Greek · Lesson 12

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Middle & Passive Voicewhen the subject is also affected

Greek has three voices, not two — and the middle voice is uniquely Greek. This lesson covers voice foundations (active, middle, passive), the three voices in depth (with lexical voice-shift verbs like ἄρχω/ἄρχομαι), the six M/P personal endings (-ομαι, -ῃ, -εται, -όμεθα, -εσθε, -ονται), the λύομαι paradigm derived in Step 1/2/3 (with the 2 sg σ-drop/contraction marked), deponent verbs (middle in form, active in meaning), the parsing routine for any m/p form, and translation practice on twelve NT-style sentences covering active, passive, deponent, and m/p ambiguity. Present middle and passive forms are identical — context decides.

Self-check before reading on

Define each of the three voices in one sentence: active, middle, passive.

Reveal answer

Active: subject does the action ("I loose"). Middle: subject does the action with self-interest or affecting itself ("I loose for myself" / "I get myself loosed"). Passive: subject receives the action ("I am loosed"). English has only active and passive; middle is uniquely Greek.

Watch · 22-Slide Overview

Middle & Passive Voice — The Visual Tour

A complete tour of Greek's three voices, the "cooking yourself dinner" memory hook, the identical present mid/pass endings, the λυομαι paradigm, the four-step diagnostic for distinguishing middle from passive, the υπο + genitive agent marker, the six core deponents (ερχομαι, γινομαι, αποκρινομαι, πορευομαι, δυναμαι, δεχομαι), the verbs that change lexical meaning across voices (αρχω vs αρχομαι), the divine passive in the Beatitudes, and the John 1:14 / 1 Cor 15:3-4 / Mark 1:15 readings. Watch first for the framework; the detailed written exposition below works through every point at depth.

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LESSON 12 · Unit III — The Verb System · ~50 minutes + drilling

By the End of This Lesson

State the three Greek voices and what each means for the subject's role
Explain why present middle and present passive forms are IDENTICAL — and how context disambiguates
Recite the six middle/passive endings cold: -ομαι, -ῃ, -εται, -όμεθα, -εσθε, -ονται
Derive the λύομαι paradigm in Step 1/2/3, including the 2 sg σ-drop and contraction giving λύῃ
Decline λύομαι in all six person/number combinations
Identify deponent verbs and translate them actively (ἔρχομαι, γίνομαι, δύναμαι, ἀποκρίνομαι, πορεύομαι, δέχομαι)
Recognize the lexical voice-shift verbs (ἄρχω/ἄρχομαι, ἅπτω/ἅπτομαι, πείθω/πείθομαι, φαίνω/φαίνομαι)
Run the five-step parsing routine on any middle/passive form
Translate NT-style sentences with ὑπό + gen for the agent and recognize the divine passive
Memorize the 14 Lesson 12 vocabulary words

New to Greek? Use the 3-pass path

Pass 1 — UnderstandWatch the overview and read the main explanation. Do not try to master every detail today.

Pass 2 — RecognizeMemorize the main chart or paradigm and do the first trainer sets.

Pass 3 — MasterWork through the 20 worked examples, translation exercises, and mastery test slowly.

Today's minimum

If you are new, this is enough for today.

Middle/passive endings: -μαι, -ῃ, -ται, -μεθα, -σθε, -νται.
Check the lexicon first: a deponent (e.g. ἔρχομαι) is middle in form but active in meaning.
ὑπό + genitive marks the agent → passive.
Do only the first 2–3 trainer sets today.

Watch — Bill Mounce companion lecture

BBG Ch 18

BBG Ch 18 Present Middle/Passive Indicative Watch on YouTube ↗

Mounce covers contract verbs (α-, ε-, ο-stems) and the rules of vowel contraction — central to our Lesson 12.

CorePart 1 — Voice: Foundations

Before drilling forms, get the framework. Greek's voice system is bigger than English's, and the most important visual fact of the present tense is that middle and passive forms are identical.

1.1 What voice expresses

"Voice" describes the relationship between the subject and the action's energy. Three options:

Active: subject ACTS on something or someone else. "The apostle teaches the disciples."
Passive: subject IS ACTED UPON. "The disciples are taught by the apostle."
Middle: subject acts ON or FOR itself, or with self-interest. "The high priest washes himself."

English distinguishes only the first two. The middle is uniquely Greek — there is no English morphology for "subject acts on/for itself," so English uses reflexive pronouns ("himself"), rephrases as active, or just loses the nuance.

1.2 Why the middle matters

The middle voice covers a family of senses English splinters across many constructions:

Reflexive: λούομαι = "I wash myself / I bathe."
Benefactive: αἱρέομαι τοῦτο = "I choose this [for myself]."
Lexical: ἄρχομαι = "I begin" (not "I rule" — that is the active ἄρχω). Same root, different meaning depending on voice.

About 25% of NT verbs are deponent — middle in form but active in meaning. Many common verbs of motion (ἔρχομαι, πορεύομαι), of inner activity (γίνομαι, δύναμαι), and of communication (ἀποκρίνομαι) are deponent. You will meet them on nearly every page of the Greek NT.

⚠ Crucial visual fact — middle and passive look identical in present/imperfect

In the present and imperfect tenses, middle and passive forms are IDENTICAL. You cannot tell them apart from morphology alone. λύεται could mean "he is loosed" (passive) or "he loosens for himself" (middle). Context decides — every time.

Future and aorist split them with distinct formatives (Lessons 15 and 17). But for now: same form, two possible meanings. This is why grammars write "middle/passive" or "m/p" — to flag the shared paradigm.

1.4 The six M/P personal endings — preview

The middle/passive set is different from the active set. Both six-cell paradigms must be drilled cold; the M/P set is the next major paradigm after the active.

Active vs Middle/Passive Endings — Side by Side

Person	Active (Lesson 10)	Middle/Passive (Lesson 12)
1 sg	-ω	-ομαι
2 sg	-εις	-ῃ (or -ει)
3 sg	-ει	-εται
1 pl	-ομεν	-όμεθα
2 pl	-ετε	-εσθε
3 pl	-ουσι(ν)	-ονται

💡 Tip — five recognition clusters for m/p

When you see ANY of -μαι, -ται, -μεθα, -σθε, or -νται at the end of a verb, the form is middle or passive — never active. Train your eye on these five clusters; they are the fastest m/p recognition cue.

1.5 Deponent verbs — preview

Some verbs only ever appear in m/p form, but mean active. ἔρχομαι ("I come") has no active form *ἔρχω. Its m/p form IS its only form, and its meaning is "I come" — active, not "I am come." These are called deponent verbs. When you meet one, translate as active; don't try to read middle or passive force into the morphology.

Six common deponents to learn cold: ἔρχομαι (come), γίνομαι (become, happen), ἀποκρίνομαι (answer), δύναμαι (am able), πορεύομαι (go), δέχομαι (receive). Drill them now; you will see them on nearly every page of the NT.

In summary — voice foundations

Greek has three voices: active, middle, passive — not two. The middle voice (subject acts on/for itself, or with self-interest) is uniquely Greek. In the present and imperfect, middle and passive forms are IDENTICAL — context decides. The six M/P endings are -ομαι, -ῃ, -εται, -όμεθα, -εσθε, -ονται (the five recognition clusters are -μαι, -ται, -μεθα, -σθε, -νται). About 25% of NT verbs are deponent — middle in form, active in meaning.

CorePart 2 — The Three Voices

Voice tells you the relationship between the subject and the action.

