Tense aorist¶

Glossary¶

Aorist - Aorist is a verb tense-form used to express an unspecified kind of action (in other words - only that some form of action has occurred or occurs), without reference to its duration or completeness.

In the indicative mood and aorist participles, the aorist tense generally refers to an unspecified kind of action that occurred in the past. The action is described as a whole (e.g., he wrote).

Example: Table V-TA-1 General example of Aorist tense

V-TA-1 Example Aorist tense John 1:3¶
πάντα	δι’	αὐτοῦ	ἐγένετο
panta	di’	autou	egeneto
all things	through	him	it came into being

All things came into being through him

Article¶

Overview¶

The Tense of a verb is used to indicate the speaker’s perspective or viewpoint of:

Aspect - the kind of action of the verb. The kind of action may be unspecified (also known as simple or simply completed), continuous (also described as imperfective), or completed with an ongoing effect.

Aorist tense- In the aorist tense, aspect is used to express an unspecified kind of action (merely that it has occurred or occurs), without reference to its duration or completeness. It therefore may be used to refer to action that occurred in:

a moment (punctiliar action), or

action that occurred over a period of time (continuous), or

repeated action.

Time - the time of action in the Aorist tense

The principle use of the Aorist tense in the indicative mood and with participles is to refer to unspecified action (aspect) that occurred in the past. However, it can be used to describe an event:

that is occurring in the present, or has just been completed.

This would also include what is sometimes referred to as an epistolary aorist - where the writer describes his letter as already having been completed and delivered, or

an event that will occur in the future.

the Aorist tense may also be used for a Gnomic aorist which is used to present a timeless general fact that occurs regularly and so can be assumed to have occurred.

Form:¶

The basic form for a verb in the indicative Aorist tense is given in Table 4 (Primary and Secondary Endings of Verbs) , and Table 7 (Master Verb Tense Chart - The Aorist Tenses) of the Master paradigm.

Table V-TA-2 First Aorist Active Indicative for Thematic Verbs¶

Built on the verb λύω (I loose) and κρίνω (I judge)

Indicative Verbs (with a theme vowel) Based on an Aorist Active Tense Stem Table V-TA-2
	1st Aorist	Liquid Aorist
Singular
1 person	ἔλυσα	* ἔκρινα
2 person	ἔλυσας	ἔκρινας
3 person	ἔλυσε(ν)	ἔκρινε(ν)
Plural
1 person	ἐλύσαμεν	ἐκρίναμεν
2 person	ἐλύσατε	ἐκρίνατε
3 person	ἔλυσαν	ἔκριναν

[Note] * The Aorist tense formative for liquid aorist verbs is “ α ”. The sigma is dropped.

1st person singular (ἔλυσα) - Where one would expect a nu (ν), the personal ending is dropped and so the tense formative stands by itself.
3rd person singular [ἔλυσε (ν)] – The nu (ν) is dropped and the alpha (α) of the tense formative is changed to an epsilon (ε). If the following word begins with a vowel a moveable nu (ν) is added.

Table V-TA-2a Formation of First Aorist Active Indicative Thematic Verbs¶

Table V-TA-2a Formation of 1st Aorist Active Indicative for Thematic Verbs
Augment	+	1st Aorist Active Tense Stem	+	Tense Formative	+	Secondary Active Personal Ending
ε	+	λυ	+	σα /(α)	+	μεν	->	ἐλύσαμεν
We loosed

The 1st Aorist Active Indicative for a verb is formed by using:

Augment

for vowels that begin with a consonant the augment is ε

for vowels that begin with a vowel the beginning vowel lengthens and becomes:

an eta (η) for verbs beginning with an alpha (α) or an epsilon (ε), or

an omega (ω) for verbs beginning with an omicron (ο)

α -> η

ε -> η

ο -> ω

plus the 1st aorist active tense stem (usually the same as the present tense stem)

plus the aorist tense formative (“σα” or “α” with liquid verbs). Because the 1st aorist tense formative ends with a vowel no connecting vowel is required before adding the secondary personal ending.

plus the appropriate secondary personal ending.

