22
NON-FINITE VERBS: PART 1
INFINITIVES
22.1. We are now moving into non-finite verb forms. Although you have already met several common infinitive forms, most of the verbs that we have studied have been indicative-mood verbs. All indicatives are finite forms: verbs that have person and number and therefore have a default, built-in, back-pocket subject (and can therefore also take a subject in the nominative case). Both infinitives and participles are non-finite forms. The infinitive has no explicit subject. That is why we call it an infinitive. The finite forms (such as the indicative-mood verbs) are limited by their built-in subjects.
22.2. In English, an infinitive is a verb preceded by the word to. It simply names an action—for example, “Frodo began to climb the Winding Stair.” In Greek, the infinitive is a single-word form morphologically; it does not use a preposition as does the English infinitive. Functionally it is a compound form in that it has characteristics like that of two other parts of speech: the noun and the verb. We can think of the infinitive as a verbal noun.
Figure 22.1. The Hybrid Nature of the Infinitive
Due to its hybrid nature (see fig. 22.1), the infinitive, like a noun, can function as a subject or an object, it can be used in apposition or as a modifier, it can take an article, and so on. But since it is also part verb, it may describe an action or state, it has voice, it can take an object, it can be modified by an adverb, and it has tense/aspect.
22.3. The forms of the infinitive are easier than many other verbal forms in that they do not have a full set of forms to keep track of. There is only one form for each tense-form/voice combination. In the chart, note the usual form markers. The four forms emphasized in the chart below are the most common[1] and, with the infinitive of εἰμί (see below), are the most important ones to remember. For the others it is enough at this point to be able to recognize that any form with a -σθαι or -ναι ending is an infinitive. From there the form markers σα and θη (which you already know) will be enough to get you in the right ballpark even if you cannot write this entire chart from memory.
Present and Aorist Infinitives
| Lexical Form | Active | Middle | Passive | |
| Present | λύω | λύειν | λύεσθαι | |
| First Aorist | λύω | λῦσαι | λύσασθαι | λυθῆναι |
| Second Aorist | βάλλω | βαλεῖν | βαλέσθαι | βληθῆναιa |
a A few verbs drop the theta from the aorist passive form marker, so the ending is just -ηναι; these forms are not common.
You will notice that none of the aorist infinitives have augments. Only indicatives have augments. The augment is a marker for secondary endings, which are used only in the indicative mood.[2]
22.4. Second aorist forms have a similar pattern to what you saw with second aorist indicative verbs: the second aorist infinitive looks identical to the present infinitive except for the stem (just as the second aorist active indicative looked the same as the imperfect active indicative except for the stem). Only the second aorist stem tells you that it is an aorist form.
There are also some future (only 5 in NT, 75 in LXX) and perfect (49 NT, 101 LXX) infinitives, but their relatively small number means you will not see them very often.[3] The familiar form markers and reduplication tell you all you need to know to be able to identify these forms when you do encounter them.
Future and Perfect Infinitive of λύω
| Active | Middle | Passive | |
| Future | λύσειν | λύσεσθαι | — |
| Perfect | λελυκέναι | λελύσθαι |
Infinitive of εἰμί
22.5. The present active infinitive of εἰμί is εἶναι. There are only a very few future middle infinitives, ἔσεσθαι (4 in the NT and 6 in the LXX).
22.6. Examples of the Infinitive
| Mark 7:27, οὐκ ἔστιν καλὸν λαβεῖν τὸν ἄρτον τῶν τέκνων καὶ τοῖς κυναρίοις βαλεῖν. | It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs. |
| Exod. 29:46, γνώσονται ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι κύριος ὁ θεὸς αὐτῶν ὁ ἐξαγαγὼν αὐτοὺς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου ἐπικληθῆναι αὐτοῖς καὶ θεὸς εἶναι αὐτῶν. | They will know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt to be invoked by them and to be their God. |
| Matt. 4:17, Ἀπὸ τότε ἤρξατο ὁ Ἰησοῦς κηρύσσειν καὶ λέγειν, Μετανοεῖτε (repent!)· ἤγγικεν γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. | |
| Gen. 2:5, ἄνθρωπος οὐκ ἦν ἐργάζεσθαι τὴν γῆν. | |
Contract Forms of the Infinitive
22.8. Only present infinitives are impacted by the changes seen in contract verbs. The same sort of contractions take place in the infinitive as you saw in the indicative mood. Specifically, the infinitive ending -ειν contracts with the stem vowel. Examples of each class of contracts are as follows.
Present Infinitive Contracts
| Active | Middle | |
| ποιέω | ποιεῖν | ποιεῖσθαι |
| πληρόω | πληροῦν | πληροῦσθαι |
| ἀγαπάω | ἀγαπᾶν | ἀγαπᾶσθαι |
Although not a contraction, the addition of the aorist infinitive ending to a contract verb causes the stem vowel to lengthen just as it did in the first aorist indicative. For example, the aorist infinitive of ποιέω is ποιῆσαι.