Active vs Middle vs Passive

Voice	Sense	Example
Active	Subject performs the action	"I loose" / "I love"
Middle	Subject performs action with self-interest, or on/for itself	"I loose for myself" / "I am loosed (for my benefit)"
Passive	Subject receives the action	"I am loosed (by someone)"

Why English-speakers find middle weird English has no morphologically distinct middle voice. We use reflexive pronouns ("he hits himself"), reciprocal phrases, or just rephrase in active. Greek has a dedicated middle, and uses it especially for actions that affect the subject's own sphere.

Examples: λούω active = "I wash (something)." λούομαι middle = "I wash myself" (i.e., I bathe). The middle says the subject is involved beyond just doing — they're personally implicated.

Many "middle" verbs in NT actually shade toward passive in modern translation, because the subject-affectedness is implicit. Recent scholarship has drawn attention to "middle voice as the unmarked form for self-affecting actions."

CorePart 3 — Middle and Passive Share Forms: How to Tell Them Apart

Greek's middle and passive voices use identical endings in the present tense (and in the imperfect — Lesson 14). When you see λύομαι, the form alone could mean "I loose myself" (middle) or "I am being loosed" (passive). The form is ambiguous on its face. Your job as a reader is to disambiguate from context.

⚠ Gotcha — "mid/pass" is not one voice When grammars write "middle/passive," they mean these two distinct voices happen to share identical forms in certain tenses (especially the present and perfect). They do NOT mean there is a third voice called "middle-passive." In every real sentence, the form is either middle OR passive. Always make a decision: is the subject acting on itself (middle) or being acted on by another agent (passive)?

The shared paradigm

Present Middle/Passive Endings

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	-ομαι	-όμεθα
2nd	-ῃ (-ει)	-εσθε
3rd	-εται	-ονται

The same six endings could be middle or passive. The aorist (Lesson 15) and aorist passive (Lesson 17) finally separate them with distinct formatives — but in the present and imperfect, you have to read context.

⚠ The 2nd singular has two forms

The 2sg ending is -ῃ (older form) or -ει (later form). NT manuscripts vary; both are accepted. Don't treat them as different verbs. Note: -ει here looks identical to the 3sg active ending -ει, which is a separate ambiguity to watch for.

What to do when reading

When you encounter a present mid/pass form, run this four-step check to decide between middle and passive readings:

Check the lexicon entry. Some verbs are middle-only (deponents in older terminology) — they have no active form, so the question of middle vs. passive doesn't arise. ἔρχομαι ("I come") looks middle in form but is the only form this verb has; you read it as plain active in meaning.
Look for an explicit agent (ὑπό + genitive). If you see ὑπό + gen nearby, you're almost certainly looking at a passive — the agent phrase signals passive voice.
Check whether the action is plausibly self-directed. If the subject can plausibly do the action to itself or for its own benefit, it might be middle. If only an external action makes sense, it's passive.
Default to passive when in doubt. True middle uses are relatively rare in Koine. Most NT mid/pass forms are either passive (when the subject is acted upon) or middle-only verbs (where the form is just the verb's default).

Three worked examples

βαπτίζεται ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου.

"He is baptized by John." Form βαπτίζεται = 3sg present mid/pass. The phrase ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου ("by John") is an explicit agent → passive. The subject is being acted upon, not acting on himself.

ἔρχεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς.

"Jesus comes." Form ἔρχεται = 3sg present mid/pass. But ἔρχομαι is middle-only — no active form exists. So the question "middle or passive?" is moot. Read as plain active: "comes." The lexicon tells you this is the verb's only form.

ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς λούεται.

Could be: "The high priest washes himself" (true middle) or "The high priest is washed" (passive). No explicit agent, no clear context — both readings are grammatically possible. In ritual or self-care contexts, middle is likelier ("washes himself"). In contexts where someone else is doing the washing, passive is the right read. λούω has both active and middle uses, so this verb is genuinely ambiguous in mid/pass form.

Reading habit: when you encounter a -ομαι/-εται/-ονται form, immediately scan for (a) an explicit ὑπό + gen agent, (b) the lexicon entry for the verb (is it middle-only?), and (c) what makes sense given the subject. Most cases resolve quickly.

PracticePart 4 — Middle or Passive? Drilling the Diagnostic

The four-step check from the previous section becomes automatic only with practice. Here are six short phrases, each with a present mid/pass form. For each, decide middle or passive, give the reason, and translate.

Diagnostic drill set

Three pairs — each pair has the same verb in slightly different contexts, showing how context flips the mid/pass reading.

ὁ Ἰησοῦς διδάσκεται ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρός.

What's the agent marker?
Middle or passive?
Translation?

ὁ διδάσκαλος διδάσκεται καθ' ἡμέραν.

Is there an agent marker?
Middle (teaches himself) or passive (is taught)?
Which fits the context — a teacher who studies daily?

σώζονται ὑπὸ τῆς πίστεως.

Agent marker?
Middle or passive?
Translation?

οἱ μαθηταὶ σώζονται.

Agent marker?
Middle or passive?
Why is passive almost certain here?

ἔρχεται ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.

What's special about ἔρχομαι?
Middle or passive (or neither)?
Translation?

γίνεται φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ.

Lexicon check: γίνομαι has an active form?
Middle, passive, or middle-only?
Translation?

Reveal answers

1. ὁ Ἰησοῦς διδάσκεται ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρός: Agent = ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρός. Passive. Translation: "Jesus is being taught by the Father."

2. ὁ διδάσκαλος διδάσκεται καθ' ἡμέραν: No agent. Context: a teacher who studies daily. True middle — "the teacher teaches himself daily" or "instructs himself daily." This is one of the rare contexts where the middle force is clearly visible. (Καθ' ἡμέραν = "daily.")

3. σώζονται ὑπὸ τῆς πίστεως: Agent-like phrase ὑπὸ τῆς πίστεως. Passive. Translation: "they are saved by faith." (Note: NT actually prefers διά + gen for "through faith"; ὑπό + gen is less common for instrumental "by." This is constructed for drill.)

4. οἱ μαθηταὶ σώζονται: No agent, but "save" is rarely something one does to oneself in NT theology. Passive (divine passive — God is the implied agent). Translation: "the disciples are saved." This is actually how Pauline soteriology routinely talks: passive verbs of salvation with God as the implied agent (covered in Lesson 17 on aorist passive).

5. ἔρχεται ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου: ἔρχομαι is middle-only — has no active form. The question middle-or-passive doesn't apply. Read as plain active: "The Son of Man comes." Common eschatological phrase in the Gospels.

6. γίνεται φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ: γίνομαι is middle-only. Translation: "Light comes to be in the darkness" or "Light arises in the darkness." (Cf. John 1:5 idea, though John uses different vocabulary.) Don't over-translate as "becomes itself" or "is becoming."

CorePart 5 — The Full λύομαι Paradigm (Step 1/2/3)

The M/P twin of the active λύω paradigm. Same stem, same connecting vowels — different endings. Derived here in three steps, with the 2 sg σ-drop/contraction marked as the only special cell.

Step 1 — bare endings

Lay out the six middle/passive endings as a clean set before attaching anything to a stem.

Step 1 — The Six M/P Endings

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	-ομαι	-όμεθα
2nd	-ῃ (or -ει)	-εσθε
3rd	-εται	-ονται

Step 2 — attach stem λυ- + connecting vowel + ending

The verb's stem is λυ-. The connecting vowel sits between stem and ending: ο before μ or ν (1 sg, 1 pl, 3 pl), ε elsewhere (2 sg, 3 sg, 2 pl). The 2 sg cell is the only special case.

