You will be able to—
1.   recognize and write the aorist and future passive indicative paradigms,
2.   know the passive stem forms of some of the major verbs learned in previous lessons,
3.   translate aorist and future passive indicative forms,
4.   gain more practice in translating and working with Greek,
5.   master ten more high-frequency vocabulary words, and
6.   memorize Mat. 6:12a in Greek.

Passive verbs indicate subjects are acted on by the action of the verbs. In English, we form the past passive indicative by using a helping verb (e.g., I was struck by the foul ball). Similarly, the future passive indicative is formed with the helping “will be” (e.g., I will be flown to Indianapolis) indicating expectation.

Rather than using a helping verb, Greek uses a different ending to indicate the passive indicative for aorist and future tenses.

In the lexicon this stem will be the sixth (last) principal part (aorist passive). We have already worked with the first three (present, future, aorist; vid Appendix 4 which lists the principal parts of the major verbs).

The Greek aorist and future passive forms are built from the sixth principal part of the verb. They are easily recognized because of the characteristic θ just before the ending. Like other aorist tense verb forms, aorist passives take the augment.

The aorist passives are formed by adding θη before the ending:

The future passives add θησ before the ending and drop the augment.

When a stem ends in a consonant the following changes take place when the θη is added.

Velars: κ or γ becomes χ
        διωκ + θη = ἐδιώχθην (I was pursued)

Labials: π or β becomes φ
        λείπ + θη = ἐλείφθην (I was left)

        φ causes the θ to drop out
        γραφ + θη = ἐγράφην (I was written)

Dentals: τ, δ, or θ becomes σ
        πειθ + θη = ἐπείσθην (I was persuaded)

Sibilant: ζ, becomes σ
        δοξαζ + θη = ἐδοξάσθην (I was glorified)

Consonant Shifts

A simple way to remember this is single consonantal velars (κ, γ) go to the double lettered (ch) palatal (χ). Single consonantal labials (π, β) go to double lettered (ph) labial (φ). The dentals (τ, δ, θ) and sibilant (ζ) both reduce to a sigma (σ).

First Aorist Passive Indicative of λύω

Note the active secondary endings: ν, ς, –, μεν, τε, σαν. The third singular and plural are different than what we’ve already learned, but the rest is exactly the same.

Future Passive Indicative of λύω

Note the passive primary endings: ομαι, ῃ, εται, ομεθα, εσθε, ονται. You already know these.

Some verbs that are middle/deponent in the present will use a passive form in the aorist (e.g., ἀπεκρίθην) rather than the expected middle (“deponent”) form. Regardless of the form (middle or passive), these types of aorist verbs will be translated with an active sense. Thus, ἀπεκρίθην is translated “I answered.” Others have both middle (ἐγενόμην) and passive forms (ἐγενήθην) both of which are translated active “I became”.

Aorist Passive Stems

ἔρχομαι does not have an aorist/future passive stem form (relax!).

Second Aorist Passive Indicative of γράφω (I write)

 The second aorist passive has no theta in the tense stem, but the endings are the same as the first aorist passive.

(I was loosed)     (-- pronounce noise sound “aahh”)
      ἐλύθην      -ν,  -ς,  --,        -μεν,  -τε,  -σαν

Chant for the Future Passive Indicative (FPI) Verb

      (I will be loosed)
      λυθήσομαι         -ομαι,  -ῃ,  -εται,    -ομεθα,  -εσθε,  -ονται

Ἀπεκρίθησαν καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ,  Ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν  Ἀβραάμ ἐστιν.
They answered and said to him, “Our father is Abraham” (Jn. 8:39).

Καὶ ὅτε εἶδεν ὁ δράκων ὅτι ἐβλήθη εἰς τὴν γῆν
And when the dragon saw that he was cast to the earth (Rev. 12:13)

Οὗτός ἐστιν  Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτιστής· αὐτὸς ἠγέρθη ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν.
This is John the Baptist; he was raised from [among] the dead (Mat. 14:2).