32
μι VERBS: PART 1
INDICATIVE MOOD
32.1. All the verbs you have learned thus far are part of the ω conjugation, in which the lexical form ends with ω.[1] The ω verbs are the most common verb forms in Koine Greek, but there is another, older group of verbs known as the μι conjugation. In this conjugation, the lexical form ends, not with ω, but with μι.[2]
Textbooks (and instructors) differ as to how much weight to place on the μι verbs. Some spend a lot of time on the subject and try to cover the μι verbs as completely as the ω verbs. Others are content with a more general survey to enable the first-year student to identify most of them, and then leave the others for future study. I have come to prefer the latter approach. I have, however, tried to give fairly complete listings of these forms to provide a reference source when these forms are encountered later.
32.2. By far the most common μι verbs in the NT and the LXX are these three:
| Frequency | |||
| NT | LXX | ||
| δίδωμι | I give | 415× | 1,991× |
| ἵστημι | I stand | 154× | 698× |
| τίθημι | I put/place | 100× | 527× |
Although they may have once been the standard conjugation, the μι verbs were disappearing even in Classical Greek, being replaced by the ω forms. This process has continued in the Koine. Some of the remaining μι verbs have also begun to use ω verb endings. For example, the verb ἵστημι (the μι verb form) also occurs in the NT as ἱστάνω (an ω form). This trend continues in the later Koine and Byzantine periods so that there are no μι verbs left: δίδωμι, “I give,” becomes διδῶ; ἵστημι, “I stand,” becomes ἱστάνω; and τίθημι, “I put/place,” becomes τιθέω.[3]
There is no difference in meaning between a μι verb and an ω verb. This is just a different way to form the endings. Some of them will seem to have drastically different forms compared to what you have already learned, but that is only a few forms. Most of the conjugation will look very similar to what you know if you remember a few simple changes.
What You Need to Know
32.3. Here is a summary of everything you need to know about the μι verbs. If you can remember these five things, the μι verbs will not cause you trouble. Almost all of the principles that you have already learned for the ω verb will still apply.[4] It is only in present, imperfect, and second aorist tense-forms that there are differences; the other tense-forms will look just like the ω verbs so long as you remember the first principle: the stem.
1. You must know the stems of the three most common μι verbs. This is very important.
| μι Verb | Gloss | Stem |
| δίδωμι | I give | δο- |
| ἵστημι | I stand | στα- |
| τίθημι | I put/place | θε- |
Since these three verbs also occur in many compound forms, the value of knowing these three stems is multiplied in actual use.
2. The μι verbs use “iota reduplication” in the present tense-form (and in the imperfect, which is built on the present stem). This looks just like the reduplication you already know from the perfect tense-form in the ω verbs except that it uses an iota instead of an epsilon. For example, the verb δίδωμι, whose stem is δο-, reduplicates in the present as διδο-. Likewise τίθημι, with a stem of θε-, forms τιθε-, and for ἵστημι, στα- becomes ἱστα- in the present.[5]
3. There are (usually) no connecting vowels in the μι verbs. For example, in the form δίδομεν, the stem is δο- and the personal ending is -μεν. There is no connecting vowel. (The omicron is part of the stem, not a connecting vowel.) In the few places where there is a connecting vowel, the verb will look just like an ω verb form, so that will not be a problem.
4. The aorist normally uses κα as the form marker instead of σα. The use of κα is why these forms are sometimes called kappa aorists. Though this might seem easy to confuse with the perfect marker, the presence of an augment and lack of reduplication will make it clear that it is an aorist, not a perfect. Thus you will see ἐδώκαμεν as the first plural aorist active indicative form rather than the pattern ἐλύσαμεν to which you are accustomed.
Although κα is the normal form marker in the μι verbs, some verbs in this conjugation retain the usual σα form marker found in the ω verbs. The most common verb that does this is ἵστημι. (See the table of these forms in app. A.) This should not pose a problem, since you will recognize it as an aorist form marker.
5. The A set of personal endings used in the present are slightly different from the A endings in the ω verb. These forms are shown in the tables below. All the other endings are the same as those of ω verbs. These variant forms are used only in the present active indicative; other forms with A endings (e.g., future) use the same set of A endings you already know.
An Example
32.4. With just the information above can you parse this form?
δώσω
Just remember what you have already learned about ω verbs. If you do, I am sure that you will parse this as 1st sg. fut. act. ind. ► δίδωμι, “I give.” The stem is δο-, sigma is the form marker for future, the first omega is the stem vowel omicron lengthened when a form marker is added, and the final omega is the standard A ending for first-person singular.
Forms of the μι Verbs
32.5. The following chart shows what μι verbs look like. The left side of the chart gives the familiar ω verb forms for comparison.