22.9. Examples of Contract Infinitives
| Matt. 12:2, οἱ δὲ Φαρισαῖοι εἶπαν αὐτῷ, Ἰδοὺ οἱ μαθηταί σου ποιοῦσιν ὃ οὐκ ἔξεστιν ποιεῖν ἐν σαββάτῳ. | But the Pharisees said to him, “Look here! Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” |
| Rom. 13:3, θέλεις μὴ φοβεῖσθαι τὴν ἐξουσίαν; τὸ ἀγαθὸν ποίει. | Do you desire not to fear the authorities? Do what is good. |
| 1 Tim. 2:1, Παρακαλῶ οὖν πρῶτον πάντων ποιεῖσθαι δεήσεις προσευχὰς ἐντεύξεις εὐχαριστίας ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων. | Wherefore I exhort [you] first of all, to make requests, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings for all people. |
| Luke 9:31, ἔλεγον τὴν ἔξοδον αὐτοῦ, ἣν ἤμελλεν πληροῦνa ἐν Ἰερουσαλήμ. | |
a This is the only instance of a present infinitive of πληρόω in the NT, but it serves as a pattern for other omicron contract forms. |
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| Eph. 5:28, οὕτως ὀφείλουσιν καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες ἀγαπᾶν τὰς ἑαυτῶν γυναῖκας ὡς τὰ ἑαυτῶν σώματα. | |
| Gen. 18:7, εἰς τὰς βόας ἔδραμεν Ἀβραὰμ καὶ ἔλαβεν μοσχάριονa ἁπαλὸν καὶ καλὸν καὶ ἔδωκεν (he gave) τῷ παιδί, καὶ ἐτάχυνενb τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτό. | |
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a μοσχάριον, ου, τό, “young calf” (diminutive form of μόσχος) b ταχύνω, “I hasten, hurry” |
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Meaning and Aspect of the Infinitive
22.11. A common English equivalent for all forms of the infinitive is “to” plus the verb, thus “to loose” (active and middle) or “to be loosed” (passive). It is not possible to distinguish a present infinitive from an aorist infinitive when expressing it in English since there is only one English infinitive form. Many infinitives, however, will not sound like an English infinitive, since they are used to express other ideas and relationships (see below). In other words, Greek infinitives have a much broader range of functions than do their English cousins and as a result often cannot be represented with a formal equivalent in English.
a For a summary of several of the major studies on this question, see Wallace’s Greek Grammar, which lists a number of examples (192–97). Most of the examples cited there show the less common situation, in which the second accusative is the subject.
The aspect of the infinitive is the same as other tense-forms. The present has imperfective aspect, the aorist has perfective, and the perfect is stative. These distinctions cannot be represented in English due, once again, to the limitations of English. That is one of the reasons you are learning Greek.
Grammar of the Infinitive
22.12. The Greek infinitive, unlike an English infinitive, can take an article: τὸ γράφειν (“to write”). It can also have an accusative-case object: ἰδεῖν σημεῖον (“to see a sign”). The infinitive can be modified by an adverb or phrase: λαλῆσαι οὕτως (“to speak in this way”).
Technically, the infinitive never has a subject. Finite verbs have subjects; non-finite verbs such as infinitives do not. If it is necessary to specify who is doing the action of the infinitive, an accusative-case substantive is used, a construction that we call the accusative subject of the infinitive.[4] These accusative subjects are most commonly pronouns.
Examples of Accusative Subjects of the Infinitive
22.13. In some of the following examples you will see the infinitive used in ways that we have not discussed yet. For now, focus on the accusative substantive that is functioning as the subject of the infinitive. The explanation for the various uses of the infinitive follows in a later section in this chapter.
| 1 Cor. 14:5, θέλω ὑμᾶς λαλεῖν. | I want you to speak. |
The accusative ὑμᾶς is the subject of the infinitive, indicating who is to speak; it is not the direct object of θέλω.
| Matt. 15:31, ὥστε τὸν ὄχλον θαυμάσαι | So that the crowd marveled |
| Rom. 15:13, εἰς τὸ περισσεύειν ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ ἐλπίδι | In order that you may abound in hope |
| Acts 9:3, αὐτὸν ἐγγίζειν τῇ Δαμασκῷ | |
| Mark 2:23, Καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς σάββασιν παραπορεύεσθαι διὰ τῶν σπορίμων, καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἤρξαντο ὁδὸν ποιεῖν τίλλοντες (picking) τοὺς στάχυας.a | |
a Work out the meaning of the example above before you read the rest of this note. A very formal English equivalent might read, “And it came to be that on the Sabbath he was going through the grain fields, and his disciples began to make a way, picking heads of grain.” A more functional equivalent is given in the NIV: “One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain.” This is just as accurate and is how we would say it in English. The subject has been supplied for clarity, since Jesus has not yet been mentioned in this paragraph. |
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Not every accusative used with an infinitive is the subject. Infinitives can have objects in the accusative as well. They can also have both an accusative subject and an accusative object. In most cases it will be obvious from the context which is the subject. Often it is the first accusative in word order in the clause, but there are many exceptions.
22.15. Examples of Accusative Objects of the Infinitive
| John 2:24, διὰ τὸ αὐτὸν γινώσκειν πάντας | Because he knew everyone |
| Acts 4:2, διαπονούμενοι διὰ τὸ διδάσκειν αὐτοὺς τὸν λαόν | Being annoyed because they were teaching the people |
| Mark 3:15, ἔχειν ἐξουσίαν ἐκβάλλειν τὰ δαιμόνια | To have authority to cast out demons |
Both infinitives in the example above have accusative objects.
| Gen. 9:14, ἔσται ἐν τῷ συννεφεῖνa με νεφέλας ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ὀφθήσεται τὸ τόξονb μου ἐν τῇ νεφέλῃ. | |
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a συννεφέω, “I let/cause clouds to gather”; for ἐν τῷ + infinitive, see §22.26.d. b τόξον, ου, τό, “bow” is not here an archer’s bow (the only definition given in CL) but a rainbow. |
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| Gen. 22:10, ἐξέτεινεν Ἀβραὰμ τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ λαβεῖν τὴν μάχαιραν σφάξαι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ. |
The Infinitive with a Predicate Nominative
22.17. When a linking verb (εἰμί or γίνομαι) is used in the infinitive form (εἶναι or γενέσθαι), it can have a predicate nominative. This is the only time a nominative is used with an infinitive, since subjects and objects of the infinitive (when they are expressed) are in the accusative case.
