28
VERBS: PART 12
SUBJUNCTIVE-MOOD VERBS
28.1. This chapter will use an inductive approach to introduce you to verbs in the subjunctive mood.
We will begin with the following NT example. Read the following sentence, paying particular attention to the word ἄγωμεν. Use the notes below the verse only when you have finished your own work on this verse.
John 11:7, μετὰ τοῦτο λέγει τοῖς μαθηταῖς, Ἄγωμεν εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν πάλιν.
What is the lexical form for ἄγωμεν?
What person and number is it?
You probably have identified it correctly as a form of ἄγω. But did you notice something slightly different from what you expected? The usual form for a first plural would be ἄγομεν. Notice that the connecting vowel has lengthened from omicron to omega.
Now browse the context of this passage in several standard English translations, and note how ἄγωμεν has been translated. How is it translated differently from a regular indicative-mood verb? What nuance is added? This is not an indicative-mood verb. It is, as I am sure you have guessed from the chapter title, a subjunctive-mood verb.
28.2. In the following passage, John 11:1–16, browse through the text, noting especially the way in which the italicized words are translated. Ask yourself in each of these instances, is this a statement of or about reality? That is, does the statement describe something that is real or that exists? Or is it only a reference to a potential situation that may or may not become real? (There is a fairly wide range here, so do not expect them all to be the same. We will sort that out a bit later.)
You do not have to parse every word, but do try to follow the text as best you can, using the English translation on the right (NASB) as a temporary crutch. (Be sure to notice the periphrastic in the first verse. Do you remember that construction from the preceding chapter?)
28.3. Examples of the Subjunctive: John 11:1–16
| 1Ἦν δέ τις ἀσθενῶν, Λάζαρος ἀπὸ Βηθανίας, ἐκ τῆς κώμης Μαρίας καὶ Μάρθας τῆς ἀδελφῆς αὐτῆς. | Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. |
| 2ἦν δὲ Μαριὰμ ἡ ἀλείψασα τὸν κύριον μύρῳ καὶ ἐκμάξασα τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ ταῖς θριξὶν αὐτῆς, ἧς ὁ ἀδελφὸς Λάζαρος ἠσθένει. | It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. |
| 3ἀπέστειλαν οὖν αἱ ἀδελφαὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγουσαι, Κύριε, ἴδε ὃν φιλεῖς ἀσθενεῖ. | So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” |
| 4ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν, Αὕτη ἡ ἀσθένεια οὐκ ἔστιν πρὸς θάνατον ἀλλ’ ὑπὲρ τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα δοξασθῇ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ δι’ αὐτῆς. | But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” |
| 5ἠγάπα δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὴν Μάρθαν καὶ τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτῆς καὶ τὸν Λάζαρον. | Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. |
| 6ὡς οὖν ἤκουσεν ὅτι ἀσθενεῖ, τότε μὲν ἔμεινεν ἐν ᾧ ἦν τόπῳ δύο ἡμέρας, | So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. |
| 7ἔπειτα μετὰ τοῦτο λέγει τοῖς μαθηταῖς, Ἄγωμεν εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν πάλιν. | Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” |
| 8λέγουσιν αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταί, Ῥαββί, νῦν ἐζήτουν σε λιθάσαι οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, καὶ πάλιν ὑπάγεις ἐκεῖ; | The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?” |
| 9ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς, Οὐχὶ δώδεκα ὧραί εἰσιν τῆς ἡμέρας; ἐάν τις περιπατῇ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, οὐ προσκόπτει, ὅτι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου τούτου βλέπει· | Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. |
| 10ἐὰν δέ τις περιπατῇ ἐν τῇ νυκτί, προσκόπτει, ὅτι τὸ φῶς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐτῷ. | “But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” |
| 11ταῦτα εἶπεν, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο λέγει αὐτοῖς, Λάζαρος ὁ φίλος ἡμῶν κεκοίμηται· ἀλλὰ πορεύομαι ἵνα ἐξυπνίσω αὐτόν. | This He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep.” |
| 12εἶπαν οὖν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτῷ, Κύριε, εἰ κεκοίμηται σωθήσεται. | The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” |
| 13εἰρήκει δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς περὶ τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ἔδοξαν ὅτι περὶ τῆς κοιμήσεως τοῦ ὕπνου λέγει. | Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. |
| 14τότε οὖν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς παρρησίᾳ, Λάζαρος ἀπέθανεν, | So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, |
| 15καὶ χαίρω δι’ ὑμᾶς ἵνα πιστεύσητε, ὅτι οὐκ ἤμην ἐκεῖ· ἀλλὰ ἄγωμεν πρὸς αὐτόν. | and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.” |
| 16εἶπεν οὖν Θωμᾶς ὁ λεγόμενος Δίδυμος τοῖς συμμαθηταῖς, Ἄγωμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἵνα ἀποθάνωμεν μετ’ αὐτοῦ. | Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.” |
All the subjunctive verbs found in verses 4, 11, 15a, 16b express purpose and use ἵνα; they are usually translated “in order that/to.” The verbs in verses 7, 15b, 16a are often called hortatory subjunctives. They occur in first plural forms and are translated “let us.” Verses 9 and 10 contain conditional statements; ἐάν with a subjunctive is translated “if.”
