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GreekVerbs(ShorterDefinitions)

GreekVerbs(ShorterDefinitions)
JustlikeGreeknouns,theGreekverbalsochangesform(theGreek'spelling',sotospeak).Theformchanges
baseduponthesubjectoftheverbandthekindofactionindicated.Aswasmentionedearlier,Greekisa
fully"inflectedlanguage."EachGreekwordactuallychangesform(inflection)basedupontherolethatit
playsinthesentence.Thestemoftheverbshowsthebasicmeaningoractionoftheword,buttheending(or
suffix)changestoshowvariousdetails.Notonlytheendingoftheverbmaychange,buttheverbformmay
haveaprefixaddedtothebeginningoftheverbalstem.Sometimestheactualstemoftheverbmaychange
ormayaddaninfixtoindicatecertainotherdetails.
Theprefix,suffix,andverbalstemallcombinetogethertodefineacertainformofaverb.Eachverbform
indicatesaspecificmeaning.Therearefivebasicparts(oraspects)thatareclearlydefinedorindicatedby
everyGreekverbform.Thesefivepartsare:Person,Number,Tense,Voice,andMood.Seebelowfordetails
ofthesefiveaspectsofGreekverbs.
GrammaticalPersonofVerbs
TherearethreemainclassesofgrammaticalpersoninbothEnglishandGreek.Personindicatestheformof
theverb(andalsopronouns)whichreferto:
1)theperson(s)speaking(FirstPerson)
2)theperson(s)beingspokento(SecondPerson)and
3)theperson(s)beingspokenoforabout(ThirdPerson).
Forexample:"BecauseIlive,youshalllivealso."John14:19b"HelivesbythepowerofGod."IICor13:4
FirstPerson:'Ilive'thepersonspeaking(i.e.'I')isthesubjectoftheverb.
SecondPerson:'youlive'thepersonbeingspokento(i.e.'you')isthesubjectoftheverb.
ThirdPerson:'Helives'thepersonbeingspokenabout(i.e.'He')isthesubjectoftheverb.

GrammaticalNumberofVerbs
TheconceptofgrammaticalnumberisquitestraightforwardinbothEnglishandKoineGreek.Itisthe
propertyofaverb(andnounsandpronounsalso)whichindicateswhetherthereferenceistoone(singular)
ortomorethanone(plural).(ClassicalGreekatonetimehada'dual'numberwhichmadeadistinctionfor
'two',besidesthecustomarysingularandplural.)
Eachgrammaticalperson(First,Second,andThird)canbeeithersingularorpluralinnumber.
Forexample:SingularNumber:"ForIampersuadedthatneitherdeath,norlife,...shallbeabletoseparateus
fromtheloveofGod,"(Rom.8:3839).
PluralNumber:"ForweareHisworkmanship,"(Eph.2:10a).

GrammaticalVoiceofVerbs
ActiveVoice
Grammaticalvoiceindicateswhetherthesubjectistheperformeroftheactionoftheverb(activevoice),or
thesubjectistherecipientoftheaction(passivevoice).Ifthesubjectofthesentenceisexecutingtheaction,
thentheverbisreferredtoasbeingintheactivevoice.
Forexample:"Jesuswasbaptizingthepeople"(paraphraseofJohn3:224:1,2)."Jesus"isthesubjectofthe
sentenceandistheonethatisperformingtheactionoftheverbthereforetheverbissaidtobeinthe"Active
Voice".
PassiveVoice
Grammaticalvoiceindicateswhetherthesubjectistheperformeroftheactionoftheverb(activevoice),or
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thesubjectistherecipientoftheaction(passivevoice).Ifthesubjectofthesentenceisbeingactedupon,
thentheverbisreferredtoasbeinginthepassivevoice.
Forexample:"Jesus...wasbaptizedbyJohnintheJordan"(Mark1:9)."Jesus"isthesubjectofthesentence,
butinthiscaseHeisbeingactedupon(i.e.Heistherecipientoftheaction),thereforetheverbissaidtobe
inthe"PassiveVoice".
MiddleVoice
TheGreekmiddlevoiceshowsthesubjectactinginhisowninterestoronhisownbehalf,orparticipatingin
theresultsoftheverbalaction.Inoverlysimplisticterms,sometimesthemiddleformoftheverbcouldbe
translatedas"theperformeroftheactionactuallyactinguponhimself"(reflexiveaction).
Forexample:"Iamwashingmyself.""I"isthesubjectofthesentence(performingtheactionoftheverb)and
yet"I"amalsoreceivingtheactionoftheverb.Thisissaidtobeinthe"MiddleVoice".Manyinstancesin
theGreekarenotthisobviousandcannotbetranslatedthisliterally.