[Note]

Liquid verbs are verbs whose stem ends with a λ,μ.ν, or ρ.
The Secondary Active personal endings are shown in the upper right quadrant (Quadrant 3) of the Verb Master Chart Table 4. (see below)

Table 4 Verb Master Chart Table 4 Primary and Secondary Endings of Verbs¶

Primary and Secondary Endings of Verbs Table 4
Primary personal endings					Secondary personal endings
	regular			alternate	regular			alternate
Active		c.v.	p.e.			c.v.	p.e.
1 singular	λύω	ο	-	μι	ἔλυον	ο	ν
2 singular	λύεις	ε	ς		ἔλυες	ε	ς
3 singular	λύει	ε	ι	σι (ν)	ἔλυε (ν)	ε	-

1 plural	λύομεν	ο	μεν		ἐλυόμεν	ο	μεν
2 plural	λύετε	ε	τε		ἐλύετε	ε	τε
3 plural	λύουσι(ν)	ο	νσι (ν)	ασι (ν)	ἔλυον	ο	ν	σαν
Middle/ Passive
1 singular	λύομαι	ο	μαι		ἐλυόμην	ο	μην
2 singular	λύῃ	ε	σαι		ἐλύου	ε	σο
3 singular	λύεται	ε	ται		ἐλύετο	ε	το

1 plural	λυόμεθα	ο	μεθα		ἐλυόμεθα	ο	μεθα
2 plural	λύεσθε	ε	σθε		ἐλύεσθε	ε	σθε
3 plural	λύονται	ο	νται		ἐλύοντο	ο	ντο

Table V-TA-3 – Second Aorist Active Indicative¶

Build on the verb λάμβανω (I take, I receive)

Table V-TA-3 2nd Aorist Indicative verbs with a theme vowel Based or Aorist Active Tense stem
	2nd Aorist
Singular
1 person	ἐλαβόμην
2 person	ἐλάβου
3 person	ἐλάβετο
Plural
1 person	ἐλαβόμεθα
2 person	ἐλάβεσθε
3 person	ἐλάβοντο

Table V-TA-3a Formation of Indicative Verbs with a Theme Vowel Based on the Second Aorist Active Tense Stem¶

Table V-TA-3a Formation of 2nd Aorist Active Indicative for Thematic Verbs
Augment	+	2nd Aorist Active Tense Stem	+	* Tense Formative	+	Secondary Active Personal Ending
ε	+	* λαβ	+	ο/ε	+	μεν	->	ἐλάβομεν
We took or We received

Note: * The present tense stem for λἀμβανω (λαμβαν-) has been changed to λαβ- to form the second aorist tense stem.

Because the second aorist active stem ends with a consonant, a connecting vowel is required.

No tense formative is required, because the change in the stem notifies the reader that this is a second aorist verb.

The second aorist uses the same connecting vowels as the present active indicative.

Form – Aorist Middle Indicative verb¶

Table V-TA-4 illustrates the formation of typical Middle Aorist Active verbs with a Theme Vowel

Built on the verb λύω (I loose) and γίνομαι (I become, I exist)

Table V-TA-4 Middle Voice Aorist Indicative verbs with a theme vowel Based or Aorist Active Tense stem
	1st Aorist	2nd Aorist
Singular
1 person	ἐλυσάμην	ἐγενόμην
2 person	ἐλύσω	ἐγένου
3 person	ἐλύσατο	ἐγένετο
Plural
1 person	ἐλυσάμεθα	ἐγενόμεθα
2 person	ἐλύσασθε	ἐγένεσθε
3 person	ἐλύσαντο	ἐγένοντο

Table V-TA-4a Formation of 1st Aorist Middle Indicative Thematic Verbs¶

Form: 1st Aorist Middle Indicative Verb is formed by:

Table V-TA-4a Formation of 1st Aorist Middle Indicative Verbs with a Theme Vowel
Augment	+	Active Aorist Tense Stem	+	Tense Formative	+	Secondary Middle/Passive Personal Ending
ε	+	λυ	+	σα	+	μεθα	->	ἐλυσάμεθα
We loosed ourselves

[Note]: The First Aorist Middle Indicative verb is formed by:

an Augment

plus the First Aorist Active tense stem

plus the Aorist Tense Formative,

plus the appropriate secondary middle/passive personal ending

Table V-TA-4b Formation of 2nd Aorist Middle Indicative Verb¶

Table V-TA-4b shows how a Second Aorist Middle Indicative verb is formed.