Present Active Indicative of μι Verbs
| ω Verbs | μι Verbs | ||||
| form | c.v. | A p.e. | form | p.e. | |
| 1S | λύω | ο | — | δίδωμι | μιa |
| 2S | λύεις | ε | ς | δίδως | ς |
| 3S | λύει | ε | ι | δίδωσι(ν) | σιa |
| 1P | λύομεν | ο | μεν | δίδομεν | μεν |
| 2P | λύετε | ε | τε | δίδοτε | τε |
| 3P | λύουσι(ν) | ο | νσι | διδόασι(ν) | ασιa |
Note the three forms marked with a superscript letter. These are the only ones that are different from the ω forms. Only the third singular will be troublesome. You know the first singular form just by the name μι verb, and the third plural is very similar to the ω forms you know (-ασιν instead of -ουσιν). With this information you can parse just about any present active indicative μι verb. Here are a few simple examples to get you started. You will notice that several of these presents have future time reference in the context.
| John 10:28, κἀγὼ δίδωμι αὐτοῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. [1st sg. pres. act. ind.] | And I will give them eternal life. |
| John 6:32, ὁ πατήρ μου δίδωσιν ὑμῖν τὸν ἄρτον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸν ἀληθινόν. [3rd sg. pres. act. ind.] | My Father will give you the true bread from heaven. |
| Rev. 17:13, τὴν δύναμιν καὶ ἐξουσίαν αὐτῶν τῷ θηρίῳ διδόασιν. [3rd pl. pres. act. ind.] | They will give their power and authority to the beast. |
| Ps. 144:15 (145:15 Eng.), οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ πάντων εἰς σὲ ἐλπίζουσιν, καὶ σὺ δίδως τὴν τροφὴν αὐτῶν ἐν εὐκαιρίᾳ. [2nd sg. pres. act. ind.] | The eyes of all hope in you, and you give their food at the right moment. |
The following figures will give you some idea of what μι verb forms you will encounter.
| δίδωμι | NT | LXX |
| Indicative | 259 | 1,447 |
| Participle | 48 | 96 |
| Imperative | 35a | 147 |
| Infinitive | 44b | 175 |
| Subjunctivec | 25 | 102 |
| Optative | 4 | 31 |
| Total | 415 | 1,998 |
a 34 are second person.
b 33 are the aorist active infinitive, δοῦναι.
c There is one present subjunctive of δίδωμι in the NT and one in the LXX. They are very rare elsewhere in Koine as well; there are none in Josephus or the Apostolic Fathers, only one in the Pseudepigrapha, and three in Philo.
In order of frequency of tense-form, the most common indicative forms of δίδωμι are as follows. The frequency distribution in the NT and in the LXX is very similar.
| NT | LXX | |||
| Aorist | 119a | Aorist | 742c | |
| Future | 66b | Future | 479d | |
| Perfect | 35 | Present | 108 | |
| Present | 24 | Perfect | 97 | |
| Imperfect | 12 | Imperfect | 19 | |
| Pluperfect | 3 | Pluperfect | 2 | |
a 64 of these are ἔδωκεν, 3rd sg. aor. act. ind.
b 16 of these are δοθήσεται, 3rd sg. fut. pass. ind.
c 440 of these are ἔδωκεν, 3rd sg. aor. act. ind.
d 205 of these are δώσω, 1st sg. fut. act. ind.
At this point, you need to browse through the following charts to get a feel for these verbs. You do not need to memorize these charts. They are just for reference. Once you have done that, then try parsing the μι verb forms in the examples below.
32.6. Active Indicative μι Verbs
Active Indicative Forms of δίδωμι (Stem δο-)
| Present | Imperfect | Future | First Aorist | Second Aorista | Perfect | |
| 1S | δίδωμι | ἐδίδουν | δώσω | ἔδωκα | ἔδων | δέδωκα |
| 2S | δίδως | ἐδίδους | δώσεις | ἔδωκας | ἔδως | δέδωκας |
| 3S | δίδωσι(ν) | ἐδίδου | δώσει | ἔδωκε(ν) | ἔδω | δέδωκε(ν) |
| 1P | δίδομεν | ἐδίδομεν | δώσομεν | ἐδώκαμεν | ἔδομεν | δεδώκαμεν |
| 2P | δίδοτε | ἐδίδοτε | δώσετε | ἐδώκατε | ἔδοτε | δεδώκατε |
| 3P | διδόασι(ν) | ἐδίδοσαν or ἐδίδουν | δώσουσι(ν) | ἔδωκαν | ἔδοσαν | δέδωκαν |
a The second aorist forms of the μι verbs are sometimes called root aorists since they attach the personal endings directly to the root rather than use a connecting vowel or a form marker.
Only about half of the forms of δίδωμι on the chart above occur in the NT, but you will see the others when you are reading outside the NT. Of course, other μι verbs may use these endings in the NT as well. None of the second aorist forms of δίδωμι shown above occur in the NT or LXX, but if you read Josephus or Philo, for example, you will encounter them.