VerbalMoods
Theaspectofthegrammatical"mood"ofaverbhastodowiththestatement'srelationshiptoreality.Inbroad
terms,mooddealswiththefactofwhethertheassertedstatementisactualorifthereisonlythepossibilityof
itsactualoccurrence."Whethertheverbalideaisobjectivelyafactornotisnotthepoint:moodrepresents
thewayinwhichthematterisconceived"(Dana&Mantey).Iftheoneassertingthesentencestatesitas
actual,thenthemoodreflectsthis,regardlessofwhetherthestatementistrueorfalse.
Theindicativemoodistheonlymoodconceivedofasactualwhilewiththeotherthreemoods(imperative,
subjunctive,andoptative)theactionisonlythoughtofaspossibleorpotential.
IndicativeMood
Theindicativemoodisastatementoffactoranactualoccurrencefromthewriter'sorspeaker'sperspective.
Evenifthewriterislying,hemaystatetheactionasifitisafact,andthustheverbwouldbeinthe
indicativemood.Itmaybeactionoccurringinpast,present,orfuturetime.This'statementoffact'caneven
bemadewithanegativeadverbmodifyingtheverb(seethesecondexample).
Thisisincontrasttooneoftheothermoods(seebelow)inwhichthewriter/speakermaydesireoraskforthe
actiontotakeplace.
Forexample:"AndtheyovercamehimbythebloodoftheLamb."
Rev.12:11"Godisnotmocked."Gal.6:7

ImperativeMood
Theimperativemoodisacommandorinstructiongiventothehearer,chargingthehearertocarryoutor
performacertainaction.
Forexample:"Fleeyouthfullusts."2Tim.2:22

SubjunctiveMood
Thesubjunctivemoodindicatesprobabilityorobjectivepossibility.Theactionoftheverbwillpossibly
happen,dependingoncertainobjectivefactorsorcircumstances.Itisoftentimesusedinconditional
statements(i.e.'If...then...'clauses)orinpurposeclauses.Howeverifthesubjunctivemoodisusedina
purposeorresultclause,thentheactionshouldnotbethoughtofasapossibleresult,butshouldbeviewedas
adefiniteoutcomethatwillhappenasaresultofanotherstatedaction.
Forexample:"LetuscomeforwardtotheHolyofHolieswithatrueheartinfullassuranceoffaith."Heb
10:23
"InorderthatnowthemanifoldwisdomofGodmightbemadeknownthroughthechurch..."Eph3:10

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OptativeMood
Theoptativeisthemoodofpossibility,removedevenfurtherthanthesubjunctivemoodfromsomething
conceivedofasactual.Oftenitisusedtoconveyawishorhopeforacertainactiontooccur.
Forexample:"AndtheveryGodofpeacesanctifyyouwhollyandIprayGodyourwholespiritandsouland
bodybepreservedblamelessuntothecomingofourLordJesusChrist."IThess5:23

