Lesson 7 | Perfect Indicatives
[3] Perfect Middle/Passive Indicatives
Let’s start this step by comparing perfect middle or passive indicatives with other forms:
| λύω in the indicative | |||||||||||
| Perfect Active | Perfect Middle-Passive | Present Middle-Passive | |||||||||
| Singular | First | λέλυκα | λέλυμαι | λύομαι | |||||||
| Second | λέλυκας | λέλυσαι | λύῃ* | ||||||||
| Third | λέλυκε(ν) | λέλυται | λύεται | ||||||||
| Plural | First | λελύκαμεν | λελύμεθα | λυόμεθα | |||||||
| Second | λελύκατε | λέλυσθε | λύεσθε | ||||||||
| Third | λελύκασι(ν)/ν | λέλυνται | λύονται | ||||||||
| * Remember, λύῃ comes from λυεσαι. The scheming σ drops out. Then, the ε and αι merge to give us ῃ. | |||||||||||
Like perfect actives, perfect middle-passive indicatives double the first stem letter. Like their present counterparts, perfect middle/passive indicatives form with primary middle-passive endings.
But note the feature that is most unique to perfect middle or passive forms: nothing connects the ending to the verb stem.
There is neither a tense former nor a connecting vowel (like the ο in ομαι or the ε in εται). Instead, the ending connects directly to the verb stem. Thus, the doubled first letter and the directly-connected ending are the two features that most distinguish the perfect middle/passive tense-form.
Let’s add perfect middle/passive indicatives to our four key features chart. This is the final piece we will add to this table:
Examples from the Greek NT
ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον ἰδόντες ὅτι πεπίστευμαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς ἀκροβυστίας καθὼς Πέτρος τῆς περιτομῆς, But when they saw on the other hand that I have been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcision just as Peter for the circumcision, —Galatians 2:7
As you can see from the diagram, this verse is one long participial phrase. Although πεπίστευμαι is an indicative verb, it is part of a subordinate clause that provides the content of the participle ἰδόντες. Amazingly, the main verb of this long, complex sentence that stretches from Galatians 2:6–10, comes only in v. 9!
By the way, can you parse ἰδόντες? Note the three key features for this participle: an aorist stem (ιδ from ὁράω), οντ tense former, and a third pattern ending (ἰδόντες). Thus, we can parse ἰδόντες as a (second) aorist, active, participle, nominative, masculine, plural from ὅράω: “after/when they saw…”
Now, let’s focus in on our perfect indicative, πεπίστευμαι:
πεπιστευ+μαι
[Augment]
[Stem]
[Tense Former]
[Ending]
When you come to πεπίστευμαι, you should immediately notice the two key features that distinguish this tense-form: (1) the doubled first stem letter, which tells us that this is a perfect tense-form and (2) the ending attached directly to the stem without any connecting vowel or tense former. These two key features immediately indicate that this is a perfect middle or passive indicative. We can then finish parsing by looking more closely at the ending. πεπίστευμαι is a perfect, passive, indicative, first person, singular from πιστεύω.
Now, what did Paul communicate by choosing a perfect tense-form with its non-past time and stative aspect? The main verb that v. 7 supports comes in v. 9: “When they saw that I have been entrusted with the gospel…James, Cephas, and John gave right hands of fellowship to me and to Barnabas.” What did these three pillars of the church see? They saw that Paul was currently Jesus’s apostle because the Lord had entrusted him with his gospel. The stative aspect of πεπίστευμαι includes the past action of Paul’s being entrusted but focuses on the results of that action: Paul has a divinely given authority and office directly from the Lord Jesus.
ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν κηρύσσων τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ λέγων ὅτι πεπλήρωται ὁ καιρὸς καὶ ἤγγικεν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ· μετανοεῖτε καὶ πιστεύετε ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ. Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of God and saying: “The time has been fulfilled and the Kingdom of God has arrived. Repent and believe in the gospel!” —Mark 1:14-15
All kinds of verbs fill these two verses. While you have not yet learned about Greek imperatives (the two verbs at the end of v. 15), you should be able to parse all the other verbs in these verses. Take a moment to do so before we consider the two perfect indicatives.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the first perfect indicative: πεπλήρωται.
πεπληρο+ται
[Augment]
[Stem]
[Tense Former]
[Ending]
With the four key features, we can parse πεπλήρωται as a perfect, middle or passive, indicative, third person, singular from πληρόω. Notice how the extra vowel at the end of the stem lengthens from ο to ω. While it looks like this is a connecting vowel, the ο in πληρόω is actually part of the stem (just like the ε in ποιέω or the α in ἀγαπάω).
But we are not done there. While perfect middle and passive verbs have the same form, we can distinguish with context. Remember:
- Active voice means that the subject does the action of the verb, like in the sentence: I hit.
- Passive voice means that the subject receives the action of the verb, like in the sentence: I was hit.
- Middle voice means that the subject is involved or affected by the action, like in the sentence: I hit myself.
From the ending and lack of tense former, we know that πεπλήρωται is either middle or passive voice. So, we need to ask: What does the context tell us about what the author intended to communicate? When we consider the wider context, the meaning of the verb (πληρὀω - “I fulfill), and the impersonal subject (ὁ καίρος - “time”), it is clear that the author intended to communicate with a passive voice here: “the time has been fulfilled” rather than “the time fulfilled itself.” Here the passive voice indirectly announces Jesus’s coming. God has ended the period of waiting for his new, promised redemption.
The other perfect verb in these verses is ἤγγικεν. While the η in ηγγικεν looks like an augment, we know from the perfect active tense former (κε) that it is not. Remember, stems that begin with a vowel (like ἐγγιζω) lengthen rather than double the initial vowel in perfect tense-forms. Thus, we get ηγγικεν.
ηγγι+κ+εν
[Augment]
[Stem]
[Tense Former]
[Ending]
From these four key features, we can parse ἤγγικεν as a perfect, active, indicative, third person, singular from ἐγγίζω: “it has come near.” Notice how the stative aspect focuses us on the present state and implications of the verb’s action. When King Jesus arrived on the scene, he brought the Kingdom with him. With the coming of the King, the Kingdom had arrived. Therefore, they should repent and believe the gospel.
οἱ δὲ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· ἐν Βηθλέεμ τῆς Ἰουδαίας· οὕτως γὰρ γέγραπται διὰ τοῦ προφήτου· Now they said to him: “In Bethlehem of Judea. For thus it has been written through the prophet…” —Matt 2:5
In this final example, we have only two verbs. You should be able to parse the first verb, εἶπαν. Go ahead and try before we move on.
Now, let’s focus on γέγραπται:
γεγραπ+ται
[Augment]
[Stem]
[Tense Former]
[Ending]
Noting the key features, we can parse as a perfect, passive,¹ indicative, third person, singular from γράφω. Once again, the stative aspect focuses us on the results of the verb’s action. The prophet wrote in the past and it is now written in the Scriptures. The priests and teachers of the law look to the words that resulted from the prophets’ writing.