Grammar Notes. Infinitive

VERB - INFINITIVE:

A. INFINITIVE ENDINGS

Active		Middle or Passive
- ειν	Present: λέγειν 2nd Aor: λαβεῖν		- σθαι	λέγεσθαι ἔρχεσθαι

- σαι / αι	1st Aor: ἀκοῦσαι μεῖναι

- ναι	μι verb: διδόναι Perfect: εἰρηκέναι Aor.Pass: ἀκουσθῆναι Aor Pass uses Act Endings

B. TENSE ASPECT

Present: continuous or repeated action

Aorist: simple event; single or punctiliar action

Perfect: completed action with resulting state

Note: In Indirect Discourse (see 5 below) the "time" of the action is also relative to the main verb or to the time of the context of the sentence.

C. USES OR FUNCTIONS The Infinitive might be called a VERBAL NOUN

As VERB			it maintains its VERBAL character
	1.	it may have a subject (one who does its action). The "subject" of an infinitive is always in the accusative case -- often called an accusative of general reference.
	2.	it may have a direct object or other modifying phrases, such as adverbial prepositional phrases.
[See nos. 1, 2, & 3 below]

As NOUN			it may function as subject or direct object of a verb, as object of a preposition, or as part of a noun clause.
[See nos. 4, 5, & 6 below]

Articular Infinitive
	The infinitive in Greek is frequently used with a definite article, especially in its use as object of a preposition, but also in some adverbial clauses. The article, always neuter singular, is in the case appropriate to the particular use. This construction is identified as an articular infinitive.

1. Purpose or Intention to, in order to, for the purpose of, for

• without an article: (sometimes with ὡςor ὥστε)

ὁ πέμψας με βαπτίζειν ἐν ὕδατι ...

The one who sent me to baptize with water ... (J 1.33)

καὶ ἤλθομεν προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ

And we have come to worship him (Mt 2.2)

καὶ ἐπορεύοντο πάντες ἀπογράφεσθαι

And all went to be enrolled (Lk 2.3)

καὶ εἰσῆλθον εἰς κώμην ὡς ἑτοιμάσαι αὐτῷ

And they entered a village in order to make ready for him (Lk 9.52)

• with the definite article (Articular Infinitive in Genitive Case)

αὐτὸς τὸ πρόσωπον ἐστήρισεν τοῦ πορεύεσθαι εἰς ᾿Ιερουσαλήμ

He set his face in order to go to Jerusalem (Lk 9.51)

σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς ἐστιν οὗτος τοῦ βαστάσαι τὸ ὄνομά μου

This man is a chosen instrument so as to carry my name (Acts 9.15)

• with the preposition εἰς or πρός (Articular Infinitive with Accusative)

ἔπεμψα εἰς τὸ γνῶναι τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν

I sent in order to find out about your faith (1 Thess 3.5)

2. Result so that, with the result that (rare)

• without an article: (sometimes with ὡςor ὥστε)

᾿Ανανία, διὰ τί ἐπλήρωσεν ὁ σατανᾶς τὴν καρδίαν σου ψεύσασθαι τὸ πνεῦμα ἅγιον; Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart so that you deceived the Holy Spirit? (Acts 5.3)

ἐπισυναχθεισῶν τῶν μυριάδων τοῦ ὄχλου ὥστε καταπατεῖν ἀλλήλους

Such great numbers of the crowd gathered so that they trampled one another

(Lk 12.1)

• with the definite article (Articular Infinitive in Genitive Case)

καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐπιποθήσεταί σοι τοῦ κακῶσαι σε

And no one will attack you so as to do harm to you (Acts 18.10)

ἐκάκωσεν τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν τοῦ ποιεῖν τὰ βρέφη ἐκθέτα αὐτῶν

He evilly forced our ancestors to make their infants exposed (Acts 7.19)

• with the preposition εἰς or πρός (Articular Infinitive with Accusative)

... εἰς τὸ μὴ ζωογενεῖσθαι

... so that they did not live (Acts 7.19, see previous example)

3. Complementary Used to define, limit, explain, give content to nouns, adjectives, verbs. Essentially adverbial in character. Includes uses commonly called "explanatory" or "exegetical."

ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι

I have need to be baptized by you (Mt 3.14) [expands "need"]

οὐχ εἰμὶ ἵκανος λῦσαι

I am not worthy to untie ... (Mk 1.7) [expands "worthy"]

δύναται γεννηθῆναι ...

One is able to be born ... (J 3.4) [expands "able"]

4. Substantive (Noun) The infinitive functions as a Noun, usually as a Subject, Direct Object, or Object of a Preposition. (For Object of a Preposition see the separate examples below in # 6.)

• as subject (with or without the definite article)

οὐκ ἔστιν καλὸν λαβεῖν τὸν ἄρτον τῶν τέκνων ...

To take the bread of the children is not a good thing (Mt 15.26)

πρέπον ἐστιν ἡμῖν πληρῶσαι πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην

To fulfill all righteousness is fitting for us (Mt 3.15)

• as direct object (with or without the definite article)

καὶ ἤρξατο διδάσκειν αὐτούς

And he began to teach them (Mk 8.31)

οὐ παραιτοῦμαι τὸ ἀποθανεῖν

I do not ask for death (literally: to die, dying) (Acts 25.11)

• Noun clause with the Subject in Accusative case and the verb in Infinitive, is usually considered an Indirect Discourse construction. See below under # 5.

5. Indirect Discourse or Command This is the use of an infinitive with its subject in the Accusative Case (accusative of general reference). It is especially common with δεῖ (it is necessary that ...) or after verbs of saying, thinking, asking, hearing, knowing and the like. When the subject of the verb in indirect discourse is the same as the subject or another word in the main clause, it is regularly omitted and understood from the context.

δεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου πολλὰ παθεῖν

It is necessary that the son of man suffer many things (Lk 9.22)

οἳ λέγουσιν αὐτὸν ζῆν

who were saying that he was living (Lk 24.23)

γέγραπται ... κηρυχθῆναι ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ μετάνοιαν

it is written that repentence be preached in his name (Lk 24.47)

• with subject understood

ἐδόκουν πνεῦμα θεωρεῖν

They thought that [they] were seeing a ghost (Lk 24.37)

οἵτινες τῷ Παύλῳ ἔλεγον μὴ ἐπιβαίνειν εἰς ῾Ιερουσόλυμα

Who were instructing Paul that [he] not go to Jerusalem (Acts 21.4)

6. Object of Preposition with Articular Infinitive This construction is usually best translated into English by a subordinate clause reflecting the meaning of the preposition with the particular case of the Articular Infinitive. There may or may not be a Subject Accusative with the Infinitive.

ἐν τῷ σπείρειν αὐτόν

As he was sowing ... (Mt 13.4)

μετὰ τὸ ἐγερθῆναι με

After I have been raised... (Mt 26.32)

πρὸ τοῦ σε Φίλιππον φωνῆσαι

Before Philip called you ... (J 1.48)

διὰ τὸ αὐτὸν γινώσκειν πάντας

On account of his knowing all people ... (J 2.24)