Verbs and verbals

Analysis of Greek Verb

1. Introduction:
Analyzing Greek verb is identifying its tense,
voice, mood, person, and number.
2. Tenses:
 In the indicative mood
 The Greek tense in in indicative mood
communicates two elements: aspect (kind of
action) and time (point of action). Greek has six
tenses: present (11,583), aorist (11,606),
imperfect (1,682), future (1,623), perfect (1,571),
and pluperfect (86). Time is absolute in the
indicative, relative in the participle and
nonexistent in the other moods.
 Analysis of Greek Verb
 Action in the Past Tense:
 Aorist: It is primarily used to put focus on action with
no emphasis on the duration or completion.
 Ingressive: focuses on the beginning of the action. E.g.
the word became-evgeneto flesh (Jn. 1:14).
 Effective: focuses is on the end of the action. E.g. …I
have learned-evmaqon (Phil. 4:11).
 Constantine: used when the action is viewed as whole.
E.g. I remained-evpemeina … (Gala. 1:18).
 Gnomic: expresses the universal/timeless truth. E.g. … is
justified-evdikaiwqh (Luke 7:35).
 Epistolary: the present action used with past tense. E.g.
evgraya (Phil. 1:9).
 Dramatic: Just happened with the present effect. E.g.
euvdokhsa (Matt. 3:17).
Analysis of Greek Verb
 Imperfect
 Progressive: emphasizes the duration of the action.
E.g. …you were seeking-evzhteite (Luke 2:49).
 Iterative: emphasizes on the repetition of the action.
E.g. …they kept saying-evlegon (Jn. 19:3).
 Tendential: action attempted but not happened. E.g. …
was trying to prevent-deikwluen (Matt. 3:14).
 Inceptive: emphasizes on the beginning of the action.
E.g. he began to teach-evdidasken (Mk. 1:21).
 Habitual/general: used with the expression “used to
…”. E.g. …used to go (Luke 2:41).
 Pluperfect:
 It is used for the past as the perfect is used for the
present as it is discussed below.
Analysis of Greek Verb
 Action in the Present Tense:
 Present Tense
 Descriptive: an action currently taking place. E.g. we
are drowning-avpollumeqa (Matt. 8:25).
 Progressive: began in the past and continuing in the
present. E.g. I have been serving-doulew (Luke
15:29).
 Iterative: repeated at certain interval. E.g. I
repeatedly beat…- u`pwpiazw (1 Cor. 9:27).
 Tendential: being attempted but not done. E.g. are
you going to wash… (Jn. 13:6).
 Historical: action happened in the past but used
present tense to show vividness. E.g. they spoke-
legousin (Mk. 1:30).
Analysis of Greek Verb
 Nomic: general as a law without specifying any time
period. E.g. anyone who divorces… (Matth. 5:32).
 Futuristic: something happens in the future but seen
as it already occurring. E.g. I will go-u`pagw
(Jn.14:28).
 Aoristic/habitual: expresses action as a simple event.
 Perfect Tense
 Intensive: expresses the present state resulting from
the past action. E.g. It is written-gegraptai (Luke
24:46).
 Consummative: Emphasizes completed action. E.g.
…has saved you-seswken (Mk. 10:52).
 Dramatic: brings past event vividly into present. E.g.
…cries out-kekragen (Jn. 1:15).
Analysis of Greek Verb
 Action in the Future
 Predictive: confirms that the action will take place or state
come into being in the future. E.g. …will baptize-baptisei
(Matt. 3:11).
 Progressive: emphasizes on the progressive action in the
future. E.g. I will keep on rejoicing-carhsomai (Phil. 1:18).
 Imperatival: used in the place of imperative mood to
express a command. E.g. You will call him/are to call him-
kalhseij (Matt. 1:21).
 Deliberative: Used in rhetorical question. e.g. To what…
shall I compare…-tini))) ovmoiwsw (Matt. 11:16).
 To identify what kind of use of any Greek tense form in the
sentence is, see the context very carefully. Not the form but
only the context can determine the author intended use of the
Greek tense.
Analysis of Greek Verb
3. Voice
 Introduction:
Voice of the verb indicates how the subject relates
to the action (state) expressed by the verb. If the
subject is the doer of the action, the voice is active
(20, 267 times); if the receiver of the action, it is
