First AoristFirst AoristActive & Middle IndictativeActive & Middle Indictative

Chapter 23Chapter 23

The Use of the Aorist TenseThe Use of the Aorist Tense

• There are three tenses in the Greek that are used for the past tense.– Aorist– Perfect– Imperfect

• The aorist tense describes either…– Simple action (usually in the past) – Punctiliar action (point action)

There are two ways the Aorist can There are two ways the Aorist can be formedbe formed

• The First Aorist (Regular formation)

• The Second Aorist (Irregular formation)

These forms do not affect the These forms do not affect the meaning; a first aorist means the meaning; a first aorist means the

same thing as a second aoristsame thing as a second aorist

There are two ways the Aorist can There are two ways the Aorist can be formedbe formed

• The First Aorist (Regular formation)

• The Second Aorist (Irregular formation)

Regular English formation: Put “ed” on the Regular English formation: Put “ed” on the end of a word.end of a word.

Irregular English formation: “Swam” instead Irregular English formation: “Swam” instead of “swimmed.”of “swimmed.”

Difference between the First Difference between the First Aorist versus the Second AoristAorist versus the Second Aorist

First Aorist Second Aorist

Most common Not so common

Adds an e at the

beginning and a sa at the end of the word

Adds an e at the beginning and then

changes the actual stem of the word, usually

shortening it

lu,wlu,eijlu,ei

Singular

lu,omenlu,etelu,ousi(n)

Plural

e;lusae;lusaje;luse (n)e;lusamene;lusatee;lusan

Present 1st Aorist

Present

lu,wlu,eijlu,ei

Sg

lu,omenlu,etelu,ousin

Pl

Active

lu,swlu,seijlu,sei

lu,somenlusetelu,sousin

Future Active

e;luone;lueje;lue (n)e;luomene;luetee;luon

ImperfActive

AoristActive

e;lusae;lusaje;luse

e;lusamene;lusatee;lusan

Tau,thn evpoi,hsen avrch.n tw/n shmei,wn o`

VIhsou/j evn Kana. th/j Galilai,aj kai.

evfane,rwsen th.n do,xan auvtou/( kai.

evpi,steusan eivj auvto.n oi` maqhtai. auvtou/This beginning of signs Jesus did

in Cana of Galilee and he manifested his glory, and his

disciples believed in him (John 2:11)

Stems ending in a stopStems ending in a stop

•Ble,pw becomes e;bleya•Gra,fw becomes e;graxa

Ouvk e;graya u`mi/n( o[ti ouvk oi;date th.n

avlh,qeian( avllV o[ti oi;date auvth,n( kai. o[ti

pa/n yeu/doj evk th/j avlhqei,aj ouvk e;stinÅ

I did not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because every lie is not of

the truth (1 John 2:21)

To,te o` VIhsou/j evla,lhsen toi/j o;cloij

kai. toi/j maqhtai/j auvtou/

Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples

oi` de. ei=pan\ pi,steuson evpi. to.n ku,rion VIhsou/n kai. swqh,sh| su. kai. o`

oi=ko,j souBut they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved and

your house.”

kai. evla,lhsan auvtw/| to.n lo,gon tou/ kuri,ou su.n

pa/sin toi/j evn th/| oivki,a| auvtou/Å

And they spoke to him the word of the Lord with all those in his

house (Acts 16:32).

evka,lesen u`ma/j dia. tou/

euvaggeli,ou h`mw/n eivj

peripoi,hsin do,xhj tou/

kuri,ou h`mw/n VIhsou/

Cristou/ÅHe called you through His gospel into possession of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thess. 2:14)

Possession

ou]j de. prow,risen( tou,touj kai.

evka,lesen\ kai. ou]j evka,lesen( tou,touj kai. evdikai,wsen\ ou]j de.

evdikai,wsen( tou,touj kai. evdo,xasenÅBut who he predestined, these

also he called, and who he called, these also he justified, but who he

justified, these also he glorified (Romans 8:30)

Stems beginning in a vowelStems beginning in a vowel

•VAgapa,w becomes

hvga,phsa•VAkou,w becomes h;kousa

~Hmei/j hvkou,samen evk

tou/ no,mou o[ti o` cristo.j me,nei eivj

to.n aivw/naWe heard from the law that the

Christ remains forever (John12:34)

Au[th evsti.n h` evntolh. h` evmh,( i[na avgapa/te avllh,louj kaqw.j

hvga,phsa u`ma/jThis is My commandment, that ya’ll love one another, just as I loved you. (John 15:12).

Liquid AoristsLiquid Aorists

• The s is dropped and only the a is added

•Me,nw becomes e;maina

Aorist Middle IndicativeAorist Middle Indicative

lu,wlu,eijlu,ei

S

lu,omenlu,etelu,ousi(n)

Pl

e;lusae;lusaje;luse (n)e;lusamene;lusatee;lusan

Present Aorist Active

evlusa,mhnevlu,swevlu,sato

evlusa,meqaevlu,sasqeevlu,santo

Aorist Middle

On some occasions, the middle On some occasions, the middle voice actually changes the voice actually changes the

meaning of the wordmeaning of the word

a;rcw (active): I rule

a;rcomai (middle): I begin