Table V-TA-4b Formation of 2nd Aorist Middle Indicative Verbs with a Theme Vowel
Augment	+	Active Aorist Tense Stem	+	Connecting Vowel	+	Secondary Middle/Passive Personal Ending
ε	+	γεν	+	ο	+	μεθα	->	ἐγενόμεθα
We became

[Note]: The Second Aorist Middle Indicative verb is formed by:

an Augment

plus the Second Aorist Active tense stem

plus the Connecting Vowel, (a tense formative is not needed because of the change in the stem from the present tense)

plus the appropriate secondary middle/passive personal ending

Form – Aorist Passive Indicative verb¶

Built on the verb λύω - I loose/untie/destroy; χαίρω - I rejoice

Table V-TA-5 Aorist Passive Verbs with a theme vowel

Table V-TA-5 Aorist Passive Verbs with a Theme Vowel based on the Aorist Passive Tense Stem
	1st Aorist	2nd Aorist
Singular
1 person	ἐλύθην	ἐχάρην
2 person	ἐλύθης	ἐχάρης
3 person	ἐλύθη	ἐχάρη
Plural
1 person	ἐλύθημεν	ἐχάρημεν
2 person	ἐλύθητε	ἐχάρητε
3 person	ἐλύθησαν	ἐχάρησαν

Form: Table V-TA-5a Formation of 1st Aorist Passive Indicative for Thematic Verbs [based on λύω (I loosed)]

Table V-TA-5a Formation of 1st Aorist Passive Indicative Verbs with a Theme Vowel
Augment	+	Aorist Passive Tense Stem	+	Tense Formative	+	Secondary Active Personal Ending
ε	+	λυ	+	θη	+	ν	->	ἐλύθην
I was loosed

The First Aorist Passive Indicative verb is formed by:

an Augment

plus the First Aorist Active tense stem

plus the Tense Formative,

plus the appropriate secondary active personal ending

[Note] - There is no need for a connecting vowel because the tense formative ends in eta (η).

[Note] – The aorist passive uses Secondary Active personal endings instead of the expected middle and passive endings.

Table V-TA-5b Formation of 2nd Aorist Passive Indicative for Thematic Verbs [Based on χαίρω (I rejoice)]

Table V-TA-5b Formation of 2nd Aorist Passive Indicative Verbs with a Theme Vowel
Augment	+	Aorist Passive Tense Stem	+	Tense Formative	+	Secondary Active Personal Ending
ε	+	χαρ	+	η	+	ν	->	ἐχάρην
I was glad

[Note] The θ is dropped from the tense formative.

[Note] The aorist passive uses Secondary Active endings instead of the expected middle and passive endings.

The Secondary middle/passive personal endings are shown in the lower right quadrant (Quadrant 4) of Verb Master Chart Table 4; Table 4 Primary and Secondary Endings of Verbs

Table V-TA-6 Upper Right Hand Quadrant of Verb Master Chart 4¶

Table V-TA-6 Quadrant 2 of Master Verb Chart 4
Active
Singular		Connecting Vowel	Primary Personal Ending	Alternative Personal Ending
1 person	ἔλυον	ο	ν
2 person	ἔλυες	ε	ς
3 person	ἔλυε (ν)	ε	-
Plural
1 Person	ἐλύομεν	ο	μεν
2 Person	ἐλύετε	ε	τε
3 Person	ἔλυον	ο	ν	σαν

Table V-TA-6a Lower Right Hand Quadrant of Verb Master Chart 4¶

Table V-TA-6a Quadrant 4 of Master Verb Chart 4
Middle/Passive
Singular		Connecting Vowel	Primary Personal Ending	Alternative Personal Ending
1 person	ἐλύομην	ο	μην
2 person	ἐλύου	ε	(σ)ο
3 person	ἐλύετο	ε	το
Plural
1 Person	ἐλυόμεθα	ο	μεθα
2 Person	ἐλύεσθε	ε	σθε
3 Person	ἐλύοντο	ο	ντο

[Note]

The “-” in Table V-TA-6 indicates there is no personal ending.

The (σ) in the second person singular middle/passive endings in Table V-TA-6a is in parenthesis because it often is intervocalic (between two vowels) and therefore drops out. The resulting two vowels will then contract. “ε” and “ο” contract to “ου” as in ἐλύου.

ε + λυ + ε + σο then becomes

ε + λυ + ε + ο (the sigma drops out) and then

ε + λυ + ου (the ε and ο contract to form ου)

Examples:¶

Aorist as an indication of events having occurred in the past¶

Aorist indicative- 50 percent of the aorist verbs in the New Testament are Aorist indicative verbs.

Aorist verbs in the indicative mood generally represent an event that has occurred in the past with an unspecified aspect.

Example

V-TA-7 John 4:18¶
πέντε	γὰρ	ἄνδρας	ἔσχες
pente	gar	andras	esches
five	for	husbands	you had

for you have had five husbands

V-TA 7a Rom 10:9¶
ὁ	Θεὸς	αὐτὸν	ἤγειρεν	ἐκ	νεκρῶν
ho	Theos	auton	ēgeiren	ek	nekrōn
The	God	him	he raised	from/out of	dead

God raised him from the dead

Aorist Participles in the indicative¶

Participles in the Aorist indicative generally represent events that have occurred in the past.

