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VERB  -  PARTICIPLE:                  A Participle is a verb form used as an Adjective

I.                      BASIC STRUCTURE

 

STEM

TENSE

THEME

ENDING

 

 

II.                    PARTICIPLE ENDING

consists of

PTCIP CODE           +          CASE ENDING

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                        PARTICIPLE CODES:

 

 

CASE ENDINGS:  (see p. 1)

 

ντ

- ACT masc & neut

+

 

3rd declension

 

 

τ

- ACT PERFECT masc & neut

+

 

3rd declension

 

 

σ

- ACT FEMININE

+

 

1st declension

 

 

μεν

- MID & PASS masc, fem, neut

+

 

1st declension for fem

2nd declension for masc & neut

 

 

Notes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.         The -ντ- or -τ- ptcip code is not present before the usual or nom sing masc case ending

 

Examples:         Pres Act masc & neut:                          βαπτίζων                βαπτίζον

                        Aor Act masc & neut:                           ἀκούσας                       ἀκοῦσαν

                        Aor Pass masc & neut:              ἀκουσθείς               ἀκουσθέν

 

2.         The AOR PASS uses a shortened form of the tense code:                       θε ε (see p. 3) and the ACT ptcip ENDING codes (as in other moods)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                               

III.       TRANSLATION                     (a rough guide to English equivalents apart from context using ἀκούω)

 

 

ACT & DEPONENT

TRUE MIDDLE

PASSIVE

 

PRES

hearing

hearing onself

being heard

 

FUT

being about to hear

going to hear

being about to hear oneself

going to hear oneself

being about to be heard

going to be heard

 

AOR/PERF

having heard

having heard oneself

having been heard

 

 

 

 

 

IV.       TRANSLATION of PARTICIPLES    in context

 

A.                    TENSE

 

 

 

 

QUALITY OF ACTION

 

RELATIVE TIME

Present

linear                           

 

action same time relative to main verb

Future

linear                           

 

action in future relative to main verb

 

Aorist

simple/punctiliar   [  •  ]

 

action prior to that of main verb

Perfect

completed               | -------

 

action prior to that of main verb

 

 

 

 

 

B.                    TRANSLATION STEPS

Steps 2 thru 4 exhibited in flow-chart below

 

 

1.         Determine the form

 

3.         Determine position & function

 

 

2.         Find agreement

 

4.         Translate according to function

                   

 

 

AGREES WITH NOUN ?  (or implied subj of verb?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                        NO

 

            YES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUBSTANTIVE (always Attributive,  p. 10)

"the one who/which PTCP"

"the PTCP one"

 

POSITION

 

 

 

ATTRIBUTIVE

 

PREDICATE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ADJECTIVE

"the NOUN who/which PTCP"

"the PTCP NOUN"

 

if NOT

 circumstantial

 

CIRCUMSTANTIAL  (Adverbial)

"Under the circumstances of NOUN PTCP"

Time:              while, as, when, after

 

 

SUPPLEMENTARY

• compound verb form with εἰμί

(ἦν διδάσκων "he was teaching")

(ἀπεσταλμένοι εἰσί "they have been sent")

Indirect Discourse with verbs of perception: "I hear that the disciple is coming"

 

 

Cause: because, since

Condition:       if

Concession:    although, even though

Purpose:                      in order to, so as to

Result:             so that, thereby, so as to

Means/Manner:          by, in, by means of

Attendant/Coordinating: PTC "AND" main verb

                     

 

V.                    PARTICIPLE TRANSLATION:  NT EXAMPLES     (cf. p. 9)

 

                        A.                    Attributive position

                                                                        1.                     Substantive (noun) function [no agreement with noun/pronoun]

                                                                        2.                     Adjective function  [agrees with noun/pronoun]

                        B.                     Predicate position

                                                                        1.                     Circumstantial function (adverbial)

                                                                        2.                     Supplementary function (compound verb, indirect discourse)           

 

                        [Note: for examples with *, **, or ***, see "Notes on special examples" on p. 13]

 

A.                    ATTRIBUTIVE POSITION

 

1.      SUBSTANTIVE                        (noun function: names a person, place, or thing)

 

                     Keys:              agrees with no noun or pronoun

                                             usually follows an article (rare exceptions)

                     Translation:    Use a relative clause: "one who, person who, things that,

                                             depending on gender & number of Participles (see p. 9)

 

