21
VERBS: PART 11
CONTRACT AND LIQUID VERBS
21.1. You have already seen contract verbs in several chapters, but it will be helpful to pull all the related information together here. Liquid verbs (which are not wet!) are a new topic. Both contract and liquid verbs are variations on forms you already know.
21.2. The key to contract verbs is this: a verb stem that ends with a short vowel (ε, ο, α) will contract with the connecting vowel according to the following (abbreviated) chart.[1] The left column is the stem vowel and the top row is the first letter (or diphthong) of the ending.
| ε | ει | η | ῃ | ο | ου | ω | |
| ε | ει | ει | η | ῃ | ου | ου | ω |
| ο | ου | οι | ω | οι | ου | ου | ω |
| α | α | ᾳ | α | ᾳ | ω | ω | ω |
Here are three examples to show you how this works. All are present active indicative forms.
The first singular of φιλέω = φιλε + ω = φιλῶ, not φιλέω, because ε + ω = ω.
The first plural of φιλέω = φιλε + ομεν = φιλοῦμεν, not φιλέομεν, because ε + ο = ου.
The second singular of φιλέω = φιλε + εις = φιλεῖς not φιλέεις, because ε + ει = ει.
The form ending with -εω is the lexical form, but you will never see φιλέω in the NT (or other Greek texts); the first singular will always be φιλῶ in written texts. Why, then, does the lexicon print a form that never occurs? This lexical form shows what the stem vowel is before it contracts. All contract verbs appear this way. It also enables us to identify various groups of contract verbs. These are referred to as epsilon contracts, omicron contracts, or alpha contracts, based on the stem vowel.
21.3. Contraction in this way happens only in the present and imperfect tense-forms, since these are the only tenses in which a stem vowel and a connecting vowel come together. In forms that use a form marker, the vowels are separated and do not contract. (Remember, though, that whenever a form marker is added to a contract verb, the stem vowel will lengthen.)
Common Epsilon Contract Verbs:
αἰτέω, “I ask”
ζητέω, “I seek”
καλέω, “I call, summon”
κληρονομέω, “I inherit”
λαλέω, “I speak”
μετανοέω, “I repent”
οἰκοδομέω, “I build”
ποιέω, “I do, make”
τηρέω, “I keep”
φιλέω, “I love”
φωνέω, “I call/cry out”
Common Omicron Contract Verbs:
δικαιόω, “I declare righteous”
ζηλόω, “I am zealous”
θανατόω, “I put to death”
κοινόω, “I defile”
ὁμοιόω, “I become like”
πληρόω, “I fill”
σταυρόω, “I crucify”
ταπεινόω, “I humble”
τελειόω, “I finish”
ὑψόω, “I lift up”
φανερόω, “I make known”
Common Alpha Contract Verbs:
ἀγαπάω, “I love”
γεννάω, “I beget”
ἐπερωτάω, “I ask”
ἐπιτιμάω, “I rebuke”
ἐρωτάω, “I ask”
κοπιάω, “I become weary”
νικάω, “I conquer”
ὁράω, “I see”
πεινάω, I am hungry”
πλανάω, “I deceive”
τιμάω, “I honor”
Contract Verb Rules
21.4. Some textbooks give long lists of rules for contract verbs. Some settle for the abridged chart of contractions that you saw above. Others provide a very large chart of the possible contract combinations of both single vowels and diphthongs. I am sure these approaches are all valid, but I do not think that most students find it helpful to memorize such lists and charts. You could—for a quiz. But you will not remember them very long. So do not worry about memorizing a long set of rules and big charts. Instead, do it the quick and dirty way. There are only three things you need to remember to identify most contracts.
1. Know this very brief chart:
| ε | ο | |
| ε | ει | ου |
| ο | ου | ου |
This is another way to say that ει and ου are signs of lengthened vowels. The largest number of contracts in the NT involve just these two vowels (ε, ο). That makes sense, since those are the two connecting vowels, and they are also the most common of the contract verb stem vowels.
2. Remember this key principle: the personal endings on contract verbs are almost identical to the standard endings you have already learned, though the connecting vowels may differ from the standard paradigm charts.
3. Knowing your vocabulary well is the biggest single help for identifying contract verbs.
Taking this minimalist approach will not enable you to immediately identify every contract verb or to explain precisely what is happening and why. But if you grasp the principle of how contract verbs work (and know your vocabulary well), you will probably be able to guess accurately that a particular form is a contract verb and deduce what it must be. When you are stuck, you may just have to look up a few tricky ones—but you would likely have to do that for some contract verbs anyway.
Contract Verb Forms
21.5. The following charts are for reference. I do not intend for you to memorize these charts. Study them to see the pattern of changes. When you are puzzled by a form that you think might be a contract verb, check these charts for verification. The most common contract verbs are the epsilon contracts—and that by a wide margin.[2] The most troublesome are the alpha contracts. Shown here are the most common verbs for each kind of contract verb: ποιέω, πληρόω, and ἀγαπάω. The present active infinitive is also shown, since the same contraction occurs in that form. Pay special attention to the present active infinitive form of the omicron and alpha contracts, since it varies the most from what you expect.
