The Subjunctive Mode: “Southern Greek!”

Remember, the Subjunctive mode endings (Active, Middle, and Passive) are simply Indicative endings whose thematic vowel has lengthened (e.g., -ω, -εις, -ει, -ομεν, -ετε, -ουσι become -ω, -ῃς, -ῃ, -ωμεν, -ητε, -ωσι, respectively).* Think of these Subjunctive endings as “Southern Greek,” since the sound of all the endings has a longer (Southern?) vowel sound. In Wermuth's GREEKBOOK (p. 35), the Subjunctive mode endings are coded “S-1” (active endings) and “S-2” (middle and passive endings). “S” for Subjunctive; “S” for “Southern.” Remember, too, that when you see “active” Subjunctive endings with no verb stem (i.e., ὦ, ᾖς, ᾖ, ὦμεν, ἦτε, ὦσι[ν]), you’re looking at the Present Active Subjunctive of the verb εἰμί.

In the Subjunctive mode, the “circumflex” accent that occurs over the thematic vowel of the verb endings in the Aorist passive voice is the result of a collision of the stem’s ending vowel (η-) and the thematic vowel of the endings (–ω, -ῃς, -ῃ, -ωμεν, -ητε, -ωσι). Therefore: λυθῶ…λυθῇς...etc. Think of it as a car accident resulting in a “fender bender” (what the circumflex accent looks like. See also: “Signal Flags” for verbal forms chart, p. 45 in the GREEKBOOK). So, when observing either a -θῆ- or a -θῶ- (-φῆ- or -φῶ-, etc.) toward the end of a verbal form, you always are looking at an Aorist Passive Subjunctive. (For other “Signal Flags for Verbal Forms,” see p. 45 in the GREEKBOOK.)

When attempting to translate a Subjunctive mode clause, always remember that you must identify what use of the Subjunctive is in play. For example, is it an exhortation (1st person plural Subjunctive verb form = “We should...")? Or, is it a clause with ἵνα ( = “in order that, so that, that”)? Or maybe the clause ends with a Greek question mark ( ; ), indicating the presence of a 1st person singular or plural Subjunctive verb form and a question of doubt as to what the speaker(s) should say or do. (For a concise listing and explanation of all the “Uses of the Subjunctive” mode, see pages 36-39 in the GREEKBOOK).

A cultural distinction seems important when translating the Subjunctive mode verb form that occurs in the 1st person plural. The use of the Subjunctive here is the exhortation, which many (if not most) grammars and bible translations render with “Let us...” While this is perfectly legitimate under Greek grammatical rules, culturally it seems weak, since we often use the contraction “Let’s...” in everyday speech when we are simply hoping that something will occur. In this regard, it seems much more preferable (and therefore I teach my students) to render this use of the Subjunctive with a culturally stronger, clearer “We should...” Now, read (and hear) the difference contrasted with the following short verse from 1 John 4:7:

“Let us love one another.”

ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλων = [or]

“We should love one another.” (Culturally stronger)

* NOTE: With regard to the Greek diphthong “ει,” it seems preferable and wise to pronounce it phonetically the same as the identical diphthong in the English word “height,” as opposed to the phonetic sound in the English word “freight.” This is because the “ει” diphthong occurs within the 2nd and 3rd persons of “active voice” verb endings of the Indicative mode (-ει, -εις), later “lengthening” to -ῃ when used in the same persons in the Subjunctive mode (-ῃ,-ῃς). Since the phonetic sound of ῃ is the same as the diphthong in “freight,” it tends to confuse the usage of these separately occurring endings (“ει” in the Indicative; “ῃ” in the Subjunctive, also “middle/passive voice” Indicative 2nd sing.) if pronounced identically.

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“Sipping” on Greek Participles

So … are you slipping on Greek participles when you’d rather be "sipping" on them instead? Here are some tips:

Greek Participles Defined

Participles are verbal adjectives. Being part verb, they have tense, voice and mode, while being part adjective, they also have (as do nouns and adjectives) gender, case, and number. As a result, the parsing of participles is represented through all six of these distinctions: tense, voice, mode, gender, case, and number (e.g., λύων ‒ Present, Active, Participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular).

Participles may be used “adjectivally” including as a substantive, when no antecedent noun is present. In these instances, as with all adjectives, they agree in gender, case, and number with the nouns or pronouns they modify. Used “adverbially,” participles may receive adverbial modifiers, and may take a direct object.

Declensions

Participles are declined in all three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. The masculine active participle is declined like the 3^rd Declension masculine, lingual mute stem noun, ἄρχων.* The feminine active participle is declined like the 1^st Declension feminine noun, γλῶσσα (whose nominative singular ends in -α, and is not preceded by ε, ι, or ρ). The neuter active participle is declined like 3^rd Declension neuter nouns whose stems end in –ματ.

The middle and passive participle endings are declined like 2^nd Declension masculines and neuters; the feminine is declined like 1^st Declension feminine nouns whose nominative singular ends in -η. Remember Aorist Passive participles always use endings that are active in “appearance.” To get a more comprehensive "satellite view" of Greek Participles formation, "click" on each of the images, below. "Double-click" on each for an enlarged view.

