Greek Participles

Two types of Participle

1. Adverbial participles describe an action that is related to the verb
2. Adjectival participles modify a noun or pronoun, and functions like a noun

Seven Questions:

1. What is case, number and gender of the participle and what word is it modifying?
2. Is the action directed toward a verb (adverbial) or noun (adjectival)?
3. If adverbial: use "—ing", key words, while, after, because. Must be anarthrous
4. If adjectival: is it attributive modifying: "-ing" with key words "who" or "which" or it is substantive functioning: the one who
5. Aspect: continuous, undefined or completed
6. Voice: active, middle or passive
7. Meaning: Sipplest form are the "-ing" with key words while or because.

• By definition, an 'absolute' has no direct grammatical relationship to the rest of the sentence. e.g. "Lord willing, we will arrive at noon."
• The genative absolute consists of a noun or pronoun, and participle in the genitive.
• The participle may have additional modifiers.
• Genitive absolutes tend to occur at the beginning of sentences.
• αὐτοῦ often functions as subject in genitive absolute

• e.g. Present: αὐτοῦ ἐρχομένου – "(he) while coming"

• e.g. Aorist: αὐτοῦ ἐλθόντος – "(h e) after coming"

• e.g. Perfect: αὐτοῦ λελυκότος – "(he) having loosed"

   

  Example: Καὶ εὐθέως, ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος, παραγίνεται ᾿Ιούδας (Mark 14:43)
  And immediately, while he was yet speaking, Judas comes up (JND)

• In English the helping verb "will" is used, but in Greek such helping words are not used.
• A periphrastic construction (of one type) is when εἰμί and a participle is used together to convey a single idea.
• Tends to emphasize continuous aspect commonly, and often in the 3rd person plural, perfect middle/passive e.g.: "ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι" formed with ειμί + participle