32.7. Examples of Active Indicative μι Verbs
| Matt. 10:1, προσκαλεσάμενος τοὺς δώδεκα μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν πνευμάτων ἀκαθάρτων. | Summoning his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits. |
| Mark 14:22, ἐσθιόντων αὐτῶν λαβὼν ἄρτον εὐλογήσας ἔκλασεν καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς καὶ εἶπεν, Λάβετε, τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου. | While they were eating, he [i.e., Jesus], taking bread [and] having blessed [it], broke [it] and gave [it] to them and said, “Take [it], this is my body.” |
| 2 Cor. 8:5, ἑαυτοὺς ἔδωκαν πρῶτον τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ ἡμῖν διὰ θελήματος θεοῦ. | They gave themselves first to the Lord and [then] to us by the will of God. |
| Gen. 3:12, εἶπεν ὁ Ἀδάμ, Ἡ γυνή, ἣν ἔδωκας μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ, αὕτη μοι ἔδωκεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου, καὶ ἔφαγον. | Adam said, “The woman whom you gave [to be] with me, she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate.” |
| Gen. 26:4, πληθυνῶ τὸ σπέρμα σου ὡς τοὺς ἀστέρας τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ δώσω τῷ σπέρματί σου πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ταύτην, καὶ ἐνευλογηθήσονται ἐν τῷ σπέρματί σου πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τῆς γῆς. | I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all this land, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring. |
| 2 Chron. 1:12, τὴν σοφίαν καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν δίδωμί σοι καὶ πλοῦτον καὶ χρήματα καὶ δόξαν δώσω σοι, ὡς οὐκ ἐγενήθη ὅμοιός σοι ἐν τοῖς βασιλεῦσι τοῖς ἔμπροσθέ σου καὶ μετὰ σὲ οὐκ ἔσται οὕτως. | I am giving you wisdom and understanding, and I will give you riches, possessions, and glory, as there has not been [for anyone] like you among the kings who were before you and will not be so after you. |
| Matt. 15:36, ἔλαβεν τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἄρτους καὶ τοὺς ἰχθύας καὶ εὐχαριστήσας ἔκλασεν καὶ ἐδίδου τοῖς μαθηταῖς, οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ τοῖς ὄχλοις. | |
| Matt. 7:11, ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς δώσει ἀγαθὰ τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν αὐτόν. | |
| John 7:19, οὐ Μωϋσῆς δέδωκεν ὑμῖν τὸν νόμον; (Watch the punctuation.) | |
| John 17:14, ἐγὼ δέδωκα αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον σου. | |
| Gen. 3:6, λαβοῦσα τοῦ καρποῦ αὐτοῦ ἔφαγεν· καὶ ἔδωκεν καὶ τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς μετ᾿ αὐτῆς, καὶ ἔφαγον. | |
| Exod. 20:12, τίμαa τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα, ἵνα εὖ σοι γένηται, καὶ ἵνα μακροχρόνιος γένῃ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τῆς ἀγαθῆς, ἧς κύριος ὁ θεός σου δίδωσίν σοι. | |
a This is an alpha contract form: 2nd sg. pres. act. impv. ► τιμάω, “I honor.” |
|
| Ezek. 3:17, Υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, σκοπὸν δέδωκά σε τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰσραήλ, καὶ ἀκούσῃ ἐκ στόματός μου λόγον καὶ διαπειλήσῃa αὐτοῖς παρ᾿ ἐμοῦ. | |
a διαπειλέω, “I warn” |
|
32.9. Middle and Passive Indicative μι Verbs
Middle Indicative Forms of δίδωμι (Stem δο-)
| Presenta | Imperfecta | Second Aorist | Future | Perfecta | |
| 1S | δίδομαι | ἐδιδόμην | ἐδόμην | δώσομαι | δέδομαι |
| 2S | δίδοσαι | ἐδίδοσο | ἔδου | δώσῃ | δέδοσαι |
| 3S | δίδοται | ἐδίδοτο | ἔδοτο | δώσεται | δέδοται |
| 1P | διδόμεθα | ἐδιδόμεθα | ἐδόμεθα | δωσόμεθα | δεδόμεθα |
| 2P | δίδοσθε | ἐδίδοσθε | ἔδοσθε | δώσεσθε | δέδοσθε |
| 3P | δίδονται | ἐδίδοντο | ἔδοντο | δώσονται | δέδονται |
a The forms in these columns can also be passive if there is a passive indication in the context.
Passive Indicative Forms of δίδωμι (Stem δο-)
| Aorist | Future | |
| 1S | ἐδόθην | δοθήσομαι |
| 2S | ἐδόθης | δοθήσῃ |
| 3S | ἐδόθη | δοθήσεται |
| 1P | ἐδόθημεν | δοθησόμεθα |
| 2P | ἐδόθητε | δοθήσεσθε |
| 3P | ἐδόθησαν | δοθήσονται |
Of all the forms of δίδωμι shown here, δοθήσεται is by far the most common in the NT (58×); in the LXX the two most common are ἐδόθη (31×) and δοθήσεται (23×). Many of the forms in the chart above do not occur in the NT or the LXX, though they may occur in other Koine texts.
