Greek Grammar in Overview
Verbs in focus
By Ian Thomason

The aim of this series of essays is to provide concise and simple explanations and definitions of the grammatical terms that you will encounter as you read through several of the articles on this site. ‘Grammar’ is a subject that often intimidates a good many people, as many of us will recall (often with some dread) our school days, and the terror associated with daunting English lessons! Thankfully, the subject of grammar isn’t that complex, especially once the basic rules and terms are well understood. The rules of grammar, whether related to the English or Greek Bible texts, are designed to aid the reader in comprehending the meaning of the passage being read. Therefore, a working knowledge of grammar will better enable one to understand what it is that one is reading in the Bible, which will better equip one to discern its complete and proper meaning.

I am firmly of the opinion that any language is more readily mastered once one has a solid grasp of its verbal structure. Therefore, this preliminary essay will seek to address that part of speech that is associated with ‘doing words’ – verbs.

Verbs, or ‘doing words’

The Macquarie Dictionary (rev. 3^rd ed.) defines a verb as: “1. One of the major form classes, or parts of speech, comprising words which express the occurrence of an action, existence of a state, and the like, and such other words as show similar grammatical behaviour…”

Our English language verbal structure shares much in common with that of the koine Greek in which the New Testament was written, however, there are also a number of marked differences. Primarily, the most obvious differences relate to morphology, or the way in which words are formed and structured.

Put simply, the Greek verb changes its form depending upon its use within a given sentence, and the changes are always based upon (1) the subject of the verb, and (2) the kind of action that is indicated. It is important to appreciate that, unlike English, Greek is a fully inflected language, which means that each word changes its basic form (or its ‘inflection’) depending upon the role that it plays within a sentence. The basic ‘stem’ of the verb generally remains constant, and will always identify the word’s simple meaning or its primary action. However, the prefixes and suffixes that are added to it will vary, and each will identify a specific range of details.

The prefix, the suffix, and the verbal ‘stem’ all combine to define a certain form of a verb, with each form indicating a specific meaning. This level of detail (and the nuance that results) is altogether missed when one consults a Strong’s Concordance, or Vine’s Expository Dictionary, as both resources provide only the ‘stem’ (or ‘dictionary’) form of the word.

There are five basic parts (or aspects) that are clearly defined or indicated by every Greek verb form. These five parts are (1) person, (2) number, (3) tense, (4) voice, and (5) mood.  To ‘parse’ (or ‘conjugate’) a verb, is simply to describe its ‘basic parts’.

The Person of Verbs

The expression ‘person’ is used to indicate the form of the verb which refers to (1) the person(s) speaking (first person); (2) the person(s) being spoken to (second person); and (3) the person(s) being spoken of or about (third person).

For example: "Because I live, you shall live also." (John 14:19b). "He lives by the power of God." (2 Corinthians 13:4). First person: 'I live' - the person speaking (i.e. 'I') is the subject of the verb. Second person: 'you live' - the person being spoken to (i.e. 'you') is the subject of the verb. Third person: 'He lives' - the person being spoken about (i.e. 'he') is the subject of the verb.

Grammatical Number of Verbs

The concept of grammatical ‘number’ is quite straightforward in both English and Greek. It is the quality of a verb that indicates whether the reference is to one (singular), or to more than one (plural).

Each grammatical person (first, second, and third) can be either singular or plural in number.

For example: singular number: "For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, shall be able to separate us from the love of God," (Romans 8:38-39).
Plural number: "For we are His workmanship," (Ephesians 2:10a).

Grammatical Voice of Verbs

Active Voice

‘Voice’ indicates whether the subject is the performer of the action of the verb (active voice), or the subject is the recipient of the action (passive voice). If the subject of the sentence is executing the action, then the verb is referred to as being in the active voice.

For example: "This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptising.” (John 1:28). "John" is the subject of the sentence, and so is the one who is performing the action of the verb. Therefore, the verb is said to be in the active voice. 

Passive Voice

If, however, the subject of the sentence is being acted upon, then the verb is referred to as being in the passive voice.

For example: "Repent and be baptised in the name of Jesus…" (Acts 2:38). In this case, the subject of the sentence is implied (i.e. the people who heard Peter speaking), and they are to have the action performed upon them (i.e. they are the recipients of the action). Therefore, the verb is said to be in the passive voice.

Middle Voice

The Greek middle voice identifies that the subject is acting in his or her own interest, or on his or her own behalf, or is participating in the results of the verbal action.

For example: "I am washing myself." "I" is the subject of the sentence (performing the action of the verb) and yet "I" am also receiving the action of the verb. This is said to be, therefore, in the middle voice.

Verbal Moods

The aspect of the ‘mood’ (also known as the ‘mode’) of a verb has to do with the statement's relationship to reality. In broad terms, ‘mood’ deals with the issue of whether the asserted statement is ‘actual’, or if there is only the possibility of its actual occurrence. If the one speaking or writing states that it is actual, then the mood reflects this, irrespective of whether the statement is actually true. Importantly, the indicative mood is the only ‘mood’ conceived of as being actual, whereas with the other three ‘moods’ (imperative, subjunctive and optative), the action is only thought of as being possible, or perhaps as potential.

Indicative Mood

The indicative mood is a statement of fact, or an actual occurrence from the perspective of the writer or speaker. Importantly, the writer may be lying and still state the action as if it is a fact. The action may be considered as occurring in either past, present, or future time.

For example: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb."
(Revelation 12:11). 

Imperative Mood

The imperative mood is a command or instruction given to the hearer, directing the hearer to carry out or perform a certain action.

