Verb – Luo/Aorist active imperative

ObjectivesLearning objectives

• The morphology, syntax, and semantics of Luo and Aorist imperatives

VocabularyVocabulary

GrammarGrammar Topic: Verb – Luo/Aorist active imperative

An imperative (abbreviated impv) is a verbal form that prototypically gives a command, e.g. Go! Although imperatives are not marked for tense in Greek, they are marked for aspect and voice.

MorphologyMorphology: Verb – Luo/Aorist active imperative

• The Luo and Efagon endings are -ε and -ετε.
• The 2p Luo ind and impv forms are identical (e.g. λαμβάνετε), and can only be distinguished by context.
• The accenting is usually regressive, but some 2s Efagon forms (e.g. εἰπέ and ἐλθέ) have an acute on the ultima.
• The Elusa endings are -σον and -σατε.

SyntaxSyntax: Verb – Imperative

Imperatives come at the beginning of the clause in many languages. This characteristic is related to the fact that the subject is implicit in imperatives, since it is necessarily to the addressee. Because we don’t see the subject and the object normally follows the verb, we normally have VO order in imperative clauses.

SemanticsSemantics: Verb – Imperative (1 – command)

Verb – Imperative: all 4 parts on one page →Also in Lesson 38.3, Lesson 39.3, Lesson 45.2

When used as a command, imperatives are a way for the speaker to put an obligation on the addressee to do something. The obligation takes effect immediately, right when the speaker utters the imperative, but the time when the addressee is required to complete the action may vary depending on the nature of the command:

In John 4:31, the disciples are placing Jesus under an obligation to eat, and they are saying that he should eat now. In the latter example, the disciples are immediately under an obligation to do as Jesus instructed them to do, but they won’t fulfill this command until certain conditions are met.

Because Greek imperatives are marked for aspect, there is a difference in meaning between Luo imperatives and the Aorist. The basic distinction is that the Aorist represents a single event and the Luo represents multiple events. We can see this in the two examples given previously. In John 4:31, the command of the disciples for Jesus to eat is for him to eat a specific meal in front of him. On the other hand, the command in Luke 10:8 is for the disciples to eat whenever they are in a particular situation. This is not a single event of eating, but it involves eating at all the relevant time periods.