32.10. Examples of Middle and Passive Indicative μι Verbs
| 1 Cor. 12:7, ἑκάστῳ δὲ δίδοται ἡ φανέρωσις τοῦ πνεύματος πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον. | But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. |
| Matt. 28:18, Ἐδόθη μοι πᾶσα ἐξουσία ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. | All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. |
| Rev. 6:2, εἶδον, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἵππος λευκός, καὶ ὁ καθήμενος ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν ἔχων τόξον καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ στέφανος καὶ ἐξῆλθεν νικῶν καὶ ἵνα νικήσῃ. | I looked, and behold, a white horse and the one who sat on it having a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. |
| Exod. 5:18, νῦν οὖν πορευθέντεςa ἐργάζεσθε· τὸ γὰρ ἄχυρονb οὐ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν, καὶ τὴν σύνταξινc τῆς πλινθείαςd ἀποδώσετε. | Now, then, go, work! For straw will not be given to you, and the brickmaking levy you will produce. |
|
a This is an attendant circumstance participle, which reflects the mood of the adjacent imperative form. b In the NT ἄχυρον always refers to chaff (it occurs only twice there), but the word can refer to either chaff or straw. c σύνταξις, εως, ἡ, “an organized account or arrangement,” which may be used to refer to many different sorts of things. Here “levy” fits the context well. d πλινθεία, ας, ἡ, “brickmaking” |
|
| Ps. 71:15 (72:15 Eng.), ζήσεται, καὶ δοθήσεται αὐτῷ ἐκ τοῦ χρυσίου τῆς Ἀραβίας, καὶ προσεύξονται περὶ αὐτοῦ διὰ παντός, ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν εὐλογήσουσιν αὐτόν. | He [i.e., the king] will live, and it will be given to him from the gold of Arabia, and they will pray for him always; all the day they will bless him. |
| 1 Clem. 30.3, κολληθῶμεν οὖν ἐκείνοις οἷς ἡ χάρις ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ δέδοται. | Therefore let us join together with those to whom grace is given by God. |
| John 1:17, ὁ νόμος διὰ Μωϋσέως ἐδόθη, ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο. | |
| Luke 11:9, κἀγὼ ὑμῖν λέγω, αἰτεῖτε καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν, ζητεῖτε καὶ εὑρήσετε, κρούετε καὶ ἀνοιγήσεται ὑμῖν. | |
| Acts 24:26, ἅμα καὶ ἐλπίζων ὅτι χρήματα δοθήσεται αὐτῷ ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου. | |
| Luke 8:10, Ὑμῖν δέδοται γνῶναι τὰ μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ θεοῦ. | |
| 2 Chron. 18:14, ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς, Μιχαία, εἰa πορευθῶ εἰς Ῥαμὼθ Γαλαὰδ εἰς πόλεμον ἢ ἐπίσχω;b καὶ εἶπεν, Ἀνάβαινε καὶ εὐοδώσεις, καὶ δοθήσονται εἰς χεῖρας ὑμῶν. | |
|
a Questions may be introduced by εἰ. It is not reflected explicitly in an English equivalent. Here the king addresses a question to the prophet Micaiah (Μιχαία). b ἐπίσχω, 1st. sg. aor. act. subj. ► ἐπέχω, “I hold, hold back” |
|
| 1 En. 104.12, πάλιν ἐγὼ γινώσκω μυστήριον δεύτερον, ὅτι δικαίοις καὶ ὁσίοις καὶ φρονίμοις δοθήσονται αἱ βίβλοι μου εἰς χαρὰν ἀληθείας. | |
| T. Levi 4.5, διὰ τοῦτο δέδοταί σοι βουλὴ καὶ σύνεσις, τοῦ συνετίσαι τοὺς υἱούς σου περὶ αὐτοῦ. |
Parsing Practice
32.12. Thus far in this chapter you have been parsing in context. To enable you to test your parsing skills with μι verbs, try covering the right-hand column below and see if you can parse each of these forms of δίδωμι, then check your answer on the right.
| δώσετε | 2nd pl. fut. act. ind. |
| ἔδωκα | 1st. sg. aor. act. ind. |
| δίδωσιν | 3rd sg. pres. act. ind. |
| δέδωκεν | 3rd sg. pf. act. ind. |
| ἔδωκαν | 3rd pl. aor. act. ind. |
| ἐδίδου | 3rd sg. impf. act. ind. |
| διδόασι | 3rd pl. pres. act. ind. |
| δώσω | 1st sg. fut. act. ind. |
| ἐδώκαμεν | 1st pl. aor. act. ind. |
32.13. Now that you are familiar with the most common of the μι verbs, δίδωμι, we will add the other two listed at the beginning of the chapter, which are also quite common: ἵστημι (“I stand”; stem στα-) and τίθημι (“I put/place”; stem θε-). The forms of each of these verbs follow the same patterns as δίδωμι. A complete listing of these forms may be found in appendix A, §§A.30–35.
There is a conventional usage pattern with ἵστημι. The meaning varies slightly, depending on the tense. When ἵστημι is intransitive (i.e., without a direct object), it means “I am in a standing position,” but when ἵστημι is transitive (with a direct object), it takes a causative meaning: “I cause (someone or thing) to stand.” By convention, transitive instances are in the present, imperfect, future active, or first aorist form, but intransitive uses are future middle and passive, second aorist, perfect, or pluperfect. Thus when Jesus “stands” a child in the midst of the disciples (Mark 9:36), the form is ἔστησεν (first aorist), but when John tells us that Jesus “stood” in their midst (John 20:19), the form is ἔστη (second aorist). See the vocabulary list at the end of the chapter and your lexicon for more information.
Examples of ἵστημι
32.14. The most common form of ἵστημι in both the NT and LXX is ἔστη, 3rd sg. 2aor. act. ind. There is also a first aorist form ἔστησεν. Both forms are almost equally common (NT 9× ἔστη, 7× ἔστησεν; LXX 97× ἔστη, 79× ἔστησεν).[6] The first aorist forms of ἵστημι differ from most μι verbs in that they use the same aorist form marker as do ω verbs: σα instead of κα. (See examples in Mark 9:36 and Rev. 11:11 below.)
