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DATIVE CASE:        The basic functions of Dative case may be divided into three main categories:

         To be noted also are a number of Miscellaneous idiomatic or special grammatical uses.

I.       Indirect Object              Does the dative word express the one "to whom" or "for whom" the action of the verb is done? In English usually "to" or "for"

                     πάντα ἀποδώσω σοι

                 I will give all things to you             (Mt 18.26)

                     καὶ ἐδίδουν αὐτῷ ἐσμυρνισμένον οἶνον

                 And they tried to give to him wine mixed with myrrh                     (Mk 15.23)

II.     Location          Does the dative word tell the place where or the time when the action takes place?

         A.        Place   (usually used with a prepositon such as ἐν or ἐπί)

                     ὁ μισῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ ἐστιν

                 The one who hates his brother is in the darkness               (1 J 2.10)

                     οὐχὶ ἡ καρδία καιομένη ἦν ἐν ἡμῖν ὡς ἐλάλει ἡμῖν ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ;

                 Was not our heart burning in us when he was talking to us on the road?     (Lk 24.32)

                     λέγων μὴ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν περιπατεῖν

                 ... warning [them] not to walk among the gentiles             (Acts 21.21)

         B.        Time       (with or without a preposition)

                     καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγερθήσεται

                 and on the third day he will be raised                    (Mt 17.23)

                     σήμερον ταύτῃ τῇ νυκτὶ ... τρίς με ἀπαρνήσῃ

                 Today, this night, you will deny me three times                  (Mk 14.30)

                      ἵνα ... μὴ αἰσχυνθῶμεν ἀπὸ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ

                 so that we not shrink away in shame from him at his coming                      (1 J 2.28)

III.    Instrumental                  Does the dative word tell how something is accomplished?

         A.        Means by which            acted with/by means of a particular tool

                     ἐξέβαλεν τὰ πνεύματα λόγῳ

                 He cast out the spirits with a word                        (Mt 8.16)

                     ὃ ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν

                 that which we have seen with our eyes                  (1 J 1.1)

                     Μαριὰμ ἡ ἀλείψασα τὸν κύριον μύρῳ καὶ ἐκμάξασα τοὺς πόδας ταῖς θριξίν

           Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair           (J 11.2)

         B.        Cause or Motive           acted because of / based on

                     οὐ διεκρίθη τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ

                 he did not hesitate because of unbelief                  (Rom 4.20)

                     καὶ ἐδόξασαν ἐν ἐμοὶ τὸν θεὸν

                 and they glorified God because of me                   (Gal 1.24)

                     φόβῳ θανάτου ἔνοχοι ἦσαν δουλείας

                 because of fear of death they were held captives of slavery                       (Heb 2.15)

         C.        Manner or Mode                      acted in a particular manner / behavior

                     μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν λόγῳ μηδὲ τῇ γλώσσῃ ἀλλὰ ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ

                 Let us not love in word or speech but in deed and truth                 (1 J 3.18)

                     φωῇ μεγάλῃ ἐκραύγασεν

                 He cried out with a loud voice                  (J 11.43)

IV.    Miscellaneous Uses

     A.        Possession or Relationship                  Is the dative word used with the verb "to be" to show relationship or possession? (a common idiom)

                     καὶ οὐκ ἦν αὐτοῖς τέκνον

                 And there was not a child to them (=they had no child)     (Lk 1.7)

                     Νικόδημος ὄνομα αὐτῷ ἦν

                 Nicodemus was the name to him (=was his name)            (J 3.1)

                     ἐμοὶ μαθηταί ἐστε

                 You are disciples to me (=my disciples)    (J 13.35)

         B.        Reference or Respect (dative of specification)  Does the dative word limit or specify more precisely how a particular word or phrase is to be understood?

                     ἤμην ἀγνοούμενος τῷ προσώπῳ ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις ᾿Ιουδαίας

                 I was unknown by (in respect to) face to the churches of Judea                 (Gal 1.22)

                     ὦ ἀνόητοι καὶ βραδεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ

                 O foolish ones and slow in (respect to) heart                    (Lk 24.25)

                     ἀπεθάνομεν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ

                 We have died with respect to sin (as far as sin is concerned)                     (Rom 6.2)

         C.        Personal Interest          Does the dative word indicate that something is of advantage or disadvantage for someone or thing?

                     ἔκρινα ἐμαυτῷ τοῦτο

                 I judged this for myself                 (2 Cor 2.1)

                     ἐμοὶ γὰρ τὸ ζῆν Χριστὸς καὶ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν κέρδος

                 For me to live is Christ and to die is gain               (Phil 1.21)

         D.        Object of Special Verb  Is the dative word used with a verb that takes a dative object? (typical verbs are: believe, serve, follow, associate, etc.)

                     μὴ παντὶ πνεύματι πιστεύετε

                 Do not trust every spirit                (1 J 4.1)

                     ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ              

                 They followed him                       (Mt 4.20)

         E.         Object of a Compound Verb     Is there a compound verb (i.e. with a prepositional prefix) of which the  dative word is the object?  (a common grammatical syntax)

                     λησταῖς περιέπεσεν

                 He fell among robbers                  (Lk 10.30)

                     ἄνδρες δύο ἐπέστησαν αὐταῖς

                 Two men stood over them                       (Lk 24.4)

                     ἐπιθέντες τὰς χείρας αὐτοῖς ἀπέλυσαν

                 After laying hands on them they sent them away                (Acts 13.3)

         F.         Used with Certain Adjectives               Is the dative word used with an adjective that is typically used with dative case? (typical words: similar, like, sufficient, equal)

                     ὁμοία ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν θησαυρῷ

                 The kingdom of heaven is like (to) a treasure                    (Mt 13.44)

                     ἴσους αὐτοὺς ἡμῖν ἐποίησας

                 You made them equal to us                      (Mt 20.12)

         G.        With Prepositions                      Is the dative word used with a preposition expressing location, instrument, or association?  such as the following:

                     ἐν    in, with, among, by, by means of, to, for

                     ἐπί   on, upon, over, because of, on the basis of

                     σύν   with

                     παρά  beside, with