| Gal. 2:9, Ἰάκωβος καὶ Κηφᾶς καὶ Ἰωάννης, οἱ δοκοῦντες στῦλοι εἶναι | James and Cephas and John, the ones perceived to be pillars |
| Acts 17:18, Ξένων δαιμονίων δοκεῖ καταγγελεὺς εἶναι. | He seems to be a preacher of strange gods. |
| 1 Tim. 1:6–7, ἐξετράπησαν εἰς ματαιολογίαν θέλοντες εἶναι νομοδιδάσκαλοι. | They have wandered into vain talking, desiring to be teachers of the Law. |
A few other verbs also take a predicate nominative with an infinitive. These are the same verbs that do so with finite forms—for example, καλέω.
| Luke 15:19, οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ἄξιος κληθῆναι υἱός σου. | I am no longer worthy to be called your son. |
| John 9:27, μὴ καὶ ὑμεῖς θέλετε αὐτοῦ μαθηταὶ γενέσθαι; | |
| Rom. 9:3, ηὐχόμηνa γὰρ ἀνάθεμα εἶναι αὐτὸς ἐγὼb ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦc ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου. | For I could wish [that] I myself were accursed, [cut off] from Christ for the sake of my brothers. |
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a This imperfect form of εὔχομαι means “I could wish.” b The nominative subject of the infinitive εἶναι is ἐγώ; the nominative αὐτός is the adjectival intensive use of αὐτός (§6.24) that modifies ἐγώ, “I myself.” c The prepositional phrase with ἀπό indicates separation from Christ—the result of being accursed. This is made more clear in English if “cut off” is supplied in a translation. |
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| 1 Kgdms. (1 Sam.) 3:21, ἐπιστεύθη Σαμουὴλ προφήτης γενέσθαι τῷ κυρίῳ εἰς πάντα Ἰσραήλ. |
The Infinitive with a Predicate Accusative
22.19. It is also possible for linking verbs to follow the usual infinitive pattern and take an accusative subject or a predicate accusative (or both) with an infinitive, as the following examples show.
| Luke 20:41, Εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς, Πῶς λέγουσιν τὸν Χριστὸν εἶναι Δαυὶδ υἱόν; | He said to them, “How do they say that the Messiah is David’s son?” |
| 1 Tim. 6:5, νομιζόντων πορισμὸν εἶναι τὴν εὐσέβειαν | Imagining godliness to be gaina |
a Notice that the “subject” of the infinitive is determined by the same hierarchy of rules as it was with finite forms. In this example, the article indicates that τὴν εὐσέβειαν is the accusative subject of the infinitive εἶναι, and πορισμόν is the predicate accusative. |
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| Gen. 38:15, Ἰούδας ἔδοξεν αὐτὴν πόρνην εἶναι. | Judah thought her to be a prostitute. |
| Rom. 15:8, λέγω γὰρ Χριστὸν διάκονον γεγενῆσθαι περιτομῆς ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας θεοῦ. | |
| 1 Macc. 3:44, ἠθροίσθη ἡ συναγωγὴ τοῦ εἶναι ἑτοίμους εἰς πόλεμον καὶ τοῦ προσεύξασθαι καὶ αἰτῆσαι ἔλεος καὶ οἰκτιρμούς. | |
The Infinitive with an Article or Preposition
22.21. The infinitive may be used with or without the article. If an article is present, it is most commonly the neuter singular article τό, which can be nominative or accusative. Next most common is the neuter singular genitive τοῦ. The article usually immediately precedes the infinitive. There are some specific patterns in which the article is used with the infinitive to express a particular meaning (see “Advanced Information for Reference: Uses of the Infinitive” below) or to indicate the case of the infinitive when it is functioning as a noun. See the examples above from John 2:24; Rom. 15:13; and Acts 4:2.
When an infinitive is preceded by a preposition, there are specific, idiomatic nuances of meaning that a Greek speaker/writer assumes. It is important to know these in order to understand the sentence correctly. Each of these is illustrated in the following Advanced Information for Reference section. When used with a preposition, the infinitive has an article; the case of the article is determined by the preposition.[5]
Advanced Information for Reference:
Uses of the Infinitive
22.22. The Greek infinitive is used in quite a wide variety of ways. The following examples are representative and cover the vast majority of instances. Grammatical diagrams have been included to help you understand how the infinitive functions in the sentence. Notice particularly what word the infinitive modifies—something that a grammatical diagram illustrates nicely. The symbol used to indicate an infinitive in a grammatical diagram is ||. Not all words from the verse have been included in the diagrams below. Some words that are included will be forms you have not yet learned, but you can read enough of the sentence with the help of the parallel English equivalent to make sense of the infinitive. A “Now You Try It” section follows the catalog of uses and includes at least one example of each category.
These categories are summaries of the type of context in which infinitives are used; they do not describe different kinds of infinitives. Referring to an “infinitive of purpose” is a shorthand expression for “an infinitive used in a context that expresses purpose.”