21.6. Present Active Indicative
Present Active Indicative
| Non-Contract | ε Contract | ο Contract | α Contract | |
| λύω | ποιέω | πληρόω | ἀγαπάω | |
| 1S | λύω | ποιῶ | πληρῶ | ἀγαπῶ |
| 2S | λύεις | ποιεῖς | πληροῖς | ἀγαπᾷς |
| 3S | λύει | ποιεῖ | πληροῖ | ἀγαπᾷ |
| 1P | λύομεν | ποιοῦμεν | πληροῦμεν | ἀγαπῶμεν |
| 2P | λύετε | ποιεῖτε | πληροῦτε | ἀγαπᾶτε |
| 3P | λύουσι(ν) | ποιοῦσι(ν) | πληροῦσι(ν) | ἀγαπῶσι(ν) |
| Inf. | λύειν | ποιεῖν | πληροῦν | ἀγαπᾶν |
21.7. Examples of Present Active Contracts
| Mark 2:24, οἱ Φαρισαῖοι ἔλεγον αὐτῷ, Ἴδε τί ποιοῦσιν τοῖς σάββασιν ὃ οὐκ ἔξεστιν; | The Pharisees said to him, “See here! Why are they doing on the Sabbath what is not lawful?” |
| Matt. 19:17, ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Τί με ἐρωτᾷς περὶ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ; | So he said to him, “Why do you ask me concerning the good?” |
| Gal. 3:8, ἐκ πίστεως δικαιοῖ τὰ ἔθνη ὁ θεός. | God justifies the Gentiles by faith. |
| Gen. 4:10, εἶπεν ὁ θεός, Φωνὴ αἵματος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου βοᾷ πρός με ἐκ τῆς γῆς. | God said, “The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground.” |
| Gen. 24:37, ὥρκισέν με ὁ κύριός μου λέγων, Οὐ λήμψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου ἀπὸ τῶν θυγατέρων τῶν Χαναναίων, ἐν οἷς ἐγὼ παροικῶ ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτῶν.a | My master made me swear an oath, saying, “Do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live in their land.” |
a The pronoun αὐτῶν is redundant in Greek (and English) in light of οἷς earlier in the clause, though it reflects a fairly formal equivalent of the Hebrew text being translated. We would say simply, “in whose land I live.” |
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| 1 John 3:22, τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηροῦμεν καὶ τὰ ἀρεστὰ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ποιοῦμεν. | |
| Luke 7:5, ἀγαπᾷ γὰρ τὸ ἔθνος ἡμῶν καὶ τὴν συναγωγὴν αὐτὸς ᾠκοδόμησεν ἡμῖν. | |
| Luke 9:31, ἔλεγον τὴν ἔξοδον αὐτοῦ, ἣν ἤμελλεν πληροῦν ἐν Ἰερουσαλήμ. | |
| 1 John 4:11, Ἀγαπητοί, εἰ οὕτως ὁ θεὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀφείλομεν ἀλλήλους ἀγαπᾶν. | |
| Exod. 5:15, οἱ γραμματεῖςa τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ κατεβόησαν πρὸς Φαραώ, Ἵνα τίb οὕτως ποιεῖς τοῖς σοῖς οἰκέταις; | |
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a For γραμματεύς, έως, ὁ, do not think of the usual NT “scribes.” The context makes it clear that these are Jewish men appointed by the Egyptians to supervise and coordinate their fellows’ slave labor. Perhaps “foreman” would be a suitable equivalent in this context. b Ἵνα τί, “why?” |
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21.9. Present Middle Indicative
Present Middle Indicativea
| Non-Contract | ε Contract | ο Contract | α Contract | |
| λύω | ποιέω | πληρόω | ἀγαπάω | |
| 1S | λύομαι | ποιοῦμαι | πληροῦμαι | ἀγαπῶμαι |
| 2S | λύῃ | ποιῇ | πληροῖ | ἀγαπᾷ |
| 3S | λύεται | ποιεῖται | πληροῦται | ἀγαπᾶται |
| 1P | λυόμεθα | ποιούμεθα | πληρούμεθα | ἀγαπώμεθα |
| 2P | λύεσθε | ποιεῖσθε | πληροῦσθε | ἀγαπᾶσθε |
| 3P | λύονται | ποιοῦνται | πληροῦνται | ἀγαπῶνται |
| Inf. | λύεσθαι | ποιεῖσθαι | πληροῦσθαι | ἀγαπᾶσθαι |
a These forms can also function as passives if there is a passive marker in the context.
