The Participle Mood
PART 1 | MORPHOLOGY
The participle is a verbal mood that combines characteristics of a verb (Tense and Voice) with characteristics of an adjective (Case, Gender, and Number). It does not have person (1st, 2nd, 3rd). For example, λύων is parsed as: Present Active Participle, Masculine Nominative Singular of λύω.
Present Participle of the Verb εἰμί (being / the one who is)
| Case | Masc. Sg. | Fem. Sg. | Neut. Sg. | Masc. Pl. | Fem. Pl. | Neut. Pl. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | ὤν | οὖσα | ὄν | ὄντες | οὖσαι | ὄντα |
| Genitive | ὄντος | οὔσης | ὄντος | ὄντων | οὐσῶν | ὄντων |
| Dative | ὄντι | οὔσῃ | ὄντι | οὖσι(ν) | οὔσαις | οὖσι(ν) |
| Accusative | ὄντα | οὖσαν | ὄν | ὄντας | οὔσας | ὄντα |
Present Active Participle (λύων = loosing/freeing) and Middle/Passive (λυόμενος = being loosed/freed)
| Case | Active Masc. Sg./Pl. | Active Fem. Sg./Pl. | Active Neut. Sg./Pl. | Mid./Pass. Masc. | Mid./Pass. Fem. | Mid./Pass. Neut. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | λύων / λύοντες | λύουσα / λύουσαι | λύον / λύοντα | λυόμενος / -οι | λυομένη / -αι | λυόμενον / -α |
| Gen. | λύοντος / λυόντων | λυούσης / λυουσῶν | λύοντος / λυόντων | λυομένου / -ων | λυομένης / -ων | λυομένου / -ων |
| Dat. | λύοντι / λύουσι(ν) | λυούσῃ / λυούσαις | λύοντι / λύουσι(ν) | λυομένῳ / -οις | λυομένῃ / -αις | λυομένῳ / -οις |
| Acus. | λύοντα / λύοντας | λύουσαν / λυούσας | λύον / λύοντα | λυόμενον / -ους | λυομένην / -ας | λυόμενον / -α |
Aorist Participle: Active (λύσας), Middle (λυσάμενος), and Passive (λυθείς)
| Case (Sg. / Pl.) | Aor. Active (Masc. / Fem. / Neut.) | Aor. Middle (Masc. / Fem. / Neut.) | Aor. Passive (Masc. / Fem. / Neut.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. Sg. | λύσας, λύσασα, λύσαν | λυσάμενος, -μένη, -μενον | λυθείς, λυθεῖσα, λυθέν |
| Gen. Sg. | λύσαντος, λυσάσης, λύσαντος | λυσαμένου, -μένης, -μένου | λυθέντος, λυθείσης, λυθέντος |
| Dat. Sg. | λύσαντι, λυσάσῃ, λύσαντι | λυσαμένῳ, -μένῃ, -μένῳ | λυθέντι, λυθείσῃ, λυθέντι |
| Acus. Sg. | λύσαντα, λύσασαν, λύσαν | λυσάμενον, -μένην, -μενον | λυθέντα, λυθεῖσαν, λυθέν |
| Nom. Pl. | λύσαντες, λύσασαι, λύσαντα | λυσάμενοι, -μεναι, -μενα | λυθέντες, λυθεῖσαι, λυθέντα |
| Gen. Pl. | λυσάντων, λυσασῶν, λυσάντων | λυσαμένων (todos) | λυθέντων, λυθεισῶν, λυθέντων |
| Dat. Pl. | λύσασι(ν), λυσάσαις, λύσασι(ν) | λυσαμένοις, -μέναις, -μένοις | λυθεῖσι(ν), λυθείσαις, λυθεῖσι(ν) |
| Acus. Pl. | λύσαντας, λυσάσας, λύσαντα | λυσαμένους, -μένας, -μενα | λυθέντας, λυθείσας, λυθέντα |
Perfect Participle: Active (λελυκώς) and Middle/Passive (λελυμένος)
| Case (Sg. / Pl.) | Perfect Active (Masc. / Fem. / Neut.) | Perfect Middle/Passive (Masc. / Fem. / Neut.) |
