BBG Chapter 18 — Present Middle/Passive Indicative¶
Files¶
Exercises¶
| Exercise | Description |
|---|---|
| exercises/ch18-middle-passive-parsing/ | 20-item drill: parse present middle/passive forms and identify likely voice from context |
Flashcards¶
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| ch18-vocab-deck.md | Human-readable card list — 10 vocabulary words |
| ch18-vocab-deck.txt | Anki import file (File → Import) |
| ch18-vocab-deck-fd.txt | Flashcards Deluxe import file |
Notebooks¶
| Notebook | What it shows |
|---|---|
| GNT Verb Morphology | Voice distribution; tense × voice crosstab |
| Genre Comparison | Greek middle/passive voice patterns by genre |
Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar, Mounce, 4th Edition
1. Overview¶
In the present tense, the middle and passive voices share identical forms. You cannot tell from form alone whether a verb is middle or passive — you must use context. This chapter introduces both voices and the very important category of deponent verbs.
2. The Middle Voice¶
The middle voice indicates that the subject is performing the action for their own benefit, on themselves, or with special personal interest in the outcome.
| Active | Middle | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| λύω = "I loose (something)" | λύομαι = "I loose for myself / I ransom myself" | Subject benefits from the action |
| πείθω = "I persuade (someone)" | πείθομαι = "I am persuaded / I trust" | Subject is affected inwardly |
Note: In the present tense, the English translation of the middle may not look different from the active. Context and the verb's normal usage pattern help determine the nuance.
3. The Passive Voice¶
The passive voice indicates that the subject receives the action. The agent performing the action (if expressed) appears in a prepositional phrase.
| Voice | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Active | λύει τὸν δοῦλον | "He looses the slave." |
| Passive | λύεται ὁ δοῦλος | "The slave is being loosed." |
Agent in passive constructions: In Greek, personal agents are typically expressed with ὑπό + genitive ("by someone"). Impersonal means are expressed with the dative of means.
4. Paradigm — Present Middle/Passive Indicative (λύω)¶
The present stem is λυ-. Primary middle/passive endings are attached via the connecting vowel.
| Person | Singular | Translation (Middle) | Translation (Passive) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | λύομαι | I loose for myself | I am being loosed |
| 2nd | λύῃ (or λύει) | You loose for yourself | You are being loosed |
| 3rd | λύεται | He/she looses for himself | He/she is being loosed |
| 1st pl | λύομεθα | We loose for ourselves | We are being loosed |
| 2nd pl | λύεσθε | You (pl.) loose for yourselves | You are being loosed |
| 3rd pl | λύονται | They loose for themselves | They are being loosed |
Primary Middle/Passive Endings¶
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | -ομαι | -ομεθα |
| 2nd | -ῃ / -ει | -εσθε |
| 3rd | -εται | -ονται |
Note on 2sg: The 2nd person singular primary middle/passive ending is -σαι; the σ drops between vowels, contracting ε+αι → ῃ. The uncontracted form -ει occasionally appears in the GNT. Both are standard.
5. Key Diagnostics¶
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Ending -ομαι | 1sg present middle/passive (very common) |
| Ending -εται | 3sg present middle/passive (very common) |
| Ending -ονται | 3pl present middle/passive |
| Ending -εσθε | 2pl present middle/passive |
| Ending -ομεθα | 1pl present middle/passive |
| No augment | Present indicative never augmented |
| Identical form | Middle = passive in present — use context |
6. Deponent Verbs¶
Deponent verbs have only middle or passive forms but carry active meanings. They are not "defective" — they are simply verbs whose meaning is inherently reflexive or intransitive and that therefore appear only in the middle/passive form.
Deponent verbs are extremely common in the GNT. You must memorize them as a class — their lexical form will end in -ομαι (not -ω).
Common Deponent Verbs in the GNT¶
| Lexical form | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ἔρχομαι | I come, I go | Most common deponent; irregular principal parts |
| γίνομαι | I become, I am | Very common; "come into being" |
| ἀποκρίνομαι | I answer | Always deponent in NT |
| δέχομαι | I receive, accept | |
| ἐργάζομαι | I work | |
| πορεύομαι | I go, travel | Very common |
| προσεύχομαι | I pray | |
| ἅπτομαι | I touch | Takes genitive object |
| ἀσπάζομαι | I greet | |
| βούλομαι | I want, wish |
Parsing deponents: When you encounter a deponent verb, you still parse it fully: e.g., ἔρχεται = Present Middle/Passive Indicative 3sg ἔρχομαι = "he comes / he is coming." The voice is labeled "middle/passive" (or just "middle" for deponents that are always middle), but the meaning is active.
7. Distinguishing Middle from Passive by Context¶
Since middle and passive are formally identical in the present, use these clues:
| Clue | Indicates |
|---|---|
| Verb is listed as deponent (lexical form -ομαι) | Middle/Passive form, active meaning |
| ὑπό + genitive in the same clause | Passive — agent expressed |
| Verb root typically takes an object (transitive) | Could be passive |
| Verb root typically intransitive or reflexive | Likely middle |
| The subject "benefits" or "experiences" the action | Likely middle |
8. GNT Examples¶
Deponent — ἔρχομαι:
ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν (John 3:2) "He comes to Jesus." → ἔρχεται = PAI/PMPI 3sg ἔρχομαι; deponent, active meaning
Deponent — γίνομαι:
ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος… καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος. καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο (John 1:1,14) "In the beginning was the Word… and the Word became flesh." → ἐγένετο = Aorist Middle Indicative 3sg γίνομαι (aorist form; deponent)
Middle voice (reflexive):
ἐβαπτίσαντο… ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ποταμῷ (Matt 3:6) "They were being baptized… in the Jordan River." → Middle/passive; context suggests passive (by John)
Passive with agent:
βαπτίζεται ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου (Mark 1:9, adapted) "He is being baptized by John." → Passive indicated by ὑπό + genitive
Deponent — πορεύομαι:
πορεύεσθε οὖν καὶ μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη (Matt 28:19) "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations." → πορεύεσθε = PMPI 2pl πορεύομαι; deponent, active meaning (imperative sense in context)
9. Parsing Format Review¶
When parsing a present middle/passive indicative form, give:
Tense — Voice — Mood — Person — Number — Lexical form (= translation)
Example: λύεται → Present Middle/Passive Indicative 3rd Singular λύω = "he is being loosed" (passive) or "he looses for himself" (middle)