passive (3, 933 times); and if both doer and
receiver of the action in some way, it is middle (3,
500 times).
The difference between transitiveness and voice is
that transitiveness is related with object but voice
is related with the subject.
Analysis of Greek Verb
 Active voice:
 Simple Active: The subject performs or experiences an action. This
is by far the most common (Mk. 4:2 καὶ ἐδίδασκεν αὐτοὺς … And he
was teaching them …; Jn. 1:7; Acts 27:32).
 Causative Active: The subject is not directly involved in the action,
but may be said to be the ultimate source or cause of it. This
usage is fairly common (Matt. 5:45 ὅτι τὸν ἥλιον αὐτοῦ ἀνατέλλει
ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς … For he causes his sun to raise on the
evil and on the good…; Jn. 3:22; 19:1; Acts 21:11.
 Stative Active: The subject exists in the state indicated by the
verb. This usage is quite common (Jn. 1:1 …καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος. …
And the Word was God.; Acts 17:5; 1 Cor. 13:4; 2 Cor. 8:9; 2 Jn. 7).
 Reflexive Active: The subject acts upon himself or herself.
Naturally the relative pronoun is employed as the direct object.
The usage is relatively common (Jn. 13:4 … καὶ λαβὼν λέντιον
διέζωσεν ἑαυτόν· … and taking a towel, tied around himself; 1 Cor.
11:28; Gal. 6:3; 1 Tim. 4:7).
Analysis of Greek Verb
 Middle Voice:
When the active voice focuses on the action of the verb, the middle
focuses on the actor.
 Direct Middle: The subject acts upon himself or herself. Sometimes
reflexive active replaces this usage. The key to identification is verb
+ self (Matt. 27:5 …καὶ ἀπελθὼν ἀπήγξατο ...then he went off and
hanged himself; Mk. 14:54; Luke 12:37; Acts 12:21).
 Redundant middle: it is the use of the middle voice in a reflexive
manner with a reflexive pronoun. Somehow this is the sub category
of the direct middle (Luke 20:20 ὑποκρινομένους ἑαυτοὺς δικαίους
εἶναι pretended [themselves] to be honest; Rom. 6:11; 2 Tim. 2:13).
 Indirect middle: The subject acts in his/her own interest or by/for
himself/herself which is the common use of the middle in the New
Testament (Matt. 27:12; 27:24; Luke 10:42; Acts 5:2; [1 Cor. 13:8
ei;te glw/ssai( pausontai if there are tongues, they will cease] Eph.
1:4; 5:16).
Analysis of Greek Verb
 Causative middle: The subject has something done to/for
himself/herself but this usage is rare (e.g. Luke 11:38; Acts 21:24;
Gal. 5:12; Rev. 3:5).
 Permissive middle: The subject allows something to be done for
or to himself or herself and this rare in usage (e.g. Luke 2:5; Acts
22:16; 1 Cor. 6:11; 10:2).
 Reciprocal Middle: It is used with a plural subject to represent
interacting among themselves but somehow replaced in Koine
Greek by an active with the reciprocal pronoun avll­h,lwn (Matt.
26:4; Jn. 9:22).
 Deponent Middle: A deponent middle is a middle voice verb that
has no active form but is active in meaning. For example verbs
like e;rcomai and du,n­amai has no active form but it is active
voice in force. Any verb that does not have active form in any
principal part but active in meaning and if the lexical form of the
word in lexicon is middle or passive, it is the deponent. This is the
most common middle in the NT.
Analysis of Greek Verb
 Passive Voice:
In general, in passive voice the subject is acted upon or
receives the action expressed by the verb which can be
treated either structurally or semantically. It can be used
with or without agent (means) expressed. The agent could
be intermediate or ultimate. E.g. “The law was given
through Moses.” Here Moses is not the direct agent but is
intermediate. Examples of ultimate agent (Luke 1:26; Jn.
1:6; Acts 10:38; Rom. 13:1; 2 Cor. 1:4; Heb. 11:23; Jas.
1:13; Rev. 12:6). Examples of intermediate agent (Matt.
1:22; Jn. 1:3; 3:17; Gal. 3:19; Eph. 3:10). Examples of
impersonal means [the impersonal means by which the
verbal action is carried out is expressed by evn+ dative,
the dative case alone or rarely evk+ genitive] (Luke