21.10. Examples of Present Middle Contracts
| Matt. 20:22, ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν, Οὐκ οἴδατε τί αἰτεῖσθε. | But Jesus, answering, said, “You do not know what you are asking.” |
| Rom. 1:9, μάρτυς γάρ μού ἐστιν ὁ θεός, ᾧ λατρεύω ἐν τῷ πνεύματί μου ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, ὡς ἀδιαλείπτως μνείαν ὑμῶν ποιοῦμαι. | For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, as unceasingly I make mention of you (or, I mention you [i.e., in prayer]). |
| Gen. 32:12, ἐξελοῦ (deliver!) με ἐκ χειρὸς τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μου Ἠσαῦ, ὅτι φοβοῦμαι ἐγὼ αὐτόν. | Deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, because I am afraid of him. |
| 1 Cor. 14:17, σὺ μὲν γὰρ καλῶς εὐχαριστεῖς ἀλλ᾿ ὁ ἕτερος οὐκ οἰκοδομεῖται. | |
| Luke 13:32, εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Εἴπατε (tell!) τῇ ἀλώπεκι ταύτῃ, Ἰδοὺ ἐκβάλλω δαιμόνια καὶ ἰάσεις ἀποτελῶ σήμερον καὶ αὔριον καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ τελειοῦμαι.a | |
a You will want to read the context of this statement in an English Bible and also study your lexicon carefully. |
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| Matt. 22:29, ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Πλανᾶσθε μὴ εἰδότες (knowing) τὰς γραφὰς μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ θεοῦ. | |
| Exod. 32:11, ἐδεήθη (he prayed) Μωϋσῆς ἔναντι κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ εἶπεν, Ἵνα τί, κύριε, θυμοῖ ὀργῇ εἰς τὸν λαόν σου; | |
| 1 Esd. 4:20, ἄνθρωπος τὸν ἑαυτοῦ πατέρα ἐγκαταλείπει, ὃς ἐξέθρεψενa αὐτόν, καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν χώραν καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν γυναῖκα κολλᾶται. | |
a ἐξέθρεψεν ► ἐκτρέφω |
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21.12. Imperfect Active Indicative
Imperfect Active Indicative
| Non-Contract | ε Contract | ο Contract | α Contract | |
| λύω | ποιέω | πληρόω | ἀγαπάω | |
| 1S | ἔλυον | ἐποίουν | ἐπλήρουν | ἠγάπων |
| 2S | ἔλυες | ἐποίεις | ἐπλήρους | ἠγάπας |
| 3S | ἔλυε(ν)a | ἐποίει | ἐπλήρου | ἠγάπα |
| 1P | ἐλύομεν | ἐποιοῦμεν | ἐπληροῦμεν | ἠγαπῶμεν |
| 2P | ἐλύετε | ἐποιεῖτε | ἐπληροῦτε | ἠγαπᾶτε |
| 3P | ἔλυον | ἐποίουν | ἐπλήρουν | ἠγάπων |
a Contract verbs never take the movable nu in the third singular imperfect active indicative.
21.13. Examples of Imperfect Active Indicative Contracts
| Mark 4:34, χωρὶς δὲ παραβολῆς οὐκ ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς, κατ᾿ ἰδίαν δὲ τοῖς ἰδίοις μαθηταῖς ἐπέλυεν πάντα. | So without a parable he did not speak to them, but alone with his own disciples he explained everything. |
| Acts 13:25, ὡς δὲ ἐπλήρου Ἰωάννης τὸν δρόμον,a ἔλεγεν . . . | But as John was completing the course, he said . . . |
a δρόμος, “(race) course, course of life, mission” |
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| Gen. 11:30, ἦν Σάρα στεῖρα καὶ οὐκ ἐτεκνοποίει. | Sarah was barren and was not bearing children. |
| Mark 7:17, Καὶ ὅτε εἰσῆλθεν εἰς οἶκον ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄχλου, ἐπηρώτων αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ τὴν παραβολήν. | |
| Gen. 25:28, ἠγάπησεν δὲ Ἰσαὰκ τὸν Ἠσαῦ, ὅτι ἡ θήρα αὐτοῦ βρῶσις αὐτῷ· Ῥεβέκκα δὲ ἠγάπα τὸν Ἰακώβ. | |
| 1 Macc. 6:45, ἐπέδραμεν αὐτῷ θράσειa εἰς μέσον τῆς φάλαγγοςb καὶ ἐθανάτου δεξιὰ καὶ εὐώνυμα, καὶ ἐσχίζοντο ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα.c | |
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a θράσος, ους, τό, “courage, boldness” b φάλαγξ, αγγος, ἡ, “battle line, phalanx” c ἔνθα, adv., “there”; ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα, “on each side” |
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21.15. Imperfect Middle Indicative
Imperfect Middle Indicative
| Non-Contract | ε Contract | ο Contract | α Contract | |
| λύω | ποιέω | πληρόω | ἀγαπάω | |
| 1S | ἐλυόμην | ἐποιούμην | ἐπληρούμην | ἠγαπώμην |
| 2S | ἐλύου | ἐποιοῦ | ἐπληροῦ | ἠγαπῶ |
| 3S | ἐλύετο | ἐποιεῖτο | ἐπληροῦτο | ἠγαπᾶτο |