                     οὐδεὶς ἀναβέβηκεν... εἰ μὴ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς

                 No one has ascended...except the one who descended from heaven         (J 3.13)

 

                     πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν οὐ κρίνεται

                 The one who believes in him is no longer being judged      (J 3.18)

 

                      ἵνα ἀπόκρισιν δῶμεν τοῖς πέμψασιν ἡμᾶς

                 In order that we may give an answer to the ones who sent us        (J 1.22)

 

                     ἐγὼ φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ

                 I am the voice of one who is crying in the wilderness         (J 1.23)

 

2.      ADJECTIVE  function   [describes which, of what kind, characteristic, quality]

 

                     Keys:              agrees with a noun or pronoun

                                             usually follows an article (rare exceptions, see **)

                     Translation:    Use a relative clause: "NOUN who, which, + PARTICIPLE" (see p. 9)

 

                     ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ζῶν ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς

                 I am the bread who is living, who has come down from heaven     (J 6.51)

 

                     αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ νίκη ἡ νικήσασα τὸν κόσμον, ἡ πίστις ἡμῶν

                                 This is the victory which has overcome the world, our faith            (1 J 5.4)

 

                     ** καὶ ἔδωκεν ἄν σοι ὕδωρ ζῶν

                 And he would have given you water which is living            (J 4.10)

 

A.                    PREDICATE  POSITION

            Adverbial (predicating) in function

 

                     Keys:              agrees with a noun or pronoun

                                             does not follow an article (but see **)

                     Translation:    Use is divided into Circumstantial and Supplementary (see p. 9)

 

1.      CIRCUMSTANTIAL               Expresses the situation or "circumstances" under which the action of the main verb takes place

 

                        Translation:    By "circumstantial" clauses introduced by adverbial ideas such as: while, when, after, because, if, although, in order to; or as a coordinating verb connected to the main verb by "and." The particular adverbial idea is chosen and shaped according to the context. The examples below assume such a choice. (see p. 9)

 

         Time:               while, as, when, after

 

                     τοῦτο σημεῖον ἐποίησεν ὁ  ᾿Ιησοῦς ἐλθών ἐκ τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας

                                 Jesus did this sign after he came out of Judea        (J 4.54)

 

                     *  ἰδόντες τὸν ἀστέρα ἐχάρησαν

                                 When they saw the star they rejoiced       (Mt 2.10)

 

                     βλέπει τὸν ᾿Ιησοῦν ἐρχόμενον πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ λέγει

                 He saw Jesus as he was coming toward him and said                    (J 1.29)

 

         Cause:             because, since

 

                     πολλοὶ ἐπίστευσαν θεωροῦντες αὐτοῦ τὰ σημεῖα ἃ ἐποίει

                                 Many people believed because they kept seeing his signs that he was doing           (J 2.23)

 

                     *  ἐδέξαντο αὐτὸν πάντα ἑωρακότες ὅσα ἐποίησεν

                 They welcomed him since they had seen all the things that he did   (J 4.45)

 

                     ***  ὑστερήσαντος τοῦ οἴνου ἡ μήτηρ τοῦ ᾿Ιησοῦ εἶπεν

                 Since the wine had run out the mother of Jesus said...       (J 2.3)

                                 (perhaps also "time":  "when the wine ran out..."

 

         Condition:       if

 

                     ** τί ὠφελεῖται ἄνθρωπος κερδήσας τὸν κόσμον ὅλον

                 What does it profit a person, if the person has gained the whole world      (Lk 9.25)

 

                     καιρῷ γὰρ ἰδίῳ θερίσομεν μὴ ἐκλυόμενοι

                 For in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart    (Gal 6.9)

 

         Concession:    even though, although

 

                     ἕν οἶδα τυφλὸς ὤν ἄρτι βλέπω

                 One thing I know; although I was blind, now I see            (J 9.25)

 

                     ***  τοσαῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ σημεῖα πεποιηκότος ... οὐκ ἐπίστευον

                 Even though he had done so many signs ... they continued not believing (J 12.37)

 

                     εἰ ὑμεῖς πονηροὶ ὄντες οἴδατε δόματα ἀγαθὰ διδόναι

                 If you, even though you are wicked, know how to give good gifts (Mt 7.11)

 

         Purpose:          in order to, so as to, to  (usuallly with present or future participle)

 

                     *  τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγεν πειράζων αὐτόν

                 He said this in order to test him                (J 6.6)

