The use of the genitive case

The genitive case has a variety of uses, some of which are not easily classified. However, for now we will concentrate on three major uses:

1. The genitive case is used to show possession.

This is similar to English usage, and in translation sometimes - but not always - involves adding the English word 'of'. For example:

βίβλος γενέσεως Ιησούς Χριστού (the underlined words are all in the genitive case)
a book of the generation of Jesus Messiah

and

Ιωσήφ δε ο ανήρ αυτής
Joseph her husband

In the second example we could keep the 'of' and translate: 'Joseph the husband of her', but it would be bad English.

2. The genitive case is used after certain prepositions.

For example, it is used after the prepositions από and εκ:

από της μετοικεσίας Βαβυλώνος
from the deportation to Babylon

εκ πνεύματος αγίου
out of (by) the holy spirit

3. The genitive case is used in the genitive absolute construction.

We have discussed this construction before: see the blogs for Wednesday, October 29 and Friday, October 31, 2008.

Χαίρετε!