| 1P | ἐλυόμεθα | ἐποιούμεθα | ἐπληρούμεθα | ἠγαπώμεθα |
| 2P | ἐλύεσθε | ἐποιεῖσθε | ἐπληροῦσθε | ἠγαπᾶσθε |
| 3P | ἐλύοντο | ἐποιοῦντο | ἐπληροῦντο | ἠγαπῶντο |
21.16. Examples of Imperfect Middle Indicative Contracts
| Mark 16:8, οὐδενὶ οὐδὲν εἶπαν· ἐφοβοῦντο γάρ. | They said nothing to anyone, for they were awed.a |
a Traditionally ἐφοβοῦντο has been translated “afraid” in this verse. That is appropriate if you think the women were scared silly (as if they had seen a ghost), but if you think the context reflects the awesome impact that a resurrection had on these witnesses, then “were awed” may make better sense. Read the context and decide for yourself. |
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| Acts 13:52, οἵ τε μαθηταὶ ἐπληροῦντο χαρᾶς καὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου. | Now the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. |
| 1 Macc. 1:57, ὅπου εὑρίσκετο παρά τινι βιβλίον διαθήκης, καὶ εἴ τις συνευδόκει τῷ νόμῳ, τὸ σύγκριμαa τοῦ βασιλέως ἐθανάτου αὐτόν. | Where a Book of the Covenant was found with someone [i.e., in their possession], and if anyone was giving approval to the Law, the decree of the king put him to death. |
a σύγκριμα, -ατος, τό, “decree” |
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| Luke 10:40, ἡ δὲ Μάρθα περιεσπᾶτοa περὶ πολλὴν διακονίαν. | |
a περισπάω, “I am distracted, busy” |
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| Exod. 1:21, ἐπειδὴ ἐφοβοῦντο αἱ μαῖαιa τὸν θεόν, ἐποίησαν ἑαυταῖς οἰκίας. | |
a μαῖα, ας, ἡ, “midwife” |
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| 3 Macc. 1:25, οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν βασιλέα πρεσβύτεροι πολλαχῶς (in many ways) ἐπειρῶντο τὸν ἀγέρωχονa αὐτοῦ νοῦν ἐξιστάνεινb τῆς ἐντεθυμημένηςc ἐπιβουλῆς. | |
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a ἀγέρωχος, ος, ον, “arrogant” b ἐξίστημι/ἐξιστάνω does not have the meaning here that you will find in a NT lexicon. In this context it means “I divert from.” c ἐντεθυμημένης functions as an adjective, “contemplated.” |
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Perfect Middle Indicative Contracts
21.18. There is only one other matter related to contract verbs that needs to be mentioned. You would probably figure it out just fine, but for clarity, the forms of the perfect middle tense-form are shown below. Remember that this form does not use either a connecting vowel or a form marker, yet the stem vowel in contract verbs still lengthens. The omicron contract verb πληρόω is shown here, but all contracts follow the same pattern. (These forms do not occur frequently in the NT.)
Perfect Middle Indicative
| Non-Contract | ο Contract | |
| λύω | πληρόω | |
| 1S | λέλυμαι | πεπλήρωμαι |
| 2S | λέλυσαι | πεπλήρωσαι |
| 3S | λέλυται | πεπλήρωται |
| 1P | λελύμεθα | πεπληρώμεθα |
| 2P | λέλυσθε | πεπλήρωσθε |
| 3P | λέλυνται | πεπλήρωνται |
21.19. Examples of Perfect Middle Indicative Contracts
| Luke 4:21, ἤρξατο δὲ λέγειν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὅτι Σήμερον πεπλήρωται ἡ γραφὴ αὕτη ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν ὑμῶν. | So he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” |
| John 7:47, ἀπεκρίθησαν οὖν αὐτοῖς οἱ Φαρισαῖοι, Μὴ καὶ ὑμεῖς πεπλάνησθε; | Therefore the Pharisees answered them, “You haven’t been deceived too, have you?” |
| Gen. 43:3, εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ Ἰούδας, Διαμαρτυρίᾳa διαμεμαρτύρηταιb ἡμῖν ὁ ἄνθρωπος, Οὐκ ὄψεσθε τὸ πρόσωπόν μου, ἐὰν μὴ ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὑμῶν ὁ νεώτερος μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν ᾖ (is). | Judah said to him, “With a solemn declaration the man has solemnly declared to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your younger brother is with you.’” |
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a διαμαρτυρία, ας, ἡ, “solemn declaration, testimony” b διαμαρτύρομαι, “I affirm/declare solemnly” (though a middle-only form, it is an ε contract verb) |
