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VERB  -  SUBJUNCTIVE:

The Subjunctive mood is used to express ideas of contingency ("uncertainty"), i.e. it always refers to matters that are yet to happen or in the future.  Its translation depends on recognition of a number of specific grammatical constructions in which it is regularly used.

A.                    FORMATION

B.     USES or CONSTRUCTIONS  with Subjunctive

         1.         Hortatory        (usually 1st person plural). Used in exhortations or commands in the first person.   Translation:   "Let us ....."     

                                 ἀγαπητοὶ ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους

                       Beloved, let us love one another   (1 J 4.7)

                                 διέλθωμεν ἕως Βηθλέεμ καὶ ἴδωμεν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο

                       Let us go to Bethlehem and (let us) see this thing   (Lk 2.15)

                                 ἄγωμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἵνα ἀποθάνωμεν μετ ᾿ αὐτοῦ

                       Let us also go in order to die with him                  (J 11.16)

                                 μὴ σχίσωμεν αὐτόν

                       Let us not divide it                       (J 19.24)

         2.         Deliberative Questions Real or rhetorical questions that express "puzzlement" by the speaker over what course of action is a) desirable, b) possible, or c) necessary.  Does not ask a question of fact (like Indicative), but reveals more the questioner's mood or state of mind.

                                 τί ποιῶμεν ἵνα ἐργαζώμεθα τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ ;

                       What shall we do in order to work the works of God?      (J 6.28)

                                 πόθεν ἀγοράσωμεν ἄρτους ἵνα φάγωσιν οὗτοι ; (J 6.5)

                       Where in the world shall we buy bread so these people may eat?                         

                                 τὸν βασιλέα ὑμῶν σταυρώσω ;

                       Shall I crucify your king?              (J 19.15)

                                 δῶμεν ἢ μὴ δῶμεν ;

                       Shall we pay (it) or not?               (Mk 12.14)

         3.         Strong Future Denial                οὐ μή  with the  Aorist Subjunctive expresses emphatic or strong denial of some future event.  (Note: in later Greek οὐ μή is also coming to be  used with the Future  Indicative with the same meaning; cf. J 4.14; Mt 26.35)

                                 ὁ ἐρχόμενος πρὸς ἐμὲ οὐ μὴ πεινάσῃ

                                             The one who comes to me shall by no means hunger         (J 6.35)

                                 οὐ μὴ ἐκβάλω ἔξω

                       ... I shall never cast out                (J 6.37)

                                 οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν

                       You shall never enter into the kingdom of heaven              (Mt 5.20)

                                 μὴ κρίνετε καὶ οὐ μὴ κριθῆτε

                       Stop judging and you shall never be judged                      (Lk 6.37)

         4.         Prohibition      μη with the Aorist Subjunctive is regularly used instead of the Imperative for negative commands ("prohibition") referring to a simple or single action.

                                 μὴ πλανηθῆτε ... μὴ πορευθῆτε ὀπίσω αὐτῶν

                       Do not be deceived ... do not go after them                      (Lk 21.8)

                                 μὴ θαυμάσῃς ὅτι εἶπόν σοι

                       Do not wonder that I said to you ...                      (J 3.7)

                                 καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν

                       And do not lead us into a test                   (Mt 6.13)

                                 μὴ μεριμνήσητε εἰς τὴν αὔριον

                       Do not worry for tomorrow                     (Mt 6.34)

         5.         Conditional Clauses      Subjunctive mood is used in Conditional clauses expressing contingency or uncertainty in reference to future time ("Condition of Contingency or Uncertainty"; See under "Conditions, p. 21, B.2)

                                 ἐὰν ἄλλος ἔλθῃ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τῷ ἰδίῳ, ἐκεῖνον λήμψεσθε

                       If another comes in his own name, you will receive him                 (J 5.43)

                                 ἐάν τις διψᾷ ἐρχέσθω πρός με

                       If anyone thirsts, let that one come to me              (J 7.37)

                                 ἐὰν μὴ σημεῖα ἴδητε, οὐ μὴ πιστεύσητε

                       If you do not see signs, you will never believe                   (J 4.48)

                                 κἂν δέῃ με σὺν σοὶ ἀποθανεῖν, οὐ μή σε ἀπαρνήσομαι

                       Even if it is necessary that I die with you, I will never deny you      (Mt 26.35)

                                 γινώσκομεν ... ὅταν τὸν θεὸν ἀγαπῶμεν καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς ποιῶμεν

                       We know...whenever we keep loving God and doing his commands (1 J 5.2)

                                 ὃς ἂν τηρῇ αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον, ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ

                       Whoever continues to keep his word, in this one [is] the love of God (1 J 2.5)

         6.         ἵνα Clauses  Subordinate clauses introduced by the conjunction  ἵνα express several different ideas.  The common types are listed below in roughly descending order of frequency.  The negative is ἵνα μή , though the ἵνα is sometimes omitted in negative clauses.  These clauses are also introduced by ὅπως.

                     a.         Purpose Clauses:           "in order to, in order that, that, for, for the purpose of."  Answers the question:  "Why?"