For example: "Repent, and be baptised..." (Acts 2:38a).

Subjunctive Mood

The subjunctive mood indicates a probability or a degree of objective possibility. The action of the verb might possibly happen, depending on certain objective factors or circumstances. It is often used in conditional statements (i.e. 'If…then...' clauses), or in purpose clauses. However, if the subjunctive mood is used in a purpose or assertion/result clause, then the action should not be thought of as a possible result, but should be viewed as a definite outcome that will happen as a result of another stated action.

"In order that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known through the church..." (Ephesians 3:10).

Optative Mood

The optative is the ‘mood’ of possibility, and is removed even further than the subjunctive mood from something conceived of as actual. Often it is used to convey a wish or hope for a certain action to occur.

For example: "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (I Thessalonians 5:23).

Verb Tenses

Time & "Kind of Action" in Greek Verbs:

In English, as in most other languages, the tense of a verb mainly refers to the 'time' of the action of the verb (present, past, or future time). In Greek, however, although ‘time’ does have some bearing upon the meaning of tense, the primary consideration is the 'kind of action' that the verb portrays. For this reason, many grammarians have adopted the German word 'aktionsart' (‘kind of action’) to be able to more easily refer to this aspect peculiar to Greek verbs. The ‘kind of action’ will generally fall into one of three categories: (1) continuous (or 'progressive') action. (2) Completed (or 'accomplished) action, having ongoing results. (3) Simple occurrence, (or 'summary occurrence') without any reference to the question of progress (this is sometimes referred to as 'punctiliar' action).

It is an important distinction to understand that the only occasion, in which 'time' comes to bear directly upon the tense of a verb, is when the verb is in the indicative mood. In all other ‘moods’ and uses, the aktionsart of the verb’s aspect should be seen as the primary factor.

Present Tense

The present tense usually denotes a continuous action. It demonstrates an 'action in progress', or 'a state of persistence.' When used in the indicative mood, the present tense denotes the action taking place or occurring in the present time.

For example: "In whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in spirit." (Ephesians 2:22).

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together." (Hebrews 10:25).

Aorist Tense

The aorist (which is, perhaps the most abused of all tenses) is said to be ‘simple occurrence’, or ‘summary occurrence’ in nature, without regard for the amount of time taken to accomplish the action. As mentioned previously, this tense is also often referred to as the 'punctiliar' tense. 'Punctiliar', in this sense, means 'viewed as a single, collective whole,' and as a ‘one-point-in-time’ action, although it may actually take place over a long period of time. In the indicative mood, the aorist tense denotes action that occurred in the past time, and is often translated in accordance with the English simple past tense. 

For example: "God...made us alive together with Christ." (Ephesians 2:5).

"He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6).

Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense demonstrates continuous or linear type of action, just as with the present tense. It always indicates an action that is continually, or repeatedly, happening in past time. This tense generally portrays the action as occurring for an extended period of time in the past. However, the idea of continual action in the past does not apply when the verb ‘to be’ is in the imperfect tense. There it should be considered as a simple action happening in past time, without any regard to its being an ‘on-going’ or ‘repeated happening’ in the past.

For example: "For you were once darkness, but now light in the Lord." (Ephesians 5:8).

Perfect Tense

The primary concept behind the perfect tense is that the progress of an action has been completed, with the results of the action continuing on, and in full effect. In other words, the progress of the action has reached its climax, with the finished results consequently in existence. Unlike the English perfect, which indicates a completed past action, the Greek perfect tense indicates the continuation and present state of a completed past action.

For example, the meaning of Galatians 2:20 would be translated "I am in a present state of having been crucified with Christ," indicating that not only was I crucified with Christ in the past, but I am existing now in that present condition.

Future Tense

Just as with the English future tense, the Greek future indicates an anticipated action, or a certain happening that will occur at some time in the future.

For example: "We know that if he is manifested, we will be like Him, for we will see Him even as He is." (1 John 3:2).

Pluperfect Tense

The pluperfect (or 'past perfect') identifies action that is complete and existed at some time in the past, (the past time being indicated by the context). This tense is only found in the indicative mood, and is rarely used in the New Testament.

For example: "...and they beat against that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock." (Matthew 7:25).

Future Perfect Tense

There is also a future perfect tense in Greek, which is an equally very rare occurrence in the New Testament. It is only formed by periphrasis (a ‘round about’ way of speaking), and it is much like the past perfect, only the completed state will exist at some time in the future rather than in the past.

Summary

To properly (and to completely) comprehend the Bible involves more than simply ‘reading’ it. A degree of analysis of the grammatical features it contains is fundamentally necessary, if one is ever to develop a mature understanding of just what it is that the original authors (and who is, ultimately, God Himself) intended for us to grasp. Unfortunately, more often than not, nowadays, we are ‘lazy readers’. We will often grasp, at best, merely the most obvious and superficial of points because we read, at best, superficially.  However, and importantly, that is not how the Apostles wrote. These men wrote in depth, incorporating shades of nuance that they fully expected their readers to grasp. Theology is not superficial and cannot be approached simplistically. Importantly, theological truth cannot be written simplistically.

 The ultimate factor in understanding the Bible is one less of education, than it is of application, as one does not need to be highly educated in order to be highly analytical. The Apostle John was probably not particularly advanced so far as formal education was concerned, and yet he wrote some of the most deeply profound, and theologically mature, letters in the entire New Testament canon. I offer, therefore, that every Christian is capable of developing the analytical skills that are required to rightly divide, and properly handle the word of Truth.

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