Ἁγίου. (Agiou) in Matthew 1:18: Adjective Genitive Singular Neuter
Ἁγίου. (Agiou) in Matthew 1:18
Textual Witness
The witness reads ἐκ Πνεύματος Ἁγίου in Matthew 1:18, with the adjective directly following the noun it describes.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form strengthens the sacred force of the source phrase and helps the reader hear the conception as attributed to the Holy Spirit, not to ordinary human origin.
How To Communicate It
For clear communication, it should be rendered in a way that preserves both the holiness language and the relational force of the genitive phrase.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- The adjective describes the noun in the phrase and does not by itself create the full interpretation.
- Grammatical gender is a form feature here and should not be turned into a theological gender claim.
- Do not use the grammar profile as a shortcut around the wording and logic of the verse.
What Does The Label Mean?
Adjective: the word describes a noun by adding a quality such as holy, sacred, or set apart.
Genitive: the form usually marks a dependent relationship, and here it describes the source phrase tied to the spirit.
Singular: the form is grammatically singular in this occurrence and points to one referent in the phrase.
Neuter: the adjective agrees in grammatical gender with the noun it modifies, without making a theological claim about gender.
What The Form Does In This Verse
ἐκ Πνεύματος Ἁγίου
The adjective is governed by the prepositional phrase after ἐκ and agrees with Πνεύματος in case, number, and gender.
It qualifies the spirit as holy or sacred, identifying the source in a reverent and distinctive way.
It does not by itself explain the whole clause, replace the noun, or force a fuller doctrinal statement beyond the context.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The genitive adjective identifies the Holy Spirit in the source phrase for Jesus' conception.
Genitive adjective modifying Πνεύματος. marks the Spirit in the source phrase as holy. Attached to ἐκ Πνεύματος Ἁγίου. Governed by the source phrase after ἐκ. The adjective belongs to the conception-source phrase, while the sentence states the birth narrative claim.
What source does the conception phrase identify? The phrase identifies the source as the Holy Spirit.
Direct: The form directly supports the local wording Holy Spirit.
The genitive source phrase should not be reduced to case mechanics; the sentence supplies the conception claim. Neuter grammatical agreement does not make a theological gender or personhood claim.
Adjective alone proves the whole conception doctrine: The adjective identifies the Spirit as holy; the full clause and birth narrative carry the doctrine.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The witness reads ἐκ Πνεύματος Ἁγίου in Matthew 1:18, with the adjective directly following the noun it describes.
The lemma ἅγιος commonly means holy, sacred, or set apart, so the form supplies a sanctifying description rather than a new lexical idea.
In this sentence, the grammar presents the origin of the pregnancy as coming from the Holy Spirit, with the adjective marking the spirit as holy.
The verse uses the form to support the claim that Jesus' conception is attributed to the Holy Spirit, expressed with reverent specificity.
This fits the wider biblical use of ἅγιος for what belongs to God or is marked off for God, without needing to overread the form itself.
In translation and teaching, the form is best rendered plainly as Holy Spirit, since the adjective clarifies the identity of the source.
Do not derive extra detail from the adjective alone, such as a separate doctrine, a change in referent, or a gendered theological claim.