Greek Form Guide

πόλις (polis) in Matthew 5:14: Noun Nominative Singular Feminine

πόλις (polis) in Matthew 5:14

Textual Witness

πόλις polis Noun Nominative Singular Feminine

The witness reads πόλις in Matthew 5:14.

How The Form Affects Interpretation

Gives the light saying a concrete image of visibility.

How To Communicate It

Use it to explain why the light image cannot be made private or hidden.

What Not To Say

  • Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
  • Keep the form tied to Matthew 5:14.
  • Do not detach it from the city comparison in Matthew 5:14.
  • Do not use morphology alone to build a complete doctrinal claim.

What Does The Label Mean?

Part of Speech

Noun: the form names a person, place, thing, or concept in the clause.

Case

Nominative: marks the noun sentence role as the context requires.

Number

Singular: the number should be read from this occurrence, not generalized beyond the clause.

Gender

Feminine: grammatical gender marks form agreement and does not by itself make a theological claim.

What The Form Does In This Verse

Attached To

Cannot be hidden

Governed By

The city comparison in Matthew 5:14

Role In The Phrase

Names the visible city in the comparison that follows the light statement.

What It Is Not Doing

Do not turn the city into a detailed institutional allegory beyond Jesus comparison.

How Much The Form Matters Here

Interpretive Weight

Medium: city image

Syntax Profile

Nominative comparison noun. names what cannot be hidden. Attached to cannot be hidden. Governed by the city comparison in Matthew 5:14. Read with a city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Reader Question

What comparison explains visible witness? A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

Translation Effect

Direct: The noun directly supports city.

Where Caution Is Needed

This occurrence must be read within Matthew 5:14, not as a standalone word study.

Fallacies To Avoid

How The Interpretation Is Derived

Textual Witness

The witness reads πόλις in Matthew 5:14.

Lexical Identity

The lemma names a city, and here it supplies the comparison of visibility.

Grammar In Context

The nominative noun stands as the subject before the infinitive phrase about being hidden.

Passage Meaning

Jesus illustrates visible witness by comparing it to a city placed on a hill.

Canonical Fit

The form supports the transition from light identity to visible public presence.

Communication Use

Use it to explain why the light image cannot be made private or hidden.

Do Not Derive

Do not infer a full ecclesiology or political theory from the noun form alone.