BBG Chapter 34 — Indicative of δίδωμι¶
Files¶
Exercises¶
| Exercise | Description |
|---|---|
| exercises/ch34-didomi-parsing/ | 20-item drill: parse δίδωμι and its compounds in all indicative forms |
Flashcards¶
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| ch34-vocab-deck.md | Human-readable card list — 7 vocabulary words |
| ch34-vocab-deck.txt | Anki import file (File → Import) |
| ch34-vocab-deck-fd.txt | Flashcards Deluxe import file |
Notebooks¶
| Notebook | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Morphological Distribution | How δίδωμι, ἵστημι, τίθημι forms distribute across tenses and books |
Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar, Mounce, 4th Edition Data: MACULA Greek TAGNT (~415 tokens of δίδωμι and compounds NT-wide)
1. The μι-Verb Class¶
Greek verbs fall into two main classes based on how they form the present indicative active:
| Class | Marker | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Thematic (ω-verbs) | Connecting vowel (ο/ε) between stem and ending | λύω, λύεις, λύει |
| Athematic (μι-verbs) | No connecting vowel; endings attach directly to stem | δίδωμι, δίδως, δίδωσι |
μι-verbs are called athematic because they lack the thematic (connecting) vowel. Their endings attach directly to the stem.
Three characteristic features of μι-verbs: 1. Reduplicated present stem — the first consonant + ι is repeated before the stem 2. No thematic vowel — endings directly on the stem 3. Athematic endings — different from the standard present active endings
Note: μι-verbs are not a new category of verb — they use the same roots and meanings as ω-verbs. They are simply a different (older) conjugation pattern. Once you recognize the μι pattern, parsing becomes straightforward.
2. δίδωμι — The Primary μι-Verb Paradigm¶
δίδωμι means "I give" (the root is δο-/δω-). It is the most important μι-verb for GNT reading because: - It occurs ~415 times in the NT - Its compound παραδίδωμι ("hand over, betray, deliver") is even more frequent (~120 times) - The stem alternates: δω- (long, in singular) / δο- (short, in plural)
3. Present Active Indicative of δίδωμι¶
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | δίδωμι | δίδομεν |
| 2nd | δίδως | δίδοτε |
| 3rd | δίδωσι(ν) | διδόασι(ν) |
Note: The stem alternates between δω- (singular) and δο- (plural). The endings (-μι, -ς, -σι, -μεν, -τε, -ασι) are the athematic endings — compare with the present active endings of ω-verbs (ω, εις, ει, ομεν, ετε, ουσι) to see the difference.
4. Imperfect Active Indicative of δίδωμι¶
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | ἐδίδουν | ἐδίδομεν |
| 2nd | ἐδίδους | ἐδίδοτε |
| 3rd | ἐδίδου | ἐδίδοσαν |
Note: The imperfect of μι-verbs takes the augment (ἐ-) just like ω-verbs. The athematic imperfect uses secondary active endings directly on the stem (with vowel contraction in many forms).
5. Aorist Active Indicative of δίδωμι¶
The aorist of δίδωμι is ἔδωκα — it uses a κ suffix (like the perfect) but is aorist in meaning and context.
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | ἔδωκα | ἔδομεν |
| 2nd | ἔδωκας | ἔδοτε |
| 3rd | ἔδωκε(ν) | ἔδοσαν |
Note: The κ in ἔδωκα is NOT a perfect marker here — it is an aorist form of δίδωμι that uses κ as part of the aorist stem. The context (no reduplication, augment present) confirms it is aorist, not perfect. This is one of the most commonly misidentified forms in beginning Greek.
6. Present and Imperfect Middle/Passive Indicative¶
Present Middle/Passive¶
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | δίδομαι | διδόμεθα |
| 2nd | δίδοσαι | δίδοσθε |
| 3rd | δίδοται | δίδονται |
Imperfect Middle/Passive¶
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | ἐδιδόμην | ἐδιδόμεθα |
| 2nd | ἐδίδοσο | ἐδίδοσθε |
| 3rd | ἐδίδοτο | ἐδίδοντο |
7. Aorist Passive Indicative¶
The aorist passive of δίδωμι: ἐδόθην
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | ἐδόθην | ἐδόθημεν |
| 2nd | ἐδόθης | ἐδόθητε |
| 3rd | ἐδόθη | ἐδόθησαν |
8. Key Compound: παραδίδωμι¶
παραδίδωμι = παρά ("alongside/over") + δίδωμι = "hand over, deliver, betray"
This is one of the most theologically significant verbs in the NT, used for: - Judas betraying Jesus (Matt 26:15) - God/Jesus "delivering over" for our sins (Rom 4:25; 8:32) - Handing on tradition (1 Cor 11:2, 23; 15:3)
It conjugates exactly like δίδωμι — only the prefix changes:
| Form | παραδίδωμι | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Present 3sg | παραδίδωσι(ν) | he/she hands over |
| Imperfect 3sg | παρεδίδου | he/she was handing over |
| Aorist 3sg | παρέδωκε(ν) | he/she handed over |
| Aorist 3sg passive | παρεδόθη | he/she was handed over |
Note: In compound verbs, the augment is inserted between the prefix and the stem: παρα + ἐ + δίδωμι = παρεδίδουν. The prefix vowel elides before the augment: παρά → παρ- + ε- = παρε-.
9. Other Common Compounds of δίδωμι in the GNT¶
| Compound | Meaning | Key Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| παραδίδωμι | hand over, betray, deliver | Matt 26:15; Rom 4:25 |
| ἀποδίδωμι | give back, pay, render | Matt 22:21 ("render to Caesar") |
| ἐπιδίδωμι | give to, hand over | Matt 7:9–10 |
| μεταδίδωμι | share, give a share of | Rom 1:11; Eph 4:28 |
10. Stem Alternation Summary¶
| Form | Stem Used |
|---|---|
| Present sg active | δω- (long) |
| Present pl active | δο- (short) |
| Imperfect | δο- (short, always) |
| Aorist | δω- (in sg) / δο- (in pl) |
| Aorist passive | δο- + θ |
11. Diagnostic Summary¶
| Feature | Signal |
|---|---|
| Reduplicated δι- prefix | Present/imperfect of δίδωμι |
| Stem δω-/δο- | δίδωμι forms |
| -μι ending (1sg pres act) | μι-verb marker |
| Augment ἐδ- | Imperfect or aorist |
| ἔδωκα (κ in aorist) | Aorist of δίδωμι |
| ἐδόθη | Aorist passive of δίδωμι |
| παρε- prefix | Compound παραδίδωμι with augment |