Summary of Greek Moods

Moods indicate the relation of the action of the verb to reality.

INDICATIVE – the mood of reality

• Latin indicatus, past participle of indicare, from in- + dicare to proclaim
• “constituting a verb form that represents the denoted act or state as an objective fact” (Webster)
• The Indicative Mood is the mood of reality
• We have studied only the Indicative Mood thus far.
  
  
  
  • whether making a statement, or asking a question about what is factual and real.



• This does not mean that everything stated in the Indicative Mood is true, but only that it is being stated
  
  
  
  • as opposed to being wished for, hoped for, commanded, considered a possiblity, etc.
  
  
  • If someone says “Jesus was just a good teacher”, he is making a statement about reality, from his point of view. Therefore it is Indicative, though it is not actually true.



• This is the only mood which has time significance. All the other moods have significance of aspect only

SUBJUNCTIVE – the mood of possibility

• Latin subjunctivus, from subjunctus, past participle of subjungere to join beneath, subordinate
• “constituting a verb form that represents a denoted act or state not as fact but as contingent or possible” (Webster)

OPTATIVE – the mood of wish

• Latin optativus, from optare to wish
• “constituting a verbal mood that is expressive of wish or desire” (Webster)

IMPERATIVE – the mood of command

• Latin imperativus, from imperatus, past participle of imperare to command
• “constituting the grammatical mood that expresses the will to influence the behavior of another” (Webster)

μι-verbs

• The “athematic” conjugation
  • The thematic conjugation is what we have learned to date.
    • It is so called because of it uses the thematic vowel, what we have called the “connecting” vowel
  • The word “a-thematic” uses the Greek alpha-privative (like English “non-”) which negates. (34.3)
    • a-thematic, i.e. no thematic vowel
    • e.g. a-theist, a-gnostic, a-moral, a-typical, etc.
  • Hence what characterizes the athematic conjugation, a.k.a. the μι–verbs, is that is does not use connecting vowels. (See Rule 2 below)
• μι-verbs come in 4 classes: (See Smythe on Conjugation of μι-verbs)
  • stems in ο, e.g. δίδωμι (stem δο) – See paradigm in 34.11
  • stems in α, e.g. ἵστημι (stem στα)
  • stems in ε, e.g. τίθημι (stem θε)
  • stems in υ, e.g. δείκνθμι (stem δεικνυ)
• The 5 Rules of μι-verb Recognition
• μι-verbs reduplicate in the Present, inserting an iota (34.6)
  • It is critical that you learn the root of μι-verbs, as reduplication occurs only with the Present Tense stem (Present and Imperfect)
  • Distinguished from the Perfect reduplication, because the Perfect reduplicates with an epsilon
• μι-verbs are athematic. They do not use connecting vowels in most forms. (34.7)
  • Exception are the Imperfect and the Future (See 34.11)
• μι-verbs have Present Active endings similar to standard Primary endings, but with some variations (34.8)
  • 1st singular, and 3rd singular and plural vary (μι, σι, ασι)
  • All other tense use same endings as the thematic conjugation.n
• μι-verb stems vowels can lengthen, shorten or drop out (ablaut)
• μι-verbs usually use κα as tense formative in the Aorist (34.10)
  • Hence these are known as “kappa aorists”
  • Distinguished for Perfects because Perfects have reduplication

Exegetical Insights

Inceptive Imperfect Mark 1.21 – Καὶ εἰσπορεύονται εἰς Καφαρναούμ· καὶ εὐθὺς τοῖς σάββασιν εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὴν συναγωγὴν ἐδίδασκεν.

New Vocabulary

• δίδωμι – what English words might be derived from the root δο?

Scripture Memory for next class

John 1.17 – ὅτι ὁ νόμος διὰ Μωϋσέως ἐδόθη, ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο.

Assignments

• Weekly Memorization: Gen. 1.3 – καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεός γενηθήτω φῶς καὶ ἐγένετο φῶς
• Review past passages
• Complete workbook exercise 34 on μι verbs
• Prepare for quiz next week on chapter 34 – μι verbs
• Read chapter 35, final chapter on more μι verbs, and the Optative
• 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

The Lord’s Prayer

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 δοξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας.
ἀμήν.

χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη,   Διδάσκαλος Ἀνδρέας Ἀέρος     :-)