Tense pluperfect¶
Glossary¶
Pluperfect is the verb tense-form a speaker can use to describe the state of a completed action that was in existance at some point in the past. (e.g., we had eaten, they had traveled).
Example V-T-PL-1 - Pluperfect Tense¶
ἡ |
μήτηρ |
καὶ |
οἱ |
ἀδελφοὶ |
αὐτοῦ |
ἵστήκεισαν |
ἔξω |
hē |
mētēr |
kai |
hoi |
adelphoi |
autou |
histēkeisan |
exō |
the |
mother |
and |
the |
brothers |
of him |
had stood |
outside |
His mother and his brothers had stood outside
Article¶
Background¶
The Pluperfect tense has the same meaning as the Perfect Tense, except that it only brings the results of an action up to a selected time in the past.
Both the Pluperfect Tense and the Perfect Tense describe the state resulting from a previous action or series of actions. The Pluperfect describes an event that was completed in the past and had results that existed in the past from the speaker’s point of view. On the other hand, the Perfect Tense, brings the results all the way up to the time the speaker is speaking.
Use of the Pluperfect Tense does not indicate if the results still exist at the time the speaker is speaking only that they existed at some point in the past.
The Perfect Tense is usually translated “I have believed”, the Pluperfect Tense is usually translated “I had believed.” The Pluperfect only occurs 88 times in the New Testament.
Categories¶
Based on context, the Pluperfect Tense may be classified into the following categories:
Intensive Pluperfect - stress is on the stative result of some action that occurred at some point in the past prior to the time of the speaker. The emphasis is therefore on the results that occurred. [See Intensive Pluperfect]
Consummative Pluperfect (also known as the Extensive Pluperfect) – stress is on the process that led to the results. [See Consumative Pluperfect ]
Pluperfect used as Past Tense – Sometimes the Pluperfect is used in such a manner that it seems to simply refer to an event that occurred in the past. [See Pluperfect Used as Past Tense ]
Periphrastic Construction - Instead of using the Pluperfect Tense, the meaning of the Pluperfect is also found in the Greek text by using two verbs (εἰμί in the indicative or imperfect tense combined with a Perfect Participle). This is known as a Periphrastic Construction. [ See Periphrastic Construction]
Listing of Pluperfect Verbs¶
The following is a list of the Pluperfect Verbs in the New Testament.
ἤδειν – (I knew, or had known) – occurs 32 times
εἰστήκη – (I stood) – occurs 15 times
ἐληλύθει (had come) – occurs 11 times
βάλλω |
Βεβλήκειν |
I throw/cast |
γίνομαι |
(ε)γεγόνειν |
I am/ become |
|
γινώσκω |
ἐγνώκειν |
I know |
δίδωμι |
(ε)δεδώκειν |
I give |
|
εἴθω |
εἰώθειν |
I am accustomed |
ἐπιπείθω |
ἐπεποίθειν |
I convince/ persuade |
|
κρίνω |
κεκρίκειν |
I judge |
λέγω |
εἰρήκειν |
I say |
|
μένω |
μεμενήκειν |
I remain/abide |
ὁράω |
ἑωράκειν |
I see |
|
πιστεύω |
πεπιστεύκειν |
I believe |
ποιέω |
πεποιήκειν |
I do/make |
|
συναρπάζω |
σθνηρπάκειν |
I seize |
Form¶
The basic form for a verb in the Pluperfect tense is given in Verb Master Table 4-Primary and Secondary Endings of Verbs of the Master paradigm.
See also:
In this section we will describe the formation of the Active and Middle Pluperfect Verbs with a theme vowel.
Pluperfect of οἰδα (I know, understand) - ἥδειν
Formation of the 1st Pluperfect Active Indicative Verb with a Theme Vowel:¶
Table T-PL-2 Formation of 1st Pluperfect Active Indicative For Thematic Verbs¶
Table V-T-PL-2 Formation of 1st Pluperfect Active Indicative for Thematic Verbs |
||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Augment * | + | Reduplication | + | Perfect Active Tense Stem |
+ | Form Marker (κ) |
+ | Connecting Vowel/ Diphthong ει |
+ | Quadrant 2 Secondary Personal Ending |
||
(ε) | + | λε | + | λυ | + | κ | + | ει | + | ν | -> | ἐλελύκειν |
I had loosed |
[Note] The augment is often missing.
The 1st Pluperfect Active Indicative for thematic verbs is formed by using:
An augment which may or may not be present. This is why it is shown in parenthesis.
Reduplication (or duplicating the first consonant of the tense stem of the verb for verbs that begin with a single consonant) and adding an epsilon (ε).
Plus the first perfect active tense stem
Plus the tense formative (κ)
Plus the connecting vowel (ει)
Plus the secondary active personal ending (quadrant 2) Paradigms Master Table 4 Primary and Secondary Endings of Verbs
Table V-T-PL-3 [ 1st Pluperfect Active Indicative Verb ]¶
Based on λὐω (I loose).
Table V-T-PL-3 Pluperfect Active Indicative Thematic |
|
---|---|
Active | |
Singular | |
1 person | ἐλελύκειν |
2 person | ἐλελύκεις |
3 person | ἐλελύκει(ν) |
Plural | |
1 person | ἐλελύκειμεν |
2 person | ἐλελύκειτε |
3 person | ἐλελύκεισαν |
Formation – The Second Pluperfect Active Indicative Verb with a Theme Vowel:¶
Table V-T-PL-4 Formation of Second Pluperfect Active Indicative Verb based on ἔρχομαι (I go)¶
Table V-T-PL-4 Formation of 2nd Pluperfect Active Indicative for Thematic Verbs |
||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Augment * | + | Reduplication | + | 2nd Perfect Active Tense Stem |
+ | Connecting Vowel ει |
+ | Quadrant 2 Secondary Active Personal Ending |
||
ε | + | λε | + | λυθ | + | ει | + | ν | -> | ἐλελύθειν |
I had gone |
[Note]: There is no tense formative for the 2nd Pluperfect as is the case with the 2nd Perfect verb. The use of the 2nd Perfect tense stem notifies the reader that this is a 2nd Pluperfect verb.
