You will be able to—
      1.   recognize and write the first aorist paradigm,
      2.   write the first aorist stems of the verbs learned in previous lessons,
      3.   translate the first aorist indicative form,
      4.   gain more practice in translating and working with Greek,
      5.   master ten more high-frequency vocabulary words, and
      6.   memorize Mat. 6:11 in Greek.

In English we have two ways of forming the past tense:

      1.   Add the “ed” suffix to the word:
           I laugh at Elliott’s jokes (present).
           I laughed at Elliott’s jokes (past).

      2.   Change the form of the verb:
           Zach runs down the court (present).
           Zach ran down the court (past).

Like the English, Greek forms the Aorist in two ways. The first aorist is formed off the present stem, with an augment and a suffixed σα. The second aorist is built from a different aorist stem that adds endings identical to the imperfect.

The aorist is used for when the action is viewed as a whole and  complete (e.g., “he loosed”). The aorist is the most frequent tense form and is used as a background tense by writers as opposed to the present tense form which is used to foreground material.  The imperfect is used to portray action in progress or “dwelled upon” (aspect), and can be used of action that is continuous/durative/iterative (Aktionsart). The actual time or tense of the action is triggered more by temporal pointers like adverbs, prepositional phrases and conjunctions than the aorist tense form itself.  The aorist can be used for actions which are past, present, omnitemporal or timeless.  Thus the aorist is extremely flexible.Both the first and second aorists are usually translated as a simple past (e.g., “he came”). However, they may sometimes be translated by the English perfect (e.g., “has spoken” or “he speaks”). The imperfect is used to portary action as developing, unfolding or “dwelled upon” (e.g. “he was loosing”).

The first aorist is built from the first aorist verb stem. It is preceded by an ε augment and followed by secondary endings like the imperfect. The future was constructed by inserting a σ between the stem and ending. So the first aorist is formed by inserting a σα between the stem and secondary pronominal endings.

Augment	Verb stem	Tense formative	Secondary endings	You loosed
ε +	λυ +	σα +	ς =	ἔλυσας
Aug	Stem	Tense connective	Ending

Aorist Active Indicative of λύω

	Singular		Plural
1.	ἔλυσα	I loosed	ἐλύσαμεν	We loosed
2.	ἔλυσας	You loosed	ἐλύσατε	You loosed
3.	ἔλυσε(ν)	He/she/it loosed	ἔλυσαν	They loosed

Note: The -, σ, ε, μεν, τε, ν endings are the same as the imperfects except that in the first person singular the ν is dropped.

Aorist Middle Indicative of λύω

	Singular		Plural
1.	ἐλυσάμην	I loosed (for myself)	ἐλυσάμεθα	We loosed (for ourselves)
2.	ἐλύσω	You loosed (for yourself)	ἐλύσασθε	You loosed (for yourselves)
3.	ἐλύσατο	He/she/it loosed (for himself/herself/itself)	ἐλύσαντο	They loosed (for themselves)

Note: The μην, ω, το, μεθα, σθε, ντο endings are the same as the imperfects except in the second person singular, where the ου shifts to ω.

By now you know how the augment is added (see chaps. 12 and 14). Sorry for the repetition, but just to refresh your memory. The augment is added in four ways:

1.   before consonants it is “ε.”

2.   before vowels the augment contracts with the vowel according to the following rules:

Vowels	Diphthongs
ε + α = η	ε + αι = ῃ
ε + ε = η	ε + ει = ῃ
ε + η = η	ε + οι = ῳ
ε  +  ι = ι	ε + αυ = ηυ
ε + ο = ω	ε + ευ = ηυ
ε + υ = υ

Four patterns:

     (1)   α and ε lengthen to η.

     (2)   ο lengthens to ω.

     (3)   ι ending becomes a diphthong subscript.

     (4)   υ ending of a diphthong stays strong.

3.   Compound verbs with prepositions ending in a consonant: Insert the augment between the prepositional prefix and the verb stem. ἐνδύω becomes ἐνέδυσα (I clothed)

4.   Compound verbs with prepositions ending in a vowel: The final vowel of the preposition is dropped and the ε augment is inserted in its place. ἀπολύω becomes ἀπέλυσα (I released).

The sigma ending is added in basically the same way as the sigma was added for future tense verbs with the similar transformations (see chap. 10).

Velars: (κ, γ, or χ) + σ becomes ξ.

        διδάσκω + σα = ἐδίδαξα (I taught)

Labials: (π, β, or φ) + σ becomes ψ.

        βλέπω + σα = ἔβλεψα (I saw)

Dentals: (τ, δ, or θ) + σ drops the dental.

        πείθω + σα = ἔπεισα (I persuaded)

With liquids (λ and ρ) and nasals (μ and ν), “lemoners,” often the sigma is dropped and the preceding vowel in the stem is changed.

μένω + σα = ἔμεινα

ἀποστέλλω + σα = ἀπέστειλα

If the stem ends in a sibilant (σ, ζ), the sibilant is dropped and the sigma of the ending is kept.

σῴζω + σα = ἔσωσα

These transformations are not always predictable. Thus it is necessary to be able to recognize the aorist for each verb.

Here is a list of first aorist active indicative forms of verbs already learned.

Present	First Aorist
ἀκούω	ἤκουσα	I heard
ἀποστέλλω	ἀπέστειλα	I sent
βλέπω	ἔβλεψα	I saw
γράφω	ἔγραψα	I wrote
διδάσκω	ἐδίδαξα	I taught
πιστεύω	ἐπίστευσα	I believed
θέλω	ἠθέλησα	I wished
μένω	ἔμεινα	I remained
κρίνω	ἔκρινα	I judged
σῴζω	ἔσωσα	I saved

      ἔλυσα   (I loosed)      (-- pronounce noise sound “aahh”)                  

                --,  -ς,  -ε,            -μεν, -τε, -ν

      ἐλυσάμην  (I loosed myself)                    

               -μην,   -ω, -το,       -μεθα, -ασθε, -αντο

καὶ ἤκουσαν φωνῆς μεγάλης ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ.
And they heard a loud voice from heaven (Rev. 11:12).

ἐγὼ πάντοτε ἐδίδαξα ἐν συναγωγῇ καὶ ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ.
I always taught in synagogue and in the temple (Jn. 18:20).

Ἔγραψα ὑμῖν ἐν τῇ ἐπιστολῇ.
I wrote to you in the letter (1 Cor. 5:9).

ἄλλος, -η, -ο	other (155)
ἄρτος, -ου, ὁ	bread (97)
δεῖ	it is necessary (101)
ἐξουσία, -ας, ἡ	authority (100)
ἕτερος, -α, -ον	different (98)
ἔτι	yet, still (93)
ὀφθαλμός, -οῦ, ὁ	eye (100)
τέκνον, -ου, τό	child (99)
τόπος, -ου, ὁ	place (94)
φῶς, φωτός, τό	light (73)

Mat. 6:9:	Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς·
	ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου·
Mat. 6:10	ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου·
	γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου,
	ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς·

τὸν	ἄρτον	ἡμῶν	τὸν	ἐπιούσιον
the	bread	our	the	daily portion
δὸς	ἡμῖν	σήμερον·
Give	us	today;