|---|---|---|
| Nom. Sg. | λελυκώς, λελυκυῖα, λελυκός | λελυμένος, λελυμένη, λελυμένον |
| Gen. Sg. | λελυκότος, λελυκυίας, λελυκότος | λελυμένου, λελυμένης, λελυμένου |
| Dat. Sg. | λελυκότι, λελυκυίᾳ, λελυκότι | λελυμένῳ, λελυμένῃ, λελυμένῳ |
| Acus. Sg. | λελυκότα, λελυκυῖαν, λελυκός | λελυμένον, λελυμένην, λελυμένον |
| Nom. Pl. | λελυκότες, λελυκυῖαι, λελυκότα | λελυμένοι, λελυμέναι, λελυμένα |
| Gen. Pl. | λελυκότων, λελυκυιῶν, λελυκότων | λελυμένων (todos) |
| Dat. Pl. | λελυκόσι(ν), λελυκυίαις, λελυκόσι(ν) | λελυμένοις, λελυμέναις, λελυμένοις |
| Acus. Pl. | λελυκότας, λελυκυίας, λελυκότα | λελυμένους, λελυμένας, λελυμένα |
PART 2 | PARTICIPLE SYNTAX
1. ADJECTIVAL FUNCTION (Usually WITH the Article):
Qualifies a noun/pronoun (e.g., Mt 16:16 τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος = "of the living God / of the God who lives") or assumes a substantival role when accompanied only by an article: ὁ πιστεύων = "the one who believes"; τοῦ πέμψαντός με (Jn 6:39) = "of the one who sent me"; οἱ δεδιωγμένοι (Mt 5:10) = "the persecuted ones".
2. ADVERBIAL / PREDICATIVE FUNCTION (Without the Article):
Qualifies the main verb of the clause, expressing circumstances of:
• Time (temporal): translated with "when" or "while" (Present Participle = action simultaneous with the main verb, e.g., Mt 4:18 Περιπατῶν ... εἶδεν = "While walking, he saw...") or "after / having..." (Aorist Participle = action prior to the main verb, e.g., Mt 4:2 νηστεύσας ... ἐπείνασεν = "having fasted / after fasting, he was hungry").
• Causal (cause): translated with "because / since" (e.g., Mt 1:19 δίκαιος ὢν καὶ μὴ θέλων... = "because he was righteous and did not want to expose her..."; also very common in the Perfect Participle, e.g., Jn 4:45 ἑωρακότες = "because they had seen").
• Manner (modal): shows how the main action is carried out (e.g., Mt 28:19-20 μαθητεύσατε ... βαπτίζοντες ... διδάσκοντες = "make disciples... by baptizing... by teaching").
• Concession (concessive): translated with "although / despite".
Vocabulary
Vocabulário do Capítulo
- πέμπω: I send
- προσέρχομαι: I approach, come to
- προσεύχομαι: I pray
- τίθημι: I put, place
- ἄγω: I go, lead, drive
- αἰτέω: I ask, request
- ἀπόλλυμι: I destroy; [middle voice:] I perish
- βαπτίζω: I baptize
- κηρύσσω: I proclaim, announce
- φοβέομαι: I fear
- ἀρχή (ἀρχῆς), ἡ: beginning, principle
- γραφή (γραφῆς), ἡ: writing; Scripture
- διδάσκαλος (διδασκάλου), ὁ: teacher, master
- ἐντολή (ἐντολῆς), ἡ: commandment
- κεφαλή (κεφαλῆς), ἡ: head
- αἰώνιος, αἰώνιον: eternal
ἡμεῖς δὲ κηρύσσομεν Χριστὸν ἐσταυρωμένον
(but we preach Christ crucified — 1 Corinthians 1:23)