Additional Examples of the Subjunctive
28.4. Here are some additional examples that round out the morphology and uses of the subjunctive.
| Matt. 21:22, πάντα ὅσα ἂν αἰτήσητε ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ πιστεύοντες λήμψεσθε. | Whatever you ask in prayer you will receive if you believe. |
| 1 Cor. 15:32, εἰ νεκροὶ οὐκ ἐγείρονται, Φάγωμεν καὶ πίωμεν, αὔριον γὰρ ἀποθνῄσκομεν. | If the dead do not rise, then let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die. |
| John 6:29, ἀπεκρίθη ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ ἔργον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα πιστεύητε εἰς ὃν ἀπέστειλεν ἐκεῖνος. | Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you should believe in the one whom he sent. |
| Mark 6:24, ἐξελθοῦσα εἶπεν τῇ μητρὶ αὐτῆς, Τί αἰτήσωμαι; ἡ δὲ εἶπεν, Τὴν κεφαλὴν Ἰωάννου τοῦ βαπτίζοντος. | Going out she said to her mother, “What should I request?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptizer!” |
28.5. Now that you have some sense of what this new category involves, we will sort out the grammar a bit more systematically. The subjunctive is the name given to one of the grammatical categories called mood. This is in contrast to the indicative mood, which we have studied previously. The indicative mood is a statement of fact or reality (or a question about factuality or reality). By contrast, the subjunctive is the mood of potential or possibility. The situation to which reference is made is only conceptualized in the mind of the speaker or writer. In a later chapter you will meet the imperative mood—verbs that express the speaker’s volition, often (but not always) in the form of a command. (You might want to review the preliminary discussion of mood in chap. 13.)
The English Subjunctive
28.6. There is a subjunctive mood in English, but it is less common than it once was. It has traditionally been explained by English grammars as expressing “an idea that is a supposition, a wish, or an idea that is doubtful or uncertain.”[1] More recently some English grammarians have redefined the category of “subjunctive” from a characteristic of a verb to a clause-level description.[2] The traditional description of the English subjunctive is closer to the Greek subjunctive than the newer, functional explanation. Since both approaches are in use, examples of each English definition follow.
Traditional English Examples
If I were you, I should not think of accepting.
Would that you were in my place.
Had I been in your place, I should have laughed.
Functional English Examples
We insist that she be kept informed.
They demanded that the park remain open.
The Greek Subjunctive
28.7. The subjunctive is quite common in Greek; there are 1,867 subjunctive verbs in the NT and 5,270 in the LXX. Although you might get by without knowing much about an English subjunctive, you will need to understand the Greek form well. Here are the basics that you need to master.
The Greek subjunctive occurs predominantly in the present and the aorist (there are also a few perfects: 10 in the NT, 7 in LXX). The tense-forms of the subjunctive mood say nothing about the time of the situation. Any time reference comes from the mood. Because subjunctives express potential, they usually relate to the future. The meaning of the tense-forms in the subjunctive is verbal aspect: the present expresses imperfective aspect (it describes a situation as a process), and the aorist expresses perfective aspect (it describes a situation as a whole). The aspect of the Greek subjunctive can seldom be distinguished when put into English, but it should be noted in exegesis.
If you put a Greek subjunctive into English, it should always reflect the potential nature of the statement. Often using the English helping verb “should” will be appropriate for this purpose. If a subjunctive verb is governed by a specific conjunction (see further details on these below), that conjunction is usually an adequate expression of potential in English, as you can see from the following examples: ἐὰν ἔρχηται, “if he comes”; ὅταν ἔρχηται, “when he comes”; and ἕως ἔρχηται, “until he comes.”
28.8. It is not necessary to memorize a formula for each set of subjunctive forms or even for the subjunctive mood generally, but so that you can compare it with the other forms and formulas that you already know, here is what it looks like.
Formula for Subjunctive Verbs
stem + [form marker] + lengthened connecting vowel + A or C personal endings
The key to identifying a subjunctive-mood verb is a lengthened connecting vowel. Subjunctives always use primary endings (A or C) for both present and aorist forms. (There is no augment in the subjunctive, so we cannot use secondary endings. Remember: only indicatives have augments.) The aorist subjunctive adds the form marker sigma (not the usual σα)[3] before the lengthened connecting vowel.
The forms are listed in the chart below. There is no need to memorize this chart. You should be able to recognize it from what you already know, so long as you remember that it is the connecting vowel that lengthens to form the subjunctive. The first Greek column gives present indicative forms for comparison.
Subjunctive Forms
| Pres. Act. Ind. | Pres. Act. Subj. | Aor. Act. Subj. | 2Aor. Act. Subj. | |
| λύω | λύω | λύω | λαμβάνω | |
| 1S | λύω | λύω | λύσω | λάβω |
| 2S | λύεις | λύῃς | λύσῃς | λάβῃς |
| 3S | λύει | λύῃ | λύσῃ | λάβῃ |
| 1P | λύομεν | λύωμεν | λύσωμεν | λάβωμεν |
| 2P | λύετε | λύητε | λύσητε | λάβητε |
| 3P | λύουσι(ν) | λύωσι(ν) | λύσωσι(ν) | λάβωσι(ν) |
| Pres. Mid. Ind. | Pres. Mid. Subj. | Aor. Mid. Subj. | 2Aor. Mid. Subj. | |
| 1S | λύομαι | λύωμαι | λύσωμαι | γένωμαι |
| 2S | λύῃ | λύῃ | λύσῃ | γένῃ |
| 3S | λύεται | λύηται | λύσηται | γένηται |
| 1P | λυόμεθα | λυώμεθα | λυσώμεθα | γενώμεθα |
| 2P | λύεσθε | λύησθε | λύσησθε | γένησθε |
| 3P | λύονται | λύωνται | λύσωνται | γένωνται |
All three subjunctive columns use the same sets of endings (active and middle) for both present and aorist forms. The present and second aorist forms are identical except for the aorist stem. Some subjunctive forms are identical with other forms you already know, either present or future indicatives (e.g., λύω, λύῃ, λύσω); only context can distinguish which is which.[4] There are some specific things to look for in the context. Is the statement one about reality, or does it refer to a potential situation? Is the clause introduced with one of the conjunctions that govern the subjunctive mood? (See below for these conjunctions.)