Step 2 — Derivation Cell by Cell

Person	Derivation	Surface form
1 sg	λυ + ο + μαι	λύομαι
2 sg ★	λυ + ε + σαι → λύεσαι → λύεαι → λύῃ	λύῃ (or λύει)
3 sg	λυ + ε + ται	λύεται
1 pl	λυ + ο + μεθα	λυόμεθα
2 pl	λυ + ε + σθε	λύεσθε
3 pl	λυ + ο + νται	λύονται

★ SPECIAL — the 2 sg σ-drop and contraction

The original 2 sg ending was -σαι. Attached to stem + connecting vowel ε: λυ + ε + σαι → λύεσαι. The intervocalic σ (between the ε and the α) drops out — a regular Greek sound rule. Result: λύεαι. The ε + α + ι then contracts to -ῃ (with iota subscript).

So the visible form is λύῃ. Some scribes/eras wrote λύει instead (a later, smoother contraction); both forms appear in NT manuscripts. Treat them as the same form. ⚠ Note the -ει variant of 2 sg m/p overlaps in spelling with 3 sg ACTIVE -ει — context decides.

Step 3 — the full λύομαι paradigm

Chant aloud: λύομαι, λύῃ, λύεται, λυόμεθα, λύεσθε, λύονται.

λύομαι — "I am loosed (passive) / I loose for myself (middle)"

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	λύομαι — I am loosed / loose for myself	λυόμεθα — we are loosed / loose for ourselves
2nd	λύῃ (λύει) — you are loosed	λύεσθε — you (pl) are loosed
3rd	λύεται — he/she/it is loosed	λύονται — they are loosed

How do you know if it's middle or passive? Three signals:

1. Presence of an agent (ὑπό + gen): if there's an "by X" phrase, it's passive. βαπτίζεται ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου = "he is baptized BY John" → passive.

2. The verb's lexical character: some verbs are inherently middle (deponents — see below) and never passive.

3. Context: does the sentence make sense with subject acting on self vs subject being acted upon? Often only one reading fits.

λύω alongside λύομαι — active and middle/passive in parallel

Drill the active and middle/passive paradigms together. Same stem, same connecting vowels, different endings.

λύω and λύομαι — Side by Side

Person	λύω (active)	λύομαι (mid/pass)
1 sg	λύω — "I loose"	λύομαι — "I am loosed / loose for myself"
2 sg	λύεις — "you loose"	λύῃ (λύει) — "you are loosed"
3 sg	λύει — "he/she loosens"	λύεται — "he/she is loosed"
1 pl	λύομεν — "we loose"	λυόμεθα — "we are loosed"
2 pl	λύετε — "you (pl) loose"	λύεσθε — "you (pl) are loosed"
3 pl	λύουσι(ν) — "they loose"	λύονται — "they are loosed"

💡 Tip — drill the active and M/P twins together

Chant in pairs: λύω, λύομαι. λύεις, λύῃ. λύει, λύεται. λύομεν, λυόμεθα. λύετε, λύεσθε. λύουσι, λύονται. The active-M/P twins lock together in memory faster than either alone.

CorePart 6 — The Passive Agent: ὑπό + Genitive

When you want to say "by whom" the passive action is done, Greek uses ὑπό + genitive. This is the standard NT construction.

ὁ Ἰησοῦς βαπτίζεται ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου.

— ho Iēsous baptizetai hypo Iōannou.

"Jesus is baptized by John." Subject = Jesus (nom). Verb = βαπτίζεται (3sg pres mid/pass — passive here). Agent = ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου ("by John," gen).

διδάσκονται οἱ μαθηταὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ.

— didaskontai hoi mathētai hypo tou Christou.

"The disciples are taught by Christ." 3rd plural mid/pass; the agent phrase makes it passive.

Notice the case-shift signal ὑπό + acc = "under" (spatial). ὑπό + gen = "by" (passive agent). This is one of the case-shift prepositions from Lesson 9 — and the agent-marking use is overwhelmingly common in NT.

CorePart 7 — Deponent Verbs

A class of Greek verbs whose form is always middle (or middle/passive) but whose meaning is active. They have no active form — the middle/passive form IS the active form.

💡 Tip — deponents: middle form, active meaning Deponent verbs have middle (or passive) forms but active meanings. The key deponents to learn immediately: ἔρχομαι (I come/go), γίνομαι (I become), ἀποκρίνομαι (I answer), πορεύομαι (I go). These appear hundreds of times in NT narrative. Never translate their middle endings as "for themselves" or "on themselves" — just translate the active meaning directly.

Common Deponent Verbs

Greek	Form	Meaning
ἔρχομαι	middle/passive only	I come, go (active sense)
γίνομαι	middle/passive only	I become, am, happen
ἀποκρίνομαι	middle/passive only	I answer
πορεύομαι	middle/passive only	I go, proceed
δύναμαι	middle/passive only	I am able, can
δέχομαι	middle/passive only	I receive, welcome

So ἔρχεται looks like passive ("he is come" — meaningless in English) but actually means simply "he comes." When you see a deponent, translate as if it were active.

Why does Greek do this? Linguistically, "coming" and "becoming" are inherently subject-affecting actions — your motion changes you. The middle voice's "subject-affectedness" fits perfectly. Some scholars argue we shouldn't even call these "deponent" — they're just middles for actions that necessarily involve the subject.

⚠ Recognizing deponents Deponents are listed in dictionaries with their middle/passive form: ἔρχομαι (not ἔρχω). The -ομαι ending in the lexical form is the giveaway: this verb is deponent. Translate the form actively.

CorePart 8 — Verbs That Change Meaning Across Voices

A small but important class of Greek verbs shift their lexical meaning when they switch between active and middle voice — not just their grammatical force but the actual word's meaning. These aren't errors; they're part of how the verb works. Knowing them prevents serious mistranslations.

The classic example: ἄρχω

ἄρχω (active) vs ἄρχομαι (middle)

Active ἄρχω = "I rule" (+ genitive object: I rule over X).
Middle ἄρχομαι = "I begin" (often + infinitive: I begin to do X).
Same root, two completely different meanings depending on voice. The active is fairly rare in NT; the middle is extremely common.

Why this happens

The middle voice originally implied "the subject does the action for or on itself." Over time, certain verbs developed lexicalized middle meanings that drifted away from the active. ἄρχομαι originally meant "I take the lead for myself" — which in usage came to mean "I begin." The middle became a different word semantically while keeping the same surface form pattern.

Other voice-meaning shifts to know

High-frequency NT examples

ἄρχω (active) "I rule" / ἄρχομαι (middle) "I begin"
ἅπτω (active) "I kindle, light a fire" / ἅπτομαι (middle) "I touch" (+ genitive)
πείθω (active) "I persuade" / πείθομαι (middle) "I obey, am persuaded" (+ dative)
φαίνω (active) "I shine, give light" / φαίνομαι (middle) "I appear, become visible"
αἰτέω (active) "I ask, request" / αἰτέομαι (middle) "I ask for myself" — the middle hints at self-interested asking

What to do when reading

When you look up a verb in the lexicon and find both active and middle entries listed with different glosses, treat them as effectively two different verbs that share a root. Read the voice carefully:

Identify the form (-ω = active, -ομαι = middle).
Use the meaning that matches the voice. Don't default to the active meaning if the form is middle.
Watch the case it governs. ἄρχω takes a genitive ("rule over X"). ἄρχομαι takes an infinitive ("begin to X"). The case/complement gives extra confirmation of which meaning is in play.