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| John 3:29, ὁ δὲ φίλος τοῦ νυμφίου χαίρει διὰ τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ νυμφίου. αὕτη οὖν ἡ χαρὰ ἡ ἐμὴ πεπλήρωται. | |
| Acts 16:10, προσκέκληται ἡμᾶς ὁ θεὸς εὐαγγελίσασθαι αὐτούς. | |
| 1 Cor. 7:27, δέδεσαι γυναικί, μὴ ζήτει λύσιν· λέλυσαι ἀπὸ γυναικός, μὴ ζήτει γυναῖκα.a | |
a This verse can be translated in at least two ways. As it is punctuated in the Greek NT, it is composed of two statements. Most modern English versions, however, translate the first and third clauses as questions. One version that follows the punctuation as given above is NET. Once you think you have it figured out, compare several English versions to see how they may differ. |
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| John 11:11, ταῦτα εἶπεν, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο λέγει αὐτοῖς, Λάζαρος ὁ φίλος ἡμῶν κεκοίμηται· ἀλλὰ πορεύομαι ἵνα ἐξυπνίσω (I may awaken) αὐτόν. | |
| Zeph. 3:15, περιεῖλενa κύριος τὰ ἀδικήματά σου, λελύτρωταί σε ἐκ χειρὸς ἐχθρῶν σου· βασιλεὺς Ἰσραὴλ κύριος ἐν μέσῳ σου. | |
a περιεῖλεν ► περιαιρέω |
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| Job 30:14, βέλεσιν αὐτοῦ κατηκόντισένa με, κέχρηταίb μοι ὡς βούλεται, ἐν ὀδύναις πέφυρμαι.c | |
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a κατακοντίζω, “I shoot down” b χράω, “I use, treat, deal with” c φύρω, “I am steeped/soaked with” |
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21.21. Liquid verbs have a liquid consonant as the last letter of the stem. The consonants classed as liquids, you will remember, are λ, μ, ν, and ρ. You first met them in connection with third-declension nouns in chapter 11. Below are some common liquid verbs:
Stems ending in lambda: βάλλω (“I throw”), ὀφείλω (“I ought”—only LXX as future), ἀποστέλλω (“I send”), and other compound forms of -στελλω and -τελλω.
Stems ending in nu: ἀποκτείνω (“I kill”), κρίνω (“I judge”), κατακρίνω (“I condemn”), μένω (“I remain”), ποιμαίνω (“I shepherd”), φαίνω (“I shine”), and other compound forms of -τεινω.
Stems ending in rho: αἴρω (“I take up”), ἐγείρω (“I raise”), φθείρω (“I corrupt”).
Liquid Futures
21.22. Here is what you need to know about liquid futures.
A sigma will never stand after a liquid; the sigma will drop out.
Some futures do not have a sigma.[3]
Futures without a sigma usually have a circumflex accent over the ending.
There may be minor spelling changes in the stem (e.g., some double consonants may simplify, vowels may undergo ablaut).
Study the forms below, and compare the three columns of Greek forms. The middle Greek column, “Present (Liquid),” is the normal present active indicative form of a liquid verb. It is not different from a non-liquid verb. The last column shows what happens to the accent on an epsilon contract verb, ποιέω. This textbook has paid relatively little attention to accents, but this is one point where such detail can be useful. You end up with a circumflex over the connecting vowel (or diphthong if it contracts to one). What is important to remember here is that if you see a circumflex in this position on a liquid verb, it is almost certainly a future form—which is what is shown in the first Greek column in this chart. If the stem is an epsilon contract verb, the circumflex indicates not a future but a present form, so you must be able to identify a verb as either a liquid or a contract based on the lexical form.
Future Active Indicative of Liquid Verbs
| Future (Liquid) | Present (Liquid) | Present (Contract) | |
| κρίνω | κρίνω | ποιέω | |
| 1S | κρινῶ | κρίνω | ποιῶ |
| 2S | κρινεῖς | κρίνεις | ποιεῖς |
| 3S | κρινεῖ | κρίνει | ποιεῖ |
| 1P | κρινοῦμεν | κρίνομεν | ποιοῦμεν |
| 2P | κρινεῖτε | κρίνετε | ποιεῖτε |
| 3P | κρινοῦσι(ν) | κρίνουσι(ν) | ποιοῦσι(ν) |
Take time to study this chart (and the one below, of the future middle), and compare them with the charts of the regular future forms in chapter 19. You do not have to memorize these charts, but review them carefully enough so that you are familiar with them.
