Regular and Irregular Variable Questions in New Testament Greek

Abstract

The formation of variable questions in direct speech is remarkably regular in Hellenistic Greek. There are, however, a few exceptions to the standard rule that the Greek New Testament exhibits. These exceptions occur for rhetorical and social reasons and in such a way that they affect the information structure and meaning of these interrogatives. Questions that follow the rule—and the exceptions—both evidence the regularity of word order in New Testament Greek.