Imperative Mood

The imperative mood is used to express commands, exhortations, prohibitions (with the negative μή), and entreaties/prayers. Unlike Portuguese, Greek has distinct imperative forms for both the 2nd person (you [singular], you [plural]) and the 3rd person (he/she/it, they — e.g., Luke 11:2 Ἀγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου = "Hallowed be your name").

Morphology: Present and Aorist 1 Imperative (Verb λύω)

Aorist 2 (Strong) Imperative: Changes the stem relative to the present, but uses the same endings as the active/middle present (and -θητι, -θήτω in the passive). Example with λείπω (to leave, stem λιπ-):
• Active: λίπε, λιπέτω, λίπετε, λιπέτωσαν.
• Middle: λιποῦ, λιπέσθω, λίπεσθε, λιπέσθωσαν.
• Passive: λείφθητι, λειφθήτω, λείφθητε, λειφθήτωσαν.

Syntax: Present Imperative vs. Aorist Imperative

1. Present Imperative: Expresses a continuous, habitual, permanent directive or places greater emphasis on the relationship between the subject and the action. E.g., Ἡ φιλαδελφία μενέτω (Heb 13:1 – "Let brotherly love continue"); περιπατεῖτε ἐν ἀγάπῃ (Eph 5:2 – "walk continually in love").
• In prohibitions (μή + Present Imperative), it commands the cessation of an ongoing action (Μὴ φοβοῦ = "Stop fearing / Do not continue fearing" — Mark 5:36) or prohibits a permanent attitude (μὴ λυπεῖτε τὸ Πνεῦμα = "do not grieve the Spirit" — Eph 4:30).

2. Aorist Imperative: This is the most common usage in the New Testament (72% of imperatives). It views the action as a whole or expresses punctual urgency. Consider the classic contrast at the Last Supper:
• In Matthew 26:26, Jesus uses the Aorist Imperative (λάβετε φάγετε = "take, eat now"), focusing on the immediate act of that night.
• In 1 Corinthians 11:24, Paul records the Present Imperative (Τοῦτο ποιεῖτε εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν = "Do this continually in remembrance of me"), indicating a practice that would be repeated throughout the life of the church.

Vocabulary

Vocabulário / Vocabulary

• ἀπαγγέλλω: I announce, report
• θεωρέω: I look at, behold, see
• κράζω: I cry out
• ὑπάγω: I depart, go away
• φέρω: I bear, carry, lead
• φημί: I say, speak
• χαίρω: I rejoice, am glad
• ἁμαρτωλός (ἁμαρτωλοῦ), ὁ: sinner; sinful
• ἔσχατος, ἐσχάτη, ἔσχατον: last
• μακάριος, μακαρία, μακάριον: happy, blessed
• λίθος (λίθου), ὁ: stone
• παιδίον (παιδίου), τό: child, infant
• συναγωγή (συναγωγῆς), ἡ: synagogue
• σοφία (σοφίας), ἡ: wisdom
• χρόνος (χρόνου), ὁ: time