ἐσχίσθη (eschisthe) in Matthew 27:51: Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Passive Indicative
ἐσχίσθη (eschisthe) in Matthew 27:51
Textual Witness
The witness reads ἐσχίσθη in Matthew 27:51.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The passive predicate makes the curtain the acted-upon subject in the sign after Jesus' death.
How To Communicate It
Use this form to show that Matthew reports the curtain as torn, not merely opened or moved.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- Do not use passive voice alone to name the agent.
- Do not detach the tearing from the temple curtain subject.
- Do not make aorist aspect explain the whole sign.
What Does The Label Mean?
Verb: the form names an action or state and functions as a finite verbal form in its clause.
Aorist: commonly views the action as a whole event. It should not be treated as automatically punctiliar or automatically past in every context.
Passive: presents the curtain as acted upon rather than acting.
Indicative: presents the verbal idea as an assertion in the clause.
Third person: the form speaks about the curtain rather than directly addressing the hearers.
Not applicable: this finite verb form is not using noun case to mark its clause role.
Singular: the verb agrees with the singular subject καταπέτασμα.
Not applicable: this finite verb form does not use grammatical gender.
What The Form Does In This Verse
τὸ καταπέτασμα
The verb is the predicate of the temple-curtain sign.
It reports that the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
It does not by itself identify the agent or explain every theological meaning of the sign.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The verb reports the tearing of the temple curtain after Jesus' death.
Passive predicate of the curtain sign. states that the curtain was torn. Attached to τὸ καταπέτασμα. Governed by Matthew 27:51. The verb should be read with the subject and the into-two direction phrase.
What happened to the curtain? It was torn in two from top to bottom.
Direct: The form directly supports a passive rendering such as "was torn."
The passive verb does not name the agent by itself.
Passive voice alone identifies the agent: The form reports that the curtain was acted upon; agent and meaning must come from context and canon.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The witness reads ἐσχίσθη in Matthew 27:51.
The lemma σχίζω means to split, tear, or divide, and here the passive form reports the curtain being torn.
The passive verb agrees with the singular subject καταπέτασμα and is completed by the phrase into two from above to below.
Matthew reports the temple curtain torn immediately after Jesus' death.
The form fits the passion narrative's sign sequence, where Jesus' death is followed by temple and creation signs.
In teaching, explain the passive verb with its subject and direction phrase instead of building the whole theology from voice alone.
Do not use passive voice alone to identify the agent or to settle every meaning of the temple sign.