Mi Verbs

Up to this point, we have studied verbs that have similar conjugations (i.e., omega verbs whose lexical forms end in -ω or middle-only -ομαι verbs that follow middle and passive omega verb endings). The only exception has been the verb εἰμί. Like εἰμί, verbs in this chapter are known as μι verbs because their lexical form ends with -μι. This type of verb represents an older conjugation in the history of the Greek verbal system. Although there are few μι verbs in the New Testament, those that are used are very common. In this chapter, then, we will highlight unique features of μι verbs, using three key verbs as examples: δίδωμι (“I give”), τίθημι (“I put”), and ἵστημι (“I stand”).

Have you ever heard someone declare that a faithful Bible translation always renders a Greek or Hebrew word with the same English word? Is that true? Consider applying that principle to the verses below. Each bold word in English is a rendering of the same underlying Greek word, ἀφίημι (a -μι verb):

• Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John allowed him to be baptized (Matt 3:15).

• Then the devil left him, and angels came and began to serve him (Matt 4:11).

• And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors (Matt 6:12).

• To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her (1 Cor 7:12 ESV).

The truth is that all words have a semantic range (range of meaning), and it is essential to consider the surrounding context to land on the correct one. Always rendering a Greek word with the same English word would produce a strange translation and actually distort the inspired author’s meaning.

μι verbs differ from omega verbs only in the present, imperfect, and second aorist tense-forms. (The meaning or translation approach to all tenses, voices, and moods of μι verbs is exactly the same as in the case of omega verbs.) Below is a chart of the tense-forms for the indicative mood. Pay special attention to those forms that differ from omega verbs.

As seen in the chart below, the aorist indicative is the most common tense-form.

Based on these numbers, the aorist occurs with the same frequency as all the other tense-forms combined. Thus, it seems odd that most textbooks focus on the present tense-forms, often forcing students to memorize lists of forms that occur rarely.

Verbal Roots

It is crucial to know the roots of μι verbs since the lexical forms include a prefix (reduplication) that is not included on most forms. That is, the various tense-forms are not formed from the present stem but from the verbal root. Here are the roots for our three key verbs:

Present Tense

The initial reduplication (e.g., δίδωμι, τίθημι, and ἵστημι) is the sign for the present (and imperfect) μι verbs. Notice that this reduplication differs from that which we find with perfect verbs because an iota (ι) is added between the consonants, not an epsilon (ε). In the present active forms, the final vowel is long in the singular forms (e.g., δίδωμι, δίδως, δίδωσιν) and short in the plural forms (δίδομεν, δίδοτε, διδόασιν). The present middle/passive forms have short forms in both the singular and plural. Because the stem ends with a vowel, a connecting vowel is not needed.

Aorist Tense Form

First aorist forms are regular except that they use a kappa (κ) tense formative instead of a sigma (σ): e.g., ἔδωκα (not ἔδωσα). This can easily be differentiated from the perfect form which has the normal reduplication (δέδωκα). Like omega verbs, these forms will include an augment (indicative mood only). Passive forms will be marked with the characteristic -θη/θε. Some μι verbs, such as ἵστημι, use both first aorist (ἔστησεν) and second aorist (ἔστη) forms.

The key to mastering μι verbs is to know well the six principal parts for each verb. This is far more beneficial than memorizing any one paradigm.

Like the indicative mood, all non-indicative moods favor the aorist over the present and perfect. (Remember, there is no imperfect for non-indicative verbs and no future forms occur with the three verbs selected.)

With non-indicative forms, the aorist is even more dominant than with indicative forms. As seen in the following chart, aorists occur more than twice as frequently as all the present and perfect forms combined.

The verb ἵστημι has both a first aorist form (ἔστησα) and a second aorist form (ἔστην). The first aorist form is transitive. It takes a direct object meaning “I stood [something] up,” whereas the second aorist is intransitive. It takes no direct object, but means “I stood up.”

The verb ἀφίημι is a compound verb composed of the preposition ἀπό and the verb ἵημι (“I throw, hurl”). This verb conjugates like a typical μι verb in the singular but like an omega verb in the plural.

A. Principal Parts: Memorize the principle parts of δίδωμι, τίθημι, and ἵστημι (see section 24.4). Then write out each form ten times from memory.

B. Indicative μι Verbs: Identify the correct tense-form of the μι verbs given below: Present (P), Imperfect (I), Future (F), Aorist (A), or Perfect (Pf).

C. Non-Indicative μι Verbs: Identify the correct mood of the μι verbs given: subjunctive (sub), imperative (imp), infinitive (inf), or participle (ptc).

D. Translation: Translate the following sentences.

1. καὶ ἐδίδου [ἄρτους] τοῖς μαθηταῖς, οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ τοῖς ὄχλοις (Matt 15:36).

2. ὁ Χριστὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς καὶ παρέδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν (Eph 5:2).

3. ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἔστη εἰς τὸ μέσον καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς, Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν (John 20:19).

4. θήσω τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν, καὶ κρίσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἀπαγγελεῖ (Matt 12:18).

5. ὁ νόμος διὰ Μωϋσέως ἐδόθη, ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο (John 1:17).

6.… ἵνα ὁ θεὸς τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ πατὴρ τῆς δόξης, δώῃ ὑμῖν πνεῦμα σοφίας (Eph 1:17).

7. φοβήθητε τὸν θεὸν καὶ δότε αὐτῷ δόξαν (Rev 14:7).

8. μείζονα ταύτης ἀγάπην οὐδεὶς ἔχει, ἵνα τις τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ θῇ ὑπὲρ τῶν φίλων (friends) αὐτοῦ (John 15:15).

9. εἰ οὖν ὑμεῖς πονηροὶ ὄντες οἴδατε δόματα (gifts) ἀγαθὰ διδόναι τοῖς τέκνοις ὑμῶν, πόσῳ (how much) μᾶλλον ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς δώσει ἀγαθὰ τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν αὐτόν (Matt 7:11).

10. εἰ δέ τις ὑμῶν λείπεται (lacks, takes gen obj) σοφίας, αἰτείτω παρὰ τοῦ διδόντος θεοῦ πᾶσιν … καὶ δοθήσεται αὐτῷ (Jas 1:5).

11. οὐδεὶς αἴρει [τὴν ψυχήν μου] ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐγὼ τίθημι αὐτὴν ἀπ᾽ ἐμαυτοῦ. ἐξουσίαν ἔχω θεῖναι αὐτήν, καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἔχω πάλιν λαβεῖν αὐτήν (John 10:18).

12.… ὥστε ὁ δοκῶν ἑστάναι βλεπέτω μὴ πέσῃ (1 Cor 10:12).

13. ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ Μωϋσῆς δέδωκεν ὑμῖν τὸν ἄρτον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ πατήρ μου δίδωσιν ὑμῖν τὸν ἄρτον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸν ἀληθινόν (true) (John 6:32).

14. καὶ ὁ ἄγγελος, ὃν εἶδον ἑστῶτα ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἦρεν τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ τὴν δεξιὰν εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν (Rev 10:5).

15. ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀφῆτε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, οὐδὲ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ἀφήσει τὰ παραπτώματα (trespasses) ὑμῶν (Matt 6:15).

E. Translation: Translate the following sentences into Greek.

1. The small and the great stood and gave glory to God.

2. Up to this day, he raised up disciples like his master.

3. Woe to the one who betrays me, because God will pay him back according to his deeds.

4. Sinners are forgiven and are not destroyed.

5. He said to him, “I will place my Spirit on him in the desert.”