Read back through the Greek passages at the beginning of this chapter, and compare them with the forms shown in the table above. Then try the examples below. You will find that they are easy to identify so long as you remember that it is the lengthened connecting vowel that is the identification key.
| Mark 4:15, οὗτοι δέ εἰσιν οἱ παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν· ὅπου σπείρεται ὁ λόγος καὶ ὅταν ἀκούσωσιν, εὐθὺς ἔρχεται ὁ Σατανᾶς καὶ αἴρει τὸν λόγον τὸν ἐσπαρμένον εἰς αὐτούς. | |
| Matt. 4:3, ὁ πειράζων εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Εἰ υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ θεοῦ, εἰπὲ (command!) ἵνα οἱ λίθοι οὗτοι ἄρτοι γένωνται. | |
| Luke 9:57–58, πορευομένων αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ εἶπέν τις πρὸς αὐτόν, Ἀκολουθήσω σοι ὅπου ἐὰν ἀπέρχῃ. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Αἱ ἀλώπεκες φωλεοὺς ἔχουσιν καὶ τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατασκηνώσεις, ὁ δὲ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἔχει ποῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν κλίνῃ. | |
| Gen. 4:8, εἶπεν Κάϊν πρὸς Ἅβελ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, Διέλθωμεν εἰς τὸ πεδίον.a | |
a πεδίον, ου, τό, “field” |
|
28.10. There is only one set of forms for the subjunctive of εἰμί; it looks like the regular present active subjunctive with no stem—just the ending. The aorist passive subjunctive uses theta as a form marker. The only perfect subjunctive found in the NT and LXX is the verb οἶδα.[5] These forms are shown in the following table.
Other Subjunctive Forms
| Pres. [Act.] Subj. of εἰμί | Aor. Pass. Subj. of λύω | Pf. Act. Subj. of οἶδα | |
| 1S | ὦ | λυθῶ | εἰδῶ |
| 2S | ᾖς | λυθῇς | εἰδῇς |
| 3S | ᾖ | λυθῇ | εἰδῇ |
| 1P | ὦμεν | λυθῶμεν | εἰδῶμεν |
| 2P | ἦτε | λυθῆτε | εἰδῆτε |
| 3P | ὦσι(ν) | λυθῶσι(ν) | εἰδῶσιν |
There is also a second aorist passive form, which, like the second aorist passive indicative, omits the theta. As a result the second aorist passive subjunctive form is identical to the second aorist active subjunctive. Parsing is by context. There are only a few of these in the NT (about a dozen verbs). Most occur only once, three occur twice, and only one occurs five times. As a sample, the most common such verb is φαίνω, which has these second aorist passive forms: second singular, φανῇς; third singular, φανῇ; first plural, φανῶμεν; third plural, φανῶσιν.
28.11. The contract verbs have their usual variations in the present subjunctive. You need not memorize the following charts, because they follow familiar patterns that you already know. Handle these contract forms the same as you have in all the other forms. Know the most common types of contractions, and know your vocabulary well. The connecting vowel is all that is affected. For reference, here are the most common contract verbs in the NT and LXX, one from each category. The epsilon contracts are the easiest to identify. The most troublesome forms are the second and third singular forms of the omicron and alpha contracts.
28.12. Forms of Present Active Subjunctive Contracts
Present Active Subjunctive Contracts
| ποιέω | πληρόω | ἀγαπάω | |
| 1S | ποιῶ | πληρῶ | ἀγαπῶ |
| 2S | ποιῇς | πληροῖς | ἀγαπᾷς |
| 3S | ποιῇ | πληροῖ | ἀγαπᾷ |
| 1P | ποιῶμεν | πληρῶμεν | ἀγαπῶμεν |
| 2P | ποιῆτε | πληρῶτε | ἀγαπᾶτε |
| 3P | ποιῶσιν | πληρῶσιν | ἀγαπῶσιν |
28.13. Examples of Present Active Subjunctive Contracts
| John 13:17, εἰ ταῦτα οἴδατε, μακάριοί ἐστε ἐὰν ποιῆτε αὐτά. | If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. |
| Col. 4:17, εἴπατεa Ἀρχίππῳ, Βλέπεb τὴν διακονίαν ἣν παρέλαβες ἐν κυρίῳ, ἵνα αὐτὴν πληροῖς. | Say to Archippus, “See to the ministry which you received in the Lord, that you fulfill it.” |
|
a impv. ► λέγω/εἶπον b impv. ► βλέπω |
|
| 1 John 3:23, αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐντολὴ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα πιστεύσωμεν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους. | This is his command, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and [that] we should love one another. |
| Lev. 25:54, ἐὰν δὲ μὴ λυτρῶται κατὰ ταῦτα, ἐξελεύσεται ἐν τῷ ἔτει τῆς ἀφέσεως αὐτὸς καὶ τὰ παιδία αὐτοῦ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ. | But if he should not be redeemed according to these [provisions], he will go forth [i.e., go free] in the year of forgiveness and his children with him. |
In the aorist, the form marker prevents contraction of the lengthened connecting vowel, but the stem vowel lengthens when adding a form marker, as it normally does in such situations.