                                 ἦλθεν ἵνα μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ φωτός

                       He came in order that he might bear witness concerning the light (J 1.8)

                                 ὁ θεὸς τὸν υἱὸν ἔδωκεν ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλ ᾿ ἔχῃ ζωήν

                       God gave the son in order that everyone who believes not perish but have life (J 3.16)

                                 οὐ γὰρ ἀπέστειλεν τὸν υἱὸν ...ἵνα κρίνῃ τὸν κόσμον, ἀλλ ᾿ ἵνα σωθῇ ...

                       For God did not send the son in order to judge the world but that it might be saved...           (J 3.17)

                                 μὴ κρίνετε ἵνα μὴ κριθῆτε

                       Stop judging in order that you not be judged                     (Mt 7.1)

                     b.         Substantive Clauses:  "that".   Noun clauses used to express content in apposition ("This is ..., namely,") or the substance, or object normally expected after ideas of wishing, urging, striving, commanding, requesting, or the like. ἵνα may be omitted as in the first example.  Answers or expresses the idea: "What"

                                 κύριε, θέλεις εἴπωμεν πῦρ καταβῆναι ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ

                       Lord, do you wish that we call fire to descend from heaven?         (Lk 9.54)

                                 δεήθητε...ὅπως ἐργάτας ἐκβάλῃ εἰς τὸν θερισμόν

                       Pray ... that he send out laborers for the harvest                (Lk 10.2)

                                 καὶ ἠρώτα αὐτὸν ἵνα τὸ δαιμόνιον ἐκβάλῃ

                       And he asked him that he cast out the demon                   (Mk 7.26)

                                 τοῦτο τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ ἵνα... πᾶς ἔχῃ ζωήν

                       This is the will of God, that everyone have life                   (J 6.40)

                                 αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἵνα τὰς ἐντολας τηρῶμεν     (1 J 5.3)

                       For this is the love of God, that we continue to keep the commandments

                                 ἐντολὴν καινὴν δίδωμι ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους       (J 13.14)

                       I am giving a new commandment that you continue to love one another

                     c.         Result Clauses:             "so that, with the result that, that"                Answers the question or idea "with what Consequences?"

                                 τίς ἥμαρτεν ... ἵνα τυφλὸς γεννηθῇ;

                       Who sinned, ... so that he was born blind?                        (J 9.2)

                                 πιστὸς ἔστιν καὶ δίκαιος ἵνα ἀφῇ ἡμῖν καὶ καθαρίσῃ

                       God is faithful and just so that he forgives us and cleanses...                      (1 J 1.9)

                                 ταῦτα γὰρ ἀλλήλοις ἀντίκειται ἵνα μὴ ... ταῦτα ποιῆτε

                       For these things are opposed to each other so that, whatever you wish, these things you do not do.                      (Gal 5.17)

                     b.         Substitute for Infinitive:           In a number of instances, especially in later Greek, ἵνα clauses are coming to be used as equivalents or substitutes for an infinitive construction

                                 οὐκ εἰμὶ ἄξιος ἵνα λύσω αὐτοῦ τὸν ἱμάντα ...

                       I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal                 (J 1.27)

                                 Cf. Mk 1.7: οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς ... λῦσαι τὸν ἱμάντα...

                  ᾿Αβραὰμ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ἠγαλλιάσατο ἵνα ἴδῃ τὴν ἡμέραν τὴν ἐμήν

                       Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day...                  (J 8.56)

         7.         Temporal Clauses:        Clauses introduced by ἕως or ἕως οὗ ("until") or their equivalents, when denoting future or habitual action, regularly use a verb in the Subjunctive. Quite commonly the particle  ἄν  is also present.

                                 οὐ μὴ φάγω αὐτὸ ἕως ὅτου πληρωθῇ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ

                       I will never drink it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God                        (Lk 22.16)

                                 οὐ μὴ γεύσωνται θανάτου ἕως ἂν ἴδωσιν τὴν βασιλείαν ...

                       They will never taste death until they see the kingdom                   (Mk 9.1)