Verb – 3rd person active imperative

ObjectivesLearning objectives

The morphology of the 3rd person active imperative
The uses of the 3rd person imperative to place an obligation and make a suggestion, wish, or request

VocabularyVocabulary

Greek	Gloss	Part of speech	Paradigm
ὁ πηλός, -οῦ	the mud	noun	B.a.β.i
φρόνιμος, -ον	wise	adjective	A.a.γ
τὸ μύρον, -ου	perfume	noun	B.a.β.i
ἕκτος, -η, -ον	sixth	ordinal number	A.a.α
δικαιοῖ σε	(he) justifies you (acc)	verb	C.a.δ
τελειοῖ τι	(he) completes something (acc)	verb	C.a.δ

MorphologyMorphology: Verb – 3rd person active imperative

3rd person impvs have the ending -ετω in the sg, and -ετωσαν in the pl
In Luo and Efagon, these attach directly to the stem, while Elusa replaces ε with σα

Morphology: Verb – 3rd person active imperative

	Luo	Efagon	Elusa
3rd singular	λαμβανέτω	λαβέτω	ἀκουσάτω
3rd plural	λαμβανέτωσαν	λαβέτωσαν	ἀκουσάτωσαν

With contract verbs, endings beginning in a vowel contract (e.g. -ετω), and endings beginning with a consonant lengthen (e.g. -σατω)

Morphology: Verb – 3rd person active imperative

	Luo	Elusa
3rd singular	λαλείτω	λαλησάτω
3rd plural	λαλείτωσαν	λαλησάτωσαν

SemanticsSemantics: Verb – 3rd person active imperative

Whereas an imperative in second person is directed at the addressee, a third person imperative is directed at some other individual. Because of this, third person imperatives are not used to place an obligation on the addressee but on some other person. For example, the most common phrase found in the NT that uses a third person imperative is Jesus’s refrain:

Example 451Placing an obligation on a non-addressee

ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκουέτω

Let the one who has ears hear

There is no specific person that is being commanded to hear in this statement; it is, rather, a call for anyone to hear who meets the qualification of having ears (which includes most people).

In terms of the precise force of the third person imperative in an example like this, it is not really a command. Jesus is not commanding all people to hear who have ears, but he is saying that it would be good for those with ears to hear. This is closer to a suggestion than a command. In general, third person imperatives are weaker than second person imperatives. They are often used for things like suggestions, wishes, and requests and less for commands or instructions:

Example 452Making a suggestion/wish/request

ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου, ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου, γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου (Matt 6:9–10)

May your name be made holy, may your kingdom come, may your will be done

The disciples are not being taught to command God with these third person imperatives; rather, they are making requests of God, as is typical for third person imperatives.

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