1. Infinitives Used in Purpose Statements
22.23. The infinitive alone (that is, without one of the more specific prepositional markers noted below) can indicate the purpose for which the action of the main verb[6] was done; in this instance, it is normally used without an article. (About 200 of 250 purpose infinitives in the NT are anarthrous.) Other ways to express purpose with an infinitive are to use an article or an article with a preposition (εἰς or πρός). Although ὥστε + an infinitive usually indicates result, it sometimes indicates purpose. In English, purpose can sometimes be expressed with a simple English infinitive, though “in order to x” is more explicit.
a. Infinitive without an Article (Anarthrous)
| Luke 3:12, ἦλθον τελῶναιa βαπτισθῆναι. | Tax collectors came in order to be baptized. |
a Note that τελῶναι is not an infinitive; it is a noun with a nominative feminine plural ending (the nu preceding the ending is part of the stem). |
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Figure 22.2
| Matt. 2:2, εἴδομεν αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀστέρα ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ καὶ ἤλθομεν προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ. | We saw his star in the east, and we have come to worship him. |
b. Infinitive with an Article (Articular)
When an infinitive expressing purpose has an article (but not a preposition), the article is normally τοῦ.
| Luke 8:5, Ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρων (sower) τοῦ σπεῖραι τὸν σπόρον αὐτοῦ. | The sower went out in order to sow his seed. |
Figure 22.3
| Matt. 11:1, ὁ Ἰησοῦς μετέβηa ἐκεῖθεν τοῦ διδάσκειν καὶ κηρύσσειν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν αὐτῶν. | Jesus moved on from there in order to teach and preach in their villages. |
a μετέβη is a second aorist form of μεταβαίνω. |
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c. Infinitive with Preposition + Article
| Eph. 6:11, ἐνδύσασθε (Put on!) τὴν πανοπλίαν τοῦ θεοῦ πρὸς τὸ δύνασθαι ὑμᾶς στῆναι.a | Put on the armor of God in order that you may be able to stand. |
a The infinitive στῆναι is complementary to the preceding infinitive. |
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| Rom. 3:25–26, ὃν προέθετο ὁ θεὸς ἱλαστήριον εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν δίκαιον | Whom God displayed publicly as a satisfactory sacrifice in order that he [i.e., God] might be righteous |
d. Infinitive with ὥστε
| Gen. 1:17, ἔθετο (he set) αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς ἐν τῷ στερεώματι (firmament) τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὥστε φαίνειν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. | God set them in the firmament of the heaven in order to shine on the earth. |
| Matt. 10:1, προσκαλεσάμενος τοὺς δώδεκα μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν πνευμάτων ἀκαθάρτων ὥστε ἐκβάλλειν αὐτὰ καὶ θεραπεύειν πᾶσαν νόσον καὶ πᾶσαν μαλακίαν. | Summoning his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits to cast them out and to heal every disease and every sickness. |
2. Infinitives Used in Result Statements
22.24. When an infinitive is used to indicate the result of the action described by the main verb, the clause often begins with ὥστε. Other result constructions include the article τοῦ with the infinitive, an anarthrous infinitive, or εἰς τό + infinitive. This concept is often expressed in English with the phrase “so that.” Purpose and result are very similar ideas—thus the similar structures used. If the statement in its context seems to focus on the intent of the action, it is purpose; if on the outcome, then it is result.
a. Result Indicated with ὥστε
| Matt. 15:30–31, ἐθεράπευσεν αὐτούς· ὥστε τὸν ὄχλον θαυμάσαι. | He healed them, so that the crowd marveled. |
Figure 22.4
In the diagram, the conjunction ὥστε introduces a subordinate clause, so it is placed on a shelf with a right-slanting line (modifiers use left-slanting lines). Also notice how the accusative subject of the infinitive is indicated.
b. Result Indicated with τοῦ + Infinitive
| Lev. 4:3, ἐὰν μὲν ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς ἁμάρτῃ τοῦ τὸν λαὸν ἁμαρτεῖν, καὶ προσάξει περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ μόσχον ἐκ βοῶν ἄμωμον τῷ κυρίῳ περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ. | If, then, the high priest should sin so that the people sin, then he shall offer concerning his sin an unblemished calf from the cattle to the Lord for his sin. |
c. Result Indicated with Only an Infinitive
| Rev. 5:5, ἰδοὺ ἐνίκησεν ὁ λέων ὁ ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Ἰούδα, ἡ ῥίζα Δαυίδ, ἀνοῖξαι τὸ βιβλίον. | Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered, so that he may open the book. |
d. Result Indicated with εἰς τό + Infinitive
| Rom. 4:18, ἐπίστευσεν εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν. | [Abram] believed, with the result that he became a father of many nations. |
3. Infinitives Used in Causal Statements
22.25. An infinitive may be used in a statement that explains what caused the action in the main verb. This is most commonly expressed by using διὰ τό + infinitive, though occasionally τοῦ + infinitive occurs. This use should be distinguished from purpose (what was the intent of the subject in doing something?) and result (what happened as a result of the action described by the verb?).
| Acts 4:1–3, οἱ ἱερεῖς, διαπονούμενοι διὰ τὸ διδάσκειν αὐτοὺς τὸν λαόν, ἐπέβαλον αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας.a | The priests, being disturbed because they were teaching the people, seized them. |
a In a more formal translation, the last phrase might be worded “they laid hands on them,” but the English connotation of that phrase is quite different from what the Greek means. The translation above (“seized them”) communicates more accurately. |
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Figure 22.5
| Gen. 39:23, πάντα ἦν διὰ χειρὸς Ἰωσὴφ διὰ τὸ τὸν κύριον μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ εἶναι. | Everything was [done] through the hand of Joseph because the Lord was with him. |
In this example the infinitive and its article are separated much further than is usually the case: διὰ τό . . . εἶναι includes both an accusative subject of the infinitive and a modifying prepositional phrase in first attributive position. The phrase at the beginning of the sentence, πάντα ἦν διὰ χειρὸς Ἰωσήφ, has been represented fairly formally in the translation above. More functionally the idiom says that “everything was under Joseph’s control.”
