Conjunction – ἀλλά ‘but’

ObjectivesLearning objectives

Using ὅτι to introduce an argument with content
The morphology, syntax, and semantics of the conjunction ἀλλά ‘but’

VocabularyVocabulary

Greek	Gloss	Part of speech	Paradigm
ἀπέρχομαι ἀπὸ τῆς	(I) leave from the (gen)	verb	C.a.α
ἡ βίβλος, -ου	the book	noun	B.a.β.i
κηρύσσω σοι ὅτι	(I) proclaim to you (dat) that	verb	C.a.ζ
ἑτοιμάζω τήν	(I) prepare the (acc)	verb	C.a.θ
κακῶς ἔχω	I am bad/sick	phrase
πότε	when?	question word

Noteὅτι as an argument

Some verbs take an argument that contains content. This content can be introduced and spelled out with a word like ὅτι, as was noted in 12.2.3.2. From this point forward, verbs that take arguments that contain content will be learned with ὅτι. Thus, the verb κηρύσσω is learned as κηρύσσω σοι ὅτι, meaning that someone is proclaiming to someone something with content.

GrammarGrammar Topic: Conjunction – ἀλλά ‘but’

We learned that ὅτι introduces a subordinate clause, that is, a clause that cannot stand on its own (see 12.2.3.1). This type of conjunction is called a subordinating conjunction. A conjunction that introduces an independent clause (one that can stand on its own) is a coordinating conjunction. The word ἀλλά ‘but’ is a coordinating conjunction. Like καί (see 3.3.4.1), it connects two main clauses together or two like parts of speech.

MorphologyMorphology: Conjunction – ἀλλά

When a vowel comes immediately after ἀλλά, the final α drops out, e.g. ἀλλὰ καθεύδει vs. ἀλλ’ ἡ ἀδελφή. However, this rule is inconsistently applied in the NT (that is, ἀλλά is also found before a word beginning with a vowel).

SyntaxSyntax: Conjunction – ἀλλά

When connecting two clauses, ἀλλά comes at the beginning of the main clause that it introduces just like καί:

Example 113Beginning of main clause

The child did not die, ἀλλὰ καθεύδει [but (she) is sleeping] (Mark 5:39)

The second main clause, which is καθεύδει ‘(she) is sleeping,’ is introduced with ἀλλά.

While the verb καθεύδει can be considered a full clause (since the subject is implied), there are other times where ἀλλά is followed by another noun and nothing else, particularly after the first clause is negated. For ease of reference, we can call this the οὐ…ἀλλά construction. We have this same use in English with but, as in It is not Esther who ate the cake, but Elizabeth. John 4:2 is similar:

Example 114Οὐ…ἀλλά construction

Ἰησοῦς αὐτὸς οὐκ ἐβάπτιζεν ἀλλ’ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ

Jesus himself did not baptize, but his disciples

There is no full clause after ἀλλά, though we understand the noun afterwards to participate in the same event described in the previous clause. In other words, we intuitively supply the verb from the previous clause, as in Ἰησοῦς αὐτὸς οὐκ ἐβάπτιζεν ἀλλ’ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ (ἐβάπτιζεν) ‘Jesus himself did not baptize, but his disciples (baptized)’.

SemanticsSemantics: Conjunction – ἀλλά

The example in Mark 5:39 illustrates what the conjunction ἀλλά means. The two main clauses contrast the child dying and sleeping. Contrary to what others think, the child did not die but is merely sleeping. Death and sleeping are, of course, very different states, and ἀλλά is used here to signal the distinction between the two.

In the οὐ…ἀλλά construction, two potential participants in the same event are contrasted. In John 4:2, we are only discussing one event, namely baptizing people. We discuss this construction in more detail in 48.1.3.1, but here we note that this contrast is often contrary to the expectations of the reader. Contrary to what the reader might think, Jesus did not baptize anyone, but his disciples did baptize people.

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