LESSON FOURTEEN: IMPERATIVE AND SUBJUNCTIVE MOODS

LESSON FOURTEEN: IMPERATIVE AND SUBJUNCTIVE MOODS Up to this point, all the verb forms that have been considered have been in the indicative mood (remember Greek has six moods four proper moods [indicative, imperative, subjunctive and optative] and two improper moods [infinitive and participle]) Now we introduce verb forms in imperative and subjunctive moods. We have, however, not changed voice (remember there are active, passive, and middle voices?) and so the forms remain in the active voice. The other moods will be examined in the next two lessons. Imperative Mood Memorization of vocabulary 14.1 ἀγαπάω - I love γινώσκω - I know δοκιµάζω - I test ἐµβλέπω - I look straight at, consider θαυµάζω - I marvel θησαυρίζω - I store up, put aside, save (deposit in today s language) καταµανθάνω - I consider, observe µένω - I remain µεριµνάω - I am anxious, worried about, concerned about πλανάω - I deceive προσέχω - I pay close attention to The imperative mood (the name coming from the Latin impero meaning command ) is found primarily in two tenses: present and aorist. As for any other tenses, we need to keep in mind that there are some uncommon perfect forms in this mood, and just leave it there. Our concern is imperative in two tenses only the present and the aorist tenses. It is basically a commanding, exhorting, entreating mood and therefore there are no 1 st person forms since one does not, under normal circumstances, command or exhort oneself. 1. The present imperative active forms (see also, Wenham, p. 74; Duff, p. 80; Jay, p. 89; Summers, p. 111; Kubo, p. 78) are: 2 nd person λῦε λύετε keep on loosing 3 rd person λυέτω λυέτωσαν let him, her, it/ them keep on loosing 2. The first aorist imperative active forms (see also, Wenham, p. 97; Duff, p. 80; Jay, p. 90; Summers, p. 112; Kubo, p. 81) are: 1

2 nd person λῦσον λύσατε loose 3 rd person λυσάτω λυσάτωσαν let him, her, it/ them loose Note: there is no augment in the aorist imperative forms. This is because the augment is found only in the indicative mood. 3. The second (irregular) aorist imperative forms in active voice (see also, Wenham, p. 100; Duff, p. 126; Kubo, p. 81; Summers, p. 112; Jay, p. 91) are: 2 nd person βάλε βάλετε throw 3 rd person βαλέτω βαλέτωσαν let him/her, it/ them throw Note: These endings are the same as those of the present tense (see those of λύω above). The present imperative forms of βάλλω differ from those of second aorist imperative only in the stem (just as forms of 2 nd aorist and the imperfect in the indicative mood) The present imperative forms for βαλλω are βάλλε βάλλετε; βαλλέτω βαλλέτωσαν. Note: The function of the imperative mood (command, entreat, exhort) implies that all actions expressed by it are in the future (to the time the action is commanded). It is to be remembered, therefore, that a present imperative does not command an action now and aorist imperative in the past. Their difference in meaning is not time when but kind of action. 1 The present imperative asks for a continuous action while the aorist imperative simply asks for the action. Exercise 14.1 Parse the following verbs and make any relevant observations. 1. µενέτω (1 John 2:24, from µένω - I remain) 2. δοκιµάζετε (1 John 4:1, from δοκιµάζω - I test) 3. γινώσκετε (1 John 4:2, from γινώσκω I know) 4. προσέχετε (Matthew 6:1, from προσέχω - I pay close attention to) 5. ἐµβλέψατε (Matthew 6:26, from ἐµβλέπω - I look straight at, I consider) 6. καταµάθετε (Matthew 6:28, from καταµανθάνω - I consider, observe) 1 The expressions time of action (that is, whether past, present or future) and aspect of action (whether continuous or completed) have also been used to capture this point. 2

The Subjunctive Mood (still in active voice) Memorization of vocabulary 14.2 ἀγαπάω - I love αἴρω - I take ἁµαρτάνω - I sin εἰµί - I am (verb to be). Full forms will be learned later ἐρωτάω - I ask ἔχω - I have καταγινώσκω - I condemn µένω - I remain µισέω - I hate περιπατέω - I walk, conduct myself τηρέω - I keep Remember we have four proper moods? We have looked at verb forms in the indicative mood and we have just finished looking at verb forms in the imperative mood. Now we look at them in the form of the 3 rd of the four moods we are referring to as proper moods (indicative, imperative, subjunctive, and optative). Our focus now is the subjunctive mood. It is mood of probability or contingency. It is frequently used in expressing purpose for a main action (I am studying Greek so that I may understand the NT better) or condition (if I should sleep well, I will feel better tomorrow). The Latin word from which the term subjunctive is derived, coniungo, means joined with and this underlines that the subjunctive clause has a main clause it is attached to for complete meaning. All these details (purpose, condition, etc.) will be covered later in a more complete manner, as we advance our knowledge of the Greek language. The subjunctive mood forms, just as the imperative mood forms (see above) are found only in the two same tenses: present and aorist. (For some constructions in the perfect tense with a subjunctive mood involved, see the last note below) 1. The present, subjunctive, active forms (see also, Wenham, p. 159; Duff, p. 190; Jay, p. 199; Summers, pp. 105-106) are: 1 st person λύω λύωµεν I may/we may keep on loosing 2 nd person λύῃς λύητε you may keep on loosing 3 rd person λύῃ λύωσι(ν) he/she/it/they may keep on loosing (make note of iota subscript in 2 nd and 3 rd person singular) 3