28.14. Forms of Aorist Active Subjunctive Contracts
Aorist Active Subjunctive Contracts
| ποιέω | πληρόω | ἀγαπάω | |
| 1S | ποιήσω | πληρώσω | ἀγαπήσω |
| 2S | ποιήσῃς | πληρώσῃς | ἀγαπήσῃς |
| 3S | ποιήσῃ | πληρώσῃ | ἀγαπήσῃ |
| 1P | ποιήσωμεν | πληρώσωμεν | ἀγαπήσωμεν |
| 2P | ποιήσητε | πληρώσητε | ἀγαπήσητε |
| 3P | ποιήσωσιν | πληρώσωσιν | ἀγαπήσωσιν |
28.15. Examples of Aorist Active Subjunctive Contracts
| Matt. 27:22, λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Πιλᾶτος, Τί οὖν ποιήσω Ἰησοῦν τὸν λεγόμενον Χριστόν; | Pilate said to them, “What, then, should I do with Jesus, the one called ‘Messiah’?” |
| Eph. 4:10, ὁ καταβὰς αὐτός ἐστιν καὶ ὁ ἀναβὰς ὑπεράνω πάντων τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἵνα πληρώσῃ τὰ πάντα. | The one who descended is also the one who ascended above all the heavens in order that he should fill all things. |
| Matt. 5:46, ἐὰν γὰρ ἀγαπήσητε τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας ὑμᾶς, τίνα μισθὸν ἔχετε; οὐχὶ καὶ οἱ τελῶναι τὸ αὐτὸ ποιοῦσιν; | For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same thing? |
| Gen. 2:18, εἶπεν κύριος ὁ θεός, Οὐ καλὸν εἶναι τὸν ἄνθρωπον μόνον· ποιήσωμεν αὐτῷ βοηθὸν κατ᾿ αὐτόν. | The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; let us make him a helper corresponding to him.” |
28.16. Forms of Present Middle Subjunctive Contracts
Present Middle Subjunctive Contracts
| αἰτέω | λυτρόω | χαλάω | |
| 1S | αἰτῶμαι | λυτρῶμαι | χαλῶμαι |
| 2S | αἰτῇ | λυτροῖ | χαλᾷ |
| 3S | αἰτῆται | λυτρῶται | χαλᾶται |
| 1P | αἰτώμεθα | λυτρώμεθα | χαλώμεθα |
| 2P | αἰτῆσθε | λυτρῶσθε | χαλᾶσθε |
| 3P | αἰτῶνται | λυτρῶνται | χαλῶνται |
Examples of Present Middle Subjunctive Contracts
28.17. These forms are rare in both the NT and the LXX.
| 1 John 5:14–15, αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ παρρησία ἣν ἔχομεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὅτι ἐάν τι αἰτώμεθα κατὰ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ ἀκούει ἡμῶν. καὶ ἐὰν οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀκούει ἡμῶν ὃ ἐὰν αἰτώμεθα, οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἔχομεν τὰ αἰτήματα ἃ ᾐτήκαμεν ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ. | This is the confidence which we have before him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he will hear us. And if we know that he hears us whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we request from him. |
| Lev. 27:27, ἐὰν δὲ μὴ λυτρῶται, πραθήσεταιa κατὰ τὸ τίμημα αὐτοῦ. | But if he does not redeem [the animal], it will be sold according to its value. |
a πραθήσεται ► πιπράσκω |
|
| Exod. 36:28, συνέσφιγξενa τὸ λογεῖον (breastplate) ἀπὸ τῶν δακτυλίων τῶν ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῦ εἰς τοὺς δακτυλίους τῆς ἐπωμίδος (ephod), ἵνα μὴ χαλᾶταιb τὸ λογεῖον ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπωμίδος. | He fastened the breastplate by the rings which were attached to it to the rings of the ephod in order that the breastplate not sag down from the ephod. |
|
a συσφίγγω, “I fasten” b χαλάω, “I loosen, hang down” |
|
28.18. Forms of Aorist Middle Subjunctive Contracts
Aorist Middle Subjunctive Contracts
| αἰτέω | λυτρόω | χράω | |
| 1S | αἰτήσωμαι | λυτρώσωμαι | χρήσωμαι |
| 2S | αἰτήσῃ | λυτρώσῃ | χρήσῃ |
| 3S | αἰτήσηται | λυτρώσηται | χρήσηται |
| 1P | αἰτησώμεθα | λυτρωσώμεθα | χρησώμεθα |
| 2P | αἰτήσησθε | λυτρώσησθε | χρήσησθε |
| 3P | αἰτήσωνται | λυτρώσωνται | χρήσωνται |
28.19. Examples of Aorist Middle Subjunctive Contracts
| John 11:22, οἶδα ὅτι ὅσα ἂν αἰτήσῃ τὸν θεὸν δώσει (he will give) σοι ὁ θεός. | I know that whatever you ask God, God will give you. |
| Titus 2:14, ὃς ἔδωκεν (he gave) ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἵνα λυτρώσηται ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀνομίας | Who gave himself for us in order to redeem us from all lawlessness |
| 1 Macc. 13:46, εἶπαν, Μὴ ἡμῖν χρήσῃa κατὰ τὰς πονηρίας ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ ἔλεός σου. | They said, “Do not treat us according to our evil deeds but according to your mercy.” |
a χράω, “I use, treat, deal with” |
|
28.20. Forms of Aorist Passive Subjunctive Contracts
Aorist Passive Subjunctive Contracts
| φοβέω | πληρόω | πλανάω | |
| 1S | φοβηθῶ | πληρωθῶ | πλανηθῶ |
| 2S | φοβηθῇς | πληρωθῇς | πλανηθῇς |
| 3S | φοβηθῇ | πληρωθῇ | πλανηθῇ |
| 1P | φοβηθῶμεν | πληρωθῶμεν | πλανηθῶμεν |
| 2P | φοβηθῆτε | πληρωθῆτε | πλανηθῆτε |
| 3P | φοβηθῶσιν | πληρωθῶσιν | πλανηθῶσιν |
The aorist passive subjunctive is not affected by contract verb rules, since the form marker separates the stem vowel from the connecting vowel, but the stem vowel lengthens when adding a form marker as usual. The endings look the same as those of the active subjunctives, apart from the accents. The chart and examples are given here simply to show you that these forms are perfectly regular.