4. Infinitives Used in Temporal Statements
22.26. An infinitive can be used to express various temporal relationships through the use of several prepositions or conjunctions. The nature of the time reference depends on the meaning of the preposition, sometimes in combination with the aspect of the tense-form.[7]
a. πρό
| Gal. 3:23, Πρὸ τοῦ δὲ ἐλθεῖν τὴν πίστινa ὑπὸ νόμον ἐφρουρούμεθα. | But before faith came we were held captive under the law. |
a Notice the accusative subject of the infinitive. |
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Figure 22.6
b. ἕως τοῦ[8]
| Acts 8:40, Φίλιππος εὐηγγελίζετο τὰς πόλεις πάσας ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς Καισάρειαν. | Philip was evangelizing all the cities until he came to Caesarea. |
c. μετά
| Acts 1:3, οἷς καὶ παρέστησεν ἑαυτὸν ζῶντα (alive) μετὰ τὸ παθεῖν αὐτόν | To whom also he showed himself alive after he suffered |
d. ἐν τῷ
The use of ἐν τῷ + present infinitive is often “while,” and ἐν τῷ + aorist infinitive can be “after,” but other times “when” or “as” is more appropriate as a general time reference. Context, as always, is the determining factor. (Not all uses of ἐν with an infinitive are temporal, but many are.)
| Luke 24:51, ἐν τῷ εὐλογεῖν αὐτὸν αὐτοὺς διέστη ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν καὶ ἀνεφέρετο εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. | While he was blessing them, he parted from them and ascended into heaven.a |
a This translation assumes that ἀνεφέρετο is middle voice; many translations make it passive, but there is no passive indication in the context. |
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| Gen. 11:2, ἐν τῷ κινῆσαι αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν εὗρον πεδίον ἐν γῇ Σενναὰρ καὶ κατῴκησαν ἐκεῖ. | When they moved from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they settled there. |
e. πρὶν ἤ (or Simply πρίν)
This word usually appears with an aorist infinitive and is glossed as “before.”
| Matt. 1:18, Τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἡ γένεσις οὕτως ἦν. μνηστευθείσηςa τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ Μαρίας τῷ Ἰωσήφ, πρὶν ἢ συνελθεῖν αὐτοὺς εὑρέθη ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα ἐκ πνεύματος ἁγίου. | But the birth of Jesus Christ was this way: Mary his mother had been engaged to Joseph, [but] before they came together, she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit.b |
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a The phrase μνηστευθείσης . . . Μαρίας is called a genitive absolute (see lesson 27). The genitive phrase τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ Μαρίας acts as the subject of the genitive participle μνηστευθείσης, which in this context is translated as part of a temporal statement: “when Mary had been engaged . . .” b The phrase ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα (formally, “in belly having”) is an idiom for “to be pregnant”; Mary was thus “found/discovered to be pregnant” before they “came together” (συνελθεῖν ► συνέρχομαι, i.e., a euphemism for “had sexual intercourse”). |
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5. Infinitives Used in Complementary Statements
22.27. A complementary infinitive completes the idea of another verb (it does not “pay it a compliment”).[9] Some verbs, such as ἔξεστιν, μέλλω, δύναμαι, and ἄρχομαι, always take a complementary infinitive, and θέλω, κελεύω, and ὀφείλω often do. (There are a number of other verbs that occasionally have a complementary infinitive as well.)[10]
| Mark 4:1, πάλιν ἤρξατο διδάσκειν παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν. | Again he began to teach beside the lake. |
The verb ἄρχομαι (ἤρξατο, 3rd sg. aor. mid. ind.) does not seem complete by itself. In the example above, what did he begin? Although English might get by in some rare instance using “he began” without a complement, Greek never does. The verb ἄρχομαι is always followed by an infinitive that completes the meaning. The verb and the infinitive function together as if they were a single word.
Figure 22.7
| Rom. 15:22, ἐνεκοπτόμηνa τοῦ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς. | I was prevented from coming to you. |
a ἐνεκοπτόμην, 1st sg. impf. pass. ind. ► ἐγκόπτω, “I hinder” |
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6. Infinitives Used in Indirect Discourse
22.28. First a word about the category of discourse. Direct discourse is the reporting of someone’s statement (or sometimes, thought) with some indication that the words are exactly as originally spoken. Indirect discourse is the reporting of someone’s statement or thought in such a way that the content is preserved, but the exact words are not recorded. We will discuss this in more detail in chapter 31.
One way to express indirect discourse in Greek is to use an infinitive that functions as the direct object of a verb of saying, wishing, or thinking (e.g., λέγω, θέλω, λογίζομαι). Since the infinitive functions as a noun, it could be viewed as a subcategory under that heading above. In this situation, the person referring to the previous statement represents the main/finite verb of the original statement with an infinitive form of the same verb. (Not all instances of indirect discourse use an infinitive; the speaker has several options, of which this is one.)
| Acts 28:6, ἔλεγον αὐτὸν εἶναι θεόν. | They were saying that he was a god. |
The original statement would have been “He is a god”—perhaps something like αὐτὸς θεός ἐστιν.[11] If we put this into English, we would almost always use a finite verb as the most natural English equivalent. (Rendering the Greek infinitive with an English infinitive in this construction is sometimes possible, but uncommon.)
