Verb: Efagon active subjunctive

MorphologyVerb – Efagon active subjunctive

• The Efagon act subj combines the Aorist verb stem with the Luo act subj endings (see 28.1.4.1)

fromLesson 32.1

SemanticsVerb – Subjunctives (Imperatives vs. subjunctives in obligations)

The basic distinction between obligations referred to with the subjunctive and those referred to with the imperative is that the act of speaking an imperative obligates the hearer, while this is not necessarily the case for obligations expressed in the subjunctive. To illustrate, John 6:27–28 begins with Jesus commanding the people with the imperative. He says, ‘work (ἐργάζεσθε) not for the food that perishes, but for the food that remains for eternal life.’ In using the imperative, he obligates them to engage in that work. The people respond with the following question:

• (300) Referring to a pre-existing obligation
• τί ποιῶμεν ἵνα ἐργαζώμεθα τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ; (John 6:28)
• What should we do so that we are doing the works of God?

fromLesson 32.1