A worked NT example

καὶ ἤρξατο διδάσκειν αὐτούς.

"And he began to teach them." (Mark 6:34, partial.) ἤρξατο = aorist middle 3sg of ἄρχομαι (note the -ατο middle ending). Followed by an infinitive (διδάσκειν, "to teach"). Middle voice + infinitive = "began to" — never "ruled over." Translation: "and he began to teach them." Don't mistranslate this as "and he ruled to teach them" or "and he ruled the teaching" — the middle voice signals "begin," not "rule."

Reading habit: whenever the lexicon shows separate active and middle entries for a verb (with different glosses), pause at the form. The voice tells you which meaning is intended.

CorePart 9 — Reading Passage: Mark 1:15 and 1 Cor 15:3-4

Two of the most theologically loaded passages in the NT — featuring middle-voice and passive-voice verbs in concentration.

Mark 1:15: πεπλήρωται ὁ καιρὸς καὶ ἤγγικεν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ· μετανοεῖτε καὶ πιστεύετε ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ.

"The time has been fulfilled and the kingdom of God has drawn near; repent and believe in the gospel." Two perfects to start (Lesson 19-20): πεπλήρωται (perf mid/pass of πληρόω, "has been fulfilled") and ἤγγικεν (perf act of ἐγγίζω, "has come near"). Then two present imperatives (Lesson 33): μετανοεῖτε ("repent") and πιστεύετε ("believe"). The first two verbs use the middle/passive endings central to this lesson.

1 Cor 15:3-4: Παρέδωκα γὰρ ὑμῖν ἐν πρώτοις, ὃ καὶ παρέλαβον, ὅτι Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν κατὰ τὰς γραφάς, καὶ ὅτι ἐτάφη, καὶ ὅτι ἐγήγερται τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ κατὰ τὰς γραφάς.

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he has been raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." Three voice-related verbs. ἀπέθανεν = aorist active "he died" (Lesson 16). ἐτάφη = aorist passive "he was buried" (Lesson 17). ἐγήγερται = perfect passive "he has been raised" (Lesson 20) — note the abiding-result force: he is in the state of having been raised. The voice of each verb tells you who acts and who is acted upon.

ReferencePart 10 — Vocabulary Notes

Five vocabulary notes focused on middle/passive verbs and deponents.

ἔρχομαι — "I come, I go" (deponent) About 634 NT occurrences. Looks middle/passive in form (-ομαι, -εται, -όμεθα...) but means active "I come, I go." This is the textbook deponent. It has no active form to speak of; the lexicon entry is the middle/passive 1st singular. Most NT verbs of motion are deponents. English: parousia (παρουσία, "coming, presence" — from this verb plus παρά), eschaton (ἔσχατον, "last [thing] coming").

γίνομαι — "I become, I happen, I am born" (deponent) About 670 NT occurrences. Middle/passive in form, active in meaning. Often translated "become" but covers a wide semantic range — birth, becoming, coming-into-being, occurrence. The famous John 1:14 — ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο ("the Word became flesh") — uses the aorist ἐγένετο of this verb. The active sense ("became") is unmistakable; the form is middle/passive. English derivatives: -genesis, -gen (from related stem γεν-).

δύναμαι — "I am able, I can" (deponent) About 210 NT occurrences. Middle/passive form, active meaning. Often used with infinitives ("I am able to do X"). The noun δύναμις ("power") and English "dynamite," "dynamic" share the root. When Jesus says οὐδεὶς δύναται ("no one is able"), the deponent form expresses an active capability — even though the form looks passive.

ἀποκρίνομαι — "I answer, I reply" (deponent) About 232 NT occurrences. Middle/passive in form, active in meaning. The most common Gospel speech-introduction verb after λέγω. The aorist ἀπεκρίθη ("he answered") is used hundreds of times in the Gospels — though, interestingly, the aorist passive form is what got grammaticalized for this verb, not the aorist middle. The "answering" idea is built from ἀπό + κρίνω ("from + judge/decide") — to "decide back" to someone, i.e. respond.

The "divine passive" — passive voice without explicit agent A NT phenomenon worth flagging early. When a passive verb appears with no explicit agent (no "by him," no "by God"), it often implies God as the agent — Jewish writers tended to avoid the divine name and used passive constructions as a circumlocution. μακάριοι οἱ πενθοῦντες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρακληθήσονται ("blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted" — Matt 5:4) — passive future παρακληθήσονται, no explicit agent. The implied agent is God. Learn to spot the divine passive; it's everywhere in the Beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount, and Pauline soteriology.

PracticePart 11 — Challenge Verses: Try It on the Greek NT

Four NT phrases featuring middle/passive verbs and deponents. Determine voice (middle, passive, or deponent) for each.

Challenge 1 — Becoming flesh

ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο.

Reveal answer

"The Word became flesh." (John 1:14a.) ἐγένετο = aorist 3sg of γίνομαι — middle/passive form, active meaning ("became"). This is the textbook deponent. The construction has two nominatives (ὁ λόγος, σάρξ) — equative-like, like English "X became Y."

Challenge 2 — Christ died for us

Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀπέθανεν.

Reveal answer

"Christ died for us." (Rom 5:8.) ἀπέθανεν = aorist 3sg active of ἀποθνῄσκω ("I die"). Active in form, active in meaning — Christ is the actor. ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν = preposition + gen ("for us, on behalf of us"). The substitutionary preposition.

Challenge 3 — A divine passive

τῇ γὰρ χάριτι ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι.

Reveal answer

"For by grace you have been saved." (Eph 2:8.) σεσῳσμένοι = perfect passive participle of σῴζω, masculine plural ("having been saved"). With ἐστε ("you are") forming a periphrastic perfect: "you are in the state of having been saved." No explicit agent — divine passive. God is the implied savior.

Challenge 4 — The promise of comfort

μακάριοι οἱ πενθοῦντες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρακληθήσονται.

Reveal answer

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." (Matt 5:4.) παρακληθήσονται = future passive 3pl of παρακαλέω ("I comfort, encourage"). Future passive — Lesson 17. No explicit agent — divine passive: God will comfort them. αὐτοί = "they themselves" (3pl nom, emphatic). The Beatitudes are saturated with divine passives.

Deep DivePart 12 — Optional Deep Dive — A Cultural Note: Why Greek Has a Middle Voice and English Doesn't

English has two voices: active ("I see") and passive ("I am seen"). Greek has three: active, middle, and passive. What does the middle do that English can't?

The middle voice expresses subject involvement. The subject does the action and is somehow affected by it — usually doing it for itself, on itself, or with self-interest. λούω means "I wash [something else]"; λούομαι means "I wash myself." Same verb, different voice, different reflexivity.

For NT theology, the middle voice does work English can't easily render. When James 4:3 says αἰτεῖσθε καὶ οὐ λαμβάνετε ("you ask and do not receive"), the verb αἰτεῖσθε is middle — implying you ask for yourselves, with self-interest. James continues: "you ask wrongly, that you may spend it on your pleasures." The middle voice has already telegraphed the problem.

In ancient Greek, the active/middle distinction was vibrant. By Koine times, many verbs had become "middle-only" (deponents) where the form-meaning correlation had eroded. ἔρχομαι ("I come") looks middle but doesn't carry middle force; it's just how the verb is conjugated. Distinguishing live middles (where the voice is doing semantic work) from deponents (where the form is just lexical) is one of the harder reading skills — but a rewarding one.

When you encounter a middle-voice verb in your NT reading, slow down. Ask: is this a deponent (look up the lexicon entry — does it always appear in middle form?), or is the writer choosing the middle voice for a reason? When the choice is meaningful, you've caught a layer of meaning that English translation typically loses.