14:34; Rom. 3:28; Heb. 9:22; Jas. 2:22; 1 Cor. 12:13).
Analysis of Greek Verb
 The agent could not be mentioned when it is
obvious from the context (Matt. 5:25 … and
you may be thrown in the prison), when the
focus is on the subject (Matt. 2:2 …Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ
τεχθεὶς βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων … where is the
[Son] who has been born king of the Jews?), for
the nature of some verbs (Luke 4:2), when the
agent is implicit generic or not known or not
necessary (Matt. 5:21; Jn. 10:35; 1 Cor. 1:13),
for the rhetorical effect (Mk. 2:5; Rom. 1:13).
Analysis of Greek Verb
 In general the passive voice is used as
simple passive (Mk. 4:6 καὶ ὅτε ἀνέτειλεν ὁ
ἥλιος ἐκαυματίσθη. And when the sun came
up it was scorched; Luke 6:10; Acts 1:5; Rom.
5:1; 1 Cor. 12:13) or causative/permissive
passive which implies consent, permission,
or cause of the action of the verb in the part
of the subject (Luke 7:7 ἀλλὰ εἰπὲ λόγῳ, καὶ
ἰαθήτω ὁ παῖς μου – but say the word and let
my servant be healed; 11:38; 1 Cor. 6:7; Eph.
5:18; 1 Pet. 5:6).
Analysis of Greek Verb
4. Mood
 Introduction:
 In short mood refers to the feature of the verb
that presents the verbal action or state with the
reference to its actuality or potentiality.
 In more detailed way mood is the morphological
feature of a verb that a speaker uses to
portray/represent his or her affir­mation as to
the certainty of the verbal action or state.
 There are four moods in Greek: indicative (15618
uses), subjunctive (1858 uses), optative (68
uses), and imperative (1631 uses). The detail of
each is as follows.
Analysis of Greek Verb
 The indicative Mood:
The indicative mood is the mood of assertion, or
presentation of certainty from the speaker’s point of
view. It is not correct to say that the indicative mood is
all in all the mood of certainty or reality (e.g. Acts
6:13; Luke 7:39). The indicative mood has different
specific uses.
 Declarative use: It presents an assertion (Mk. 4:3; Jn.
1:1; Acts 6:8; Rom. 3:21; Phil. 4:19; 1 Pet. 4:7).
 Interrogative: The indicative is used in a question
expecting declarative indicative in the answer. It
does not ask the why or how question but the
“what” question (Matth. 27:11; Jn. 1:38; 11:26; Rom.
11:2).
Analysis of Greek Verb
 Conditional: The indicative is used in the protasis of
the first class conditional (Matt. 12:27; 1 Cor. 15:44;
Rev. 20:15) or second class conditional (Jn. 5:46; 1 Cor.
2:8) sentences.
 Potential: It is used with verbs of obligation, wish, or
desire followed by an infinitive (Luke 11:42; Acts 4:12;
1 Cor. 11:7; 1 Tim. 2:8).
 Command/volitive: It is the use of future with
indicative (Matt. 19:18; 6:5).
 Indicative with ~Oti: It can be substantival as subject
clause (see Mk. 4:38; Jn. 9:32; Acts 4:16), as a direct
object clause (Luke 20: 37; 15:2; Jn. 3:33; 4:17; 6:42);
as apposition using namely, that (Luke 10:20; Jn. 3:19;
Rom. 6:6).
Analysis of Greek Verb
 The Subjunctive Mood: The subjunctive can
be said to represent the verbal action (or
state) as uncertain but probable. It is better to
say subjunctive the mood of probability than
saying the mood of uncertainty so as to
distinguish it from optative. The specific uses
of subjunctive are listed below:
 In independent clauses
 Hortatory/volitive: used to exhort or command
oneself and one’s associates. It is an exhortation in
the first person plural. The typical translation is “Let
us...” (Mk. 4:35; Luke 6:42; Acts 4:17; 7:34; Rom.
5:1).
Analysis of Greek Verb
 Deliberative: It is just turning hortatory into question. It asks
either a real question (which has to do with manner-cognitive
[How can we…? the question of possibility]) or rhetorical
question (which has to do with morality-conduct [Shall we….? the
question of rightness]). Biblical examples for the real deliberative
subjunctive are: Matt. 6:31; Mk. 6:37; 12:14. And for the
rhetorical deliberative subjunctive are: Mk. 8:37; Rom. 6:1; 10:14.

