The subjunctive mood is a verb mood typically used in dependent clauses to express wishes, commands, emotion, possibility, judgment, opinion, necessity, or statements that are contrary to fact at present. (BBG chp. 31)
In Greek, a verb in the subjunctive mood will often follow the conjunction ινα. Study BBG chapter 31 or this video.
In Hebrew, a prefix form of the verb without the vav-conversive is sometimes translated as a subjunctive.
Greek Subjunctives:
- Subjunctives may be in the present or aorist tense.
- The present and the aorist forms of the subjunctive are often translated identically into English (since there is no time element in subjunctive verbs).
- There is no augment in any non-indicative mood (principle 13).
- Subjunctives are negated by μη, not ου (principle 22).
Present Active:
λυω – I might destroy
λυης – you might destroy
λυη – he / she / it might destroy
λυωμεν – we might destroy
λυητε – you might destroy (plural)
λυωσιν – they might destroy
This paradigm is similar to the present active indicative form, except that the connecting vowel has been lengthened:
- ει becomes η (with a iota subscript)
- ε becomes η
- ο becomes ω
Aorist Active:
λυσω – I might destroy
λυσης – you might destroy
λυση – he / she / it might destroy
λυσωμεν – we might destroy
λυσητε – you might destroy
λυσωσιν – they might destroy
Aorist Passive:
λυθω – I might be destroyed
λυθης – you might be destroyed
λυθη – he / she / it might be destroyed
λυθωμεν – we might be destroyed
λυθητε – you might be destroyed
λυθωσιν – they might be destroyed
Like the other aorist subjunctive forms, there is no augment for aorist passive subjunctive verbs. This paradigm has the same endings as the present active form, except the ending is preceded by the characteristic θ of aorist passive verbs