Going further Carl Conrad's online essays on the Greek middle (search "Carl Conrad Greek middle voice") reframed twentieth-century scholarship on this topic. Constantine Campbell's Verbal Aspect, the Indicative Mood, and Narrative (Peter Lang, 2007) treats the middle voice in narrative pragmatics. For the practical NT-reader, Wallace's Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics chapter on voice is the standard.

PracticePart 13 — Sentences with Middle/Passive

ἔρχεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν.

— erchetai ho Iēsous eis tēn Galilaian.

"Jesus comes into Galilee." ἔρχεται is deponent — middle in form, active in meaning.

ἀποκρίνονται οἱ μαθηταί.

— apokrinontai hoi mathētai.

"The disciples answer." ἀποκρίνομαι is deponent. 3rd plural form.

ὁ ἀπόστολος πέμπεται ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ.

— ho apostolos pempetai hypo tou theou.

"The apostle is sent by God." True passive: agent phrase ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ confirms it. Active would be πέμπει ("he sends").

δυνάμεθα ποιεῖν τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ.

— dynametha poiein ta erga tou theou.

"We can do the works of God." δύναμαι is deponent — "we are able." (ποιεῖν is the infinitive — Lesson 26.)

γίνεται φῶς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ.

— ginetai phōs en tō kosmō.

"Light comes (becomes) in the world." γίνομαι is deponent — "becomes / comes into being." A common verb of existence/event in John.

PracticePart 14 — Now You Try It

Three sets of guided exercises — middle vs. passive disambiguation in fuller context, voice-meaning shifts, and reading common middle-only verbs in real NT phrases.

Set 1 — Spot the agent (or its absence)

For each phrase, identify whether an agent is expressed and whether the verb is middle, passive, or middle-only.

ἀκούεται ὁ λόγος ὑπὸ τῶν μαθητῶν.

Agent?
Middle/passive/middle-only?
Translation?

ἀποκρίνεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς.

Lexicon: ἀποκρίνομαι ("I answer") — does it have an active form?
Middle/passive/middle-only?
Translation?

δοξάζεται ὁ θεὸς ἐν αὐτῷ.

Agent? (ἐν αὐτῷ — what does this signal?)
Middle/passive?
Translation?

Reveal answers

ἀκούεται ὁ λόγος ὑπὸ τῶν μαθητῶν: Agent = ὑπὸ τῶν μαθητῶν. Passive. Translation: "The word is heard by the disciples."

ἀποκρίνεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς: ἀποκρίνομαι is middle-only — no active form. The question middle-or-passive doesn't apply. Translation: "Jesus answers." (Common Gospel speech-introducer.)

δοξάζεται ὁ θεὸς ἐν αὐτῷ: ἐν αὐτῷ is a sphere phrase ("in him"), not an agent — no ὑπό. But "is glorified" makes more sense than "glorifies himself" theologically. Divine passive (someone glorifies God; the agent isn't named). Translation: "God is glorified in him."

Set 2 — Same root, different voice, different meaning

For each pair, identify the voice and pick the correct meaning.

ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἄρχει τοῦ κόσμου. vs ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἄρχεται διδάσκειν.

First: voice and meaning?
Second: voice and meaning?
How does the construction (genitive vs infinitive) confirm the meaning?

ὁ ἄγγελος φαίνει τὸ φῶς. vs ὁ ἄγγελος φαίνεται.

First: voice and meaning?
Second: voice and meaning?

πείθει αὐτούς. vs πείθεται αὐτοῖς.

First: voice, meaning, case of αὐτούς?
Second: voice, meaning, case of αὐτοῖς?
How does the case-shift signal the meaning-shift?

Reveal answers

First pair: ἄρχει τοῦ κόσμου = active "rules over the world" (genitive object confirms "rule"). ἄρχεται διδάσκειν = middle "begins to teach" (infinitive complement confirms "begin"). The construction differentiates the meanings.

Second pair: φαίνει τὸ φῶς = active "shines the light" or "gives light" (with object). φαίνεται = middle "appears, becomes visible" (intransitive, without object).

Third pair: πείθει αὐτούς = active "persuades them" (αὐτούς = acc, direct object). πείθεται αὐτοῖς = middle "obeys them" (αὐτοῖς = dat, complement of obeying). The active "persuade" takes accusative; the middle "obey" takes dative — the case-shift confirms the meaning-shift.

Set 3 — Reading middle-only verbs

Three high-frequency middle-only verbs in NT context. Identify the lexical form and translate.

δύναμαι λέγειν ὑμῖν.

Verb? Active form exists?
Translation?

γίνεται φωνὴ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν.

Verb? Middle-only?
Translation?

πορεύεται εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ.

Verb? Middle-only?
Translation?

Reveal answers

δύναμαι λέγειν ὑμῖν: Verb = δύναμαι ("I am able"). Middle-only. + infinitive. Translation: "I am able to speak to you." (Common construction: δύναμαι + infinitive.)

γίνεται φωνὴ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν: Verb = γίνεται from γίνομαι. Middle-only. Translation: "A voice comes from the heavens" or "A voice happens from the heavens." (Echoes Mark 1:11 and Mark 9:7.)

πορεύεται εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ: Verb = πορεύεται from πορεύομαι ("I go, travel"). Middle-only. Translation: "He travels to Jerusalem." Common verb of motion in Luke-Acts.

CorePart 15 — Parsing a Middle/Passive Form: The Five-Step Routine

The parsing pattern for any Greek verb is T-V-M-P-N + lexical form. For a middle/passive form, voice is the diagnostic that takes the most work. Here is the routine, then seven worked examples.

The five-step routine

Recognize the ending. See one of -μαι, -ται, -μεθα, -σθε, -νται? The form is middle or passive (never active).
Decide deponent vs not. Look up the lexical form. If the dictionary entry ends in -ομαι and the gloss is active, the verb is deponent → read as active.
If not deponent, decide middle vs passive. Look for ὑπό + gen (passive agent), for self-interest cues (middle), or for the verb's conventional reading.
Parse T-V-M-P-N + lexical form. State all five categories aloud.
Translate, picking the right English voice.

Seven worked examples

ἔρχεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς.

Step 1: -εται → m/p. Step 2: lexical form ἔρχομαι, no active → deponent. Step 4: pres deponent ind 3 sg, ἔρχομαι. Step 5: "Jesus comes." (Not "is come.")

λύεται ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ.

Step 1: -εται → m/p. Step 2: λύω has active → not deponent. Step 3: ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ = agent → passive. Step 4: pres pass ind 3 sg, λύω. Step 5: "He is loosed by God."

λούεται ὁ ἀρχιερεύς.

Step 1: -εται → m/p. Step 2: λούω has active → not deponent. Step 3: no agent; λούω/λούομαι conventionally means "wash oneself" (ritual context) → middle. Step 4: pres mid ind 3 sg, λούω. Step 5: "The high priest washes himself."

ἀκούεται ὁ λόγος.

Step 1: -εται → m/p. Step 2: ἀκούω has active → not deponent. Step 3: no agent; "the word hears for itself" makes no sense → passive. Step 4: pres pass ind 3 sg, ἀκούω. Step 5: "The word is heard."

ἄρχεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς διδάσκειν.

Step 1: -εται → m/p. Step 2: ἄρχω has active ("rule"), but middle ἄρχομαι has its own gloss ("begin") → lexical middle. Step 3: + infinitive διδάσκειν → "begin to" reading. Step 4: pres mid ind 3 sg, ἄρχομαι (middle). Step 5: "Jesus begins to teach."