Note: The endings are the same as those of indicative except for the long vowels as part of the endings (instead of οµεν we have ωµεν, instead of -ετε we have ητε etc. 2 ). Also, their iotas are written as subscript (see 2 nd and 3 rd persons singular) 2. The 1 st aorist subjunctive, active forms are (see also Wenham p. 159 and Duff, p. 190) 1 st person λύσω λύσωµεν I may loose, we may loose 2 nd person λύσῃς λύσητε you may loose 3 rd person λύσῃ λύσωσι(ν) he, she, it/ they may loose (make note of the iota subscript in the 2 nd & 3 rd person singular) Notes: a. The endings are the same as the present subjunctive (with long vowel). The forms have no augment because the augment is found only in the indicative mood. The 2 nd aorist subjunctive forms have the same endings. The difference with 1 st aorist subjunctive forms is that they do not have σ (which is what makes them second or irregular aorist) and the difference with present subjunctive is in the stem. For example, βαλω βαλωµεν; βαλῃς βαλητε; βαλῃ βαλωσιν b. The meaning difference between the present subjunctive and aorist subjunctive is not when (time of action) action is done, but what kind of action. The present subjunctive would have continuity in view while the aorist would simply report the matter. This is the same as the difference between present imperative and aorist imperative (see above) c. We do have some constructions where a participle with a verb to be in the subjunctive (periphrastic construction details to be studied later) result in a construction referred to by another tense (for example, perfect example is 1 John 1:4: ᾖ πεπληρωµενη [the ᾖ is a present active subjunctive of εἰµι and πεπληρωµενη a perfect participle both forming periphrastic perfect) d. While fuller discussion on the function of the subjunctive mood will be introduced in intermediate Greek, there is its use referred to as hortatory subjunctive that needs an early mention. When we said, under imperatives, that one does not command oneself and then translated the 3 rd person as let him/her/it or let them loose, one thinking from the English to the Greek would ask whether 2 A matter to beware though is that there is some lengthening of the final vowel of the stem before a σ, κ, µ and θ for reason other than a pointer to a subjunctive mood. For example, φιλησω, ἐφιλησα, πεφιληκα, φιληθησοµαι, ἐφιληθην and πεφιληµαι are all indicative mood in the future active, 1 st aorist active, perfect active, future passive, aorist passive, and perfect passive, respectively, from φιλεω. Some of these forms are yet to be learned. The important point here is that the final vowel -ε in φιλε/ω lengthens while the mood remains indicative. Note also that unless the tense is present or aorist, the lengthening will most likely be for reason other than being a subjunctive whose forms are in the present and aorist tenses. 4

these are not the same as let us loose, in terms of idea. For the idea let us loose the Greek uses the subjunctive (to exhort others to join him/her in something) and not imperative. This is what is referred to as hortatory subjunctive. Exercise 14.2 Parse the following from 1 John and make any relevant observations. 1. ἔχητε (1:3, from ἔχω - I have) 2. περιπατῶµεν (1:6, from περιπατέω - I walk) 3. ὁµολογῶµεν (1:9, from ὁµολογέω - I confess) 4. ἁµάρτητε (2:1, from ἁµαρτάνω - I sin) 5. τηρῄ (2:5, from τηρέω - I keep) 6. ἀγαπᾷ (2:15, from ἀγαπάω - I love) 7. µείνῃ (2:24, from µένω - I remain) 8. ἄρῃ (3:5, from αἴρω - I take away) 9. ἀγαπῶµεν (3:11, from ἀγαπάω - I love) 10. καταγινώσκῃ (3:20, from καταγινώσκω - I condemn) 11. ὁµολογήσῃ (4:15, from ὁµολογέω - I confess) 12. µισῇ (4:20, from µισέω - I hate) 13. τηρῶµεν (5:3, from τηρέω - I keep) 14. ἐρωτήσῃ (5:16, from ἐρωτάω - I ask) Samuel M. Ngewa Africa International University 5