Aorist Indicative Verbs
The aorist tense is one of the most common tense forms in the New Testament. Its function is aspectual rather than temporal: it normally presents the action as a simple whole without focusing on duration, repetition, or process. In the indicative mood, however, it often carries a past time reference (usually simple past in English).
Main Uses of the Aorist
(a) Constative Aorist
Function: Summarizes the action as a complete whole. It
ignores the beginning, middle, or end of the action and views it simply
as a fact.
Example: ἔγραψα τὴν ἐπιστολήν → “I wrote the letter.”
(b) Inceptive Aorist
Function: Stresses the beginning of
the action.
Example: ἐβασίλευσεν → “he began to reign.”
(c) Epistolary Aorist
Function: Used by an author to place themselves in the
perspective of the future reader. Actions that are
present for the writer are put into the past so that the reader, upon
receiving the letter, experiences it as already done.
Example: ἔπεμψα σοι τὸ βιβλίον → “I have sent you the
book.”
Morphological Structure of the Aorist
(a) First Aorist (Regular or -σα Aorist)
Uses the verb’s present stem with a
tense formative -σα- and adds the
secondary endings (same as the imperfect and
pluperfect). Predictable and widely applicable.
Example: λύω → ἔλυσα (“I loosed”).
(b) Second Aorist (Irregular Aorist)
Built from a different root (aorist stem), without the
-σα- formative, and takes the
secondary endings. These must be learned as new
vocabulary words.
Example: ἔρχομαι → ἦλθον (“I came”).
Augment
Both aorist types normally take the augment in the indicative:
- Syllabic augment: add ἐ- before consonants (γράφω → ἔγραψα).
- Temporal augment: lengthen initial vowel (ἀκούω → ἤκουσα).
Endings of the Aorist Indicative
The endings of the aorist indicative mirror those of the imperfect because both use the “secondary” endings.
Active
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | ἔλυσα | ἐλύσαμεν |
| 2nd | ἔλυσας | ἐλύσατε |
| 3rd | ἔλυσε(ν) | ἔλυσαν |
Middle
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | ἐλυσάμην | ἐλυσάμεθα |
| 2nd | ἐλύσω | ἐλύσασθε |
| 3rd | ἐλύσατο | ἐλύσαντο |
Passive
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | ἐλύθην | ἐλύθημεν |
| 2nd | ἐλύθης | ἐλύθητε |
| 3rd | ἐλύθη | ἐλύθησαν |
Side-by-Side Comparison
The only structural difference is the -σα- tense formative in the first aorist. The endings themselves are the same as imperfect endings.
| Person | First Aorist Active (λύω) | Second Aorist Active (λαμβάνω) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg | ἔλυσα (“I loosed”) | ἔλαβον (“I took”) |
| 2nd sg | ἔλυσας | ἔλαβες |
| 3rd sg | ἔλυσε(ν) | ἔλαβε(ν) |
| 1st pl | ἐλύσαμεν | ἐλάβομεν |
| 2nd pl | ἐλύσατε | ἐλάβετε |
| 3rd pl | ἔλυσαν | ἔλαβον |
Practical Takeaways for Beginners
- Learn the First Aorist Paradigm (λύω → ἔλυσα). This is the “template” you can apply widely.
- Recognize the Second Aorist as Vocabulary. Each verb may have a different aorist stem. Memorize these as new lexical forms.
- Don’t Over-Translate Aspect. In the indicative, the aorist usually corresponds to the English simple past.
- Expect the Aorist in Narration. It is the default tense for storytelling in the New Testament.