| Mark 9:36, λαβὼν παιδίον ἔστησεν αὐτὸ ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν. | Taking a little child he stood him in their midst. |
| John 20:19, ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἔστη εἰς τὸ μέσον καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς, Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν. | Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, “Peace to you.” |
| Gen. 41:46, Ἰωσὴφ δὲ ἦν ἐτῶν τριάκοντα, ὅτε ἔστη ἐναντίον Φαραὼ βασιλέως Αἰγύπτου. | Now Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. |
| Gen. 6:18, στήσω τὴν διαθήκην μου πρὸς σέ· εἰσελεύσῃ δὲ εἰς τὴν κιβωτόν, σὺ καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου καὶ ἡ γυνή σου καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες τῶν υἱῶν σου μετὰ σοῦ. | I will establish my covenant with you; and you will enter the ark, you and your sons and your wife and the wives of your sons with you. |
In this passage ἵστημι has a slightly different sense. See the entry in CL, 178.1.b or BDAG, 482.3.
| Rev. 11:11, μετὰ τὰς τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ ἥμισυ πνεῦμα ζωῆς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ εἰσῆλθεν ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἔστησαν ἐπὶ τοὺς πόδας αὐτῶν, καὶ φόβος μέγας ἐπέπεσεν ἐπὶ τοὺς θεωροῦντας αὐτούς. | |
| John 1:26, ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰωάννης λέγων, Ἐγὼ βαπτίζω ἐν ὕδατι· μέσος ὑμῶν ἕστηκεν ὃν ὑμεῖς οὐκ οἴδατε. | |
| Acts 1:11, Ἄνδρες Γαλιλαῖοι, τί ἑστήκατε ἐμβλέποντες εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν; | |
| Gen. 24:31, εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Δεῦρο εἴσελθε, εὐλογητὸς κύριος, ἵνα τί ἕστηκας ἔξω; ἐγὼ δὲ ἡτοίμακα τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ τόπον ταῖς καμήλοις. | |
| Deut. 31:15, κατέβη κύριος ἐν νεφέλῃ καὶ ἔστη παρὰ τὰς θύρας τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου, καὶ ἔστη ὁ στῦλος τῆς νεφέλης παρὰ τὰς θύρας τῆς σκηνῆς. | |
Examples of τίθημι
32.16. You will notice in some of these examples that τίθημι has a fairly wide semantic range. Check your lexicon when the default gloss of “I put/place” does not seem to make good sense in English.
| Mark 6:29, ἀκούσαντες οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἦλθον καὶ ἦραν τὸ πτῶμα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔθηκαν αὐτὸ ἐν μνημείῳ. | Hearing [this], his disciples went and took his corpse and placed it in a grave. |
| John 2:10, λέγει αὐτῷ, Πᾶς ἄνθρωπος πρῶτον τὸν καλὸν οἶνον τίθησιν καὶ ὅταν μεθυσθῶσιν τὸν ἐλάσσω· σὺ τετήρηκας τὸν καλὸν οἶνον ἕως ἄρτι. | He said to them, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when they [i.e., the guests] are drunk, [then he serves] the cheaper wine; you have kept the good wine until now!” |
| John 10:11, Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός. ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλὸς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ τίθησιν ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων. | I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. |
| John 10:17, διὰ τοῦτό με ὁ πατὴρ ἀγαπᾷ ὅτι ἐγὼ τίθημι τὴν ψυχήν μου, ἵνα πάλιν λάβω αὐτήν. | For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order that I may receive it again. |
| Gen. 2:15, ἔλαβεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ὃν ἔπλασεν, καὶ ἔθετο αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ ἐργάζεσθαι αὐτὸν καὶ φυλάσσειν. | The Lord God took the man whom he had formed and placed him in the garden to work it and guard [it]. |
| Gen. 17:6, αὐξανῶ σε σφόδρα σφόδρα καὶ θήσω σε εἰς ἔθνη, καὶ βασιλεῖς ἐκ σοῦ ἐξελεύσονται. | I will increase you very greatly, and I will make you into a nation, and kings will come from you. |
| John 13:37–38, λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Πέτρος, Κύριε, διὰ τί οὐ δύναμαί σοι ἀκολουθῆσαι ἄρτι; τὴν ψυχήν μου ὑπὲρ σοῦ θήσω. ἀποκρίνεται Ἰησοῦς, Τὴν ψυχήν σου ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ θήσεις; ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, οὐ μὴ ἀλέκτωρ φωνήσῃ ἕως οὗ ἀρνήσῃ με τρίς. | |
| John 19:19, ἔγραψεν δὲ καὶ τίτλον ὁ Πιλᾶτος καὶ ἔθηκεν ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ· ἦν δὲ γεγραμμένον, Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων. | |
| Rom. 4:17, καθὼς γέγραπται ὅτι Πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν τέθεικά σε. | |
| Acts 1:7, εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτούς, Οὐχ ὑμῶν ἐστιν γνῶναι χρόνους ἢ καιροὺς οὓς ὁ πατὴρ ἔθετο ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ. | |
| 2 Tim. 1:11, [τοῦ εὐαγγελίου] εἰς ὃ ἐτέθην ἐγὼ κῆρυξ καὶ ἀπόστολος καὶ διδάσκαλος. | |
| Gen. 42:30, Λελάληκεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ κύριος τῆς γῆς πρὸς ἡμᾶς σκληρὰ καὶ ἔθετο ἡμᾶς ἐν φυλακῇ ὡς κατασκοπεύοντας τὴν γῆν. | |
| Deut. 26:4, λήμψεται ὁ ἱερεὺς τὸν κάρταλλονa ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν σου καὶ θήσει αὐτὸν ἀπέναντι τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου. | |
a κάρταλλος, ου, ὁ, “basket” |
|
Other μι Verbs
32.18. There are quite a few other μι verbs, but they do not occur frequently. Many of them are compound forms of the three major verbs that you are learning in this chapter, so they will be easily recognizable. The lists below are not intended for memorization. Read through them so that you have an idea of what to expect as you read the NT or LXX.
