Case dative¶

Summary¶

In Koiné Greek, the dative case ending can serve a wide range of functions. It can indicate the indirect object (or recipient) of a verbal action. It can also express a variety of adverbial meanings, including location, instrument, manner, or relation.

Article¶

The Dative case serves three primary functions. It may also indicate the direct object for some verbs

Indirect object or personal interest - It serves as the case of personal interest by indicating the indirect object of the verb. It points to whom something was done or for whom something was done. It can also be used to indicate someone or something that is being referred to by the verb, including possession. [See Dative_Indirect Object]

Location - It may indicate the location (in place, sphere, or time) of an event. [See Dative_location]

Instrumental - It may indicate the means, cause, manner, agent of an action. [See Dative_Instrumental]

Direct object- Some verbs take their direct object in the dative case. [See Dative_Direct_Object]

Note: An indirect object is the person(s) or thing(s) toward which the verbal action of a verb or verb form is directed.

Form¶

Example: Luke 24:42¶
οἱ	δὲ	ἐπέδωκαν	αὐτῷ	ἰχθύος	ὀπτοῦ	μέρος
hoi	de	epedōkan	autō	ichthyos	optou	meros
They	and	they gave	to him	of a fish	broiled	part

They gave him a piece of a broiled fish

The Dative case is formed by adding the Dative case ending to the stem of a word (often with a connecting vowel).

Dative Case Ending
	First and Second Declension			Third Declencion
	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Masculine/Feminine	Neuter
Singular
Dative	ι	ι	ι	ι	ι
Plural
Dative	ις	ις	ις	σι (ν)	σι (ν)

[Note]

The iota (ι) in the first and second singular declension will often subscript because it is a short vowel.
The Nu (ν) in the third declension plural is a movable Nu and may or may not be present.

The movable Nu may be present when (1) it appears at the end of a sentence or (2) when the following word begins with a vowel. However, sometimes it appears when the following word begins with a consonant. There is no fixed rule that determines when a moveable Nu will be present. The reader/translator must be aware that it may or may not be present. [ For example there are early Greek manuscripts that include or exclude the moveable Nu for Acts 20:34 “καὶ τοῖς οὖσι μετ’ ἐμοῦ or καὶ τοῖς οὖσιν μετ’ ἐμοῦ.”

See NounParadigm for a complete listing of the noun paradigms and AdjectiveParadigm for the adjective paradigms.

Dative – Indirect object /personal interest¶

The Dative- Indirect object will only occur with a transitive verb. The noun or pronoun in the dative case receives the object of the verb. Example: He hit the ball to Tom. In this example, “ball” is the object of the verb. “Tom” would be in the dative case and receives the object of the verb.

However, if the verb is passive, the word in the dative case will receive the subject of the verb. [See the second example below for further explaination.]

The Dative-Indirect Object/personal Interest is the most common use of the dative case when a preposition is not used. Often, the translator will use the key words “to” or “for” in the translation. As an indirect object, the dative case is used to point out the person “to whom” or “for whom” something is done. If the dative case is treating an object as if it were a person, then the dative case is used to point out the thing “to which” or “for which” something is done.

Example: John 6:29¶
ὁ	Ἰησοῦς	καὶ	εἶπεν	αὐτοῖς
ho	Iēsous	kai	eipen	autois
The	Jesus	and	he said	to them

and Jesus said to them,

Example: 2 Corinthians 12:7¶
ἐδόθη	μοι	σκόλοψ	τῇ	σαρκί
edothē	moi	skolops	tē	sarki
it was given	to me	thorn	in the	flesh

a thorn in the flesh was given to me

Note: In this example the verb (ἐδόθη) is in the passive voice. Σκὀλοψ is in the nominative case and is the subject of the sentence. μοι is in the dative case. The word in the dative case μοι receives the subject of the clause (σκόλοψ) which is in the nominative case. “τῃ σαρκί” is an example of Dative_Locative which is described below. In 2 Corinthians 12:7, Paul receives the “thorn” in his body

Indirect Object of Advantage (or Disadvantage)¶

A sub-category of the Dative of Indirect Object is the Indirect Object of Advantage or (Disadvantage). It may be to the advantage (or disadvantage) of the person who receives the object. If it is to the persons advantage, it is referred to as the Indirect Object of Advantage. If it is to their disadvantage (or harm), it is referred to as the Indirect Object of Disadvantage.

