[B-Greek] Optatives?

Harold R. Holmyard III hholmyard at ont.com
Fri Jul 2 10:27:58 EDT 2004


Dear Craig,

>I only have a basic Greek text (Wenham), which doesn't say much about
>optatives. Can someone explain the basic difference between optative and
>subjunctive moods?

HH: The optative is used infrequently in the NT and appears in 
independent clauses to express a wish or prayer. The subjunctive in 
Greek occurs very frequently. The English subjunctive regularly 
indicates something "unreal." The Greek is more complex, but that is 
still is useful distinction from the indicative. In the first person 
the subjunctive is used in exhortations (hortatory subjunctive). In 
the second and third persons it is used in prohibitions, usually with 
the aorist. The subjunctive may be used in deliberative questions 
(e.g., "What should we do?"). The subjunctive can be used with OU MH 
in emphatic negatives. The subjunctive occurs mostly in dependent 
clauses. It is used in indefinite relative clauses (e.g., Matt 6:23). 
It is used with a lot of particles like hINA, ACRI(S) and hOPWS. The 
subjunctive is used in conditional clauses with EAN.

				Yours,
				Harold Holmyard

>
>Thanks!
>
>Craig Johnson
>Brisbane, Australia
>
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