The other μι verbs that occur more than 10 times in the NT include the following compound forms of the three major μι verbs:
| Frequency | |||
| Compound Form | NT | LXX | |
| δίδωμι | ἀποδίδωμι | 48 | 208 |
| παραδίδωμι | 119 | 248 | |
| ἵστημι | ἀνθίστημι | 14 | 71 |
| ἀνίστημι | 108 | 473 | |
| ἀφίστημι | 14 | 218 | |
| ἐξίστημι | 17 | 68 | |
| ἐφίστημι | 21 | 72 | |
| καθίστημι | 21 | 205 | |
| παρίστημι | 41 | 90 | |
| συνίστημι | 16 | 42 | |
| τίθημι | ἐπιτίθημι | 39 | 264 |
| παρατίθημι | 19 | 37 | |
| προστίθημι | 18 | 285 | |
If we were to add the most frequent forms from the LXX (50+), the list would increase by only two more compound verbs: ἀνταποδίδωμι (7 NT/87 LXX) and διατίθημι (7/86). The only other μι verbs that occur more than 10 times in the NT are the following:
| NT | LXX | |
| ἀπόλλυμι | 90 | 366 |
| ἀφίημι | 143 | 125 |
| δείκνυμι | 30 | 121 |
| ἐνδείκνυμι | 11 | — |
| πάρειμι | 24 | 57 |
| πίμπλημι | 24 | 116 |
| συνίημι | 26 | 97 |
| φημί | 66 | 74 |
Other frequent μι verbs in the LXX include ὄμνυμι (0/179), ἐμπίπλημι (5/146), and δια(ρ)ρήγνυμι (5/85).
32.19. Only one of the above forms needs further comment. Δείκνυμι has characteristics of both ω verbs and μι verbs. It uses the μι verb endings (except for second singular) without a connecting vowel, but it does not have iota reduplication in the present tense-form.
Present Active Indicative of δείκνυμι
| 1S | δείκνυμι | |
| 2S | δεικνύεις | |
| 3S | δείκνυσι(ν) | |
| 1P | δείκνυμεν | |
| 2P | δείκνυτε | |
| 3P | δεικνύασι(ν) |
Reading Passage: Genesis 24:1–20
32.20. This reading passage from the LXX is not difficult, though the vocabulary will keep you busy with your lexicon. Words that are not used in the NT (and thus not in CL—and often not in BDAG either) are identified in the notes along with some idiomatic expressions and a few obscure forms. The selection is a good story, and it is a fun read. You will find each of the three main μι verbs included. The paragraphing reflects English style to make it easier for you to follow the story.
Isaac and Rebekah
1Ἀβραὰμ ἦν πρεσβύτερος προβεβηκὼς ἡμερῶν, καὶ κύριος εὐλόγησεν τὸν Ἀβραὰμ κατὰ πάντα. 2καὶ εἶπεν Ἀβραὰμ τῷ παιδὶ αὐτοῦ τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ τῷ ἄρχοντι πάντων τῶν αὐτοῦ, Θὲςa (place!) τὴν χεῖρά σου ὑπὸ τὸν μηρόν μου, 3καὶ ἐξορκιῶb σε κύριον τὸν θεὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τὸν θεὸν τῆς γῆς, ἵνα μὴ λάβῃς γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου Ἰσαὰκ ἀπὸ τῶν θυγατέρων τῶν Χαναναίων, μεθ᾿ ὧν ἐγὼ οἰκῶ ἐν αὐτοῖς, 4ἀλλὰ εἰς τὴν γῆν μου, οὗ ἐγενόμην, πορεύσῃ καὶ εἰς τὴν φυλήν μου καὶ λήμψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου Ἰσαὰκ ἐκεῖθεν.
5Εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ παῖς, Μήποτε οὐ βούλεται ἡ γυνὴ πορευθῆναι μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ ὀπίσω εἰς τὴν γῆν ταύτην· ἀποστρέψωc τὸν υἱόν σου εἰς τὴν γῆν, ὅθεν ἐξῆλθες ἐκεῖθεν;
6Εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἀβραάμ, Πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ, μὴ ἀποστρέψῃςc τὸν υἱόν μου ἐκεῖ. 7κύριος ὁ θεὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ὁ θεὸς τῆς γῆς, ὃς ἔλαβέν με ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός μου καὶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς, ἧς ἐγενήθην, ὃς ἐλάλησέν μοι καὶ ὤμοσέν μοι λέγων, Σοὶ δώσω τὴν γῆν ταύτην καὶ τῷ σπέρματί σου, αὐτὸς ἀποστελεῖ τὸν ἄγγελον αὐτοῦ ἔμπροσθέν σου, καὶ λήμψῃ γυναῖκα τῷ υἱῷ μου Ἰσαὰκ ἐκεῖθεν. 8ἐὰν δὲ μὴ θέλῃ ἡ γυνὴ πορευθῆναι μετὰ σοῦ εἰς τὴν γῆν ταύτην, καθαρὸςd ἔσῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὅρκου τούτου· μόνον τὸν υἱόν μου μὴ ἀποστρέψῃςc ἐκεῖ. 9καὶ ἔθηκεν ὁ παῖς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ τὸν μηρὸν Ἀβραὰμ τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ καὶ ὤμοσεν αὐτῷ περὶ τοῦ ῥήματος τούτου.