πέμπεσθε ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ.

Step 1: -εσθε → m/p. Step 2: πέμπω has active → not deponent. Step 3: ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ = agent → passive. Step 4: pres pass ind 2 pl, πέμπω. Step 5: "You (pl) are sent by God."

γινόμεθα τέκνα θεοῦ.

Step 1: -μεθα → m/p. Step 2: γίνομαι is deponent → read as active. Step 4: pres deponent ind 1 pl, γίνομαι. Step 5: "We become children of God."

⚠ Gotcha — never skip the lexicon check

The most common parsing mistake is reading a deponent as a passive: e.g., translating ἔρχεται as "is come" or ἀποκρίνεται as "is answered." The lexicon check (Step 2) prevents this. Always ask: does this verb have an active form? If no → deponent → active meaning.

PracticePart 15b — Translation Practice: Twelve NT-Style Sentences

Twelve sentences using Lesson 12 vocabulary, covering active, passive, deponent, and the lexical voice-shift verbs. At least three of each main category. Two sentences hinge on m/p ambiguity decided by context. For each: read the Greek aloud, parse the verb, translate, and check your reasoning.

1. ἔρχομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ τοῦ Χριστοῦ.

Parse: pres deponent ind 1 sg, ἔρχομαι. Translation: "I come to you in the love of Christ." Deponent — translate actively. πρός + acc = "to."

2. ὁ ἀπόστολος βαπτίζεται ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ.

Parse: pres pass ind 3 sg, βαπτίζω. Translation: "The apostle is baptized by John in the Jordan." True passive — agent phrase ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου. βαπτίζω is NOT deponent (has active form).

3. γινόμεθα μαθηταὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ.

Parse: pres deponent ind 1 pl, γίνομαι. Translation: "We become disciples of Jesus." Deponent. Note that "become" is intransitive in English; γίνομαι takes a predicate nominative (μαθηταί).

4. ὁ διδάσκαλος διδάσκει τοὺς μαθητάς.

Parse: pres act ind 3 sg, διδάσκω. Translation: "The teacher teaches the disciples." Pure active — subject acts on a direct object.

5. ἀποκρίνονται οἱ μαθηταὶ τῷ Χριστῷ.

Parse: pres deponent ind 3 pl, ἀποκρίνομαι. Translation: "The disciples answer Christ." Deponent. ἀποκρίνομαι takes a dative complement (τῷ Χριστῷ = "to/[to] Christ" — the one answered).

6. ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ἀκούεται ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ.

Parse: pres pass ind 3 sg, ἀκούω. Translation: "The word of God is heard in the world." ⚠ M/P AMBIGUITY DECIDED BY CONTEXT: no explicit agent, but middle reading ("hears for itself") makes no sense → passive. Possibly a divine passive — God's word is heard, but the implied hearers are the world's people.

7. δυνάμεθα γινώσκειν τὴν ἀλήθειαν τοῦ θεοῦ.

Parse: pres deponent ind 1 pl, δύναμαι, + pres act inf γινώσκειν. Translation: "We are able to know the truth of God." Deponent δύναμαι + complementary infinitive — the standard "able to" construction.

8. πορεύεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὴν ἔρημον.

Parse: pres deponent ind 3 sg, πορεύομαι. Translation: "Jesus goes into the wilderness." Deponent. πορεύομαι emphasizes the journey, especially in Luke-Acts narrative.

9. ἄρχεται ὁ Πέτρος λέγειν τῷ ὄχλῳ.

Parse: pres mid ind 3 sg, ἄρχομαι (lexical middle of ἄρχω), + pres act inf λέγειν. Translation: "Peter begins to speak to the crowd." Lexical voice-shift: ἄρχω (active) = "rule"; ἄρχομαι (middle) = "begin." The + infinitive complement confirms the "begin" reading.

10. σώζονται οἱ δίκαιοι.

Parse: pres pass ind 3 pl, σῴζω. Translation: "The righteous are saved." No explicit agent, but "save" is rarely self-directed in NT → DIVINE PASSIVE with God as the implied agent. A signature Pauline construction.

11. ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς λούεται πρὸ τῆς θυσίας.

Parse: pres mid ind 3 sg, λούω. Translation: "The high priest washes himself before the sacrifice." ⚠ M/P AMBIGUITY DECIDED BY CONTEXT: λούω/λούομαι can be middle ("wash oneself") or passive ("be washed"). The ritual self-washing context (πρὸ τῆς θυσίας) → middle reading.

12. δέχονται οἱ μαθηταὶ τοὺς λόγους τοῦ κυρίου.

Parse: pres deponent ind 3 pl, δέχομαι. Translation: "The disciples receive the words of the Lord." Deponent — translate actively. δέχομαι takes a direct object in the accusative.

💡 Translation tips for middle/passive

Tip 1: Always check the lexicon first. Deponent verbs come up constantly; treat them as active before doing anything else.
Tip 2: Look for ὑπό + gen as the canonical passive-agent signal. When present, the verb is almost certainly passive.
Tip 3: Some verbs have conventional middle readings (λούω → "wash oneself"; ἄρχω → "begin"). Memorize the famous lexical voice-shift verbs.
Tip 4: When no agent is named and middle makes no semantic sense, default to passive — often a divine passive in NT.
Tip 5: Greek present is imperfective in aspect. A passive present can be rendered "is X-ed," "is being X-ed," or "is regularly X-ed" — pick by context.

PracticeBDAG-Style Parsing Drill — 20 Worked Examples

Guided Practice Do not rush this section. These examples are not a test. Understanding the first five today is success.

Twenty present middle/passive forms parsed step by step using the five-step routine from Part 15. (Each item is also tagged below with its NT-attestation status: Exact NT form / Related NT form / NT-style drill form.) Every example follows the same pattern: (1) recognize the M/P ending (-μαι, -ται, -μεθα, -σθε, -νται, -ομαι, -ῃ/-ει, -εται...), (2) look up the lexical form — if -ομαι without active, the verb is DEPONENT → read as active, (3) if not deponent, decide middle vs passive (look for ὑπό + gen agent marker, self-interest cues, or lexical-shift entries), (4) parse T-V-M-P-N, (5) translate. The twenty cover all five voice categories the lesson teaches: deponent, passive (with agent), passive (without agent, by semantics), middle (self-interest), and lexical middle (where the middle has its own dictionary entry).

The M/P endings — quick reference Present: 1 sg -ομαι · 2 sg -ῃ (from -εσαι) · 3 sg -εται · 1 pl -όμεθα · 2 pl -εσθε · 3 pl -ονται. Any of these endings = middle or passive (never active). The endings themselves do not distinguish middle from passive — that decision is made by the lexicon (deponent?), by surrounding markers (ὑπό + gen?), and by semantics. Always check the lexicon BEFORE deciding voice.

1ἔρχεται ὁ ἸησοῦςDeponent

BDAG-style entry: ἔρχομαι — I come; I go (no active form exists → deponent)

Recognize ending. -εται → 3 sg M/P.
Lexicon check. ἔρχομαι is the lex form. No active form (no ἔρχω). → DEPONENT. Read as active.
Voice decision. N/A — deponent translates active.
T-V-M-P-N. pres dep ind, 3 sg, from ἔρχομαι. ("dep" = deponent, m/p form, active meaning.)
Translate. "Jesus comes" (NOT "Jesus is come"). Common parsing trap: treating a deponent as a passive.

