Didache (and MI imperatives)

Clwinbery at aol.com Clwinbery at aol.com
Thu Nov 8 19:17:14 EST 2001


In a message dated 11/8/01 2:30:02 PM Central Standard Time, 
KAT at kneptune.demon.co.uk writes:

>  My beginning grammar doesn't say much about MI conjugation forms, but 
>  lists them all in a table using DIDWMI, hISTHMI and TIQHMI. For aorist 
>  middle imperatives the forms of DIDWMI and TIQHMI are 'DOU' and 'QOU' 
>  (and aorist middle hISTHMI is not listed), is this incorrect? So I 
>  assumed the aorist middle imperative of DUNAMAI would be something like 
>  'DUNOU' (or if it's DUNA+OU, DUNW). I wasn't thinking about contract 
>  vowels at all, it didn't occur to me that they are lengthened before 
>  Sigma - DUNHSAI not DUNASAI if it follows the W conjugation. So does 
>  DUNAMAI follow the MI or W conjugation in the aorist tense? Are both 
>  forms used with all MI verbs or do certain verbs follow the MI 
>  conjugation whilst others follow W?

There are forms of this verb in the form DUNAMOW (CONTRACT)     "to 
strengthen or make strong" and DUNATEW (contract) "to be able, strong"

>    As for the meaning of the imperative, the idea I had was 'neither 
>  should you be powerful', meaning not forceful in getting your stuff 
>  back. But is the DUNAMAI imperative never used?

Not in the NT. The verb occurs in the NT in the present, imperfect, sixth 
principal part QH/E and the future middle DUNHSOMAI (morphologically 
speaking). 

>    Thanks again for the help, and for the advice about BAGD. It seems to 
>  get mentioned here quite a lot, and in one of my grammars and lexicons 
>  it constantly says 'see BAGD', and it's only the New Testament and other 
>  Christian literature that I read in Greek so it's perfect for my needs.
>  
The revised edition BDAG is worth the price.

Carlton Winbery
Louisiana College



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