EAN + verb in present or aorist

Iver Larsen iver_larsen at sil.org
Thu Oct 31 01:38:10 EST 2002


As a follow-up to some recent questions on EAN and also whether Greek verbs
show aspect or time or both, I checked to see whether there was some system
to EAN clauses with either present or aorist verbs following.

First, I noted that the GNT has 92 instances of EAN followed by a verb in
the present within a distance of 2 words. There were 144 instances of EAN
followed within 2 words of an aorist verb. This should not give rise to any
talk of default tense or markedness. One needs to look at the kind of verbs
used. For instance, the verb EIMI - to be - does not have an aorist, so only
occurs in group one. Other verbs are of a nature that naturally would use
the present tense more often, e.g. to wish or to will. What I found of most
interest was whether the same verb could be used in both present and aorist
and what the difference might be.

Let me share some pairs like that. It is useful in descriptive linguistics
to investigate minimal pairs or analogous pairs, where one tries as much as
possible to reduce the number of variables. In the following analogous pairs
the first has a verb in present the second in aorist:

1. QELW (16 present, 1 aorist)

Act 26:5 EAN QELWSI MARTUREIN - if they are willing to testify
Rev 11:6 EXOUSIAN ECOUSIN...PATAXAI THN GHN...hOSAKIS EAN QELHSWSIN
- they have authority... to strike the earth... as often as they might take
such a decision

2. BOULOMAI (2 present, 1 aorist)

Luk 10:22 KAI hWi EAN BOULHTAI hO hUIOS APOKALUYSAI
- and to whom the son wishes to reveal (him)
James 4:4 hOS EAN OUN BOULHQHi FILOS EINAI TOU KOSMOU
- so whoever has chosen to be a friend to the world

3. METANOEW (2 present, 3 aorist)

Luk 13:5 EAN MH METANOHTE PANTES hWSAUTWS, APOLEISQE
- unless you all repent in the same way, you will perish
Luk 17:3 EAN hAMARTHi hO ADELFOS SOU, EPITIMHSON AUTWi, KAI EAN METANOHSHi,
AFES AUTWi
- if your brother has committed a sin, rebuke him, if he (then) has
repented, forgive him

4. POIEW (4 present, 2 aorist)

Col 3:17 PAN hO TI EAN POIHTE - everything you do
Eph 6:8 hEKASTOS EAN TI POISHi AGAQON
- each one whatever good thing he has done

5. POREUOMAI (1 present, 2 aorist)

1 Cor 16:6 hINA hUMEIS ME PROPEMYHTE hOU EAN POREUWMAI
- that you might send me off to wherever I may go
John 14:3 KAI EAN POREUQW KAI ETOIMASW TOPON hUMIN...PARALHMYOMAI
- and when I have gone and have prepared a place for you...I will receive

6. APOQNHiSKW (2 present, 5 aorist)

Rom 14:8 EAN TE APOQNHiSKWMEN, TWi KURIWI APOQNHiSKOMEN
- and if/when we die, we die for the Lord
1 Cor 15:36 hO SPEIREIS, OU ZWiOPOIEITAI EAN MH APOQANHi
- what you sow is not made alive, if it has not died (first)

Looking at these pairs I prefer to think of the difference between present
and aorist primarily in terms of aspect. Present has an imperfective aspect,
aorist a perfective aspect. This is not necessarily an event in process or
completed. I think it may be better to think of the imperfective aspect in
terms of something open-ended and/or general, whereas the perfective aspect
is closed and/or specific.
In no. 1 present was used in a general expression of willingness, but the
aorist a specific decision and its consequences.
In no. 2 I think we have the same idea of a general, timeless wish in the
present, and a specific decision one has made in the aorist.
In no. 3 we also have a general condition for a future event, compared to a
specific situation of what should be done if someone has sinned or repented.
In no. 4 we have a general statement using the present and a specific good
deed having been done using the aorist.
In no. 5 the present indicates an open-ended future situation of wherever he
might go, but the aorist indicates what will happen after Jesus has gone to
a specific place.
In no. 6 the present is a general statement about present or future, but
with the aorist a specific event needs to have taken place before another
event can happen.

I am presenting this as food for thought, a suggestion and hypothesis, not
the final word. I am sure such a preliminary and quick analysis can be
further developed.

Iver Larsen




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