Biblical Greek Year 1 Lesson 3

Written on 09/21/2024
Luther Walker

The Present Indicative Active

Vocabulary Training

Class Slides

Class Notes

Download The Present Indicative Active

Present Indicative Active Endings:

Singular:

1st Person: -ω

2nd Person: -εις

3rd Person: -ει

Plural:

1st Person: -ομεν

2nd Person: -ετε

3rd Person: -ουσι(ν)

Infinitive λέγειν, to be saying, to say

The Present Indicative Active form in Greek is used to denote an action that is occurring in the present time from the writer’s perspective. It can indicate a continuous, habitual, or general truth.

The indicative is the only mode in which the tenses show absolute time. The main idea of tense is always the kind of action.; therefore, even in the indicative time is secondary. Duration or linear action in a continuous or progressive manner is the action expressed by the tense.

Present Tense: Indicates the time of the action as present.

It can denote a continuous action (e.g., “I am studying”).

It can represent a habitual action (e.g., “I study every day”).

It can also indicate a general truth (e.g., “The earth revolves around the sun”).

Indicative Mood: This mood is used for making factual statements or asking questions that are seen as actual.

Active Voice: In the active voice, the subject of the verb is the one performing the action (e.g., “He writes a letter” – the subject “he” is doing the action of writing).

Parsing a Present Indicative Active Verb

Parsing involves identifying five components of a verb: tense, mood, voice, person, and number.

  1. Tense: Present.
  2. Mood: Indicative.
  3. Voice: Active.
  4. Person: Indicates who is performing the action:
    1. 1st person: “I” or “we”
    2. 2nd person: “you” (singular or plural)
    3. 3rd person: “he/she/it” or “they”
  5. Number: Singular or Plural.

Parsing Example: λέγω (I say)

λέγω (I say) – ω ending for 1st person singular.

λέγεις (You say) – εις ending for 2nd person singular.

λέγει (He/She/It says) – ει ending for 3rd person singular.

λέγομεν (We say) – ομεν ending for 1st person plural.

λέγετε (You all say) – ετε ending for 2nd person plural.

λέγουσι(ν) (They say) – ουσι(ν) ending for 3rd person plural.

The thematic vowel is a vowel that appears between the verb stem and the personal ending in many Greek verbs. It serves as a linking element that helps to form different tenses, moods, and voices in Greek conjugation.

The Thematic Vowel in the Present Indicative Active.

In the Present Indicative Active conjugation for thematic verbs, two thematic vowels are used, depending on the form:

  1. ο (omicron): Used in most forms where the ending begins with a consonant.
  2. ε (epsilon): Used in the second-person singular and plural forms.

Thematic Vowel Usage in “λέγω” (Present Indicative Active)

  1. λέγω – The verb stem is “λεγ-“. The thematic vowel -ο- is inserted, followed by the ending -ω.
  2. λέγεις – The stem is “λεγ-“. The thematic vowel -ε- is used, followed by the ending -εις.
  3. λέγει – The stem is “λεγ-“. The thematic vowel -ε- is used, followed by the ending -ει.
  4. λέγομεν – The stem is “λεγ-“. The thematic vowel -ο- is used, followed by the ending -ομεν.
  5. λέγετε – The stem is “λεγ-“. The thematic vowel -ε- is used, followed by the ending -ετε.
  6. λέγουσι(ν) – The stem is “λεγ-“. The thematic vowel -ο- is used, followed by the ending -ουσι(ν).

The infinitive does not use personal ending. It is a verbal noun in a fixed case form (-ειν).

Practical Examples

Peter’s mind is not framed on the things of God, Matthew 16:23.

ὁ δὲ στραφεὶς εἶπεν τῷ Πέτρῳ· ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, σατανᾶ· σκάνδαλον εἶ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι οὐ φρονεῖς τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀλλὰ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων.

Those who walk according to the flesh have their mind framed on the things of the flesh, Romans 8:5.

οἱ γὰρ κατὰ σάρκα ὄντες τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς φρονοῦσιν, οἱ δὲ κατὰ πνεῦμα τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος

We walk through faith, not through sight, 1 Corinthian 5:7.

διὰ πίστεως γὰρ περιπατοῦμεν, οὐ διὰ εἴδους

Exercise: Conjugating λέγω in the Present Indicative Active

Instructions:

  1. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb λέγω in the Present Indicative Active tense.
  2. Each sentence provides a clue regarding the person and number to guide your conjugation.

Sentences:

  1. 1st Person Singular: Ἐγὼ _______ ὅτι ἀγαπῶ σε.
    (Translation: I say that I love you.)
  2. 2nd Person Singular: Σὺ _______ τὴν ἀλήθειαν.
    (Translation: You (singular) say the truth.)
  3. 3rd Person Singular: Αὐτὸς _______ τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ.
    (Translation: He says the word of God.)
  4. 1st Person Plural: Ἡμεῖς _______ περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
    (Translation: We say about Jesus Christ.)
  5. 2nd Person Plural: Ὑμεῖς _______ καὶ μαρτυρεῖτε περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων.
    (Translation: You all say and testify about the things.)
  6. 3rd Person Plural: Αὐτοὶ _______ πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα λόγια.
    (Translation: They say many great words.)

Answer Key:

  1. λέγω (Ἐγὼ λέγω ὅτι ἀγαπῶ σε.)
  2. λέγεις (Σὺ λέγεις τὴν ἀλήθειαν.)
  3. λέγει (Αὐτὸς λέγει τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ.)
  4. λέγομεν (Ἡμεῖς λέγομεν περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.)
  5. λέγετε (Ὑμεῖς λέγετε καὶ μαρτυρεῖτε περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων.)
  6. λέγουσι(ν) (Αὐτοὶ λέγουσι πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα λόγια.)

Vocabulary:

  1. ἔχω (echō) – I have, I hold
  2. γινώσκω (ginōskō) – I experientially know
  3. ἀκούω (akouō) – I hear
  4. λαμβάνω (lambanō) – I take, I receive
  5. βλέπω (blepō) – I see
  6. λέγω (legō) – I say, I speak
  7. πιστεύω (pisteuō) – I believe
  8. γράφω (graphō) – I write
  9. μένω (menō) – I remain, I abide, I stay
  10. ποιέω (poieō) – I do, I make