Matthew 1:17

Πάσαι ούν αι γενεαί από Αβραάμ έως Δαυίδ γενεαί δεκατέσσαρες,
και από Δαυίδ έως της μετοικεσίας Βαβυλώνος γενεαί δεκατέσσαρες,
και από της μετοικεσίας Βαβυλώνος έως του Χριστού γενεαί δεκατέσσαρες.

All therefore the generations from Abraham until David generations fourteen,
and from David until the carrying away of Babylon generations fourteen,
and from the carrying away of Babylon until the Messiah generations fourteen.

Let’s start with a preposition and an adverb. The word ‘από’ is a preposition; in this case, one which is always followed by the genitive. The reason you don’t see a genitive form of ‘Αβραάμ’ or ‘Δαυίδ’ is because these names are indeclinable; they are spelled the same regardless of case. However you do see the genitive in the final instance:

από της μετοικεσίας
from (the time of) the carrying away

‘Από’ has a general sense involving separation; it can be translated ‘out of’ or ‘from’ or ‘away from’.

The adverb is ‘έως’, which here means ‘until (the time of)’. The difference between a preposition and an adverb is (at least, to me) a subtle one, and in any case does not seem to produce any issues in translation.

The word ‘ούν’ is a postpositive conjection; like ‘δε’, it cannot stand as the first word in its phrase. It can be translated as ‘so’, or ‘therefore’.

A key word in this verse is the noun ‘γενεά’, meaning ‘generation’. This noun is feminine, and is declined as follows:

η γενεά . . . . . . . . . the generation (nominative singular)
της γενεάς . . . . . . .of the generation (genitive singular)
τῃ γενεᾴ . . . . . . . . .to/for the generation (dative singular)
την γενεάν . . . . . . the generation (accusative singular)

αι γενεαί . . . . . . . . the generations (nominative plural)
των γενεών . . . . . . of the generations (genitive plural)
ταις γενεαίς . . . . . . to/for the generations (dative plural)
τας γενεάς . . . . . . . the generations (accusative plural)

In Matthew 1:17 we see this noun four times in the nominative plural: once with the definite article (‘αι γενεαί’) and three times without (‘γενεαί’).

Incidentally, the on-line New Testament at www.greekbiblestudy.com has some extremely useful features. Not only are the Greek words color-coded (blue for nouns, red for verbs, etc.) but if you mouse over a word you get its definition, and parsing, and all the forms in which this word is found in the New Testament (click on ‘Show NT Forms’). For ‘γενεά’, for example, you will get all the forms I’ve just listed above.

More on this verse tomorrow. Χαίρετε!