The Participle & the Infinitive

The Participle

The Greek participle is a verbal adjective that behaves like a verb and an adjective. As a verb it has tense and voice, but not mood and person, and it appears in the present, aorist, perfect and future tenses (the future participle has only twelve occurrences in the New Testament). As an adjective, it has gender, case and number (i.e., singular or plural) that agree with the noun it is modifying.

1. Present Participle

   The present participle indicates continuous action that is simultaneous with the action of the main verb (the main verb being the primary, finite verb in the sentence-i.e., indicates per., num., tense, voice, and mood doing the action). For example, if the main verb is an aorist, then the present participle will be translated in the past tense to correspond with the aorist. However, if the main verb is in the present tense, then the participle will be translated in the present tense and so on.

   "Every branch in Me that does not bear (φέρον [pheron] - present active participle) fruit, He takes away (αἴρει [airei] - present active indicative – main verb); and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit" (John 15:2)

2. Aorist Participle

   The aorist participle usually expresses action antecedent to that of the main verb. That is, if the main verb is in the present tense, then the aorist participle will convey action that occurred before the present tense (e.g., "John is washing [present tense main verb] his car that he bought" [this is the aorist participle, and it indicates that the action of buying the car preceded his washing the car]). However, the aorist can also indicate simultaneous, and subsequent action, the determining factor being the context.

   "And after He answered (ἀποκριθεὶς [apokritheis] – aorist act. participle) He said (εἶπεν [eipen] – aorist act. indicative – main verb) to them,… (Matthew 15:3).

3. Perfect Participle

   The perfect participle also indicates action that is antecedent to that of the main verb, with the additional factor of emphasizing a completed act with an ongoing state of actuality.

   "You would have (εἶχες [eiches] – imperfect act. indicative – main verb) no authority over Me, unless it had been given (δεδομένον [dedomenon] – perfect participle) you from above" (John 19:11).

4. Future Participle

   The future participle expresses action that is subsequent to that of the main verb. Thus, if the verb were aorist, then the action expressed by the future participle will be after that of the aorist (e.g., “Bob shot [shot being the aorist main verb] the deer, and it is going to be dressed" [going to be dressed is the future participle expressing action that will occur after the shooting has occurred]). One important aspect of the future participle, however, is that it only occurs twelve times in the New Testament.

   "and that which you sow, you do not sow (σπείρεις [speireis] – present indicative – main verb) the body which is to be (γενησόμενον [genēsomenon] – future participle)" (1 Corinthians 15:37).

5. Periphrastic Participles

   The periphrastic use of the participle is both common and important. It is a combination of some form of the verb εἰμί and a participle. The reason for this usage is emphasis:

   1. Periphrastic Present

      This is the present participle with the present tense of εἰμί, and it emphasizes the ongoing, continuous action of an event in present time –

      οὐ γάρ ἐσμεν (present tense of εἰμί) … καπηλεύοντες (present participle) τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ

      "for we are not… peddling the Word of God

      [ou gar esmen . . . kapēleuontes ton logon tou theou]" (2 Corinthians 2:17)

   2. Periphrastic Imperfect

      This is the present participle with the imperfect of εἰμί, and it too emphasizes the ongoing, continuous action of an event in the past -

      ἤμην (imperfect of εἰμί) δὲ ἀγνοούμενος (present passive participle)

      "but I was unknown [ēmēn de agnooumenos]" (Galatians 1:22).

   3. Periphrastic Future

      This is the present participle with the future tense of εἰμί, and it emphasizes continuous action in the future –

      καὶ οἱ ἀστέρες ἔσονται (future of εἰμί) ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ πίπτοντες (present participle)

      "And the stars will be out of heaven falling

      [kai hoi asteres esontai ek tou ouranou piptontes]" (Mark 13:25)

   4. Periphrastic Perfect

      This is the perfect participle and the present tense of εἰμί, and it emphasizes the ongoing effect in the present of a completed act –

      τῇ γὰρ χάριτί ἐστε (present of εἰμί) σεσῳσμένοι (perfect passive participle) -

      "for by grace you are saved

      [Tę̄ gar chariti este sesōsmenoi]" (Ephesians 2:8)

   5. Periphrastic Pluperfect

      This is the perfect participle and the imperfect of εἰμί, and it emphasizes the ongoing effect in the past of a completed act –

      ἦσαν (imperfect of εἰμί) γὰρ προεωρακότες (perfect participle) Τρόφιμον

      "for they had previously seen Trophimus

      [ēsan gar proeōrakotes Trophimon]" (Acts 21:29).

   6. Periphrastic Future Pluperfect

      This is the perfect participle and the future of εἰμί, and it emphasizes the ongoing effect in future time of an already completed act –

      ὅσα ἐὰν δήσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔσται δεδεμένα (perfect passive participle) ἐν οὐρανῷ

      "whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven

      [hosa ean dēsēte epi tēs gēs estai dedemena en ouranō] (Matthew 18:18).

      God has already done the binding in heaven, and as we line up with His will and purpose, then whatever we “bind on earth” we will see accomplished because God, not us, has already determined it in heaven.

The Infinitive

The Greek infinitive is a verbal noun. As a verb it has the same qualities as the participle-tense and voice, but not mood and person-and it appears only in the present, aorist and perfect tenses. As a noun it can at times function as the subject and object of a verb, as well as an appositional thought of a noun (apposition means to rename or restate something- e.g., in "your job is to type," the phrase, "to type" is renaming what the job is). However, for the most part the Greek infinitive functions much the same way as our infinitive with "to…" - i.e., "to eat," "to run," etc. In addition, at times it can also be translated with an "-ing" ending. There are other more detailed usages of temporal ideas with a preposition, but for our purposes, the above explanation is sufficient.

However, there is also an emphasis on the kind of action with the infinitive as with the participle. Thus, with the present infinitive, continuous action is emphasized; with the aorist infinitive, undefined or punctiliar action; and with the perfect infinitive, completed action with ongoing results.

"and to love (ἀγαπᾶν [agapan] present infinitive) Him with all the heart" (Mark 12:33a).

but to eat (φαγεῖν [phagein] aorist infinitive) with unwashed hands does not defile the man" (Matthew 15:20).

“By faith we understand the worlds to have been prepared (κατηρτίσθαι [katērtisthai] perfect infinitive) by the word of God" (Hebrews 11:3).