VerbTenses
Time&"KindofAction"inGreekVerbs:
InEnglish,andinmostotherlanguages,thetenseoftheverbmainlyreferstothe'time'oftheactionofthe
verb(present,past,orfuturetime).InGreek,however,althoughtimedoesbearuponthemeaningoftense,
theprimaryconsiderationofthetenseoftheverbisnottime,butratherthe'kindofaction'thattheverb
portrays.ThemostimportantelementinGreektenseiskindofactiontimeisregardedasasecondary
element.Forthisreason,manygrammarianshaveadoptedtheGermanword'aktionsart'(kindofaction)tobe
abletomoreeasilyrefertothisphenomenonofGreekverbs.
Thekindofaction(aktionsart)ofaGreekverbwillgenerallyfallintooneofthreecategories:
1)Continuous(or'Progressive')kindofaction.
2)Completed(or'Accomplished)kindofaction,withcontinuingresults.
3)Simpleoccurrence,(or'Summaryoccurrence')withoutreferencetothequestionofprogress.(Thisis
sometimesreferredtoas'Punctiliar'kindofaction,butitisamisnomertothusimplythat,ineveryinstance,
theactiononlyhappenedatonepointoftime.Thiscanbetrue,butitisoftendependentonotherfactorssuch
asthemeaningoftheverb,otherwordsinthecontext,etc.).
Itisanimportantdistinctiontounderstand(anditwillbediscussedmorefullylater)thattheonlyplacein
which'time'comestobeardirectlyuponthetenseofaverbiswhentheverbisintheindicativemood.Inall
othermoodsandusestheaktionsartoftheverbtenseshouldbeseenasprimary.
PresentTense
Thepresenttenseusuallydenotescontinuouskindofaction.Itshows'actioninprogress'or'astateof
persistence.'Whenusedintheindicativemood,thepresenttensedenotesactiontakingplaceorgoingonin
thepresenttime.
Forexample:"InWhomyoualsoarebeingbuilttogetherintoadwellingplaceofGodinspirit."Eph2:22
"Notforsakingtheassemblingofourselvestogether."Heb10:25
AoristTense
Theaoristissaidtobe"simpleoccurrence"or"summaryoccurrence",withoutregardfortheamountoftime
takentoaccomplishtheaction.Thistenseisalsooftenreferredtoasthe'punctiliar'tense.'Punctiliar'inthis
sensemeans'viewedasasingle,collectivewhole,'a"onepointintime"action,althoughitmayactuallytake
placeoveraperiodoftime.Intheindicativemoodtheaoristtensedenotesactionthatoccurredinthepast
time,oftentranslatedliketheEnglishsimplepasttense.
Forexample:"God...madeusalivetogetherwithChrist."Eph2:5
"HewhohasbegunagoodworkinyouwillcompleteituntilthedayofChristJesus."Phil1:6
ImperfectTense
Theimperfecttenseshowscontinuousorlineartypeofactionjustlikethepresenttense.Italwaysindicates
anactioncontinuallyorrepeatedlyhappeninginpasttime.Itportraystheactionasgoingonforsome
extendedperiodoftimeinthepast.
Theideaofcontinualactioninthepastdoesnotapplywhentheverb"tobe"isintheimperfecttense.There
itshouldbeconsideredasimpleactionhappeninginpasttime,withoutregardtoits"ongoing"or"repeated
happening"inthepast.
Forexample:"Foryouwereoncedarkness,butnowlightintheLord."Eph5:8
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PerfectTense
Thebasicthoughtoftheperfecttenseisthattheprogressofanactionhasbeencompletedandtheresultsof
theactionarecontinuingon,infulleffect.Inotherwords,theprogressoftheactionhasreachedits
culminationandthefinishedresultsarenowinexistence.UnliketheEnglishperfect,whichindicatesa
completedpastaction,theGreekperfecttenseindicatesthecontinuationandpresentstateofacompleted
pastaction.
Forexample,Galatians2:20shouldbetranslated"Iaminapresentstateofhavingbeencrucifiedwith
Christ,"indicatingthatnotonlywasIcrucifiedwithChristinthepast,butIamexistingnowinthatpresent
condition.
"...havingbeenrootedandgroundedinlove,"Eph3:17
FutureTense
JustliketheEnglishfuturetense,theGreekfuturetellsaboutananticipatedactionoracertainhappening
thatwilloccuratsometimeinthefuture.
Forexample:"Weknowthatifheismanifested,wewillbelikeHim,forwewillseeHimevenasHeis."1
John3:2
PluperfectTense
Thepluperfect('pastperfect')showsactionthatiscompleteandexistedatsometimeinthepast,(thepast
timebeingindicatedbythecontext).Thistenseisonlyfoundintheindicativemoodandisrarelyusedinthe
NewTestament.
Forexample:"...andtheybeatagainstthathouseanditdidnotfall,foritwasfoundedontherock."Matt
7:25
FuturePerfectTense
ThereisalsoafutureperfecttenseinGreekwhichisveryrareintheNewTestament.Itisonlyformedby
periphrasisintheNewTestamentismuchlikethepastperfect,onlythecompletedstatewillexistatsome
timeinthefutureratherthaninthepast.
NonFiniteVerbForms
Participles
Aparticipleisconsidereda"verbaladjective".Itisoftenawordthatendswithan"ing"inEnglish(suchas
"speaking,""having,"or"seeing").Itcanbeusedasanadjective,inthatitcanmodifyanoun(orsubstitute
asanoun),oritcanbeusedasanadverbandfurtherexplainordefinetheactionofaverb.(Foramore
completeexplanationofparticiples,pleasegototheadvancedsectiononparticiples.)
Forexample:
Adjectivaluse:"ThecomingOnewillcomeandwillnotdelay."Heb10:37
Adverbialuse:"Butspeakingtruthinlove,wemaygrowupintoHiminallthings."Eph4:15
(Pleasebesuretoseethelistof'ReferenceSheets'wheretheparticipleandotherusesandclassificationscanbeprintedoutfor
quickreference.)

Infinitives
TheGreekinfinitiveistheformoftheverbthatisusuallytranslatedintoEnglishwiththeword"to"attached
toit,oftenusedtocomplementanotherverb.Itcanbeusedtofunctionasanounandisthereforereferredto
asa"verbalnoun".
Forinstance,"FortometoliveisChrist"(Phil1:21).Inthissentence,thewords"tolive"areaninfinitivein
Greekandarefunctioningasthesubjectofthesentence(anoun).
(Pleasebesuretoseethelistof'ReferenceSheets'wheretheinfinitiveandotherusesandclassificationscanbeprintedoutfor
quickreference.)

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