Greek Form Guide

λόγου (logou) in Matthew 5:32: Noun Genitive Singular Masculine

λόγου (logou) in Matthew 5:32

Textual Witness

λόγου logou Noun Genitive Singular Masculine

The witness reads λόγου in the phrase παρεκτὸς λόγου πορνείας, so the form is securely part of the exception wording in Matthew 5:32.

How The Form Affects Interpretation

The form helps readers hear the exception as a dependent qualifier, so the verse reads as a restricted statement rather than an unrestricted rule.

How To Communicate It

In translation and explanation, present the phrase as a contextual limitation and keep the focus on the whole sentence, not on the case ending alone.

What Not To Say

  • Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
  • Genitive case here suggests dependence and qualification, but it does not by itself determine every nuance.
  • Do not turn grammatical gender into a theological gender claim.

What Does The Label Mean?

Part of Speech

Noun: the word names a thing or concept here, and it functions as a substantive rather than as a verb or modifier.

Case

Genitive: the form marks a dependent relation in the exception phrase rather than standing as an independent statement.

Number

Singular: the form is grammatically singular in this occurrence, so it presents one item or one defined instance in view.

Gender

Masculine: the noun belongs to the masculine grammatical class, which is a form feature and not by itself a theological gender claim.

What The Form Does In This Verse

Attached To

παρεκτὸς

Governed By

The genitive form is governed by the surrounding phrase and marks relation, description, source, or possession as the context decides. This form expresses the matter or basis of the exception, so the phrase is a dependent qualification within the saying.

Role In The Phrase

It expresses the matter or basis of the exception, so the phrase is a dependent qualification within the saying.

What It Is Not Doing

It does not form a full independent clause, redefine the lemma by itself, or settle every question about the scope of the saying.

How Much The Form Matters Here

Interpretive Weight

High: The genitive noun is part of a sensitive exception phrase in Jesus' teaching on divorce.

Syntax Profile

Genitive singular noun in an exception construction. marks the matter or basis of the stated exception. Attached to the exception phrase in Matthew 5:32. Governed by the exception marker and the following genitive phrase. The form supports a dependent exception phrase and must be interpreted with the whole saying.

Reader Question

What kind of phrase is this in the saying? It is part of the exception construction that qualifies the divorce statement.

Translation Effect

Direct: The form helps support renderings such as "except for" or "except on account of" in context.

Where Caution Is Needed

The exception phrase is pastorally and interpretively sensitive, so the genitive should not be made to settle every question by itself. The phrase must be read inside the whole sentence and Jesus' wider teaching, not as a detached rule fragment.

Fallacies To Avoid

Case ending settles the entire divorce question: The genitive helps form the exception phrase, but the whole saying and wider context govern interpretation. logos is made into a technical legal formula by itself: The noun contributes to the exception wording, while context determines the practical force.

How The Interpretation Is Derived

Textual Witness

The witness reads λόγου in the phrase παρεκτὸς λόγου πορνείας, so the form is securely part of the exception wording in Matthew 5:32.

Lexical Identity

The lemma is λόγος, a noun that can mean word, statement, speech, or a related conceptual matter, but the local context decides the sense.

Grammar In Context

Here the genitive works with παρεκτὸς and the following genitive phrase to form an exception construction. The grammar points to a qualifying relation, not to a free-standing maxim.

Passage Meaning

The sentence frames a restricted exception to the stated divorce action, and the form helps identify the exception as dependent on the phrase that follows.

Canonical Fit

Within the Gospel teaching on marriage and divorce, the form supports a carefully limited exception, while the larger instruction still comes from the whole saying.

Communication Use

For teaching or translation, the form invites a careful phrasing such as 'except for...' or 'except on account of...', while avoiding overprecision where the context is not explicit.

Do Not Derive

Do not derive a broad theological system, a stand-alone definition of λόγος, or a claim that grammar alone settles every interpretive question in the verse.