Table V-T-PL-5 [ 2nd Pluperfect Active Indicative based on ἔρχομαι (I go) ].¶
[Note] Only the 3rd person singular and 3rd person plural appear in the New Testament.
Table V-T-PL-5 Second Pluperfect Active Indicative Thematic |
|
---|---|
Active | |
Singular | |
1 person | (ἐ)λελύθειν |
2 person | (ἐ)λελύθεις |
3 person | (ἐ)λελύθει(ν) |
Plural | |
1 person | (ἐ)λελύθειμεν |
2 person | (ἐ)λελύθειτε |
3 person | (ἐ)λελύθεισαν |
Formation of the Middle Pluperfect Active Indicative Verb with a Theme Vowel¶
Table V-T-PL-6 [ Formation of the Middle Pulperfect Active Indicative verb based on λὐω (I loose). ]¶
Table V-T-PL-6 Formation of Middle Pluperfect Active Indicative for Thematic Verbs |
||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Augment * | + | Reduplication | + | Perfect Middle/Passive Tense Stem |
+ | Quadrant 4 Middle/Passive Personal Ending |
||
(ε) | + | λε | + | λυθ | + | μην | -> | ἐλελύμην |
I had loosed myself (or I had been freed) |
[Note]:
The augment is often missing. This is why it is in parenthesis.
There is no tense formative nor connecting vowel.
The Quadrant 4 personal ending is attached directly to the perfect Middle/Passive stem.
Table V-T-PL-7 [ Pluperfect Middle/Passive Indicative Thematic ]¶
Table V-T-PL-7 Pluperfect Middle/ Indicative Thematic |
|
---|---|
Active | |
Singular | |
1 person | (ἐ)λελύμην |
2 person | (ἐ)λέλυσο |
3 person | (ἐ)λέλυτο |
Plural | |
1 person | (ἐ)λελύμεθα |
2 person | (ἐ)λέλυσθε |
3 person | (ἐ)λέλυντο |
Table V-T-PL-8 [ Pluperfect of οἴδα ]¶
The Pluperfect of οἴδα (I know, understand) - ἥδειν
Table V-T-PL-8
Pluperfect
ΟἴδαActive Singular 1 person ἥδειν 2 person ἥδεις 3 person ἥδει Plural 1 person ἥδειμεν 2 person ἥδειτε 3 person ἥδεισαν
Examples¶
Intensive Pluperfect¶
With the Intensive Pluperfect, stress is on the results that existed from some action that occurred in the past prior to the time of the speaker. The emphasis is therefore on the results that occurred.
Example V-T-PL-9
σκοτία |
ἤδη |
ἐγεγόνει |
καὶ |
οὔπω |
ἐληλύθει |
πρὸς |
αὐτοὺς |
ὁ |
Ἰησοῦς. |
skotia |
ēdē |
egegonei |
kai |
oupō |
elēlythei |
pros |
autous |
ho |
Iēsous. |
dark |
already |
it had become |
and |
not yet |
he had come |
to |
them |
the |
Jesus. |
darkness had already happened, but Jesus had not yet come to them.
Consummative Pluperfect¶
The Consummative Pluperfect is also known as the Extensive Pluperfect. With the Consummative Pluperfect stress is on the process that led to the results.
Example V-T-PL-10 John 4:8
οἱ |
γὰρ |
μαθηταὶ |
αὐτοῦ |
ἀπεληλύθεισαν |
εἰς |
τὴν |
πόλιν |
ἵνα |
τροφὰς |
ἀγοράσωσιν. |
hoi |
gar |
mathētai |
autou |
apelēlytheisan |
eis |
tēn |
polin |
hina |
trophas |
agorasōsin. |
the |
for |
disciples |
his |
had gone |
into |
the |
city |
so that |
food |
they could buy. |
for his disciples had gone away into the city so that they might buy food.
Pluperfect used as Past Tense¶
Sometimes the Pluperfect is used in such a manner that it seems to simply refer to an event that occurred in the past.
Example V-T-PL-11 John 1:35
τῇ |
ἐπαύριον |
πάλιν |
ἵστήκει |
ὁ |
Ἰωάννης |
tē |
epaurion |
palin |
histēkei |
ho |
Iōannēs |
on the |
next day |
again |
he stood |
the |
John |
The next day, John was standing again with two of his disciples.
Periphrastic construction.¶
The meaning of the Pluperfect is also found in the Greek text by using two verbs (εἰμί in the indicative or imperfect tense combined with a perfect participle). The use of the “helping” verb (εἰμί) along with a perfect participle is known as a periphrastic construction.
The word-for-word translation below tries to pick up on the imperfect helping verb (ἦν) combined with the perfect participle (ἑστὠς). The time of the Periphrastic construction also affects the time of the present participle (παρακαλῶν) and so we included the helping verb “was” in our word-for-word translation.
Example V-T-PL-12 Acts 16:9
ἀνὴρ |
Μακεδών |
τις |
ἦν |
ἑστὼς |
καὶ |
παρακαλῶν |
αὐτὸν |
anēr |
Makedōn |
tis |
ēn |
hestōs |
kai |
parakalōn |
auton |
man |
from Macedonia |
certain |
had been |
standing |
and |
was exhorting/calling |
him |
A certain man of Macedonia was standing and calling him. or ( A certain man of Macedonia had been standing and was calling him.)