Verb – Elelukein

ObjectivesLearning objectives

• The semantics of the adverb νυνί
• The morphology and semantics of the Elelukein verb form

VocabularyVocabulary

Noteνυνί

The temporal adverb νυνί is an alternate form of νῦν that has essentially the same uses except that only νῦν can modify a noun (cf. Gal 4:25). It can be used to refer to the present time when an eventuality takes place (Phlm 9; compare to John 9:21 for νῦν), and it can also be used to refer to a transition in the discourse (1 Cor 15:20; compare to 1 John 2:26–27 for νῦν).

GrammarGrammar Topic: Verb – Elelukein

The Elelukein form (traditionally called the Pluperfect) is found only 88 times in the NT. The endings are also similar to paradigms we have already seen, and we have even learned a pluperfect verb in a previous lesson, namely ᾔδειν (see 19.4.2 vocabulary).

MorphologyMorphology: Verb – Elelukein

• Elelukein verbs normally begin with the ε augment marking past tense, but this sometimes drops out
• The initial reduplication and κ mark perfect aspect, but the κ is followed by ει rather than α
• The person endings follow the same pattern as -βαίνω/γινώσκω verbs (see 18.1.3.1), but attached to κει

• Pluperfect μι verbs are regular like perfect μι verbs (see 19.1.4.1); forms of ἵστημι are the most common, e.g. εἱστήκειν ‘stood’
• Irregular verbs will have the same stem in both perfect and pluperfect; when the initial ε augment drops out in Elelukein, the endings will be the only difference, e.g. ἐλήλυθα ‘have come’ = Leluka; ἐληλύθειν ‘had come’ = Elelukein
• – Medio-passive Elelukein forms only occur 7 times in the NT
• The person endings are the same as the Aorist mid (see 23.1.3.1), but there is no theme vowel, e.g. ἐπεπίστευτο (cf. the Leluka med-psv endings in πεπίστευται)

SemanticsSemantics: Verb – Pluperfect

We have described the perfect as a present tense form with all kinds of different aspectual readings (see Semantics C). These same readings are available with the pluperfect except that the time we are talking about is in the past:

The first two examples receive a past-in-the-past interpretation. Because a perfect may refer to an event that precedes the reference time and the past tense refers to a past reference time, the situation being described by Elelukein is often prior to a past time. In other words, it is past relative to the past time under discussion. To take the first example as an illustration, the narrator is telling a story about Jesus being betrayed, so a past context is being referenced. In order to talk about a time before the betrayal, the Elelukein form (without the augment here) is used. Judas had to have given a sign before the past event being discussed, namely the betrayal. The event of giving a sign entails a result state, and the result state of the soldiers knowing the sign is salient. Thus, this is a result perfect in the past.

The stative perfect in the past looks more like a regular past tense. Just as the stative present use of Leluka means that a state holds in the present, so the stative use of Elelukein means that a state holds in the past, as John 11:42 demonstrates. This is precisely what we would expect. Although there are no good examples of the universal perfect in the past in the NT, this reading should, in principle, also be available.