Figure 22.8
| Acts 23:8, Σαδδουκαῖοι γὰρ λέγουσιν μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν μήτε ἄγγελον μήτε πνεῦμα. | For the Sadducees say there is neither resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit. |
The original statement could have been, ἀνάστασις οὐκ ἔστιν οὔτε ἄγγελος οὔτε πνεῦμα, “There is neither resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit.”[12]
7. The Infinitive Used as a Noun
22.29. Infinitives often function like nouns. As such, an infinitive or infinitive phrase can take the place of just about any noun in a sentence, whether the subject or object or some other noun. It may be used with or without an article. When the article is used, it is often to clarify the function of the infinitive in the sentence. It may, for example, indicate that the infinitive is the subject rather than the predicate nominative (see the example from Phil. 1:21 below).
a. Object
An infinitive used as an object is not as common a use as a subject, but the example given here is perhaps a bit easier to grasp than the examples in 7.b.
| Mark 12:12, ἐζήτουν αὐτὸν κρατῆσαι. | They were seeking to seize him. |
Figure 22.9
| Phil. 4:10, ἀνεθάλετεa τὸ ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ φρονεῖν. | You renewed caring about me. |
| aἀνεθάλετε, 2nd pl. aor. act. ind. ► ἀναθάλλω, “I renew” |
Figure 22.10
| John 5:26, ὁ πατὴρ . . . τῷ υἱῷ ἔδωκεν (he gave) ζωὴν ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ. | The Father gave to the Son to have life in himself. |
b. Subject
An infinitive phrase can function as the subject of a finite verb. This is a fairly common use of the infinitive (more common than the use of an infinitive as an object).
| Eph. 6:20, δεῖ με λαλῆσαι. | It is necessary for me to speak. |
Or, “I must speak”; or, to make the subject function clearer (though we would not say it this way in English), “For me to speak is necessary.” Note that δεῖ is an impersonal verb that does not take a personal subject. See the diagram.
Figure 22.11
| Phil. 1:21, ἐμοὶ γὰρ τὸ ζῆνa Χριστὸς καὶ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν κέρδος. | For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. |
a ζῆν is the infinitive of ζῶ (ζάω); see the discussion of this form in the sidebar in chapter 21. |
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In this example the article with both infinitives marks them as the subject rather than the predicate nominative in their own clause. Without this indication in the first clause, we would normally take Χριστός as the subject, since it is a proper name.
c. Apposition
This differs from the epexegetical infinitive in that the epexegetical use explains a noun (or adjective)—it tells something about it—whereas an appositional infinitive defines a noun.[13]
| 1 Thess. 4:3, τοῦτό ἐστιν θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ, ὁ ἁγιασμὸς ὑμῶν, ἀπέχεσθαι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς πορνείας. | This is the will of God, your sanctification, that you abstain from immorality. |
This sentence consists of three phrases in apposition; each one explains the previous one in a more specific way. (When diagramming, an equals sign is used to indicate apposition.)
Figure 22.12
| Acts 26:16, εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ὤφθην σοι, προχειρίσασθαί σε ὑπηρέτην καὶ μάρτυρα. | For this reason I appeared to you, to appoint you a servant and witness. |
The infinitive προχειρίσασθαι is in apposition to the demonstrative pronoun τοῦτο. The phrase εἰς τοῦτο, “unto this,” means “for this reason.” The infinitive προχειρίσασθαι defines the reason (τοῦτο).
8. Infinitives Used in Epexegetical (Explanatory) Statements
22.30. When an infinitive is used to explain a noun or an adjective (rather than a verb) in the sentence, it is called an epexegetical infinitive. In one sense, many types of infinitives explain other words in the sentence. The epexegetical category is used when a more specific use is not appropriate. Compare the appositional use of the infinitive (see §22.29.c), which defines a noun, with the epexegetical use, which explains a noun.
a. Epexegetical without an Article
| Rev. 5:9, Ἄξιος εἶ λαβεῖν τὸ βιβλίον. | You are worthy to take the book. |
Here the infinitive explains in what way the subject (the Lamb, Jesus) is worthy. He is not said to be worthy of praise or worthy of receiving an award. Nor is this a purpose statement: he is not worthy in order to open the book (he is worthy, book or not). Rather, the point of this statement is that the Lamb is worthy to take the book.
Figure 22.13
b. Epexegetical with an Article
| Acts 14:9, ἔχει πίστιν τοῦ σωθῆναι. | He has faith to be saved. |
The infinitive describes faith: it is a “to-be-saved” kind of faith.
Figure 22.14
| Luke 10:19, ἰδοὺ δέδωκα ὑμῖν τὴν ἐξουσίαν τοῦ πατεῖν ἐπάνω ὄφεων καὶ σκορπίων. | Behold, I have given you the authority to walk on snakes and scorpions. |
| John 1:33, ὁ πέμψας (one who sent) με βαπτίζειν ἐν ὕδατι ἐκεῖνός μοι εἶπεν . . . | |
| Luke 11:31, βασίλισσα νότου ἦλθεν ἐκ τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς ἀκοῦσαι τὴν σοφίαν Σολομῶνος, καὶ ἰδοὺ πλεῖον Σολομῶνος ὧδε. | |
| Matt. 8:24, καὶ ἰδοὺ σεισμὸς μέγας ἐγένετο ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, ὥστε τὸ πλοῖον καλύπτεσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν κυμάτων, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐκάθευδεν. | |
| Mark 1:27, ἐθαμβήθησαν ἅπαντες ὥστε συζητεῖν πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς λέγοντας, Τί ἐστιν τοῦτο; διδαχὴ καινὴ κατ᾿ ἐξουσίαν· καὶ τοῖς πνεύμασι τοῖς ἀκαθάρτοις ἐπιτάσσει, καὶ ὑπακούουσιν αὐτῷ. | |
| Matt. 5:17, Μὴ νομίσητεa ὅτι ἦλθον καταλῦσαι τὸν νόμον ἢ τοὺς προφήτας· οὐκ ἦλθον καταλῦσαι ἀλλὰ πληρῶσαι. | |
a Μὴ νομίσητε is an aorist subjunctive of prohibition; it means, “Don’t think.” |
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| Mark 14:55, οἱ δὲ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ ὅλον τὸ συνέδριον ἐζήτουν κατὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ μαρτυρίαν εἰς τὸ θανατῶσαι αὐτόν, καὶ οὐχ ηὕρισκον. | |
| Acts 16:26, ἄφνω δὲ σεισμὸς ἐγένετο μέγας ὥστε σαλευθῆναι τὰ θεμέλια τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου. | |
| Heb. 10:9 = Ps. 39:8–9 (40:7–8 Eng.), Ἰδοὺ ἥκω τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημά σου. | |
| Dan. 8:15, καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ θεωρεῖν με, ἐγὼ Δανιήλ, τὸ ὅραμα ἐζήτουν διανοηθῆναι. | |
| 2 Cor. 9:1, περισσόν μοί ἐστιν τὸ γράφειν ὑμῖν. | What is the main verb? What is the subject? How is the nominative case indicated, and how is the subject distinguished from the predicate nominative? What is the predicate nominative? (In this case it is technically a predicate adjective.) |
Reading Passage: Philippians 4:10–12
22.32. The following three-verse paragraph contains a number of infinitives. Study it carefully, using the notes below when you are really stuck. (It is wise to cover the notes as you begin reading and discipline yourself not to look for help until you have exhausted your resources, which includes your lexicon.) There are new words here and some idiomatic expressions. The first verse is the hardest.