Future Middle Indicative of Liquid Verbs
| Future (Liquid) | Present (Liquid) | Present (Contract) | |
| κρίνω | κρίνω | ποιέω | |
| 1S | κρινοῦμαι | κρίνομαι | ποιοῦμαι |
| 2S | κρινῇ | κρίνῃ | ποιῇ |
| 3S | κρινεῖται | κρίνεται | ποιεῖται |
| 1P | κρινούμεθα | κρινόμεθα | ποιούμεθα |
| 2P | κρινεῖσθε | κρίνεσθε | ποιεῖσθε |
| 3P | κρινοῦνται | κρίνονται | ποιοῦνται |
21.23. Examples of Liquid Future Verbs
| Luke 12:58, ὁ πράκτωρ σε βαλεῖ εἰς φυλακήν. | The constable will throw you into prison. |
| Mark 9:31, Ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται (will be delivered)a εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν αὐτόν. | The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. |
a Note that there is a present and a future verb in parallel in this verse, both referring to future time. |
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| Deut. 16:19, οὐκ ἐκκλινοῦσιν κρίσιν, οὐκ ἐπιγνώσονται πρόσωπονa οὐδὲ λήμψονται δῶρον· τὰ γὰρ δῶρα ἐκτυφλοῖ ὀφθαλμοὺς σοφῶν καὶ ἐξαίρει λόγους δικαίων.b | They shall not turn aside justice, they shall not show partiality, neither shall they take a bribe, for bribes blind wise eyes and carry off righteous words. |
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a ἐπιγνώσονται πρόσωπον, an idiom meaning to “show partiality” b The translation above takes σοφῶν and δικαίων as attributive genitives (see Wallace, Grammar, 86–88). These two adjectives might also be taken as substantival: “eyes of the wise” and “words of the righteous.” |
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| Jdt. 14:3, οὗτοι πορεύσονται εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐγεροῦσι τοὺς στρατηγοὺς τῆς δυνάμεωςa Ἀσσούρ· καὶ συνδραμοῦνται ἐπὶ τὴν σκηνὴν Ὀλοφέρνου καὶ οὐχ εὑρήσουσιν αὐτόν, καὶ ἐπιπεσεῖται ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς φόβος, καὶ φεύξονται ἀπὸ προσώπου ὑμῶν. | They will go into their camp and will rouse the commanders of the Assyrian army; they will run to the tent of Holofernes, and they will not find him, and fear will fall upon them, and they will flee from before you. |
a δύναμις, εως, ἡ, “power” in the sense of “military power,” i.e., “an army”; it is not used with this meaning in the NT, but it is in the LXX. |
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| John 12:48, ὁ λόγος κρινεῖ αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ. | |
| John 2:20, εἶπαν οὖν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, Ὁ ναὸς οὗτος [has been under construction for forty-six years],a καὶ σὺ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις ἐγερεῖς αὐτόν; | |
a English has been supplied here for two reasons: the verb form used is one you have not yet learned, and there is an exegetical question regarding the meaning. The English cited follows NET. See the commentaries and the NET note. |
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| Jer. 13:9, Τάδε λέγει κύριος, Οὕτω φθερῶ τὴν ὕβριν Ἰούδα καὶ τὴν ὕβριν Ἰερουσαλήμ. | |
| Num. 1:50, αὐτοὶ ἀροῦσιν τὴν σκηνὴν καὶ πάντα τὰ σκεύη αὐτῆς, καὶ αὐτοὶ λειτουργήσουσιν ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ κύκλῳ τῆς σκηνῆς παρεμβαλοῦσιν.a | |
a παρεμβάλλω, “I surround,” here in the sense, “I encamp around” |
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Attic Futures
21.25. Similar to the liquid future is a form known as an Attic future. These are forms in which the form marker sigma has dropped out. They will look like the liquid future forms shown above, but they do not have stems ending in a liquid. They are most commonly verbs ending in -ιζω (the actual stem of which often ends with a delta). Some verbs will occur in both the usual future form and the Attic future formation. For example, καθίζω may occur either with a sigma form marker, καθίσω, or without, καθιῶ.[4]
| Isa. 11:10 = Rom. 15:12, ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσιν.a | In him the Gentiles will hope. |
a 3rd pl. fut. act. ind. ► ἐλπίζω |
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See also ποτιῶ in Gen. 24:46 below.
Liquid Aorists
21.26. What is similar in the formation of future and aorist that may be relevant to the category of liquid aorist? Correct! The form marker begins with sigma, so liquid aorists follow the same patterns. You do not need to learn another formula for liquid aorists; just remember that if the sigma drops out, then the form marker will show up as just an alpha. Here is what they will look like.
Liquid Aorist Forms
| Active | Middle | |
| μένω | κρίνω | |
| 1S | ἔμεινα | ἐκρινάμην |
| 2S | ἔμεινας | ἐκρίνω |
| 3S | ἔμεινε(ν) | ἐκρίνατο |
| 1P | ἐμείναμεν | ἐκρινάμεθα |
| 2P | ἐμείνατε | ἐκρίνασθε |
| 3P | ἔμειναν | ἐκρίναντο |
| Inf | μεῖναι | κρίνασθαι |
Remember that there may be minor spelling changes in the stem of a liquid. As with the future liquids, some double consonants may simplify, and some vowels may undergo ablaut. In the case of μένω, the vowel in the stem underwent ablaut to become the diphthong ει. The aorist infinitive is also affected by a liquid stem. You have learned that the usual aorist active infinitive form is λῦσαι. When a liquid verb is involved—for example, μένω—the sigma drops out, leaving the infinitive form as μεῖναι. Notice that in this case the epsilon in the stem has also lengthened to the diphthong ει.