 Emphatic Negation: It is indicated by ouv mh, plus aorist

subjunctive (e.g. Matt. 24:35; Jn. 10:28; 11:26; Rom. 4:8; Heb.
13:5). Sometimes ouv mh, plus future indicative replaces this
one (Matt. 26:35; Mk. 13:31; Jn. 4:14; 6:35).

 Prohibitive Subjunctive: This is the use of the subjunctive in a

prohibition-that is, a negative command. It is used to forbid the
occurrence of the action. The structure is usually mh, + aorist
subjunctive (Matt.1:20; Jn. 3:7; Rom. 10:6; Rev. 22:10).
Analysis of Greek Verb
 In Dependent Clauses: By far the most common
category is the use of the subjunctive after i[na. It
comprises one third of the subjunctive use in the NT.
 Purpose- i[na + Subjunctive: It answers the question
why? What? And the appropriate translation would be in
order that…, to… (Matt. 12:10; 19:13; Mk. 6:8; Jn. 1:7).

 Result- i[na + Subjunctive: It expresses the result of the

action of the main verb (Jn. 9:2; Rom. 11:11). In some
instances the purpose and result is interconnected (Jn.
3:16; Phil. 2:9-11).

 Substantial- i[na + Subjunctive: as a subject (Matt. 18:6;

1 Cor. 4:2), predicative nominative (Jn. 4:34), as direct
object clause (Matt. 12:16; Luke 4:3), and as apposition
(Jn. 17:3; 1Jn. 3:11).
Analysis of Greek Verb
 Subjunctive with verbs of fearing (Luke 21:8; 1 Cor.
8:9; Heb. 4:1).

 Subjunctive with indefinite relative clause (Mk.

3:29; Jn. 4:14; Gal. 5:10) and with temporal relative
clause (Matt. 5:11, 26; Jn. 13:38; Rom. 11:25).

 Subjunctive in Conditional Sentences: This is the

use of subjunctive in the protasis of conditional
sentences. The conditional element is made explicit
by the particle eva,n. The subjunctive with this
particle gives the condition a sense of contingency
(Matt. 4:9; Mk. 5:28; 3:12; 5:31; 1 Cor. 13:2.
Analysis of Greek Verb
 The Optative Mood:
there are less than 70 use of optative in the entire NT. In
general, optative is used when a speaker wishes to
portray an action as possible. It is highly absorbed by
the indicative and subjunctive mood in koine Greek.
 Volitive optative (of wish or prayer), and polite
request: It is most common optative category a half of
the use (Luke 20:16; Rom. 3:3-4; 1 Th. 3:11; 2 Tim.
1:16; 2 Pet. 1:2).
 Oblique Optative: is used in indirect questions after a
secondary tense (which takes augment-aorist,
imperfect and pluperfect) (Luke 1:29; 8:9; Acts 21:33).
 Potential Optative: it occurs with the particle a;n in the
apodosis. It is used to indicate a consequence in the
future of an unlikely condition (Luke 1:62; Acts 17:18).
Analysis of Greek Verb
 Conditional Optative: this is used to indicate a
possible condition in the future, usually a remote
possibility ( 1 Pet. 3:14 ἀλλ᾽ εἰ καὶ πάσχοιτε διὰ
δικαιοσύνην, μακάριοι- but even if you do suffer
for doing what is right, you are blessed.).
 The Imperative Mood:
The imperative moves in the realm of volition
(involving the imposition of one’s will upon
another) and possibility. Specific uses:
 Imperative of Command: This is the most of used
category of imperative (Mk. 2:14; 6:37; Jn. 5:11; 1
Cor. 1:31).
 Imperative of prohibition: It is used to forbid an
action mh, +with present imperative (Matt. 5:36;
6:3; Acts 10:15; Rom. 6:12).
Analysis of Greek Verb
 Imperative of Entreaty, Request, Polite Command: The
imperative toward God in prayer falls under this category
(Matt. 6:10-11; Luke 11:1; 15:6; Jn. 4:7, 31; 2 Cor. 5:20.

 Permissive imperative: it is used to connote permission

(Matt. 8:31-32 …ἀπόστειλον ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν ἀγέλην τῶν
χοίρων. …send us to the heard of swine,).

 Conditional Imperative: (Matt.7:7; 8:8; Jas. 4:7; [Eph.

4:26]).