Rejoicing and Contentment
10Ἐχάρηνa δὲ ἐν κυρίῳ μεγάλωςb ὅτι ἤδη ποτὲc ἀνεθάλετεd τὸe ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ φρονεῖν, ἐφ᾿ ᾧf καὶ ἐφρονεῖτε,g ἠκαιρεῖσθεh δέ.i 11οὐχ ὅτι καθ᾿ ὑστέρησιν λέγω, ἐγὼ γὰρ ἔμαθονj ἐν οἷς εἰμι αὐτάρκης εἶναι. 12οἶδα καὶ ταπεινοῦσθαι, οἶδα καὶ περισσεύειν· ἐν παντὶ καὶ ἐν πᾶσινk μεμύημαι,l καὶm χορτάζεσθαι καὶ πεινᾶν καὶ περισσεύειν καὶ ὑστερεῖσθαι.
a Ἐχάρην is a second aorist passive; can you parse it?
b Do you recognize the ending -ως on μεγάλως? It is a common marker for a particular part of speech.
c ἤδη ποτέ, “now at last”
d ἀναθάλλω, “I renew”
e The article τό governs the infinitive φρονεῖν with a prepositional phrase, ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ, functioning as a modifier in first attributive position. The article in accusative case tells us here that the infinitive is functioning as the direct object of ἀνεθάλετε.
f ἐφ᾿ ᾧ refers back to Paul (the antecedent is ἐμοῦ); “You were indeed [καί] concerned for me” (ESV).
g In this context φρονέω means not just “I think” but “I am concerned.”
h Do you recognize the formation of ἠκαιρεῖσθε? Alpha privative[14] + a verb form of καιρός, “time” (which does not occur in Greek as a separate word, presumably καιρέω) = ἀκαιρέομαι, “I have no opportunity.” The alpha has been lengthened; what does that tell you?
i If it looks odd to have δέ at the end of a sentence, remember that it is postpositive, and in a two-word clause it must come last.
j ἔμαθον, a second aorist form of μανθάνω
k παντί and πᾶσιν differ in only one way; what is it? (The expression is somewhat idiomatic; after you have identified the grammatical difference, compare several English translations to see how they have distinguished these words.)
l μεμύημαι—to identify this form, note each of the pieces on both the beginning and end of the word, identify the stem, and note that a stem vowel has been lengthened (it is not a connecting vowel as it first appears).
m The string of four καί’s in the last clause of the verse sets up a series of alternatives that is described by four infinitives.
22.33. Reading Passage: 1 Thessalonians 4:1–12
Living to Please God
1Λοιπὸν οὖν, ἀδελφοί, ἐρωτῶμεν ὑμᾶς καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν ἐν κυρίῳ Ἰησοῦ, ἵνα καθὼς παρελάβετε παρ᾿ ἡμῶν τὸ πῶς δεῖ ὑμᾶς περιπατεῖν καὶ ἀρέσκειν θεῷ, καθὼς καὶ περιπατεῖτε, ἵνα περισσεύητε (you should abound) μᾶλλον.a 2οἴδατε γὰρ τίνας παραγγελίας ἐδώκαμεν (we gave) ὑμῖν διὰ τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ. 3τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ, ὁ ἁγιασμὸς ὑμῶν, ἀπέχεσθαι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς πορνείας, 4εἰδέναιb ἕκαστον ὑμῶν τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σκεῦος κτᾶσθαιc ἐν ἁγιασμῷ καὶ τιμῇ, 5μὴ ἐν πάθει ἐπιθυμίας καθάπερ καὶ τὰ ἔθνη τὰ μὴ εἰδότα (who know) τὸν θεόν, 6τὸ μὴ ὑπερβαίνειν καὶ πλεονεκτεῖν ἐν τῷ πράγματι τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, διότι ἔκδικος κύριος περὶ πάντων τούτων, καθὼς καὶ προείπαμεν ὑμῖν καὶ διεμαρτυράμεθα. 7οὐ γὰρ ἐκάλεσεν ἡμᾶς ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ ἀλλ᾿ ἐν ἁγιασμῷ. 8τοιγαροῦν ὁ ἀθετῶν (one who rejects) οὐκ ἄνθρωπον ἀθετεῖ ἀλλὰ τὸν θεὸν τὸν καὶ διδόντα (one who gave) τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ τὸ ἅγιον εἰς ὑμᾶς.
