Lesson 4 | Aorist Indicatives
[4] 1st Aorist Middle Indicatives
First aorist middle indicatives are very similar to first aorist active indicatives. Both forms have an augment, use a stem similar to the present stem, and use the σα tense-former. They only differ from one another in the verb pattern used for the ending:
Let’s use λύω again to compare the imperfect middle and first aorist middle indicatives:
| λύω in the middle indicative | |||||||||
| Imperfect | 1st Aorist | ||||||||
| Singular | First | ἐλυόμην | ἐλυσάμην | ||||||
| Second | ἐλύου | ἐλύσω | |||||||
| Third | ἐλύετο | ἐλύσατο | |||||||
| Plural | First | ἐλυόμεθα | ἐλυσάμεθα | ||||||
| Second | ἐλύεσθε | ἐλύσασθε | |||||||
| Third | ἐλύοντο | ἐλύσαντο | |||||||
- The Augment: Since aorist indicatives communicate past time, first aorists have the augment.
- The Stem: First aorist stems are usually the same or quite similar to present stems for the same verb.
- Tense-Former: Like first aorist active indicatives, first aorist middle indicatives use the σα tense-former.
- Ending: For the most part, first aorist middle indicatives use the secondary middle or passive verb pattern. Like first aorist active indicatives, the α from the σα tense-former replaces the first vowel of the ending. However, for the second person singular, we get ἐλύσω instead of ἐλύου.
Practice
Examples from the Greek NT
Απὸ τότε ἤρξατο ὁ Ἰησοῦς κηρύσσειν καὶ λέγειν· From then, Jesus began to preach and to say... —Matthew 4:17
In this first part of Matthew 4:17, we see two present (imperfective) infinitives (Can you parse these? Both are present, active, infinitives from κηρύσσω and λέγω) and one indicative verb (ἤρξατο).
Let’s look at the four key features for ἤρξατο. With the augment and ending, we know that this verb is a past indicative with middle or passive voice. Now, there are two features we need to figure out: (1) the stem and (2) the tense-former.
We will start with the tense-former. When we see an ξα where we would expect to see the tense-former, that is usually a good sign that scheming σ is to blame. So, if we work backwards, we could get ηρκ+σατο, ηργ+σατο, or ηρχ+σατο. Now, we see the first aorist indicative σα tense-former. So, now we know that this is an aorist, middle, indicative, third person, singular.
All that’s left is for us to figure out which verb we have. After shortening the initial vowel by removing the augment, we get either αρκ, αργ, or αρχ as our stem. You should recognize the third stem from αρχω.
ε+αρχ+σα+ατο
[Augment]
[Stem]
[Tense-Former]
[Ending]
In the middle voice, αρχω means “I begin.” So, we could translate ἤρξατο as “he began.”
Τὸν μὲν πρῶτον λόγον ἐποιησάμην... I made the first account... —Acts 1:1
Let’s look at the four key features for ἐποιησάμην:
ε+ποιε+σα+μην
[Augment]
[Stem]
[Tense-Former]
[Ending]
From these four key features, we can parse as an aorist, middle, indicative, first person, singular from ποιέω: “I made.”