 Imperative as a Stereotyped Greeting: The imperative is

reduced to an exclamation. This occurs especially in
greetings (Luke 1:28; Jn. 19:3; Acts 15:29; 2 Cor. 14:11).
 Analysis of Greek Verb
5. Person and Number:
 Person:
 On rare occasion, the first person singular may be
used for the sake of vividness when a more
universal application is in view. The ‘I’ can mean all
of us (1 Cor. 10:30 cf. vv. 27-29); others but not
myself (Gal. 2:18 If I build what I destroyed, then I
really would be the law breaker). The scope of the
first person plural needs close look. When we find
the first person plural ‘we’ in the Epistles especially
in Pauline letters, it could be epistolary (referring
only to himself), exclusive (Paul and his
associates), and inclusive (Paul and the readers/his
audience).
Analysis of Greek Verb
 If the author immediately shifts from
singular to plural, it could be the key to
identify the use to be epistolary/editorial.
The good candidates for such use are 2
Cor. 10:11-15; 13:4, 6-9; Rom. 1:5; Gal.
1:8. Other doubtful ones are 11:6, 12,
21; 1Thess. 2:18; 1 Jn. 1:4; Heb. 6:9.
 Inclusive versus Exclusive. In the first case the
audience is included but in the latter case the
audience is excluded with the focus on
coauthors. Clear examples of inclusive are Rom.
5:1; Eph. 2:18; Jas. 3:2; and exclusive 1 Cor. 4:10;
2 Thess. 2:1 and other debatable texts are Jn.
8:53; 2 Cor. 5:18; 1 Jn. 1:4.
 Analysis of Greek Verb
 Number:
 In general speaking the subject and the verb must agree in person
and number which is known as concord. But there are few exceptions
for this use.
 A neuter plural subject normally takes singular verb (e.g. Mk. 4:4; Jn.
9:3; Acts 2:43; 1 Cor. 10:7; 2 Cor. 5:17; Rev. 20:7). However, when the
author wants to stress the individuality of object involved in a neuter
plural subject, the plural verb is used (Matt. 13:38; Jn. 10:27; 2:19).
(see Black p 92 last paragraph).
 Normally collective singular subjects take a singular verb. In such
constructions the group is viewed as a whole (e.g. Mk. 3:7; Luke
21:38; 23:35). However, on a rare occasion such a collective subject
takes a plural verb in which case the individuals in the group receive
greater stress (Mk. 3:32; Luke 6:19).
 When two subjects, each in the singular, are joined by a conjunction,
the verb is usually in the plural (Acts 15:35). However, when an author
wants to highlight one of the subjects, the verb is put in the singular
even when one of the subjects is in the plural (e.g. Matt. 13:55; Jn.
2:2; 4:36; Acts 16:31).
 Greek Infinitives
 Recall the forms and functions of infinitive discussed in
Greek II (text book chapter 21 pp. 160-168 and look at
your Greek III textbook chapter 10 pp. 113-120).
 As a verb infinitive has voice and tense. The tense of
infinitive is present and aorist which simply
communicates the aspect of the action.
 The infinitive, if takes article, takes neuter article. This
sometimes is preceded by a preposition.
 The subject of infinitive is in accusative case. But when
we face double accusative, it is difficult to discern which
one is which. E.g. Philp. 1:7 διὰ τὸ ἔχειν με ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ
ὑμᾶς- is this ‘because I have you in my heart’ or ‘because
you have me in your heart?’
 Infinitive is negated by mh,
 Greek Infinitives
 Infinitive is used to express:
 purpose (infinitive alone [Math. 2:2] , with
genitive neuter article tou [Phil. 3:10], and with
ei,j to [1Thess. 3:5]), proj to or w`j,
 result (w`,ste + infinitive [1 Thess. 1:8; Rom.
11:10]), and sometimes with tou, with ei,j to, or
with proj to,
 temporal (when the action in the infinitive occurs
before the main clause pro. tou/, prin, or prin hv,
+ infinitive [Matt. 1:18; 26:34], during evn tw|/ +
infinitive [Matt. 13;4; Luke 24:51], after meta to
+ infinitive [Matt. 26:32]), until e`,wj tou +
infinitive (Acts 8:40)
 Greek Infinitives
 cause to answer the question ‘Why?’ (dia to +
infinitive [Matt. 13:6). The infinitive is translated
as indicative.
 as a substantive (subject [Phil. 1:21] or object
[Luke 1:9]).
 Infinitive is also used as a complementary after
certain verbs like be able, want, begin, try, seek…
(see Matt. 10:26; and Mk. 9:35), in indirect
discourse (Mk. 8:29; 12:18).
 Imperatival infinitive: in rare occasions
infinitive is used to express command (see
Rom. 12:15; Titus 2:2)
 Greek Participles
 Introduction:
 Review the formation and uses (Adjectival and
adverbial) of Greek participles we discussed in Greek
II (in the textbook [Learn to Read the NT Greek]
chapter 20, pp. 142-159). Read also Greek III textbook
[It’s Still Greek to Me] chapter 11, pp. 121-126.
 Adjectival participle can be used as a substantive
(participle with the article) modifier of the noun/pronoun
as attributive adjective
 adverbial participle is used as a modifier of the verb.
See different adverbial functions (temporal, causative,
attendant circumstance, telic/final, conditional,
concessive, instrumental, complementary, imperatival,
periphrastic and genitive absolute ) of the participle in
‘It’s Still Greek to Me’ pp. 123-124.