Lesson 4 | Aorist Indicatives
[2] 2nd Aorist Active Indicatives
You may also remember from Greek II that aorist verbs take distinct forms for the active, middle, and passive voices. Let’s begin by learning about second aorist active indicatives:
Closely compare the four key features for second aorist active indicatives with imperfect active indicatives, and notice that the aorist stem is the only difference between them.
Let’s compare how λαμβάνω looks as an imperfect indicative and as a second aorist indicative:
| λαμβάνω in the active indicative | |||||||||
| Imperfect | 2nd Aorist | ||||||||
| Singular | First | ἐλάμβανον | ἔλαβον | ||||||
| Second | ἐλάμβανες | ἔλαβες | |||||||
| Third | ἐλάμβανε(ν) | ἔλαβε(ν) | |||||||
| Plural | First | ἐλαμβάνομεν | ἐλάβομεν | ||||||
| Second | ἐλαμβάνετε | ἐλάβετε | |||||||
| Third | ἐλάμβανον | ἔλαβον | |||||||
The stem is the only difference between these imperfect and second aorist forms. Sometimes the stems are similar (like λαμβαν and λαβ from λαμβάνω), sometimes the stems differ by one letter (like βαλλ and βαλ from βάλλω), and sometimes the stems differ completely (like λεγ and ειπ from λέγω). On the one hand, this means that you do not need to memorize any new verb patterns, tense formers, or rules about augments. On the other hand, this means that you need to recognize the aorist stems of second aorist verbs. At the end of this step, you will find a quizlet that will help you practice recognizing second aorists.
Examples from the Greek NT
ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἤθελεν ἀλλ᾿ ἀπελθὼν ἔβαλεν αὐτὸν εἰς φυλακὴν Now, he was not willing but instead after sending him away, he threw him into jail. —Matthew 18:30
In this verse, we have an imperfect indicative (ἤθελεν: imperfect, active, indicative, third person, singular from θέλω), a second aorist participle (ἀπελθών: aorist, active, participle, nominative, masculine, singular from ἀπέρχομαι), and a second aorist indicative (ἔβαλεν). Let’s focus in on ἔβαλεν:
ε+βαλ+εν
[Augment]
[Stem]
[Tense Former]
[Ending]
Noting the four key features, we can parse ἔβαλεν as an aorist, active, indicative, third person, singular from βάλλω. Remember that with perfective aspect, the author speaks about the verb as a whole or completed action. That’s what we see here with ἔβαλεν: “he threw him into jail.” We see the whole action, from beginning to end, as completed.
οὐκ ἦλθον καταλῦσαι ἀλλὰ πληρῶσαι. I did not come to abolish [the Law or the Prophets] but instead to fulfill [them]. —Matthew 5:17
In this clause from Matthew 5:17, we have two first aorist infinitives (καταλῦσαι: aorist, active, infinitive from καταλύω; πληρῶσαι: aorist, active, infinitive from πληρόω) and one second aorist indicative (ἦλθον). Let’s take a closer look at ἦλθον:
ε+ελθ+ον
[Augment]
[Stem]
[Tense Former]
[Ending]
We first note that the ε augment combined with and lengthened the ε that begins the stem to become an η. Thus the four key features help us parse ἦλθον as an aorist, active, indicative, first person singular or third person plural from ἔρχομαι. With the wider context, we can parse this further as a first person singular. To communicate the past time and perfective aspect, we can translate ουκ ἦλθον as: “I did not come.” Again, notice how the perfective aspect speaks about the action as a whole event.
Quizlet
Before moving on to second aorist middle indicatives, use this quizlet to practice parsing second aorist active indicatives. If you first need a reminder of some common second aorist stems, see the chart at the top of this step from Greek II.