9Περὶ δὲ τῆς φιλαδελφίας οὐ χρείαν ἔχετε γράφεινd ὑμῖν, αὐτοὶ γὰρ ὑμεῖς θεοδίδακτοί ἐστε εἰς τὸ ἀγαπᾶν ἀλλήλους, 10καὶ γὰρ ποιεῖτε αὐτὸ εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς τοὺς ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ Μακεδονίᾳ. παρακαλοῦμεν δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, περισσεύειν μᾶλλον 11καὶ φιλοτιμεῖσθαι ἡσυχάζειν καὶ πράσσειν τὰ ἴδια καὶ ἐργάζεσθαι ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσὶν ὑμῶν, καθὼς ὑμῖν παρηγγείλαμεν, 12ἵνα περιπατῆτεe εὐσχημόνως πρὸς τοὺς ἔξω καὶ μηδενὸς χρείαν ἔχητε.e
a Verse 1 is not at all in English word order—but then, it is Greek, not English. You have learned all the forms in this verse except one, though as you read through the verse it will seem awkward. Compare several English translations to see how they have adjusted the punctuation, word order, and even clause order so as to communicate in good English. In some translations you will wonder if you are reading the same verse, due to the extensive changes. NET, NRSV, ESV, and HCSB provide formal equivalent translations that are readable; NIV has made more extensive changes to the verse structure to produce more natural English.
b Perfect active infinitive of οἶδα
c This is an alpha contract, middle-only verb.
d This is a somewhat elliptical phrase; to make it intelligible in English, you will need to supply a subject for the infinitive and translate it like a finite verb. Some translations supply “anyone,” others use “me” (i.e., Paul).
e ἵνα περιπατῆτε καί ἔχητε, “so that you may walk and have” (ἵνα governs both verbs).
22.34. Vocabulary for Chapter 22
| Part of Speech | Definition | Possible Glosses | Frequency | |
| Word | NT | LXX | ||
| Adjectives | ||||
| πολύς, πολλή, πολύ | Extensive in scope, whether with reference to number, quantity, measure, or quality; comparative form: πλείων; superlative: πλεῖστος (many possible equivalents in English, depending on referent and context) | much (sg.), many (pl.); large, great, big | 416 | 822 |
| μέγας, μεγάλη, μέγα | A large quantity in terms of extent, scale, space, number, time, status, importance, intensity, etc.; comparative form: μείζων; superlative: μέγιστος (many possible equivalents in English, depending on referent and context) | great, large, big, long | 243 | 916 |
| Nouns | ||||
| ἀρχιερεύς, έως, ὁ | The person who serves as the head priest in a religious system; in plural, collective for priests of high rank | high priest; chief priests | 122 | 44 |
| δύναμις, εως, ἡ | The capacity to function adequately in a particular situation; a deed that demonstrates this capacity [This word often refers to a miracle in the NT, but it should not be translated as such; cf. σημεῖον and τέρας.] | ability, capability, strength, power; deed of power (NT); armed military force (LXX) | 119 | 590 |
| αἷμα, ατος, τό | The red, oxygen-bearing liquid circulating in the bodies of humans and animals; any dark-red liquid; descent, parentage; metaphorically, a person’s life (to take, shed, or give blood is to kill/die) | blood; descent, parentage; lifeblood; murder, killing, death | 97 | 401 |
| πούς, ποδός, ὁ | The body part at the end of the leg (sometimes the reference is to the entire leg); the equivalent part of an animal; the supporting piece of an object (e.g., the bottom part of a table leg, or sometimes the entire leg); a measure of distance | foot | 93 | 301 |
| μήτηρ, μητρός, ἡ | A female parent; numerous metaphorical uses with an analogical meaning | mother | 83 | 338 |
| Μωϋσῆς, έως, ὁ | A personal name, in the LXX and NT the name of Israel’s leader at the time of the exodus; the books of the OT written by him | Moses | 80 | 819 |
| στόμα, ατος, τό | The body part used for eating and speaking/creating sounds (either human or animal); the opening (or edge) of an object analogous to the body part | mouth, jaws; edge | 78 | 489 |
| Prepositions | ||||
| ἄχρι, ἄχρις | A preposition used with the genitive (sometimes as a conjunction) to indicate an extent of time up to a specified event, mostly used of time, occasionally of situations [The spelling ἄχρις is not common; it is sometimes used before words beginning with a vowel.] | until (prep. + gen., or conj.); as far as | 49 | 3 |
| ἔμπροσθεν | A preposition used with the genitive to indicate position in front of something; occasionally used in its older adverbial sense of place in front | before, in front of (prep. + gen.); in front, ahead (adv.) | 48 | 162 |
| Pronoun | ||||
| ὅσος, η, ον | A relative pronoun indicating quantity or number (in the LXX never a correlative as in Classical Greek; NT only rarely correlative) | all who, all that, as many as, as much as | 110 | 615 |
| Verbs | ||||
| σῴζω | To rescue from a hazardous situation, from sickness, or from spiritual/eternal death | I save, deliver, heal | 106 | 363 |
| ἐκπορεύομαι | To move from one place to another, usually of people, but various other uses such as water flowing from a place | I come/go (out), proceed | 33 | 172 |
| καθαρίζω | To make clean by removing dirt or impure substance; to cleanse ritually by meeting ceremonial requirements; to heal someone of disease; to cleanse from sin | I make clean, cleanse; I heal; I purify | 31 | 125 |
22.35. Key Things to Know for Chapter 22
Why are infinitives classified as non-finite forms?
Know the forms (endings) of present and aorist infinitives.
What is the infinitive form of εἰμί?
What is important to remember about the accusative case when used with an infinitive?
Know the various uses of the infinitive.