Parse: pres dep ind 3 sg, from ἔρχομαι

Translation: "Jesus comes" / "Jesus is coming." Or historic-present "Jesus came." Critical: do NOT translate as "is come" / "is being come."

Exact NT form: Jn 12:12

2ἔρχονταιDeponent · 3 pl

BDAG-style entry: ἔρχομαι — I come (deponent)

Recognize ending. -ονται → 3 pl M/P.
Lexicon check. ἔρχομαι — deponent.
Voice decision. N/A.
T-V-M-P-N. pres dep ind, 3 pl, from ἔρχομαι.
Translate. "they come" / "they are coming."

Parse: pres dep ind 3 pl, from ἔρχομαι

Translation: "they come."

Exact NT form: Mt 7:15

3γίνεταιDeponent · 3 sg

BDAG-style entry: γίνομαι — I become; I come into being; I happen (deponent)

Recognize ending. -εται → 3 sg M/P.
Lexicon check. γίνομαι — deponent (no active form).
Voice decision. N/A.
T-V-M-P-N. pres dep ind, 3 sg, from γίνομαι.
Translate. "he/it becomes" / "it happens." Most common verb of state-change in the NT.

Parse: pres dep ind 3 sg, from γίνομαι

Translation: "becomes" / "happens." μὴ γένοιτο ("may it not happen") is the famous Pauline optative; the present indicative γίνεται appears widely.

Exact NT form: Mt 9:16

4γινόμεθα τέκνα θεοῦDeponent · 1 pl

BDAG-style entry: γίνομαι — I become (deponent)

Recognize ending. -όμεθα → 1 pl M/P.
Lexicon check. γίνομαι — deponent.
Voice decision. N/A.
T-V-M-P-N. pres dep ind, 1 pl, from γίνομαι.
Translate. "we become children of God."

Parse: pres dep ind 1 pl, from γίνομαι

Translation: "we become children of God." Cf. John 1:12, though John uses the aorist there.

Related NT form: Mk 13:29

5πορεύομαιDeponent · 1 sg

BDAG-style entry: πορεύομαι — I go; I travel; I depart (deponent)

Recognize ending. -ομαι → 1 sg M/P. (This is also the lexical-form ending — deponents are cited in 1 sg M/P, never in 1 sg active.)
Lexicon check. πορεύομαι — deponent (no πορεύω in the NT).
Voice decision. N/A.
T-V-M-P-N. pres dep ind, 1 sg, from πορεύομαι.
Translate. "I go." Common in Jesus's farewell discourses.

Parse: pres dep ind 1 sg, from πορεύομαι

Translation: "I go" / "I am going." πορεύομαι ἑτοιμάσαι τόπον ὑμῖν (John 14:2), "I go to prepare a place for you."

Exact NT form: Lk 14:19

6ἀποκρίνεταιDeponent · 3 sg

BDAG-style entry: ἀποκρίνομαι — I answer; I reply (deponent)

Recognize ending. -εται → 3 sg M/P.
Lexicon check. ἀποκρίνομαι — deponent.
Voice decision. N/A.
T-V-M-P-N. pres dep ind, 3 sg, from ἀποκρίνομαι.
Translate. "he answers." NOT "he is answered."

Parse: pres dep ind 3 sg, from ἀποκρίνομαι

Translation: "he answers." ἀποκρίνεται αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς (John 4:13, etc.), "Jesus answers him."

Exact NT form: Jn 12:23

7δέχονταιDeponent · 3 pl

BDAG-style entry: δέχομαι — I receive; I accept; I welcome (deponent)

Recognize ending. -ονται → 3 pl M/P.
Lexicon check. δέχομαι — deponent.
Voice decision. N/A.
T-V-M-P-N. pres dep ind, 3 pl, from δέχομαι.
Translate. "they receive."

Parse: pres dep ind 3 pl, from δέχομαι

Translation: "they receive / welcome." Often used of receiving a person or a teaching.

Exact NT form: Lk 8:13

8προσεύχομαιDeponent · 1 sg

BDAG-style entry: προσεύχομαι — I pray (compound deponent: πρός + εὔχομαι)

Recognize ending. -ομαι → 1 sg M/P.
Lexicon check. προσεύχομαι — deponent (the simple εὔχομαι is also deponent).
Voice decision. N/A.
T-V-M-P-N. pres dep ind, 1 sg, from προσεύχομαι.
Translate. "I pray."

Parse: pres dep ind 1 sg, from προσεύχομαι

Translation: "I pray." Prayer is grammatically deponent in Greek — etymologically the middle voice once flagged the self-involved nature of prayer ("I pray for myself"), but in the NT the middle-form-with-active-meaning is just the verb's settled shape.

Exact NT form: Php 1:9

9λύεται ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦPassive · agent marked

BDAG-style entry: λύω — I loose; I release (has active → not deponent)

Recognize ending. -εται → 3 sg M/P.
Lexicon check. λύω has an active form → NOT deponent.
Voice decision. ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ = explicit agent (Lesson 9: ὑπό + gen = agent of passive). ⇒ PASSIVE.
T-V-M-P-N. pres pass ind, 3 sg, from λύω.
Translate. "he is loosed by God" / "he is being loosed by God."

Parse: pres pass ind 3 sg, from λύω

Translation: "he is loosed by God." The ὑπό+gen does double duty: signals agent + locks voice as passive.

Related NT form: Lk 19:31

10βαπτίζονται ὑπὸ ἸωάννουPassive · agent marked

BDAG-style entry: βαπτίζω — I baptize; I dip; I immerse

Recognize ending. -ονται → 3 pl M/P.
Lexicon check. βαπτίζω — has active form (which is what John performs); the m/p form here is therefore a real voice choice.
Voice decision. ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου = agent. ⇒ PASSIVE.
T-V-M-P-N. pres pass ind, 3 pl, from βαπτίζω.
Translate. "they are being baptized by John."

Parse: pres pass ind 3 pl, from βαπτίζω

Translation: "they are being baptized by John." Mark 1:5 (with imperfect ἐβαπτίζοντο, Lesson 14). The agent-marker + the m/p ending = passive lock.

Exact NT form: 1Co 15:29

11πέμπεσθε ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦPassive · agent marked

BDAG-style entry: πέμπω — I send

Recognize ending. -εσθε → 2 pl M/P.
Lexicon check. πέμπω has active → not deponent.
Voice decision. ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ = agent. ⇒ PASSIVE.
T-V-M-P-N. pres pass ind, 2 pl, from πέμπω.
Translate. "you (pl) are sent by God."

Parse: pres pass ind 2 pl, from πέμπω

Translation: "you are sent by God." Apostolic-commissioning language. (ἀπόστολος, "one sent.")

Related NT form: Ac 25:25

12ἀκούεται ὁ λόγοςPassive · agent implicit

BDAG-style entry: ἀκούω — I hear

Recognize ending. -εται → 3 sg M/P.
Lexicon check. ἀκούω has active → not deponent.
Voice decision. No agent marker. But semantically: "the word hears itself" makes no sense (a word can't perform hearing). ⇒ PASSIVE: "the word is heard."
T-V-M-P-N. pres pass ind, 3 sg, from ἀκούω.
Translate. "the word is heard."

Parse: pres pass ind 3 sg, from ἀκούω

Translation: "the word is heard." Without ὑπό + gen, semantics rule: an inanimate noun like λόγος cannot be the subject of "hear" actively, so passive.