28.21. Examples of Aorist Passive Subjunctive Contracts
| Matt. 1:20, Ἰωσὴφ υἱὸς Δαυίδ, μὴ φοβηθῇς παραλαβεῖν Μαρίαν τὴν γυναῖκά σου. | Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. |
| John 15:11, Ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ἡ ἐμὴ ἐν ὑμῖν ᾖ καὶ ἡ χαρὰ ὑμῶν πληρωθῇ. | I have spoken these things to you in order that my joy may be in you and [that] your joy may be full. |
| Isa. 35:8, ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁδὸς καθαρὰ καὶ ὁδὸς ἁγία κληθήσεται· οἱ δὲ διεσπαρμένοι πορεύσονται ἐπ᾿ αὐτῆς καὶ οὐ μὴ πλανηθῶσιν. | A clean highway will be there, and it will be called a holy highway, and those who have been dispersed will walk on it, and they will not be led astray. |
| John 1:7–8, οὗτος ἦλθεν εἰς μαρτυρίαν ἵνα μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ φωτός, ἵνα πάντες πιστεύσωσιν δι᾿ αὐτοῦ. οὐκ ἦν ἐκεῖνος τὸ φῶς, ἀλλ᾿ ἵνα μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ φωτός. | |
| John 3:3, ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, ἐὰν μή τις γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν, οὐ δύναται ἰδεῖν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ. | |
| 1 Clem. 7.3, ἴδωμεν τί καλὸν καὶ τί τερπνὸν καὶ τί προσδεκτὸν ἐνώπιον τοῦ ποιήσαντος ἡμᾶς. | |
| 1 En. 6.4, ἀπεκρίθησαν οὖν αὐτῷ πάντες, Ὀμόσωμεν ὅρκῳ πάντες καὶ ἀναθεματίσωμεν πάντες ἀλλήλους μὴ ἀποστρέψαι τὴν γνώμην ταύτην, μέχρις οὗ ἂν τελέσωμεν αὐτὴν καὶ ποιήσωμεν τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο. | |
Ambiguous Contract Forms
28.23. Contract verbs can present some perplexing situations in which the same form might be parsed multiple ways. Here is an example in which by form alone λυτρώσῃ could be parsed any of three different ways.
Exod. 34:20, πρωτότοκον ὑποζυγίου λυτρώσῃ προβάτῳ· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ λυτρώσῃ αὐτό, τιμὴν δώσεις (you will give). πᾶν πρωτότοκον τῶν υἱῶν σου λυτρώσῃ.
The form λυτρώσῃ could be parsed in any of the following ways.
2nd sg. fut. mid. ind.
2nd sg. aor. mid. subj.
3rd sg. aor. act. subj.
Compare the paradigms in the preceding pages, and verify each of these parsing patterns. In these cases you must look for context clues as to which is correct. In each instance you should ask, are there any conjunctions that govern the subjunctive? If so, that rules out an indicative parsing. What about the grammatical person? Who is speaking or spoken to? What is being described? These forms are rarely ambiguous when evaluated in context.[6]
Conjunctions Governing Subjunctives
28.24. A number of key words govern the subjunctive mood. In the examples earlier in this chapter, you probably noticed that words other than just the subjunctive verb were marked. These key words include ἵνα, ἐάν, ὅταν, ἕως, and forms of ἀν (e.g., ὃς ἄν, ὅπου ἄν, and ἕως ἄν). What this means is that when you see one of these conjunctions, you should expect to find a subjunctive-mood verb following it (sometimes several).
There are some variations here in that some of these words can also be used with other moods, but their most common use is with the subjunctive. See the entries in BDAG for each of these words for more detail (CL is not as helpful on this point). For example, ἵνα is most commonly used with the subjunctive, but occasionally it does occur with an indicative-mood verb, usually a future indicative (only rarely with a present indicative, and then often with a textual variant that has the subjunctive).[7] The situation is similar with ἐάν and ὅταν (indicatives almost always have a textual variant with the subjunctive). With ἕως there is greater flexibility, but in this instance it is often due to the fact that ἕως can be used not only as a conjunction with the subjunctive (and occasionally with the indicative) but also as a preposition or an adverb.
28.25. The subjunctive functions in statements that express several nuances in Greek. The examples below illustrate the most common uses. Study them carefully, and notice the variations in meaning that are possible, depending on the context. Some have specific context clues; others depend on the reader understanding the sense of the statement in the context. There are not different kinds of subjunctives, only different uses, or better, subjunctives used in different kinds of statements. That is, a hortatory subjunctive is not a different kind of subjunctive from the deliberative subjunctive. Both are just subjunctive verbs, but they are used in different contexts that convey the hortatory or deliberative ideas. The common labels should be understood as shorthand labels; for example, hortatory subjunctive should be understood to refer to the use of a subjunctive verb in a hortatory statement.
Subjunctives Used in Purpose Statements
28.26. To express purpose using a subjunctive verb, it is common to introduce the clause with the conjunction ἵνα. When the statement is negated (with μή, since the verb is subjunctive), the combination ἵνα μή can be represented in English by “lest” in some contexts, though that phraseology is not as common as it once was in our language.
| 1 John 2:1, Τεκνία μου, ταῦτα γράφω ὑμῖν ἵνα μὴ ἁμάρτητε. | My little children, I am writing these things to you in order that you do not sin. |
| Mark 7:9, ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς, Καλῶς ἀθετεῖτε τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα τὴν παράδοσιν ὑμῶν στήσητε. | He said to them, “You nicely set aside the command of God in order to establish your tradition.” |
This example will stretch you a bit beyond where we are just now since στήσητε is a μι verb. The stem is στα-, and the lexical form is ἵστημι. We will learn these verb forms in chapters 32 and 33. Jesus’ statement recorded in Mark 7 is one of strong, biting irony. NET captures the irony implied by καλῶς this way: “You neatly reject.”
| 1 Chron. 28:8, καὶ νῦν κατὰ πρόσωπον πάσης ἐκκλησίας κυρίου καὶ ἐν ὠσὶνa θεοῦ ἡμῶν φυλάξασθε (guard!) καὶ ζητήσατε (seek!) πάσας τὰς ἐντολὰς κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν, ἵνα κληρονομήσητε τὴν γῆν τὴν ἀγαθὴν καὶ κατακληρονομήσητε τοῖς υἱοῖς ὑμῶν μεθ᾿ ὑμᾶς ἕως αἰῶνος. | And now in front of all the assembly of the Lord and in the hearing of our God, guard and seek all the commandments of the Lord our God in order that you may inherit the good land and give it as a rightful possession to your sons after you forever. |
a οὖς, ὠτός, τό, “ear, hearing” (a tricky third-declension noun) |
|
Subjunctives Used in Hortatory Statements
28.27. Hortatory subjunctives will be in the first-person plural and will not be introduced by one of the conjunctions that govern the subjunctive mood.[8] This is not a command but an exhortation. When Greek speakers wanted to express a direct command, they used the imperative mood. By contrast if they wanted to encourage action, they used a hortatory subjunctive. Notice that the speaker is included in the action in a hortatory subjunctive (“let us do this” or “we should do this”) but not in an imperative (“[you] do this!”).