10Καὶ ἔλαβεν ὁ παῖς δέκα καμήλους ἀπὸ τῶν καμήλων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶνe τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ μεθ᾿ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἀναστὰς ἐπορεύθη εἰς τὴν Μεσοποταμίαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν Ναχώρ. 11καὶ ἐκοίμισενf τὰς καμήλους ἔξω τῆς πόλεως παρὰ τὸ φρέαρ τοῦ ὕδατος τὸ πρὸς ὀψέ, ἡνίκα ἐκπορεύονται αἱ ὑδρευόμεναι.g
12Καὶ εἶπεν, Κύριε ὁ θεὸς τοῦ κυρίου μου Ἀβραάμ, εὐόδωσον ἐναντίον ἐμοῦ σήμερονh καὶ ποίησον ἔλεος μετὰ τοῦ κυρίου μου Ἀβραάμ.i 13ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἕστηκα ἐπὶ τῆς πηγῆς τοῦ ὕδατος, αἱ δὲ θυγατέρες τῶν οἰκούντων τὴν πόλιν ἐκπορεύονται ἀντλῆσαι ὕδωρ, 14καὶ ἔσται ἡ παρθένος, ᾗ ἂν ἐγὼ εἴπω, Ἐπίκλινονj τὴν ὑδρίαν σου, ἵνα πίω, καὶ εἴπῃ μοι, Πίε, καὶ τὰς καμήλους σου ποτιῶ, ἕως ἂν παύσωνται πίνουσαι, ταύτην ἡτοίμασας τῷ παιδί σου Ἰσαάκ, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γνώσομαι ὅτι ἐποίησας ἔλεος τῷ κυρίῳ μου Ἀβραάμ.
15Καὶ ἐγένετο πρὸ τοῦ συντελέσαι αὐτὸν λαλοῦντα ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ, καὶ ἰδοὺ Ῥεβέκκα ἐξεπορεύετο ἡ τεχθεῖσαk Βαθουὴλ υἱῷ Μελχὰς τῆς γυναικὸς Ναχὼρ ἀδελφοῦ δὲ Ἀβραὰμl ἔχουσα τὴν ὑδρίαν ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων αὐτῆς. 16ἡ δὲ παρθένος ἦν καλὴ τῇ ὄψει σφόδρα· παρθένος ἦν, ἀνὴρ οὐκ ἔγνω αὐτήν. καταβᾶσα δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν πηγὴν ἔπλησεν τὴν ὑδρίαν καὶ ἀνέβη. 17ἐπέδραμενm δὲ ὁ παῖς εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῆς καὶ εἶπεν, Πότισόν με μικρὸν ὕδωρ ἐκ τῆς ὑδρίας σου.
18Ἡ δὲ εἶπεν, Πίε, κύριε. καὶ ἔσπευσεν καὶ καθεῖλεν τὴν ὑδρίαν ἐπὶ τὸν βραχίονα αὐτῆς καὶ ἐπότισεν αὐτόν, 19ἕως ἐπαύσατο πίνων. καὶ εἶπεν, Καὶ ταῖς καμήλοις σου ὑδρεύσομαι,n ἕως ἂν πᾶσαι πίωσιν. 20καὶ ἔσπευσεν καὶ ἐξεκένωσενo τὴν ὑδρίαν εἰς τὸ ποτιστήριονp καὶ ἔδραμεν ἔτι ἐπὶ τὸ φρέαρ ἀντλῆσαι καὶ ὑδρεύσατοn πάσαις ταῖς καμήλοις.
a Θές is an imperative form of τίθημι that you will meet in the next chapter.
b Check this word in your lexicon; it has a causative sense, and here it is followed by a double accusative. The first indicates who is caused to do something, the second the basis on which it is done.
c ἀποστρέφω here means “I return, take back.”
d καθαρός does not mean “pure, clean” in this context. Check your lexicon. (CL is adequate to figure it out, but if you have access to BDAG, this passage is cited by reference.)
e This is a substantival use of ἀγαθός that is not common in the NT (but see perhaps Luke 16:25). BDAG points out that this adjective can be “used as a pure subst.: . . . pl. ἀγαθά, ῶν, τά good things, possessions” (s.v. ἀγαθός, 3.1.b). In CL, note the very last clause of the entry.
f κοιμίζω, “I rest, sleep”
g ὑδρεύω, “I carry water”; the form in the text is a participle—pay particular attention to the article, case, and gender.
h “εὐόδωσον ἐναντίον ἐμοῦ σήμερον, guide me happily forwards today, let me prosper today, let me succeed today Gn 24:12” (LEH, s.v. εὐοδόω, 188).
i Formally this phrase is straightforward: ποίησον ἔλεος μετὰ τοῦ κυρίου μου Ἀβραάμ = “do mercy to my master Abraham,” but that does not communicate the meaning and does not use natural English. We would say, “show mercy to,” or perhaps, “show kindness to.” (See also a very similar expression at the end of v. 14.)
