The Present and Aorist Imperative

Commands are another mood

The imperative gives a command, instruction, request, or invitation. Its force depends on the relationship and context: 'Help me' may be a plea, not an order. Greek imperatives have second- and third-person forms but no first-person forms; 'let us' normally uses the subjunctive.

Present active forms include λῦε ('release', singular), λύετε ('release', plural), λυέτω ('let him/her release'), and λυέτωσαν ('let them release'). A third-person imperative tells someone what another person should do; it is not a future prediction.

Present λύετε looks exactly like present indicative λύετε, 'you release'. The clause decides whether it is a statement or command. An imperative has no past augment. Its present tense-form views the action as ongoing or general, not necessarily 'right now'.

• ἀκούετε τὸν λόγον. — Listen to the message (plural command).
• ὁ μαθητὴς ἀκουέτω. — Let the disciple listen.

Aorist commands

A first aorist active command uses the σ stem without augment: λῦσον, λυσάτω, λύσατε, λυσάτωσαν. The aorist views the requested action as a whole. It does not mean 'do it in the past', and it does not automatically mean 'do it only once'.

Second aorists use their changed stem: λαβέ, 'take'; λάβετε, 'take [plural]'; εἰπέ, 'say'; ἐλθέ, 'come'. The irregular accent of some short commands is part of the form to learn. Do not add σ to λαβ- merely to make it look like λῦσον.

Present and aorist commands may both translate with the same English verb. Context can make an ongoing instruction or a particular whole action more explicit. Avoid teaching the difference as an inflexible 'continue' versus 'begin' rule.

• γράψον τὸ ὄνομα. — Write the name (viewed as a whole action).
• λάβετε τὸν ἄρτον. — Take the bread (plural).

Middle and passive commands

Present middle/passive commands are λύου, λυέσθω, λύεσθε, λυέσθωσαν. A middle-form verb such as δέχομαι keeps its ordinary lexical meaning: δέχου, 'receive'. Context determines whether a shared middle/passive form should be translated passively.

First aorist middle commands are λῦσαι, λυσάσθω, λύσασθε, λυσάσθωσαν. The singular λῦσαι is identical to the aorist active infinitive, so syntax matters. Aorist passive commands are λύθητι, λυθήτω, λύθητε, λυθήτωσαν: 'be released / let someone be released'.

A form such as πορεύου means 'go', not 'be gone', because πορεύομαι uses middle-form endings with that lexical meaning. Parse the morphology accurately, then choose natural English from the verb and situation.

• δέξασθε τὸν λόγον. — Receive the message (aorist middle, plural).
• λυθήτω ὁ δοῦλος. — Let the servant be released.

Commands with 'be'

εἰμί has its own present imperative forms: ἴσθι, 'be' to one person; ἔστε, 'be' to several; ἔστω, 'let him/her/it be'; and ἔστωσαν, 'let them be'. These are instructions, not the present statements εἶ and ἐστέ. In reading, third-person plural ἔστων is another form meaning 'let them be'.

An adjective or noun after 'be' remains a description of the subject in the nominative. ἴσθι πιστός means 'be faithful' to one person described with masculine πιστός; ἔστε πιστοί addresses several people. A feminine singular address would use πιστή. The adjective agrees with the person addressed, even when no separate subject pronoun appears.

A third-person command works the same way: ἔστω ὁ λόγος ἀληθής, 'let the message be true'. ἀληθής agrees with nominative λόγος. Do not change the adjective to an accusative merely because an English command names a person or thing.

• ἴσθι πιστός. — Be faithful (singular, masculine here).
• ἔστε πιστοί. — Be faithful (plural, masculine here).
• ἔστω ὁ λόγος ἀληθής. — Let the message be true.

Saying 'do not'

Prohibitions commonly use μή with a present imperative or μή with an aorist subjunctive: μὴ γράφε and μὴ γράψῃς can both mean 'do not write'. The second construction is subjunctive, not an aorist imperative in disguise.

The present often frames the forbidden action as ongoing or general, and the aorist frames it as a whole. In some contexts this corresponds to 'stop doing' versus 'do not start', but that is not an automatic meaning of the forms.

When reading a prohibition, find μή, identify the verb's actual mood and person, and then ask how broad or specific the instruction is in context. Third-person prohibitions can use μή with an imperative too: μὴ λυέτω, 'let him not release'.

• μὴ κρίνετε. — Do not judge (present imperative, plural).
• μὴ φοβηθῇς. — Do not be afraid (aorist passive subjunctive, singular).

Vocabulary (7)

μή

not (typically with non-indicative forms)

ἐλεέω

I pity, show mercy to

ὑπάγω

I go away, withdraw

γρηγορέω

I stay awake, watch

προσέχω

I pay attention, beware

ὑπομένω

I remain, endure

παρακαλέω

I encourage, appeal to, comfort