Subjunctives

• Whereas the Indicative Mood is the mood of reality,
  The Subjunctive Mood is the mood of probability or possibility
  • what may or might be, rather than what is, which is expressed by the Indicative
  • This is often expressed with a conditional preface to a statement, e.g. “If I study well (the condition has the verb in the subjunctive), I will earn (the possible outcome) an A on the exam”
  • also exhortation (hortatory) or something that is generally true (axiomatic)
  • Since it denotes something probable or possible, the Subjunctive often refers to something in the potential future, BUT…
• Since the Subjunctive is a non-Indicative mood, it is negated by μή. (31.18)
• Like all Greek non-Indicative moods, the Subjunctive has no time significance
• The Subjunctive occurs in the Present and the Aorist (and rarely the Perfect), and their respective aspects are what you would expect:
  • Present, built on the Present Tense stem, has Continuous aspect
  • Aorist, built on the (unaugmented) Aorist Tense stem, has Simple aspect
  • Perfect, built on the (unreduplicated) Perfect Tense stem, has Completed aspect (31.21)
    • In the NT, the Perfect Subjunctive is found only in 10 forms of οἶδα
• The telltale sign of the Subjunctive is the lengthened connecting vowel
  • ο → ω
  • ε → η
• The Subjunctive uses the same primary endings as the Indicative, with the lengthened connecting vowel
• The endings are the same in both the Present and the Aorist. What does this mean?
  • As with participles, that you must know the Tense Stems, in order to distinguish.
• Formation of the Present Subjunctive (31.8-9)
  • Present Tense Stem + Lengthened Connecting Vowel ( ω/η ) + Primary personal endings
  • Note that ει lengthens to ῃ with the lengthening of the connecting vowel, e.g. in the 2nd and 3rd person singular forms
  • 2nd person sing
• Formation of the Aorist Subjunctive (31.10-11)
  • Unaugmented Aorist Tense Stem + (Tense Formative σ if 1st Aorist) + Lengthened Connecting Vowel ( ω/η ) + Primary personal endings
  • A 1st Aorist subjunctive is distinguished from the Present by the presence of the Tense Formative σ, e.g.
  • A 2nd Aorist subjunctive is distinguished from the Present because it has a different tense stem, e.g. λαμβάνωμεν vs. λάβωμεν
  • No temporal augment, as with the Aorist participle, since there is no time significance
  • As with the Present, ει lengthens to ῃ with the lengthening of the connecting vowel
• Review the Master Verb Endings Chart (BBG p.354)

Master Verb Ending Chart (BBG p.352)

• Contract verbs function normally, but you should review the forms (31.12)
• See the Master Non-indicative Verb Chart (BBG p.356) and the Subjunctive paradigms (BBG p.364)

Subjunctive (BBG p.356)