The most common liquid aorist forms in the NT are from αἴρω, ἀπαγγέλλω, ἀποκτείνω, ἀποστέλλω, ἐγείρω, μένω, and πίνω. Two specific liquid aorist forms each occur more than 20 times in the NT (both are 3S): ἀπέστειλεν (36×) and ἤγειρεν (21×). There are some verbs that you might assume are liquids based on their lexical form but that are not liquids, since they use a different stem in the future and aorist. For example, βάλλω is not a liquid in the aorist (it is a liquid in the future active), since the aorist stem is βλη-.[5] Other words in this category include βαίνω and its many compounds, the aorist stem of which is βα-. Also second aorist forms are not part of the liquid category, since they do not use σα as a form marker.
21.27. Examples of Liquid Aorists
| Mark 8:26, ἀπέστειλεν αὐτὸν εἰς οἶκον αὐτοῦ. | He sent him to his house. |
| Mark 9:27, ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἤγειρεν αὐτόν. | But Jesus raised him. |
| Mark 10:3, ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Τί ὑμῖν ἐνετείλατο Μωϋσῆς; | But answering he said to them, “What did Moses command you?” |
| Gen. 24:46, εἶπεν, Πίε (drink!) σύ, καὶ τὰς καμήλους σου ποτιῶ.a καὶ ἔπιον, καὶ τὰς καμήλους μου ἐπότισεν. | She said, “You drink, and I will water your camels.” And I drank, and she watered my camels. |
a An Attic future (see the explanation earlier in this chapter). |
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| 2 Macc. 5:1, Περὶ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον τὴν δευτέραν ἔφοδονa ὁ Ἀντίοχος εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἐστείλατο.b | But about this time Antiochus prepared for his second entrance into Egypt. |
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a ἔφοδος, ου, ἡ, “approach, entrance; attempt”; here the entrance into Egypt is an attempt at military conquest, so it could be translated as “invasion” (so NETS). b στέλλω has a wide range of usage; here it probably means either “I prepare myself for” or perhaps “I go, journey.” |
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| John 4:40, ἔμεινεν ἐκεῖ δύο ἡμέρας. | |
| John 12:17, τὸν Λάζαρον ἐφώνησεν ἐκ τοῦ μνημείου καὶ ἤγειρεν αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν. | |
| Num. 11:27, ὁ νεανίσκος ἀπήγγειλεν Μωϋσῇ, Ἐλδὰδ καὶ Μωδὰδ προφητεύουσιν ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ. | |
| 1 Kgdms. (1 Sam.) 11:4, ἔρχονται οἱ ἄγγελοι εἰς Γαβαὰ πρὸς Σαοὺλ καὶ λαλοῦσιν τοὺς λόγους εἰς τὰ ὦτα τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ ἦραν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς τὴν φωνὴν αὐτῶν καὶ ἔκλαυσαν. | |
Reading Passage: Matthew 24:4–20
21.29. This passage contains not only a number of liquid and contract verbs but also quite a few future passive forms, which will prove to be a good review.
Troubles That Come before the End
4ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Βλέπετε (watch out!) μή τις ὑμᾶς πλανήσῃ (should deceive)· 5πολλοὶ γὰρ ἐλεύσονται ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου λέγοντες (saying), Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Χριστός, καὶ πολλοὺς πλανήσουσιν. 6μελλήσετεa δὲ ἀκούειν πολέμους καὶ ἀκοὰς πολέμων· ὁρᾶτε (see to it!) μὴ θροεῖσθε (don’t be alarmed!)· δεῖ γὰρ γενέσθαι (to be), ἀλλ᾿ οὔπω ἐστὶν τὸ τέλος. 7ἐγερθήσεται γὰρ ἔθνος ἐπὶ ἔθνος καὶ βασιλεία ἐπὶ βασιλείαν καὶ ἔσονται λιμοὶ καὶ σεισμοὶ κατὰ τόπους·b 8πάντα δὲ ταῦτα ἀρχὴ ὠδίνων. 9τότε παραδώσουσιν (they will deliver up) ὑμᾶς εἰς θλῖψιν καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἔσεσθε μισούμενοι (hated) ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου. 10καὶ τότε σκανδαλισθήσονται πολλοὶ καὶ ἀλλήλους παραδώσουσιν καὶ μισήσουσιν ἀλλήλους· 11καὶ πολλοὶ ψευδοπροφῆται ἐγερθήσονται καὶ πλανήσουσιν πολλούς· 12καὶ διὰ τὸ πληθυνθῆναιc τὴν ἀνομίαν ψυγήσεται ἡ ἀγάπη τῶν πολλῶν. 13ὁ δὲ ὑπομείνας (who endures) εἰς τέλος οὗτος σωθήσεται. 14καὶ κηρυχθήσεται τοῦτο τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς βασιλείας ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ εἰς μαρτύριον πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, καὶ τότε ἥξει τὸ τέλος.