Example: Indirect Object of Advantage

Example John 4:5¶
πλησίον	τοῦ	χωρίου	ὃ	ἔδωκεν	Ἰακὼβ	τῷ	Ἰωσὴφ
plēsion	tou	chōriou	ho	edōken	Iakōb	tō	Iōsēph
near	the	land	that	he gave	Jacob	to	Joseph

near the piece of land that Jacob had given to Joseph

Example: Indirect object of Disadvantage

Example: 1 Corinthians 11:29¶
ὁ	γὰρ	ἐσθίων	καὶ	πίνων	κρίμα	ἑαυτῷ	ἐσθίει	καὶ	πίνει
ho	gar	esthiōn	kai	pinōn	krima	heautō	esthiei	kai	pinei
the	for	he who is eating	and	he who is drinking	judgment	to himself	he is eating	and	he is drinking

For he who eats and drinks …, eats and drinks judgment to himself.

Dative of Reference¶

The Dative of Reference is a subcategory of the Indirect Object of Personal Interest. Sometimes the meaning is better conveyed with a key word; “concerning”, “about”, “in regard to”, “with reference to”, or “in respect to”. The Dative of Reference is often used when describing the effect of the action on a thing or a personification of something.

Example: Romans 6:2¶
οἵτινες	ἀπεθάνομεν	τῇ	ἁμαρτίᾳ	πῶς	ἔτι	ζήσομεν	ἐν	αὐτῇ?
hoitines	apethanomen	tē	hamartia	pōs	eti	zēsomen	en	autē?
We	we have died	to	sin	how	still	will we live	in	it

We who died to sin, how can we still live in it?

Note: This verse could easily be translated “With reference to sin, we have died.” or “in respect to sin”

Dative of Possession¶

Possession is a form of personal interest. Therefore, the dative case, in some instances, is used to indicate possession. Possession is generally indicated by use of the genitive case, but in some instances the dative case is used.

Example: Luke 1:7¶
καὶ	οὐκ	ἦν	αὐτοῖς	τέκνον…
kai	ouk	ēn	autois	teknon
and	not	it/there was	to them	a child

But they had no child

Note: In this instance, our smooth translation drops the indirect object of possession. It is awkward to say “And there was not to them a child.” The sentence is entirely rephrased to result in a smooth translation.

Dative -Locative (location)¶

Locative of place - The dative case may be used to indicate the location (or place) of an object in the physical world.

Locative of Sphere - When the place is more metaphorical or logical, it is referred to as the Locative of Sphere

Locative of Time - The dative case may also be used to indicate the location of an object in time.

Example for Locative of place (Note: the place is a physical location - “in a boat”)

Example: John 21:8¶
οἱ	δὲ	ἄλλοι	μαθηταὶ	τῷ	πλοιαρίῳ	ἦλθον
hoi	de	alloi	mathētai	tō	ploiariō	ēlthon
the	but	other	disciples	in	a boat	they came

The other disciples came in the boat

Example for Locative of Sphere (Note: the location is metaphorical or logical in nature)

Example: Matthew 5:3¶
μακάριοι	οἱ	πτωχοὶ	τῷ	πνεύματι
makarioi	hoi	ptōchoi	tō	pneumatic
Blessed	the	poor	in	spirit

Blessed are the poor in spirit.

Example for Locative of time

John 2:1¶
καὶ	τῇ	ἡμέρᾳ	τῇ	τρίτῃ	γάμος	ἐγένετο	ἐν	Κανὰ
kai	tē	hēmera	tē	tritē	gamos	egeneto	en	Kana
and	the	day	the	third	a wedding	there was	in	Cana

Three days later, there was a wedding in Cana

Note: In this instance “on the third day” is translated “Three days later…”

Dative – Instrumental¶

The Dative-Instrumental may be used to indicate the Means, Cause, Manner, or Agent by which an event occurs. The Dative-Instrumental may also be used to indicate an association with the main subject of the action. Making distinctions between Means, Cause, Manner, Agent, or Association can be very difficult and often the choice between one category and another is a matter of personal interpretation.

Instrumental of Means¶

The Instrumental of Means is used to indicate the means (or the process or method) by which the action of the verb is accomplished.

Example: Matthew 8:16¶
καὶ	ἐξέβαλεν	τὰ	πνεύματα	λόγῳ
kai	exebalen	ta	pneumata	logo
and	he cast out	the	spirit	with a word

He drove out the spirits with a word

Instrumental of Cause¶

The Instrumental of Cause is used to indicate the cause, the motivating event, or reason something occurred. Therefore, the key word “because” may help in translation.

