κηρύσσειν (kerussein) in Matthew 4:17: Verb Present Active Infinitive
κηρύσσειν (kerussein) in Matthew 4:17
Textual Witness
The witness reads κηρύσσειν in Matthew 4:17.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The infinitive marks proclamation as the action Jesus begins.
How To Communicate It
Use it to connect Jesus' action with the repentance and kingdom message that follows.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- Do not detach proclaiming from the kingdom content in the verse.
- Do not build a full doctrine from this form alone.
- Do not use morphology to detach the word from Matthew's immediate argument.
What Does The Label Mean?
Verb: the form names an action or state in the clause.
Present: often views the action as in progress, customary, or presently in view. Context decides the exact force.
Active: presents the subject as carrying out the action.
Infinitive: names the verbal action without marking a finite subject.
Not applicable: this non-finite verbal form does not mark grammatical person.
Not applicable: this finite verb form is not using noun case to mark its clause role.
Number: the verb's number should be read with its subject in this clause.
Not applicable: this finite verb form does not use grammatical gender.
What The Form Does In This Verse
Jesus begins proclaiming
Jesus' kingdom proclamation
Names the proclamation action Jesus begins after John is arrested.
Do not reduce proclamation to generic public speech.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The infinitive opens Jesus' public kingdom proclamation.
Infinitive completing began. states what Jesus began to do. Attached to Jesus begins proclaiming. Governed by Jesus' kingdom proclamation. Read with began and the quoted proclamation.
What did Jesus begin to do? He began to proclaim.
Direct: The form directly supports the rendering to proclaim.
The action is clear, while the following words supply its message.
Proclaiming verb replaces the message: The form names the action; the verse supplies the message.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The witness reads κηρύσσειν in Matthew 4:17.
The lemma κηρύσσω carries the gloss "I proclaim, herald, preach", and here it names Jesus' act of proclaiming.
The infinitive completes the began clause and introduces the content of Jesus' public ministry.
Jesus begins to proclaim the kingdom summons.
The form fits Matthew's transition from preparation to Jesus' own public ministry.
Use it to connect Jesus' action with the repentance and kingdom message that follows.
Do not define all preaching theology from this infinitive.