Time

In circumstantial (temporal, adverbial) clauses, the time frame of the participle in translation is related to the tense and time frame of the leading (Indicative) verb. The Present participle is found where the action of the participle is represented as taking place at the same time as the action of the leading (indicative) verb, regardless of when the action of the leading verb takes place. The action of the Aorist and Perfect participles denote action that has occurred prior to the action denoted by the leading (Indicative) verb, regardless of whether the action of the leading verb is represented as occurring in the past, present, or future. For more on translation of participles, both “Circumstantial” (temporal, adverbial) participles (i.e., those without a definite article), as well as “Articular” (adjectival) participles, see the post, "Participle = Verbal Adjective." 

*NOTE: It is imperative that the beginning Greek student learn the declension of the 3rd Declension noun ἀρχῶν, ὁ (ruler). From this noun Present "active" participle endings are derived, and the noun’s stem (ἀρχ-) is replaced with a verbal stem (or, as I like to say in class, “We’re putting Noah back into the ‘ark’ [ἀρχ-] and sending him on a vacation.” The resultant verb stem + declined endings = a verbal-adjective, the grammatical description for a participle (e.g., λύων, λύοντος...).

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“GPS” This! — The “Satellite View” of ειμι

Similar in comprehensiveness to what's available for Greek nouns and participles ("It's All Greek to YOU!" teaching blog), here's another one-page "satellite view" of an important Greek verb: the intransitive (linking, "state-of-being") verb εἰμί. Included are this verb's Indicative, Subjunctive, Imperative, and Participial structures. Just think of it as a "GPS" (Greek Positioning System) for εἰμί. Click once to view image only, then click again to enlarge.

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Greek & Hebrew Reader’s Bible ONLINE!

 

Analytical GREEK NEW TESTAMENT Online!

Just don't use it to complete your Greek homework assignments, okay? There'll be plenty of years and ample opportunities for you to "take up your crutch and walk" later.

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A “Live, Interactive” Online New Testament Greek Course? Take the POLL!

Based on the “sampling” of New Testament instruction visible to you through this site and determined by your own personal Greek academic goals and needs, I am willing also to offer my services as a Greek instructor—via online "live, interactive" and/or written “chat” sessions, email communications, or any other suitable means. To that end, and in conjunction with Wermuth's GREEKBOOK and other readily available printed or online resources, I am preparing to establish an electronic distance-learning platform for a repeating online "class" and determine a reasonable fee for such a service.

I would, however, like to poll the potential recipients of such a course to determine viable interest for such an endeavor. It could be that you're planning on pursing a seminary tract that requires Greek, or possibly you're involved in classical Christian education or are a home schooler or where New Testament Greek is not readily available for you.

** If you're seriously interested in participating in some sort of formal online class, please provide me some contact information via the "Comments" area below, which will automatically generate a private, personal email to me as moderator of this site. I look forward to matching my services with your needs.

— Robert Wermuth “It’s All Greek to YOU!” —

• ἔρχομαι — Present/Deponent/Indicative/1st person, singular = I am coming, going
• ἤρχομην — Imperfect/Deponent/Indicative/1st person, singular = I was coming, going

1. It reminds the Greek student that he's looking at a specific category of Greek verbs (deponent), and
2. It reminds the Greek student not to translate these verbs as middle or passive, since they are neither.

• πορεύομαι — Pres., Deponent, Indic., 1^st Sing. = I am proceeding
• ἐπορεύθην — 1^st Aor., Defective, Indic., 1^st Sing. = I proceeded

• ἀπεκρινάμην 1^st Aor., Deponent, Indic., 1^st Sing. = I answered
• ἀπεκρίθην 1^st Aor., Defective, Indic., 1^st Sing. = I answered

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Principal Parts of Frequently Encountered

The verb tenses in Greek are divided into six basic “systems” called Principal Parts. Each system has a distinct verb stem, from which all the various tenses and their respective “voices” are built (click on first image to open and enlarge to full size within a separate window). In order to recognize a Greek verb, it is necessary to be familiar with its principal parts. The “regular” principal parts system is represented by λύω (click on remaining images in order or download the entire PDF here). The Principal Parts chart represented within the above image files delineates in alphabetical order the principal parts of many frequently encountered “irregular” verbs occurring in the Greek New Testament.

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Greek Diphthongs:

“If you should accidentally fall out of bed at night, don’t say ‘Ouch!’ Say, ‘Oh, ice, eye, ahmen, ete, ousi.’” (Indicative mode verb endings: -ω, -εις, -ει, -ομεν, -ετε, -ουσι).

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The “Bottom Line” on μι-Verbs

Don’t be intimidated by these "irregular" New Testament Greek verbs. If you pay attention, they too reveal structural "patterns" that you can find some comfort level in recognizing in context. The primary "bottom line" characteristics of μι-Verbs are presented below, and also as a downloadable PDF, which includes Indicative Mode formation charts and a listing of the most frequently occurring μι-Verbs in the New Testament. 

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