Locative Case

1. Locative of Place

   This use of the locative encapsulates it's basic usage; i.e., location. It is used with and without prepositions.

   ὅτι ἐτέχθη ὑμῖν σήμερον σωτὴρ ὅς ἐστιν Χριστὸς κύριος (ἐν πόλει) Δαυίδ

   (hoti etechthe humin sēmeron sōtēr hos estin Christos kurios [en polei] Dauid)

   "for there has been born to you today a Savior who is Christ the Lord in the city of David" (Luke 2:11).

   The phrase, "in the city," is the locative of place; i.e., the place where Jesus was born.

2. Locative of Time

   This use of the locative points to position with reference to time.

   καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀμὴν λέγω σοι ὅτι σὺ σήμερον (ταύτῃ τῇ νυκτὶ) πρὶν ἢ δὶς ἀλέκτορα φωνῆσαι τρίς με ἀπαρνήσῃ

   (kai legei autǭ ho Iēsous, Amēn legō soi hoti su, sēmeron [tautēͅtēͅnukti] prin ē dis alektora phōnēsai tris me aparnēsē̜)

   "And Jesus said to him, 'Truly I say to you, that you yourself this very night, before a cock crows twice, shall three times deny Me'" (Mark 14:30).

   The phrase, "this very night," is the locative of time in that it points to the position of denial with reference to time.

3. The Locative of Sphere

   This application of the locative has to do with concepts within the framework of ideas; i.e., placing one idea conceptually within the boundaries of another, and, thereby giving it a place and location within that framework. The following are the three ways this may occur with nouns, adjectives and verbs:

   1. Nouns

      ἀδελφοί μὴ παιδία γίνεσθε (ταῖς φρεσίν) ἀλλὰ τῇ κακίᾳ νηπιάζετε ταῖς δὲ φρεσὶν τέλειοι γίνεσθε

      (Adelphoi, mē paidia ginesthe [tais phresin], alla tē̜ kakią nēpiadzete, tais de phresin teleioi ginesthe)

      "Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil, be babes, but in your thinking be mature" (1 Corinthians 14:20).

      The phrase, "in the thinking," is the locative of sphere within the noun sphere of not being "children."

   2. Adjectives

      ἄρατε τὸν ζυγόν μου ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς καὶ μάθετε ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ ὅτι πραΰς εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς (τῇ καρδίᾳ)

      (arate ton zugon mou eph humas kai mathete ap emou hoti praus eimi kai tapeinos [tēͅ kardią],…)

      "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart;…" (Matthew 11:29).

      In this passage, the phrase, "in heart," is the locative of sphere with reference to the adjectival sphere of "gentleness" and "humility" wherein this occurs.

   3. Verbs

      ὡς δὲ κατῆλθον ἀπὸ τῆς Μακεδονίας ὅ τε Σιλᾶς καὶ ὁ Τιμόθεος συνείχετο (τῷ λόγῳ) ὁ Παῦλος

      (Hōs de katēlthon apo tēs Makedonias ho te Silas kai ho Timotheos, suneicheto [tōͅlogǭ] ho Paulos,…)

      "But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word,…" (Acts 18:5).

      Here in this verse, "to the word" is the locative of sphere with reference to the verb "devoting"; i.e., Paul's exercise of devotion was occupied and focused "to/in the word."

Further Locative Examples

The word in the parentheses in the Greek and transliteration and underlined in the English is the word in the locative that will be identified. The locative will be described in the same way that will be found described in an analytical lexicon which may be used later (e.g., loc. sg. masc. = locative case, singular noun, masculine gender).

1. (τῇ δὲ πρώτῃ) τῶν ἀζύμων προσῆλθον οἱ μαθηταὶ τῷ Ἰησοῦ λέγοντες ποῦ θέλεις ἑτοιμάσωμέν σοι φαγεῖν τὸ πάσχα;

   ([Tē̜ de protē̜] tōn azumōn prosēlthon hoi mathetai tǭ lēsou legontes, pou theleis hetoimasōmen soi phagein to pascha?)

   "Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, 'Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat Passover"' (Matthew 26:17)?

   "on the first day" is a Locative of Time.

2. καὶ ἐλάλησαν αὐτῷ τὸν λόγον τοῦ κυρίου σὺν πᾶσιν τοῖς (ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ) αὐτοῦ

   (kai elalesan autǭ ton logon tou kuriou sun pasin tois [en tē̜ oikią] autou)

   "And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house" (Acts 16:32).

   "in his house" is a Locative of Place.

3. εὐθέως ἐγενόμην (ἐν πνεύματι) καὶ ἰδοὺ θρόνος ἔκειτο ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον καθήμενος

   (eutheōs egenomēn [en pneumati]; kai idou thronos ekeito en tǭ ouranǭ, kai epi ton thronon kathēmenos)

   "Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne" (Revelation 4:2).

   "in the Spirit" is a Locative of Sphere.