 

                     ἴδωμεν εἰ ἔρχεται ᾿Ηλείας σώσων αὐτόν

                 Let us see whether Elijah will come in order to deliver him            (Mt 27.49)

 

         Result:            so that, thereby

 

                     *  πατέρα ἴδιον ἔλεγεν τὸν θεὸν ἴσον ἑαυτὸν ποιῶν τῷ θεῷ

                 He called God his father thereby making himself equal to God       (J 5.18)

 

         Means/Manner:         by, in, by means of

 

                     *  βαλοῦσα αὕτη τὸ μύρον τοῦτο πρὸς τὸ ἐνταφιάσαι ἐποίησεν

                 In putting this ointment on my body she did it for my burial            (Mt 26.12)

 

                     διαμερίζονται τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ βάλλοντες κλῆρον ἐπ ᾿ αὐτά

                 They divided his garments by casting a lot for them           (Mk 15.24)

 

                     ἦλθον ἐγὼ ἐν ὕδατι βαπτίζων

                 I came baptizing with water                      (J 1.31)

 

         Attendant/Coordinating:           Participle translated as coordinated with main verb by "and"

 

                     καὶ ἐμαρτύρησεν ᾿Ιωάννης λέγων

                 And John testified and said ...       (J 1.32)

 

                     *  πορευθέντες ... μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη

                 Go and make disciples of all nations                     (Mt 28.18)

 

                     στραφεὶς δὲ ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς εἶπεν

                 Jesus turned and said ...               (J 1.38)

 

2.      SUPPLEMENTARY This is a structural (syntactical) use of the Predicate Participle to form Compound Verbs ("periphrastic") or (more  rarely in NT) in Indirect Discourse constructions after verbs of perception.

 

         Compound Verb:

 

                     ἦν᾿Ιωάννης βαπτίζων

                 John was baptizing                       (J 1.28)

 

                     οὔπω γὰρ ἦν βεβλημένος εἰς φυλακὴν ᾿Ιωάννης

                 For John had not yet been thrown into prison                   (J 3.24)

 

                     πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ λαοῦ ἦν προσευχόμενος

                 All the multitude of the people was praying                       (Lk 1.10)

 

         Indirect Discourse:

 

                     πᾶν πνεῦμα ὃ ὁμολογεῖ ᾿Ιησοῦν ἐν σαρκὶ ἐληλυθότα ...

                 Every spirit which confesses that Jesus has come in the flesh                     (1 J 4.2)

 

NOTES ON SPECIAL EXAMPLES

 

         1.         When the participle agrees only with the subject of the verb (understood in the personal ending), the participle is usually considered to be in the Predicate Position.

                     See Examples below and those above marked with *:

 

                     συντρίψασα τὴν ἀλάβαστρον κατέχεεν ... τῆς κεφαλῆς

                 She broke the jar and poured it on his head          (Mk 14.3)

 

                     καὶ εὑρὼν αὐτὸν εἶπεν

                 And when he found him he said ...            (J 9.35)

 

         2.         In those rare instances where no definite article is used with the noun and the participle that agrees with it, Attributive and Predicate Position cannot be determined as usual by noting the position of the Participle in relation to the article.  In such instances a judgment must be made about the best sense of the Participle in its context; i.e. assume Attributive and Predicate in turn and translate accordingly, choosing the best sense in the context. .

                     See Examples below and those above marked with **:

 

                     μαθητὴς πιστεύων εἰς τὸν κύριον σώζεται

 

           Assuming Attributive:                   A disciple who believes in the Lord is saved.

 

                     Assuming Predicate:                                                         since

                                                                        A disciple         while                believing in the Lord is saved

                                                                                                                        if                                 

                                                                                                                        although, etc.

 

                     καὶ ἀπαντήσει ὑμῖν ἄνθρωπος κεράμιον ... βαστάζων

                 And a man will meet you who is carrying a jar .... (Mk 14.13)

                     Attributive: Here the fact that the man "is carrying a jar of water" serves to "identify" him for the disciples and thus indicates that the Participle is "adjectival" in the narrative context.

 

         3.         Genitive Absolute: In the special instance where a Predicate Circumstantial Participle and the noun or pronoun with which it agrees are both in the genitive case, the genitive case serves only to separate (make "absolute") the clause with the participle as subordinate.  The Genitive case thus functions analogous to a "," (comma) in English.

                     See Examples above marked with ***.