| Mark 4:35, λέγει αὐτοῖς, Διέλθωμεν εἰς τὸ πέραν. | He said to them, “Let us go across to the other side [of the lake].” |
| Rom. 13:12, ἡ νὺξ προέκοψεν, ἡ δὲ ἡμέρα ἤγγικεν. ἀποθώμεθαa οὖν τὰ ἔργα τοῦ σκότους, ἐνδυσώμεθα δὲ τὰ ὅπλα τοῦ φωτός. | The night is far gone, and the day is near. Wherefore let us lay aside the works of the darkness, and let us put on the armor of the light. |
a ἀποθώμεθα is a μι verb, which you will learn in chaps. 32 and 33. The stem of this compound verb (ἀποτίθημι) is θε, which lengthens to θω in the subjunctive. |
|
| Gen. 4:8, εἶπεν Κάϊν πρὸς Ἅβελ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, Διέλθωμεν εἰς τὸ πεδίον. | Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” |
Subjunctives Used in Conditional Statements
28.28. Conditional statements that involve a subjunctive-mood verb are introduced with ἐάν. (We will study this type of statement in more detail in a later chapter.)
| Mark 5:28, ἔλεγεν ὅτι Ἐὰν ἅψωμαι κἂν τῶν ἱματίων αὐτοῦ σωθήσομαι. | She was saying, “If I touch even his garment, I will be healed.” |
| Rom. 14:8, ἐάν τε γὰρ ζῶμεν, τῷ κυρίῳ ζῶμεν, ἐάν τε ἀποθνῄσκωμεν, τῷ κυρίῳ ἀποθνῄσκομεν. ἐάν τε οὖν ζῶμεν ἐάν τε ἀποθνῄσκωμεν, τοῦ κυρίου ἐσμέν. | For if we should live, to the Lord we live, and if we should die, to the Lord we die. Wherefore if we should live, or if we should die, of the Lord we are [= we belong to the Lord]. |
Notice that there are two identical forms in this verse (ζῶμεν). The first is a subjunctive, the second is an indicative. The form is the same (this is not an alpha contract verb; see the sidebar in chap. 21). The context determines the sense; the parallel construction with ἀποθνῄσκωμεν/ἀποθνῄσκομεν in the second clause is particularly helpful in this regard. As an isolated word, ζῶμεν may be parsed as either subjunctive or indicative; parsed in context, it can be only one of the two forms. The word τέ above is not common in the NT. For a simple translation, ἐάν τε may be translated together as “if.”[9]
| Judg. 4:8, εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὴν Βαράκ, Ἐὰν πορευθῇς μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ, πορεύσομαι, καὶ ἐὰν μὴ πορευθῇς μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ, οὐ πορεύσομαι· ὅτι οὐκ οἶδα τὴν ἡμέραν, ἐν ᾗ εὐοδοῖa κύριος τὸν ἄγγελον μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ. | Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go, and if you do not go with me, I will not go, because I do not know the day in which the Lord will send his angel on a good journey with me.” |
a εὐοδοῖ, 3rd sg. pres. act. ind. εὐοδόω, “I send on a good journey, help on the way” (CL gives only the metaphorical use for the NT, “I prosper, succeed,” but the LXX often uses the nonmetaphorical meaning.) |
|
Subjunctives Used in Statements of Negation and Strong Negation
28.29. A subjunctive may be negated simply with μή or more strongly with οὐ μή and an aorist subjunctive.
| 1 Tim. 5:1–2, Πρεσβυτέρῳ μὴ ἐπιπλήξῃς ἀλλὰ παρακάλει ὡς πατέρα, νεωτέρους ὡς ἀδελφούς, πρεσβυτέρας ὡς μητέρας, νεωτέρας ὡς ἀδελφὰς ἐν πάσῃ ἁγνείᾳ. | Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort [him] as a father; [exhort] younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters in all purity. |
Although the least frequent use of the subjunctive, οὐ μή with an aorist subjunctive is the strongest way to say “no.” It occurs only 5 times in Paul’s Epistles, though more in the Gospels, with a total of approximately 75 times in the NT. It is more common in the LXX, occurring over 500 times.[10]
| Gal. 5:16, Λέγω δέ, πνεύματι περιπατεῖτε [walk!] καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν σαρκὸς οὐ μὴ τελέσητε. | But I say, walk by the Spirit, and the strong desires of the flesh you will never fulfill. |
| Job 14:7, ἔστιν γὰρ δένδρῳ ἐλπίς· ἐὰν γὰρ ἐκκοπῇ, ἔτι ἐπανθήσει,a καὶ ὁ ῥάδαμνοςb αὐτοῦοὐ μὴ ἐκλίπῃ .c | For there is hope in a tree; for if it should be cut down, yet it will sprout, and its branch will not fail. |
|
a ἐπανθέω, “I bloom/flower/sprout” b ῥάδαμνος, ου, ὁ, “sprout, twig, branch” c ἐκλίπῃ, 3rd sg. aor. act. subj. ► ἐκλείπω, “I fail” |
|
Subjunctives Used in Indefinite Relative Statements
28.30. Subjunctives are often used with an indefinite relative pronoun (ὃς ἄν, etc.) to suggest the potential nature of a situation: “whoever should do x.”
| Mark 3:29, ὃς δ᾿ ἂν βλασφημήσῃ εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, οὐκ ἔχει ἄφεσιν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ἀλλὰ ἔνοχός ἐστιν αἰωνίου ἁμαρτήματος. | Whoever blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness but is guilty of an eternal sin. |
| 1 Cor. 11:27, ὃς ἂν ἐσθίῃ τὸν ἄρτον ἢ πίνῃ τὸ ποτήριον τοῦ κυρίου ἀναξίως, ἔνοχος ἔσται τοῦ σώματος καὶ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ κυρίου. | Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. |
| Esther 2:4, καὶ ἡ γυνή, ἣ ἂν ἀρέσῃ τῷ βασιλεῖ, βασιλεύσει ἀντὶ Ἀστίν. | Now the woman, whoever is pleasing to the king, will reign instead of Vashti. |
This example shows a feminine relative pronoun used with ἄν.