15Ὅταν οὖν ἴδητε (you see) τὸ βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως τὸ ῥηθὲν (which was spoken) διὰ Δανιὴλ τοῦ προφήτου ἑστὸς (standing) ἐν τόπῳ ἁγίῳ, ὁ ἀναγινώσκων (reader) νοείτω (let him understand!), 16τότε οἱ ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ φευγέτωσαν (must flee!) εἰς τὰ ὄρη, 17ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος μὴ καταβάτω (must not come down!) ἆραι τὰ ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ, 18καὶ ὁ ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ μὴ ἐπιστρεψάτω (must not go back!) ὀπίσω ἆραι τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ. 19οὐαὶ δὲ ταῖς ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσαις (ones who have)d καὶ ταῖς θηλαζούσαις (nursing mothers) ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις. 20προσεύχεσθε (pray!) δὲ ἵνα μὴ γένηται (it should not be) ἡ φυγὴ ὑμῶν χειμῶνος μηδὲ σαββάτῳ.
a μελλήσετε appears in the lexicon as a liquid stem, μέλλω, but the future has retained an old form of the stem, which originally ended with an epsilon: μελλε-. That means that in the future μέλλω is a contract verb, not a liquid.
b κατὰ τόπους, “in various places”
c διὰ τὸ πληθυνθῆναι τὴν ἀνομίαν, “because lawlessness will increase.” In the next lesson, you will learn that διὰ τό with an infinitive (πληθυνθῆναι) is a causal statement.
d ταῖς ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσαις, formally, “to the ones who have in belly”—an idiom for “those who are pregnant”
21.30. Vocabulary for Chapter 21
| Part of Speech | Definition | Possible Glosses | Frequency | |
| Word | NT | LXX | ||
| Verbs | ||||
| ὁράω | To perceive with the eye or the mind; to understand; to be alert or to accept responsibility for something (hortatory or imperatival) | I see, notice; I perceive; See to it! | 454 | 1,539 |
| λαλέω | To make a sound; to utter words so as to make a statement | I make sounds; I speak, say, tell | 296 | 1,189 |
| κρίνω | To make a distinction between items or situations so as to come to a conclusion; may be used in a variety of contexts, both positive and negative, whether of a legal judgment or sentence, of pressing legal charges, or seeing that justice is done (esp. LXX); or of personal matters in which a decision is made | I prefer, select; I judge, condemn, press charges; I judge justly, see that justice is done; I decide, think, consider | 114 | 271 |
| ἀποκρίνω | To make a response, to either a specific question, a statement, or a situation (never act. in NT, once in LXX; act. appears more often in other Koine literature; often listed as ἀποκρίνομαι) | I answer, reply, say in response/reaction to | 231 | 277 |
| ἐγείρω | To move from an inert state or position, the nature of which depends on the context, whether from sitting, lying, sleeping, sickness, death, inertia, or obscurity | I rise, get/raise/lift up; I awake, rouse | 144 | 57 |
| ζῶ (usually listed as ζάω)a | To be alive physically or spiritually; to conduct oneself in a certain manner | I live, am alive; I live | 140 | 554 |
| ἀποστέλλω | To send someone or something from one place to another | I send, send away | 132 | 691 |
| μένω | To remain in a place, condition, or position for a period of time | I remain, stay, continue; I live (in a place) | 118 | 89 |
| ζητέω | To search for something (not necessarily something lost), whether an object, information, or some action | I seek, look for; I investigate, deliberate | 117 | 320 |
| μέλλω | To take place in the future, whether an expected event or one intended or determined, whether imminent or distant | I am about to; I intend, propose; I have determined | 109 | 43 |
| παρακαλέω | To summon someone into one’s presence; to urge or request strongly; to exhort someone to have courage or joy | I invite, call; I exhort, urge; I encourage, comfort | 109 | 139 |
| αἴρω | To raise something to a higher position; to move from one place to another [≠ αἱρέω] | I lift/take/pick up; I remove, take/carry away | 101 | 289 |
| ἀπαγγέλλω | To give an account of something (usually oral); to make something known publicly | I announce, report, tell; I proclaim | 45 | 254 |
| μισέω | To have a strong aversion to or dislike for someone or something; to consider unworthy of notice [The English word “hate” is sometimes too strong and may have wrong connotations.] | I hate; I disregard, disdain | 40 | 182 |
| φιλέω | To have a special interest in and high regard and affection for someone or something; to indicate that affection by a kiss [Originally the more common word in older forms of Greek, but in Koine is often replaced by and synonymous with ἀγαπάω; see LN §25.43; BDAG, 1056.] | I love, like; I kiss | 25 | 32 |
a ζάω is not an alpha contract verb; the lexical form is ζῶ; see the sidebar earlier in this chapter.
21.31. Key Things to Know for Chapter 21
How do you identify contract and liquid verbs by their lexical form?
Do you understand what happens in present and imperfect tense-form contract verbs?
Know the three contract verb rules, including the corresponding chart.
What are the four liquids? (The answer is not “water, Pepsi, ice tea, and milk.”)