a;nqrwpoj le,gei
a man speaks

(2) Genitive. The basic idea conveyed by the genitive is description. The most common description is that of possession.

oi=koj avnqrw,pou
a house of a man
or
a man's house

Key Word: of or 's

(3) Ablatival Genitive. The case form for this function is the same as the genitive. It indicates separation, origin, or point of departure.

fe,rei dw/ron oi;kou
he is carrying a gift from a house

Key Word: from

(4) Dative. This is the case of interest or reference. The dative deals largely with the personal idea. Its root idea has to do with personal interest. The idea of interest as applied to things becomes reference. It is often used to express the indirect object. It may also be used to express personal advantage ("for"; cf. Black, Learn, §31).

avpo,stoloj le,gei lo,gouj avnqrw,poij
an apostle speaks words to men

Key Word: to / for

(5) Locative Dative. The dative may also express location, sphere, or position.

o` ku,rioj dida,skei oi;kw|
The Lord teaches in a house

Key Word: in

(6) Instrumental Dative. The dative may also express instrument or means.

o` ku,rioj dida,skei lo,goij
The Lord teaches with words

Key Words: by / with

(7) Accusative. As the case of limitation, the accusative case limits the action of a verb or indicates its extent. It is the case most often used to express the direct object of a clause.

o` ku,rioj le,gei lo,gouj
The Lord speaks words

(8) Vocative. This is the case of direct address. Its form is nearly always identical to that of the nominative.

VAdelfe,( ble,pw i`ero,n
Brother, I see a temple!

However, you will often see neuter plural subjects take singular verbs:

ta. te,kna ble,pei to.n ku,rion
the children see the Lord

This is called the neuter plural idiom.

(1) This idiom is employed when the subject is being considered as a collective. For example, in John 10:25, Jesus says:

The works [ta. e;rga] that I do in my Father's house, these [tau/ta] bear witness [marturei/] of me.

(2) If the individuals or things that comprise the plural noun are in view, then a plural verb is used:

My sheep [neut. pl.] hear [avkou,ousin] my voice
(John 10:27)

The contrast between the two preceding examples:

• The "works," collectively, testify

• The "sheep," individually, hear the Good Shepherd

If you would like to have a broader perspective of the Greek cases, read Black, Still Greek, Chapter 3. We will refer to this chapter as needed to illustrate other uses of the Greek cases as we encounter them.