hebrew word. It was an Aramaic word. In the garden, before the arrest, trial, and crucifixion, Jesus says the following.
Mark 14:36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. [kjv]
και ελεγεν αββα ο πατηρ παντα δυνατα σοι παρενεγκε το ποτηριον τουτο απ εμου αλλ ου τι εγω θελω αλλα τι συ [gnt]
… Abba … calicem … [v]
The word "
abba" is the source of the English words
"abbot" and
"Abby".
The Latin term "
pappa" for "
daddy" came to denote the "
Pope" as in the "
Papal" authority, etc.
19. Padres
Mark 14:36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. [kjv]
και ελεγεν αββα ο πατηρ παντα δυνατα σοι παρενεγκε το ποτηριον τουτο απ εμου αλλ ου τι εγω θελω αλλα τι συ [gnt]
… Abba Pater … [v]
The Latin word "pater" ≈ "father" as in the English word "paternal".
The Spanish word "padre" ≈ "father".
MLB (Major League Baseball) team names:
San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals (bird, not the church official)
California (Los Angeles) Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers
In the Bible, the word "
Abba" is not a Hebrew word. It is an Aramaic word that appears in Greek.
20. Languages
Note that the possible pun is in Greek while Aramaic was the primary language in Judea.
For 350 years, Greek had been spoken over this vast area and had become the
lingua franca that was spoken or understood by most people.
It is reasonable to presume that most people spoke one of these languages as a first language and the other as a second language.
The Latin (Roman) language was a late comer to this area and never quite caught on.
21. Matza bread
*G5236 *8 ὑπερβολή (hoop-er-bol-ay') : from G5235; a throwing beyond others, i.e. (figuratively) supereminence; adverbially (with G1519 or G2596) pre- eminently:--abundance, (far more) exceeding, excellency, more excellent, beyond (out of) measure.
It may be a coincidence, but the Greek words for "
wipe" could be a play on words with the Hebrew/Aramaic word "
matza" for "
unleavened bread" or "
bread of affliction" which has to do with God's Laws without the "
puffed-up" additions by the religious establishment - such as rules for not doing "
good" on the "
Sabbath".
The Hebrew meaning is that of "
finding" in general and "
finding favor" in particular. When Jesus wipes off the dust, as in "
wiping off the blood" or, effectively, "
washed in the blood", the play on words is that of "
finding favor" as in "
grace".
22. Petrified stones and rocks
John 1:42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. [kjv]
ηγαγεν αυτον προς τον ιησουν εμβλεψας αυτω ο ιησους ειπεν συ ει σιμων ο υιος ιωαννου συ κληθηση κηφας ο ερμηνευεται πετρος [gnt]
The Latin
"cephas" ≈ "rock, stone", originally starting with a "
k" sound, comes from the
ancient Greek
"κηφᾶς" ≈ "rock, stone" which comes from the Hebrew/Aramaic word
"כיפא" (keph) ≈ "rock".
John, who appears to think as a modern computer scientist in many ways, picks up on the relevance and importance of explicitly recording the double meaning. The word "
hermeneutics" comes from the ancient Greek word
"ἑρμηνεύς" ≈ "interpreter" as to the meaning of something.
The
modern Greek word
"κήφας" (KEE-fas) ≈ "rock, stone".
23. Matthew 6:24 Essenes and mammon
Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye can not serve God and mammon. [kjv]
ουδεις δυναται δυσιν κυριοις δουλευειν η γαρ τον ενα μισησει και τον ετερον αγαπησει η ενος ανθεξεται και του ετερου καταφρονησει ου δυνασθε θεω δουλευειν και μαμωνα [gnt]
The word
"mammon", of
Semitic origin and often had to do with money and what was associated with money. The
modern Hebrew word
"ממון" (mamon) ≈ "wealth"
The ancient Greek word
"μαμωνᾶς" ≈ "mammon" and comes from the Hebrew (or Aramaic).
The same idea in ancient Greek philosophy is that of
"self-sufficiency".
24. End of page
