Greek Verbs: Subjunctive Mood

The subjunctive describes what may or might be, rather than what is. In English often the subjunctive is an if clause:
If I had studied the Greek text, I would have passed the exam. Its use is to show potentiality whether probability or possibility (Wallace).

The subjunctive has only one aspect.

The subjunctive can be present and indicate a continouse action, or aorist indicating undefined action (ie the aspect of the verb). Other than ten occurrences of perfect active subjunctive forms of ο ἶδα, (εἰδῶ twice, εἰδῇς once, εἰδῶμεν once, and εἰδῆτε six times) all subjunctives in the Greek New Testament are either present or aorist.

Formation

Present subjunctive:

Present tense stem + Lengthened connecting vowel (ω/η) + Primary personal ending

Aorist subjunctive:

Unaugmented aorist tense stem + (Tense formative +) Lengthened connecting vowel (ω/η) + primary personal ending

Identifying a subjunctive

  1. Look for ἵνα, ἐάν or ἂν
  2. Is the connecting vowel lengthened (ω/η)?
  3. Is the aorist missing an augment?
  4. Look for the following clues:
ὃταν (ὄτε + ἂν)
whenever
ἐάν (εἰ + ἂν)
if
ὃς ἂν
whoever
ὃπου ἄν
wherever
ἓως
until
ἓως ἄν
until

 

Master Nonindicative Verb Chart

Verb Tense Aug/
Red
Tense Stem Tense
Form
Con Vowel Primary
Pers End
Pdg
Pres Active
  Pres   ω/η Act λύω
P Mid+Pass
  Pres   ω/η Mid/Pass λύωμαι
1st Ao Act
  Aor Act σ(α) ω/η Act λύσω
1st Ao Mid
  Aor Act σ(α) ω/η Mid/Pass λύσωμαι
1st Ao Pass
  Aor Pass θ(η) ω/η Act λυθῶ
2nd Ao Act
  Aor Act   ω/η Act λάβω
2nd Ao Mid
  Aor Act   ω/η Mid/Pas γένωμαι
2nd Ao Pass
  Aor Pass   ω/η Act γράφω
Lengthened connecting vowel ~ο → ω, ~ε → η; All personal endings are PRIMARY; Look for ἄν in any of its combinations: ὅταν(ὅτε + ἄν), ἐὰν (εί + ἄν), ὅς ἄν, ἕως ἄν

 

A few uses of the Subjunctive

Dependent Clauses

  • ἵνα + subjunctive expresses purpose; ἵνα μή or ὅπως μή = "in order that not" i.e. "lest"
  • ἐάν + subjuntive expressess a condition i.e."If... then ..." which is a 3rd class condition which has 2 types:
    • 1. Future More Probable, aka Future More Vivid)
    • 2. Present General

Independent Clauses

  • Hortatory Subjunctive (let as)
    • "Hortatory" is related to the word "exhort"
  • Deliberative Subjunctive
    • A question whose answer in uncertain or in doubt
  • Also used in emphatic negation and prohibition

 

Paradigms

Present Subjunctive: Active

  Subjunctive Indicative Subjuncive
  I might loose I loose   I might be
1st s
λύω λύω  
2nd s
λύεις λύεις   ἦς
3rd s
λύει λύει  
     
1st pl
λύομεν λύομεν   ὦμεν
2nd pl
λύετε λύετε   ἦτε
3rd pl
λύουσι(ν) λύουσι(ν)   ὦσι(ω)

 

Present Subjunctive: Middle/Passive

  Subjunctive   Indicative
  I might loose   I loose
1st s
λύωμαι   λύομαι
2nd s
λύῃ   λύῃ
3rd s
λύηται   λύεται
     
1st pl
λυώμεθα   λυόμεθα
2nd pl
λύησθε   λύεσθε
3rd pl
λύωνται   λύονται

 

Aorist Subjunctive: Active

  Subjunctive Indicative
  1st aorist 2nd aorist   1st aorist 2nd aorist
1st s
λύσω λάβω   ἔλυσα ἔλαβον/td>
2nd s
λύσῃς λάβῃ`   ἔλυσας ἔλαβες
3rd s
λύσῃ λάβῃ   ἔλυσε(ν) ἔλαβε(ν)
     
1st pl
λύσωμεν λάβωμεν   ἐλύσαμεν ἐλάβομεν
2nd pl
λύσητε λάβητε   ἔλυσαν ἐλάβετε
3rd pl
λύσωσι(ν) λάβωσι (ν)   ἔλυσαν ἔλαβον

 

Aorist Subjunctive: Middle

  Subjunctive Indicative
  1st aorist 2nd aorist   1st aorist 2nd aorist
1st s
λύσωμαι γένωμαι ἐλυσάμην ἐγενόμην
2nd s
λύσῃ γένῃ ἐλύσω ἐγένου
3rd s
λύσηται γένηται ἐλύσατο ἐγένετο
     
1st pl
λυσώμεθα λιπώμεθα ἐλυσάμεθα ἐγενόμεθα
2nd pl
λύσησθε γένησθε ἐλύσασθε ἐγένεσθε
3rd pl
λύσωνται γένωνται ἐλύσαντο ἐγένοντο

 

Aorist Subjunctive: Passive

  Subjunctive Indicative
  1st aorist 2nd aorist   1st aorist 2nd aorist
1st s
λυθῶ γραφῶ ἐλύθην ἐγράαφην
2nd s
λυθῇς γραφῇς ἐλύθης εγράφης
3rd s
λυθῇ γραπῇ ἐλύθη έγράφθη
     
1st pl
λυθῶμεν γφαφῶμεν ἐλύθημεν έγράφημεν
2nd pl
λυθῆτε γραφῆτε ἐλύθητε έγράφητε
3rd pl
λυθῶσι (ν) γραφῶσι (ν) ἐλύθησαν έγράφησαν

 

Some Examples

Luke 2:15 διέλθωμεν δὴ ἕως Βηθλέεμ "Let us to as far as Bethlehem"

 

Romans 6:1 ἐπιμενοῦμεν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἵνα ἡ χάρις πλεονάσῃ; "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?"

 

Luke21:32 ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ ἡ γενεὰ αὕτη ἕως ἂν πάντα γένηται: "Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place"

 

Acts 16:30 τί με δεῖ ποιεῖν ἵνα σωθῶ; "what must I do to be saved?"

 

Luke 21:8 βλέπετε μὴ πλανηθῆτε "Take heed that you are not deceived"

 

Matthew 5:11 μακάριοί ἐστε ὅταν ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you"

 

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