Example: Romans 11:20¶
τῇ	ἀπιστίᾳ	ἐξεκλάσθησαν
tē	apistia	exeklasthēsan
because (of)	unbelief	they were broken off

Because of their unbelief they were broken off

Instrumental of Manner¶

The Instrumental of Manner is used to indicate the method or manner used to accomplish something. This is very closely related to the Instrumental of Means.

Example: 1 Corinthians 11:5¶
πᾶσα	δὲ	γυνὴ	προσευχομένη	ἢ	προφητεύουσα	ἀκατακαλύπτῳ	τῇ	κεφαλῇ
pasa	de	gynē	proseuchomenē	ē	prophēteuousa	akatakalyptō	tē	kephalē
every	but	woman	who prays	or	who prophecies	with uncovered	the	head

But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered

Instrumental of Agent¶

The Instrumental of Agent is used with a verb in the middle or passive voice to express the agent or person by which an action is accomplished. Agency may also be expressed by using the preposition ὑπὸ with the genitive case or δία with the accusative case.

Example: Galatians 5:18¶
εἰ	δὲ	Πνεύματι	ἄγεσθε
ei	de	Pneumati	agesthe
if	but	by Spirit	you are led

But if you are led by the Spirit

Instrumental of Association¶

The Instrumental of Association is used to indicate an association, relation, or affiliation of some kind with the subject carrying out the action of the verb.

Example: Mark 2:15¶
πολλοὶ	τελῶναι	καὶ	ἁμαρτωλοὶ	συνανέκειντο	τῷ	Ἰησοῦ	καὶ	τοῖς	μαθηταῖς	αὐτοῦ
polloi	telōnai	kai	hamartōloi	synanekeinto	tō	Iēsou	kai	tois	mathētais	autou
many	tax collectors	and	sinners	they were reclining at table	with	Jesus	and	with	disciples	of him

many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and his disciples

Dative-Direct object¶

Certain verbs take their object in the dative case. This often happens with verbs that indicate some sort of personal relation to the action.

The following is a list of 47 verbs that may take their object in the dative case:

Verbs that use Dative case for Direct Object¶
ἀκολοθέω (to follow)	ἀνθομολογέομαι (to praise)	ἀνίστημι (to resist)
ἀντιπίπτω (to resist)	ἀντιτάσσω (to resist)	ἀπιστέω (to disbelieve)
ἀρέσκω (to please)	βοηθέω (to help)	διακατελέγχομαι (to refute)
διακονέω (to serve)	διαμαρτύρομαι (to warn)	διαστέλλω (to order)
διατάσσω (to instruct)	διδάσκω (to teach)	δουλεύω (to serve)
ἐγκαλέω (to accuse)	ἐμβριμάομαι (to rebuke)	ἐξακολουθέω (to follow)
ἐξομολογέω (to praise)	ἐπιπλἠσσω (to rebuke)	ἐπιτάσσω (to command)
ἐπιτιμάω (to warn)	ἐπισκιάζω (to cover)	εὐχαριστέω (to thank)
κοινωνέω (to share)	λατρεύω (to serve)	μετριοπαθέω (to deal gently)
ὁμολογέω (to profess)	ὀργιζω (to be angry at)	παραγγέλλω (to command)
παρακολολουθέω (to follow)	παρενοχλέω (to trouble)	πείθω (to obey)
πιστεύω (to believe)	προσκυνέω (to worship)	προστάσσω (to command)
προσψαύω (to touch)	συλλαμβάννω (to help)	συμβουλεύω (to advise)
συνακολουθέω (to follow)	συνεργέω (to assist)	συνευδοκέω (to approve)
ὑπακούω (to obey)	ὑπηρετέω (to serve)	χαρίζομαι (to forgive)
χράομαι (to make use of)	ψάλλω (to sing praise to)

Example: Luke 16:28¶
ὅπως	διαμαρτύρηται	αὐτοῖς
hopōs	diamartyrētai	autois
so that	he could warn	them

in order that he might warn them

λογίζεσθε	ἑαυτοὺς	εἶναι	νεκροὺς	μὲν	τῇ	ἁμαρτίᾳ	ζῶντας	δὲ	τῷ	Θεῷ
logizesthe	heautous	einai	nekrous	men	tē	hamartia	zōntas	de	tō	Theō
You reckon	yourselves	to be	dead	on the one hand	to	to sin	alive	but	to	to God