Chapter 35 · Lesson 35.2 · Verb

Verb – Aorist passive subjunctive

1 min read3-question quiz

ObjectivesLearning objectives

  • The morphology of the Aorist passive subjunctive
  • The syntax of passive double-accusative verbs

VocabularyVocabulary

GreekGlossPart of speechParadigm
ἡ ἀνάγκη, -ηςthe obligationnounB.a.α.i
ὁ παῖς, παιδόςthe boynounB.a.γ.iv
ὁ ἀλέκτωρ, -οροςthe roosternounB.a.γ.vi(c)
ἕνεκέν τινοςon account of something (gen)preposition
ῥήγνυμί τινα(I) tear something/one (acc)verbC.a.ε
κατέρχομαι εἰς
τόπον
(I) go down to a place (acc)verbC.a.α

Table 302 (continued)

MorphologyMorphology: Verb – Aorist passive subjunctive

  • The Aorist psv subj combines the Aorist stem, the psv θ, and the act subj endings (see 28.1.4.1)
Morphology: Verb – Aorist passive subjunctive
SingularPlural
1stλυθ-ῶλυθ-ῶμεν
2ndλυθ-ῇςλυθ-ῆτε
3rdλυθ-ῇλυθ-ῶσι(ν)

SyntaxSyntax: Verb – Passive (3 – Double accusatives)

Verb – Passive: all 4 parts on one page →Also in Lesson 17.1, Lesson 18.1, Lesson 37.1

We have noted that some verbs, like ποτίζω and διδάσκω, can take two accusative arguments, a recipient and a theme (the thing that the recipient is receiving) (20.1.3.2). When these verbs are passivized, it should in theory be possible to have either the recipient or the theme become the subject, but in practice, it is almost always the recipient:

Example 342Recipient becomes subject

καὶ πάντες ἓν πνεῦμα ἐποτίσθημεν

And we all were made to drink one spirit (1 Cor 12:13)

The one who gave the drink is not expressed in the clause because it would be the subject in the active verb ποτίζω. The recipient would be ‘us’, and this becomes the subject. The second accusative, the ‘drink’ given (which is here metaphorically represented by ἕν πνεῦμα) remains in the accusative, so this is a rare case of a passive verb with an accusative object.

Lesson 35.2 quiz

Check your understanding

3 questions · self-graded

  1. 1Which is the 3rd person singular Aorist passive subjunctive built on λυ-?
  2. 2When a double-accusative verb like ποτίζω is passivized, which argument almost always becomes the subject?
  3. 3In καὶ πάντες ἓν πνεῦμα ἐποτίσθημεν (1 Cor 12:13), ἓν πνεῦμα remains in the accusative even though the verb is passive.True or false

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New Testament text shown on hover: Greek from the SBLGNT, © 2010 Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0; English from the Berean Standard Bible (public domain).