Note (7.) to "DEFinite John 1:1c - DEF"

7.  Personal names such as "Jesus," "Abraham," "Mary," etc. should not be included as they may take a definite article in NT Greek or not according to the whim of the writer and yet in English are always translated without the definite article.

Wallace, Harner, and Colwell all properly exclude them as examples for their rules. It is obvious that this is also a proper exception because proper names take the definite article with such irregularity that no rule (including Colwell's and Sharp's "Rules") which is based on article usage (or non-usage) can properly use them.

Great irregularity of article usage with proper names has also been noted by most other recognized NT Greek scholars: "with proper names. Here the article is used or not at the will of the writer." - A. T. Robertson, Grammar, p. 791.

Here are some examples from the NT Greek text in the first chapters of the Gospel of John:


1:45 - _Philip found the Nathanael
1:46 - _Nathanael said to him
1:47 - Jesus saw the Nathanael
1:48 - _Nathanael said to him
1:48 - _Jesus answered
1:49 - _Nathanael answered
1:50 - _Jesus said
2:2 - The Jesus and the disciples
2:4 - The Jesus said
2:7 - The Jesus said
2:11 - The Jesus did this as the beginning
2:17 - The Jesus went up
2:19 _Jesus answered
2:24 - But _Jesus himself
3:3 - _Jesus answered
3:4 - The Nicodemus
3:5 - The Jesus answered
3:9 - _Nicodemus answered
3:10 - _Jesus answered
3:14 - _Moses lifted up
3:22 - The Jesus and the disciples
3:23 - The John
3:24 - _John had not yet been thrown
4:7 - The Jesus said to her
4:10 - _Jesus answered and said

Entire Study File

Trinity Index