Uses of the Subjunctive

• Dependent Clauses
  • ἵνα + the Subjunctive (31.14)
    • ἵνα + the Subjunctive can express purpose – i.e Purpose Clause
      • e.g Hebrews 4.16 – προσερχώμεθα οὖν μετὰ παρρησίας τῷ θρόνῳ τῆς χάριτος, ἵνα λάβωμεν ἔλεος καὶ χάριν εὕρωμεν εἰς εὔκαιρον βοήθειαν. (Hebrews 4.16)
    • ἵνα μή or ὅπως μή = “in order that not” i.e. “lest”
    • ἵνα can also have a weaker sense than purpose, as in the appositive use, e.g John 17.3 – αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωὴ ἵνα γινώσκωσιν σὲ τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν.
  • Conditional Clauses
    • “if something, then something else
    • The “if” part of a conditional sentence is the protasis – “arranged before”
    • The “then” part of a conditional sentence is the apodosis – “given from” i.e. what results from the condition expressed in the protasis
    • Summary of 4 classes of Conditional Sentences in BBG pp.328-329 (35.5-9)
    • See also Wallace GGBB pp. 679-712
    • 3rd Class Conditions (31.15-) – 2 types:
      • Future More Probable, (aka Future More Vivid)
        • Protasis (ἐάν + Subjunctive), Apodosis (Future Indicative, or Imperative)
        • States that if the condition is met, then something will definitely happen.
        • e.g. Matt. 9.21: ἔλεγεν γὰρ ἐν ἑαυτῇ· ἐὰν μόνον ἅψωμαι τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ σωθήσομαι.
        • e.g. John 14.14: ἐάν τι αἰτήσητέ με ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου ἐγὼ ποιήσω.
      • Present General
        • Protasis (ἐάν + Subjunctive), Apodosis (Present Indicative)
        • States a general, or axiomatic truth
        • e.g. 1 John 4.12: ἐὰν ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους, ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν μένει
• Independent Clauses
  • Hortatory Subjunctive (31.16)
    • “Hortatory” is from the Latin hortor, “I exhort”
    • Subjunctive in the 1st person, usually plural, e.g. ἀναγινώσκωμεν τὰς γράφας “Let us read the Scriptures”
    • e.g. Hebrews 4.16 – προσερχώμεθα οὖν μετὰ παρρησίας τῷ θρόνῳ τῆς χάριτος, ἵνα λάβωμεν ἔλεος καὶ χάριν εὕρωμεν εἰς εὔκαιρον βοήθειαν. (Hebrews 4.16)
  • Deliberative Subjunctive (31.17), e.g Matthew 6.31
    • A question whose answer in uncertain or in doubt.
    • Hence the verb is in the Subjunctive, since the speaker is not expressing certainty (Indicative), but rather only possibility or doubt.
    • e.g. Luke 3.12: ἦλθον δὲ καὶ τελῶναι βαπτισθῆναι καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς αὐτόν· διδάσκαλε, τί ποιήσωμεν;
• Recognizing Subjunctive Clauses
  • Look for ἄν in any of its combinations: ὅταν (ὅτε + ἄν), ἐὰν (εί + ἄν), ὅς ἄν, ἕως ἄν
  • Lengthened connecting vowel – ο → ω, ε → η
  • Unaugmented Aorist
• The is normally negated by μή (31.19)
  • exception is the emphatic negation, οὐ μή – see the Exegetical Insight for example

3 ways to pose a question (31.19)

• Simple verb – not indication of what answer is expected
  • e.g. John 9.17: τί σὺ λέγεις περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἠνέῳξέν σου τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς;
• verb preceded by οὐ – expects an affirmative answer
  • e.g. John 14.10: οὐ πιστεύεις ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί ἐστιν;
• verb preceded by μή – expects a negative answer,
  • e.g. 1Cor. 12.29: μὴ πάντες ἀπόστολοι; μὴ πάντες προφῆται; μὴ πάντες διδάσκαλοι; μὴ πάντες δυνάμεις;

Exegetical Insights

John 10.27-28 – τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἐμὰ τῆς φωνῆς μου ἀκούουσιν, κἀγὼ γινώσκω αὐτὰ καὶ ἀκολουθοῦσίν μοι, κἀγὼ δίδωμι αὐτοῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀπόλωνται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ οὐχ ἁρπάσει τις αὐτὰ ἐκ τῆς χειρός μου.

strengthened, emphatic double-negative, οὐ μὴ

• also consider footnote 6 on p.295

New Vocabulary

• λίθος – derivatives? lithography, monolith,

Scripture Memory

John 6.51a – ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ζῶν ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς· ἐάν τις φάγῃ ἐκ τούτου τοῦ ἄρτου ζήσει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα (3rd class condition, Future More Probable)

Assignments

• Complete workbook exercise 31
• Prepare for quiz next week on chapter 31 – Subjunctives
• Read chapter 32 on Infinitives
• Make plans to acquire the required texts for the 2nd half of the semester
• Continue your life habit of reading Greek aloud from the Greek New Testament
• Continue taking your Greek NT to church with you, and follow along as you are able
• Memorization: Review past passages, learn John 6.51a

The Lord’s Prayer (Listen)

Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς·
ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου· ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου· γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου, ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς·
τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον· καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν·
καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν, ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ.
ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία καὶ ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ἀμήν.

χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη