There are distinct differences between English and Greek verb usage. In English, verbs emphasize the time of action - past, present, and future with their related forms. Greek verbs emphasize the kind of action, with time relationships being secondary. While aware of time factors, Greek is more concerned with the manner in which the action takes place than the time at which it occurred.

The major features of verbs are tense, mood, and voice.

  • Tense expresses time and/or duration of action.
  • Mood expresses the writer or speaker's attitude toward the action.
  • Voice expresses the action as either performed by the subject of the verb or received by the subject. The subject is either acting or being acted upon.


GREEK VERB TENSES
TENSE KIND OF ACTION TIME
Present Continuous or durative Present
Aorist Viewed as a whole without defining the manner of its occurrence Action completed in the past with present continuing results
Perfect Completed with ongoing continuing results  
Imperfect Continuous Past
Future Undefined, like the Aorist tense Future

  • PRESENT TENSE

    The Greek present tense reflects the idea I am going instead of I go, the action being the process.

  • AORIST TENSE

    The aorist tense signifies nothing as to the manner of occurrence or completeness, it just makes reference to the action as happening. It states the fact of the action without regard to its duration, viewing the event as a whole.

  • PERFECT TENSE

    The perfect tense expresses past completed action with presently continuing results. In John 17:10, Jesus speaks concerning His disciples "...I have been glorified in them." "Have been glorified" is in the Greek perfect tense signifying "I have been glorified and continue to be glorified in them."

  • IMPERFECT TENSE

    The imperfect tense expresses continuous action in past time. John 1:1-2 has a good example of the imperfect tense in the use of the verb to be. It literally translates "In the beginning the Word was (imperfect tense, implying that Jesus was already there in continuing existence) and the Word was with God (imperfect tense speaking of Jesus's continuing existence with God from the beginning) and God was the Word (imperfect tense - the Word was always existing as God).

  • FUTURE TENSE

    The Greek future tense is portraying action yet future, similar to the English future tense. However, it reflects the "undefined" idea seen in the aorist tense rather than continuity of action.


GREEK MOODS


The mood (or mode) of a verb expresses the attitude of the writer or speaker with regard to action. It can represent one of two viewpoints - that which is actual and that which is possible:

MOOD FORM MEANING OR USAGE
Actual Indicative Declaration of fact - reality

Indicates what is true about the subject

Possible Imperative Command - potential reality

Imposes a demand upon the will to do what is commanded and is contingent upon the response.
Subjunctive Contingency - potentially possible

Expresses uncertainty. Used in exhortations and conditional clauses where action is objectively possible depending upon certain conditions and/or responses.
Optative Possibility conceivably possible

Expresses a wish or desire often introduced by "may".



GREEK VOICES


Voice is that property of the verbal idea which indicates how the subject is related to the action. In Greek, the active and passive voices are like the English equivalents, but the Greek has an additional voice called the Middle Voice which has a reflexive force.


VOICE THOUGHT EXAMPLE
Active

The subject of the verb produces the action.

"But God shows His love for us..." (Romans 5:8)
Passive

The subject of the verb receives the action.

"...but you were sanctified, you were justified..." (1 Cor. 6:11)
Middle

The subject of the verb participates in the results of the action.

"He himself secured eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:12)

The middle voice defies exactness of translation into English but many things can be understood about its uses:

  1. It refers the action back to the one acting. The action in some way reflects back upon the subject of the verb.
  2. It can have the force of emphasizing the part taken by the subject of the verb.
  3. It can represent the subject as voluntarily yielding to the action of the verb.



References:

  1. Dana & Mantey, Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament(New York: Macmillan, 1957), pp. 195, 288-289.


  2. Kenneth Wuest, Practical Use of the Greek New Testament(Chicago: Moody Press, n.d.), pp. 61-62.


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