Example:

V-TA 8 Acts 21:7¶
καὶ	ἀσπασάμενοι	τοὺς	ἀδελφοὺς	ἐμείναμεν	ἡμέραν	μίαν	παρ’	αὐτοῖς.
kai	aspasamenoi	tous	adelphous	emeinamen	hēmeran	mian	par’	autois.
And	after we had greeted	the	brothers	we remained	day	one	with	them.

and having greeted the brothers, we stayed with them for one day

[Note] This verse could also be translated “… after greeting the brothers, we stayed with them one day.”

In this example, ἀσπασάμενοι is an aorist middle participle; and ἐμείναμεν is an aorist active indicative.

It should also be remembered that the aspect is undefined. The greeting could have been short in duration or prolonged. In this case we know the duration of the stay. It was one day, because we are given this as additional information.

Aorist tense used for punctiliar action:: The Aorist tense may be used for action that occurs in an instant or moment.

Example:

Background for Mark 14:64: When the High Priest asked Jesus if He was the Christ, the Son of the Blessed one, Jesus responded with a simple “I am”. He also added a comment that they would see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power. The High Priest then responds.

V-TA-9 Mark 14:64¶
ἠκούσατε	τῆς	βλασφημίας
ēkousate	tēs	blasphēmias
you heard	the	blasphemy

You heard the blasphemy.

The time frame for this action was very short. It was over in a second. That was all the time it took for Jesus to say Ἐγώ εἰμι (I am).

Aorist tense - action occurring over period of time¶

The aorist tense may also be used for events that occurred over a long period of time. Οἰκοδομήθη (it was built) is an aorist passive indicative verb.

Example:

V-TA-10 John 2:20¶
τεσσεράκοντα	καὶ	ἓξ	ἔτεσιν	οἰκοδομήθη	ὁ	ναὸς	οὗτος
tesserakonta	kai	hex	etesin	oikodomēthē	ho	naos	houtos
forty	and	six	years	was built	the	temple	this

This temple was built in 46 years

Aorist Tense - repeated action¶

The Aorist tense can be used for action that is repeated.

Example:

V-TA-11 Matthew 7:22¶
Κύριε‘	Κύριε	οὐ	τῷ	σῷ	ὀνόματι	ἐπροφητεύσαμεν
Kyrie‘	Kyrie	ou	tō	sō	onomati	eprophēteusamen
Lord	Lord	not	in	your	name	we prophesied.

Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name

Aoristic - present¶

The aorist tense may be used to describe an event occurring in the present, or just completed. This also includes an Epistolary aorist in which the writer describes his letter as already having been completed and delivered.

Example:

John the Baptist tells his followers while they are at the river being baptized.

V-TA-12 Mark 1:8¶
ἐγὼ	ἐβάπτισα	ὑμᾶς	ὕδατι
egō	ebaptisa	hymas	hydati
I	I baptized	you	with water

I baptized you with water

Aoristic – future¶

The Aorist tense may be used to describe action that will occur in the future. Some have referred to this as the prophetic future (or an event that is so certain that it is described as if it had already occurred). This may be overstating the case as the aorist tense simply presents an event as a completed action. Yet, using the aorist tense, which describes completed action, for something to occur in the future instead of the future tense does add a sense of certainty to the event.

Example:

V-TA-13 Romans 8:30¶
οὓς	δὲ	ἐδικαίωσεν	τούτους	καὶ	ἐδόξασεν
hous	de	edikaiōsen	toutous	kai	edoxasen
whom	and	he justified	these	also	he glorified

And those whom he justified, these he also glorified.

Gnomic aorist¶

The Gnomic Aorist describes a generally accepted truth or fact that occurs regularly and so can be assumed to have occurred.

Example

V-TA-14 James 1:11¶
ἀνέτειλεν	γὰρ	ὁ	ἥλιος	…	καὶ	ἐξήρανεν	τὸν	χόρτον
aneteilen	gar	ho	hēlios	…	kai	exēranen	ton	chorton
it rises	for	the	sun	…	and	it dries up	the	grass

For the sun rose … and dried up the grass,

Note: [Or this can be translated “For the sun rises… and dries up the grass” It is not describing a single event that occurred one time in the past but rather just as the sun rises and dries up the grass on a regular basis, “Thus also the rich will wither…” ]