j 2nd sg. aor. act. impv. ► ἐπικλίνω, “I incline, tip”
k τεχθεῖσα, aor. pass. ptc. fem. sg. nom. ► τίκτω, “I bring forth”
l Everything from ἡ τεχθεῖσα to Ἀβραάμ is parenthetical, explaining who Rebekah was. The syntax picks up after this: ἰδοὺ Ῥεβέκκα ἐξεπορεύετο ἔχουσα τὴν ὑδρίαν.
m ἐπέδραμεν ► ἐπιτρέχω, “I run to.” You may remember from chap. 18 that the simplex form, τρέχω, has a second aorist from a totally different root, ἔδραμον ► *δραμ. You will also find ἔδραμεν in v. 20.
n ὑδρεύω, “I draw/carry water”
o ἐκκενόω, “I empty out”
p ποτιστήριον, -ου, τό, “watering trough”
32.21. Vocabulary for Chapter 32
| Part of Speech | Definition | Possible Glosses | Frequency | |
| Word | NT | LXX | ||
| Adjectives | ||||
| ὅμοιος, οία, οιον | Characterized by having some commonality with another object or entity, resembling something | similar, like | 45 | 91 |
| ἐχθρός, ά, όν | Characterized by hostility, hatred, or unfriendliness toward another; characterized by experiencing hostility, hatred, or unfriendliness from others; one who expresses these attitudes toward another, enemy (subst.) | hostile, hating; hated; enemy (subst.) | 32 | 456 |
| Adverb | ||||
| ὀπίσω | An adverb describing the verb as taking place behind some object, as reverting direction, or as happening subsequently; more commonly in the NT and LXX as a preposition used with the genitive with the same meaning | behind, backward, afterward (adv.); after, behind (prep. + gen.) | 35 | 461 |
| Nouns | ||||
| χαρά, ᾶς, ἡ | The emotion of gladness that comes as a result of circumstances; a deep-seated contentment based on faith in God’s promises despite circumstances | joy, delight | 59 | 44 |
| σωτηρία, ας, ἡ | Deliverance/rescue from harm, whether from physical danger or from spiritual death and condemnation | deliverance, rescue, salvation | 46 | 160 |
| θλῖψις, εως, ἡ | Distress that is caused by either outward circumstances or inner anguish | distress, suffering, affliction, oppression, tribulation, trouble | 45 | 134 |
| ἄρχων, οντος, ὁ | One who rules (though with less authority than a βασιλεύς); an administrative official | ruler, prince; leader, official, administrator | 37 | 645 |
| Verbs | ||||
| δίδωμι | To cause another person to receive or have (roughly equivalent to the English word “give” with a wide range of glosses possible, depending on the context and referent; LXX even more diverse than NT) | I give | 415 | 2,131 |
| παραδίδωμι | To hand over to legal custody (legal technical term); to transmit something to another (with a variety of English glosses possible, depending on the referent) | I deliver, hand over; I pass on, transmit | 119 | 277 |
| ἀποδίδωμι | To engage in a reciprocal action by repaying money, fulfilling an obligation, transferring something to another; to give a product in exchange for payment or trade (mid.); to yield fruit/produce | I repay, give/pay back; I pay; I give over, give back, restore; I sell, trade; I yield (fruit) | 48 | 220 |
| ἵστημι | (1) Intransitive (pf., plpf.): to be in a standing position; to be at a place; to maintain one’s belief or one’s position (physically); (2) intransitive (2aor., fut.): to be in an upright position, desist from movement; (3) transitive (pres., impf., 1aor.): to cause to be in a place or position; to place in the balance and weigh (LXX); to establish a condition, institute legally | (1) I stand; I stand firm, hold out; (2) I stand still, stop; (3) I put, place, set; I weigh; I establish | 154 | 773 |
| ἀνίστημι | (1) Transitive (fut., 1aor. act.): to cause to rise up (of an object or of a dead person); (2) intransitive (mid., 2aor. act.): to stand up from lying or sitting; to come back from the dead; to appear to carry out a function; to initiate an action specified by another verb | (1) I raise, erect, bring to life; (2) I stand up, rise; I come back from the dead; I arise; I set out, get ready | 108 | 539 |
| παρίστημι | (1) Transitive (pres., fut., impf., 1aor.): to place beside or at one’s disposal; to represent/present someone to someone; to offer sacrifice (act.); (2) intransitive (pres., fut., pf., plpf., 2aor. act.): to be present, stand by; to come to the aid of (mid.) | (1) I place beside; I present; I offer, bring; (2) I am present, stand by; bystander, spectator (subst. pf. ptc.); I help | 41 | 93 |
| τίθημι | To put or place something in a particular location; to assign someone to a task or position; to cause someone or something to undergo a change in condition | I put, place; I appoint, assign; I make, consign | 100 | 558 |
| δείκνυμι (also δεικνύω) | To show so as to be apprehended by the senses; to prove or make clear by evidence, reasoning, or demonstration | I show, point out, make known; I explain, prove, demonstrate | 33 | 124 |
32.22. Key Things to Know for Chapter 32
What are the three most common μι verbs, and what are their stems?
The μι verbs use “iota reduplication” in the present tense-form. (Remember that the imperfect is built on the present stem, so it also uses iota reduplication.)
There are usually no connecting vowels in the μι verbs.
The aorist uses κα as the form marker instead of σα.
In the μι verbs the A set of personal endings used in the present is slightly different from the A endings in the ω verbs.