LESSON 13
DEPONENT VERBS

Greek	Meaning	Notes
ἀποκρίνομαι	I answer
ἀπέρχομαι	I go away, depart
ἀσπάζομαι	I greet, salute
γίνομαι	I become
δέχομαι	I receive
διέρχομαι	I go through
δύναμαι	I am powerful, am able	cognate: dynamite
ἐργάζομαι	I work
ἔρχομαι	I come, go
ἐξέρχομαι	I come out, go out, exit
εἰσέρχομαι	I come in, enter
λογίζομαι	I account, reckon
πορεύομαι	I go, proceed
προσέρχομαι	I come to, go toward
προσεύχομαι	I pray
φοβέομαι	I fear	Cognate: phobia

DEPONENT VERBS

1. Deponent verbs are those which appear in the middle/passive form, but they are translated as though they were active.
2. In many instances there is no active form.
   1. Probably the active form was lost over the years as the language progressed
   2. so the middle/passive form took its place.
3. For example:
   1. ἔρχομαι
   2. has the middle/passive ending
   3. but it means I come
   4. not I come myself
   5. not I am being come (what an awkward expression that would be).
4. Some verbs have both an active form with one meaning and a middle/passive form with an active sense and a different meaning.
   1. For example:
      1. ἄρχω means I rule
      2. but ἄρχομαι means I begin (not I am ruling myself nor I was ruled).
5. How do you know if the verb under study is a normal one or a deponent one?
   1. This is where you have to learn the vocabulary.
   2. If the verb is new to you, you will have to look it up in a good lexicon.

COMPOUND VERBS

1. Compound verbs are those verbs which have a preposition added to the front.
2. The verb's meaning will be determined by the meaning of the preposition.
3. In some instances, the meaning is obvious
   1. ἔρχομαι means I come or I go
   2. εἰσέρξομαι means I come into or I go into or I enter
4. Other times, the meaning of the compound verb is not obvious
   1. Example
      1. γινώσκω means I know
      2. ἀνά means up or again
      3. but ἀναγινώσκω does not mean I know up.
      4. Instead it means I read.
   2. Example
      1. ἐπί means upon
      2. but ἐπιγινώσκω does not mean I know upon.
      3. Instead it means I know fully.

INFINITIVES

1. An infinitive is a verbal noun.
   1. It has the form of a verb
   2. but it acts like a noun.
2. The present active infinitive adds -ειν to the stem of the present tense.
   1. Remove the ω from the vocabulary word and add ειν.
   2. Thus λύω becomes λύειν and means to loose.
   3. βλέπειν means to see
   4. ἔχειν means to have
   5. γινώσκειν means to know
3. The present middle and passive infinitive ending is -εσθαι.
   1. Remove the -ομαι ending and add εσθαι.
   2. Thus λύομαι becomes λύεσθαι meaning to be loosed.
   3. βλέπεσθαι means to be seen
   4. γινώσκεσθαι means to be known
   5. The deponent ἔρχομαι becomes ἔρχεσθαι which means to come
4. The present infinitive of εἰμί is εἶναι meaning to be.

OBJECTS OF VERBS

1. Up to this point, you have seen that the direct object of a verb has been in the accusative case.
   1. βλέπω τὸν βίβλιον.
   2. I see the book.
2. Some verbs can take a direct object in either the accusative or genitive case.
   1. When ἀκούω is followed by the accusative, it means I hear with understanding
   2. When ἀκούω is followed by the genitive, it means I hear without understanding
   3. This difference explains the apparent discrepancy between Acts 9:7 and Acts 22:9.
      1. In Acts 9:7 Paul is on his way to Damascus and hears the voice of Jesus.
      2. His companions heard the voice (ἀκούω + Gen).
      3. In Acts 22:9, Paul recounts the story, but this time he says his companions did NOT hear the voice (ἀκούω + Acc).
      4. There is no contradiction because:
         • Acts 9:7 They heard without understanding.
         • Acts 22:9 They did not hear with understanding.
         • Both accounts say the same thing.
3. The verb ἄρχω in the active voice means I rule and takes the genitive case.
   1. Thus ἄρχω ἀνθρώπων means I rule men.
      1. It does not mean I rule of men.
      2. Nor I rule from men.
4. The same verb in the middle voice (ἄρχομαι) means I begin and is usually followed by an infinitive:
   1. ἄρχομαι διδάσκειν
   2. I am beginning to teach.
5. The verb ἀποκρίνομαι is followed by an object in the DAT case which is translated as though a direct object.
   1. Thus ἀποκρίνομαι τοῖς τέκνοις means I am answering the children.
   2. It does not mean I am answering to the children.

Translate the following:

1. πορεύομαι ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου καὶ εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν.
2. ὁ προφήτης ἐξέρχεται ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ.
3. ὁ ἄνθρωπος γίνεται ἄγγελος τοῦ κυρίου.
4. ὁ χριστὸς ἀποκρίνεται τοῖς ἁμαρτωλοῖς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις τῆς παραβολῆς.
5. οὗτος εἰσέρχεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν, ἐκεῖνος δὲ μένει ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τῶν πονηρῶν ἀνθρώπων.
6. συνέρχονται ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ θεοῦ ὅτι γινώσκουσι τὴν ὁδὸν ἀγάπης.
7. λύονται οὗτοι οἱ δοῦλοι ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου.
8. ἐν τῷ λόγῳ αὐτοῦ γίνεσθε μαθηταί.
9. οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ οὐ βαπτίζονται ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀποστόλου, ἀλλὰ πορεύονται ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ εἰς τοὺς οἴκους τῆς ἁμαρτίας.
10. ἄρχῃ γινώσκειν τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ θεοῦ.
11. κατερχόμεθα έκ τῶν τόπων ἁμαρτίας ὅτι ἡ φωνὴ τοῦ κυρίου ἀκούεται.
12. οἱ υἱοὶ γίνονται ἄνθρωποι ὅτι ἐσθίουσι καρπὸν καὶ ἄρτον.
13. οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἄρχονται συνέρχεσθαι καὶ ὁ μαθητὴς ἄρχεται δοξάζειν τὸν θεὸν δι’ αὐτούς.
14. ἁμαρτωλοὶ γινώσκουσι τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ χριστοῦ, ἀλλὰ κατέρχονται εἰς τὰς ὁδοὺς θανάτου.