Subjunctives Used in Temporal Statements
28.31. Several nuances are possible when using various temporal markers that govern the subjunctive mood.
| John 13:38, ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, οὐ μὴ ἀλέκτωρ φωνήσῃ ἕως οὗa ἀρνήσῃ με τρίς. | Truly, truly I say to you, the rooster will not crow until you deny me three times. |
a The expression ἕως οὗ is elliptical; it assumes the fuller statement, ἕως τοῦ χρόνου ᾧ, “until the time in which.” A simple “until” is adequate in English. |
|
| 1 Cor. 15:54–55, ὅταν δὲ τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀφθαρσίαν καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀθανασίαν, τότε γενήσεται ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος, Κατεπόθηa ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος. ποῦ σου, θάνατε,b τὸ νῖκος; ποῦ σου, θάνατε,b τὸ κέντρον; | But when this corruptible puts on incorruption and this mortal puts on immortality, then will be the word that has been written, “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?” |
|
a Κατεπόθη, 3rd sg. aor. pass. ind. ► καταπίνω, “I swallow up” b θάνατε, voc., “O Death!” |
|
| Judg. 13:17, εἶπεν Μανωὲ πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον κυρίου, Τί ὄνομά σοι, ἵνα, ὅταν ἔλθῃ τὸ ῥῆμά σου, δοξάσωμέν σε; | Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes?” |
And remember: There is no such thing as a future subjunctive! (Have you heard that before?)
| Acts 3:19–20, μετανοήσατε (repent!) οὖν καὶ ἐπιστρέψατε (turn back!) εἰς τὸ ἐξαλειφθῆναι ὑμῶν τὰς ἁμαρτίας, ὅπως ἂν ἔλθωσιν καιροὶ ἀναψύξεως ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ κυρίου καὶ ἀποστείλῃ τὸν προκεχειρισμένον ὑμῖν Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν. | |
| Rom. 1:13, οὐ θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, ἀδελφοί, ὅτι πολλάκις προεθέμην (I purposed) ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἐκωλύθην ἄχρι τοῦ δεῦρο, ἵνα τινὰ καρπὸν σχῶ καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν καθὼς καὶ ἐν τοῖς λοιποῖς ἔθνεσιν. | |
| 1 Cor. 1:10, Παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα τὸ αὐτὸ λέγητε πάντες καὶ μὴ ᾖ ἐν ὑμῖν σχίσματα, ἦτε δὲ κατηρτισμένοι ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ νοῒ καὶ ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ γνώμῃ. | |
| Num. 9:14, ἐὰν δὲ προσέλθῃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς προσήλυτοςa ἐν τῇ γῇ ὑμῶν καὶ ποιήσει τὸ πάσχα κυρίῳ, κατὰ τὸν νόμον τοῦ πάσχα καὶ κατὰ τὴν σύνταξιν αὐτοῦ ποιήσει αὐτό· νόμος εἷς ἔσται ὑμῖν καὶ τῷ προσηλύτῳ καὶ τῷ αὐτόχθονιb τῆς γῆς. | |
|
a προσήλυτος in the NT refers to a proselyte to Judaism (see CL), but in the LXX it may also (and perhaps more commonly) refer to an immigrant or resident alien (see LEH and MLS); ctr. πάροικος, who was only a short-term resident in the land. b αὐτόχθων, ον, “indigenous, native”; subst. αὐτόχθων, ονος, ὁ, “someone who is native to a particular country” |
|
| Josh. 1:9, ἰδοὺ ἐντέταλμαί σοι· ἴσχυε (be strong!) καὶ ἀνδρίζου (act like a man!), μὴ δειλιάσῃς μηδὲ φοβηθῇς, ὅτι μετὰ σοῦ κύριος ὁ θεός σου εἰς πάντα, οὗ ἐὰν πορεύῃ. |
28.33. Advanced Information for Reference:
Diagramming Subjunctives
| 1 John 2:1, Τεκνία μου, ταῦτα γράφω ὑμῖν ἵνα μὴ ἁμάρτητε. | My little children, I am writing these things to you in order that you do not sin. |
Figure 28.1
Subjunctive-mood verbs always occur in a subordinate clause, so they are diagrammed on a separate baseline, connected to the main clause with a right-slanting diagonal line that branches from the main line below the verb.
28.34. Reading Passage: Matthew 5:17–30
Excerpt from the Sermon on the Mount
17Μὴ νομίσητε ὅτι ἦλθον καταλῦσαι τὸν νόμον ἢ τοὺς προφήτας· οὐκ ἦλθον καταλῦσαι ἀλλὰ πληρῶσαι. 18ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν· ἕως ἂν παρέλθῃ ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ, ἰῶτα ἓν ἢ μία κεραία οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου, ἕως ἂν πάντα γένηται. 19ὃς ἐὰν οὖν λύσῃ μίαν τῶν ἐντολῶν τούτων τῶν ἐλαχίστων καὶ διδάξῃ οὕτως τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἐλάχιστος κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν· ὃς δ᾿ ἂν ποιήσῃ καὶ διδάξῃ, οὗτος μέγας κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν. 20λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ περισσεύσῃ ὑμῶν ἡ δικαιοσύνη πλεῖον τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν.
21Ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη τοῖς ἀρχαίοις, Οὐ φονεύσεις· ὃς δ᾿ ἂν φονεύσῃ, ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει. 22ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει· ὃς δ᾿ ἂν εἴπῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ, Ῥακά, ἔνοχος ἔσται τῷ συνεδρίῳ· ὃς δ᾿ ἂν εἴπῃ, Μωρέ, ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρός. 23ἐὰν οὖν προσφέρῃς τὸ δῶρόν σου ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον κἀκεῖ μνησθῇς ὅτι ὁ ἀδελφός σου ἔχει τι κατὰ σοῦ, 24ἄφες (leave!) ἐκεῖ τὸ δῶρόν σου ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου καὶ ὕπαγε (go!) πρῶτον διαλλάγηθι (be reconciled!) τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου, καὶ τότε ἐλθὼν πρόσφερε (offer!) τὸ δῶρόν σου. 25ἴσθι (be!) εὐνοῶν τῷ ἀντιδίκῳ σου ταχύ, ἕως ὅτου εἶ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, μήποτέ σε παραδῷa (should deliver up) ὁ ἀντίδικος τῷ κριτῇ καὶ ὁ κριτὴς τῷ ὑπηρέτῃ καὶ εἰς φυλακὴν βληθήσῃ· 26ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, οὐ μὴ ἐξέλθῃς ἐκεῖθεν, ἕως ἂν ἀποδῷςa (you repay) τὸν ἔσχατον κοδράντην.
27Ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη, Οὐ μοιχεύσεις. 28ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ βλέπων γυναῖκα πρὸς τὸ ἐπιθυμῆσαι αὐτὴν ἤδη ἐμοίχευσεν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ. 29εἰ δὲ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ὁ δεξιὸς σκανδαλίζει σε, ἔξελε (remove!) αὐτὸν καὶ βάλε (throw!) ἀπὸ σοῦ· συμφέρει γάρ σοι ἵνα ἀπόληται (you should lose) ἓν τῶν μελῶν σου καὶ μὴ ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου βληθῇ εἰς γέενναν. 30καὶ εἰ ἡ δεξιά σου χεὶρ σκανδαλίζει σε, ἔκκοψον (cut off) αὐτὴν καὶ βάλε (throw!) ἀπὸ σοῦ· συμφέρει γάρ σοι ἵνα ἀπόληται (you should lose) ἓν τῶν μελῶν σου καὶ μὴ ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου εἰς γέενναν ἀπέλθῃ.
a These verbs are both μι verb subjunctive forms, which you will learn in chap. 33.
28.35. Vocabulary for Chapter 28
| Part of Speech | Definition | Possible Glosses | Frequency | |
| Word | NT | LXX | ||
| Adjectives | ||||
| λοιπός, ή, όν | Left and remaining out of a larger quantity; not previously included; that which/the one who remains (subst.); from now on, finally (adv.) | remaining; rest of; the rest, the other (subst.); from now on, finally (adv.) | 55 | 120 |
| πλείων | The comparative adjective form of πολύς (“much, large”), a quantity greater in scope than another | larger, more, greater, bigger | 55 | 86 |
| δεξιός, ά, όν | On the right-hand side as opposed to the left in a particular frame of reference; the right hand, the right-hand side (subst.) | right (opposite of “left”; ≠ “correct”); the right hand/side | 54 | 228 |
| ἔσχατος, η, ον | Coming at the end or after all others, either spatially, temporally, or in rank | last, farthest; later; least, most insignificant | 52 | 154 |
| κακός, ή, όν | Having a harmful or injurious effect, causing harm; morally or socially reprehensible, contrary to custom or law; that which is bad/evil, one who does what is bad/evil (subst.) | harmful, dangerous; bad, evil; misfortune, a wrong, an evil deed/person | 50 | 384 |
| μακάριος, ία, ιον | Being in a desirable, agreeable condition, enjoying special advantage or favor | blessed, happy, fortunate, privileged | 50 | 73 |
| τυφλός, ή, όν | Unable to see; lacking understanding (metaphorical); a person who cannot see or understand (subst.) | blind; blind person | 50 | 25 |
| Nouns | ||||
| ἀρχή, ῆς, ἡ | The commencement or derivation of something; an authority figure who is preeminent [See the verb ἄρχω in chap. 17.] | beginning, start, origin; ruler, authority | 55 | 239 |
| Πιλᾶτος, ου, ὁ | A personal name; in the NT, the Roman prefect (πραίφεκτος/praefectus, Roman administrator) of Judea AD 26–36 | Pilate | 55 | 0 |
| χρόνος, ου, ὁ | A period/span of time (time during which); a particular point of time (time at which) | period of time, time; occasion | 54 | 141 |
| ἐπαγγελία, ας, ἡ | That which one has committed to do for another | promise | 52 | 8 |
| παιδίον, ου, τό | A young human being, normally one who has not yet reached puberty, though sometimes (esp. in the LXX) used of older people (teens and young adults) | child | 52 | 169 |
| σοφία, ας, ἡ | Knowledge that makes possible skillful activity or performance, the capacity to understand and to act prudently as a result | wisdom, skill | 51 | 254 |
| γλῶσσα, ης, ἡ | The muscular organ in the mouth used for tasting, licking, swallowing, and making sounds (in humans, for speaking; “tongue”); a system of words used in communication (“language”) | tongue; language | 50 | 169 |
| παραβολή, ῆς, ἡ | A story or pithy saying designed to illustrate a truth through comparison; something that serves as an example pointing beyond itself to a future realization | parable, illustration; type, symbol | 50 | 45 |
28.36. Key Things to Know for Chapter 28
In what grammatical category does “subjunctive” belong?
What is the basic meaning of the subjunctive?
Know the subjunctive formula.
What is the one key morphological feature that distinguishes a subjunctive from an indicative?
In what tense-forms are subjunctives found? Do they ever have an augment?
Know the uses of the subjunctive (a half dozen were discussed in this chapter).
How many future subjunctives occur in the NT?
Can you list several conjunctions that usually govern the subjunctive?