Exact NT form: 1Co 5:1

13σῴζονταιPassive · agent implicit

BDAG-style entry: σῴζω — I save; I rescue; I heal

Recognize ending. -ονται → 3 pl M/P.
Lexicon check. σῴζω has active → not deponent.
Voice decision. Often no agent marker, but semantics + theological convention: humans don't save themselves ⇒ PASSIVE (divine passive, agent God-by-implication).
T-V-M-P-N. pres pass ind, 3 pl, from σῴζω.
Translate. "they are saved" / "they are being saved."

Parse: pres pass ind 3 pl, from σῴζω

Translation: "they are being saved." 1 Cor 1:18 has τοῖς δὲ σῳζομένοις (articular present participle, "to those being saved") — the same passive sense with the divine agent implicit.

Related NT form: 1Co 1:18

14λούεται ὁ ἀρχιερεύςMiddle · self-interest

BDAG-style entry: λούω (act.) "wash someone"; λούομαι (mid.) "wash oneself"

Recognize ending. -εται → 3 sg M/P.
Lexicon check. λούω has active ("wash someone else") → not deponent.
Voice decision. No agent marker. Subject is a high priest in a ritual context, which conventionally involves washing oneself. The middle convention ("wash oneself") fits. ⇒ MIDDLE.
T-V-M-P-N. pres mid ind, 3 sg, from λούω.
Translate. "the high priest washes himself."

Parse: pres mid ind 3 sg, from λούω

Translation: "the high priest washes himself." The middle voice IS the self-bath; English uses a reflexive pronoun. The English doesn't have a comparable voice — that's why Greek needs three voices.

NT-style drill form using NT vocabulary

15ἄρχεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς διδάσκεινLexical middle

BDAG-style entry: ἄρχω (act.) "rule"; ἄρχομαι (mid.) "begin" (often + infinitive)

Recognize ending. -εται → 3 sg M/P.
Lexicon check. The lexicon lists ἄρχομαι (middle) as a SEPARATE entry from ἄρχω (active). The active means "rule"; the middle means "begin." This is a lexical middle — the middle has its own gloss, not derivable from the active.
Voice decision. The complementary infinitive διδάσκειν ("to teach") confirms the "begin to" reading. ⇒ MIDDLE (lexical).
T-V-M-P-N. pres mid ind, 3 sg, from ἄρχομαι (middle).
Translate. "Jesus begins to teach."

Parse: pres mid ind 3 sg, from ἄρχομαι (lexical middle of ἄρχω)

Translation: "Jesus begins to teach." Common gospel-narrative opener: ἤρξατο διδάσκειν (Mark 4:1, aorist). Lexical middles are deponent-like in that the middle has its own lex entry, but the active also exists with a different meaning — not the same as a pure deponent.

Related NT form: Mk 10:42

16ἐργάζονταιDeponent · 3 pl

BDAG-style entry: ἐργάζομαι — I work; I perform; I labor (deponent)

Recognize ending. -ονται → 3 pl M/P.
Lexicon check. ἐργάζομαι — deponent.
Voice decision. N/A.
T-V-M-P-N. pres dep ind, 3 pl, from ἐργάζομαι.
Translate. "they work."

Parse: pres dep ind 3 pl, from ἐργάζομαι

Translation: "they work."

Exact NT form: Re 18:17

17βούλεταιDeponent · 3 sg

BDAG-style entry: βούλομαι — I wish; I want; I intend (deponent)

Recognize ending. -εται → 3 sg M/P.
Lexicon check. βούλομαι — deponent.
Voice decision. N/A.
T-V-M-P-N. pres dep ind, 3 sg, from βούλομαι.
Translate. "he wishes" / "he wants" / "he intends." Often + infinitive.

Parse: pres dep ind 3 sg, from βούλομαι

Translation: "he wishes." Compare with θέλω (active, more common): both translate "want / wish." βούλομαι suggests deliberate intent; θέλω suggests desire or willingness.

Exact NT form: 1Co 12:11

18λύεταιM/P · ambiguous in isolation

BDAG-style entry: λύω — I loose; I release

Recognize ending. -εται → 3 sg M/P.
Lexicon check. λύω has active → not deponent.
Voice decision. No agent marker; no obvious self-interest cue; no lexical-middle entry. ⇒ genuinely AMBIGUOUS in isolation. Could be passive ("he is loosed") or middle ("he looses for himself"). The lesson's default rule: when in doubt, prefer passive. Most NT verbs without a contrastive middle entry are read as passive when no agent is stated.
T-V-M-P-N. pres pass (default) ind, 3 sg, from λύω.
Translate. "he is loosed" (passive default).

Parse: pres m/p ind 3 sg, from λύω — default passive in absence of context

Translation: "he is loosed." The pedagogical point: when steps 1–3 don't yield a clean decision, the default is passive. Compare drill 9, which has the same verb + agent — agent locks it as passive. Here in isolation, the lesson defaults to passive too.

Related NT form: Lk 19:31

19δύναται σῶσαιDeponent · athematic

BDAG-style entry: δύναμαι — I am able; I can (deponent, athematic M/P endings — previewed in Lesson 13)

Recognize ending. -ται → 3 sg M/P. (Note: ATHEMATIC — no connecting vowel ε between stem δυνα- and ending -ται. Most M/P verbs have it; δύναμαι and a few others don't.)
Lexicon check. δύναμαι — deponent.
Voice decision. N/A.
T-V-M-P-N. pres dep ind, 3 sg, from δύναμαι.
Translate. "he is able." Usually with a complementary infinitive (σῶσαι "to save"): "he is able to save."

Parse: pres dep ind 3 sg, from δύναμαι

Translation: "he is able to save." δύναμαι's athematic conjugation is covered in Lesson 13 along with εἰμί and οἶδα. Always look for the complementary infinitive.

Exact NT form: Mt 27:42

20πιστεύεσθε ὑπὸ αὐτοῦPassive · 2 pl

BDAG-style entry: πιστεύω — I believe; I entrust

Recognize ending. -εσθε → 2 pl M/P.
Lexicon check. πιστεύω has active → not deponent.
Voice decision. ὑπὸ αὐτοῦ = agent. ⇒ PASSIVE.
T-V-M-P-N. pres pass ind, 2 pl, from πιστεύω.
Translate. "you (pl) are entrusted by him" (πιστεύω in the passive often means "be entrusted with," not "be believed in"). Note: this English ambiguity is part of why context and lexicon matter so much.

Parse: pres pass ind 2 pl, from πιστεύω

Translation: "you are entrusted [with something] by him." πιστεύω in the passive shifts to the entrust-sense; cf. πεπίστευμαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον (Gal 2:7, "I have been entrusted with the gospel").

Related NT form: Mk 1:15

Practice plan Run all twenty out loud. Force yourself to (1) name the M/P ending and person/number, (2) state the lexical form, (3) make the voice decision aloud, naming the rule that decided it (deponent? agent? lexical middle? self-interest? default passive?). The five-step routine collapses to: ending → lexicon → voice → parse → translate. Drills 1–8 are deponents (most common scenario in the NT). Drills 9–13 are passives (with and without explicit agent). Drills 14–15 are middles (self-interest + lexical). Drills 16–20 mix in athematic deponents, ambiguous M/P forms, and the passive-of-πιστεύω entrust-sense. The single most common error: treating a deponent as a passive ("Jesus is come" for ἔρχεται). Always check the lexicon FIRST.

PracticePart 16 — Translation Exercises (Brief)

Translate

πορευόμεθα εἰς τὴν πόλιν.
βαπτίζονται οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου. [ἁμαρτωλός = "sinner"]
ὁ θεὸς ἀκούεται ὑπὸ τῶν δικαίων.
δέχονται οἱ μαθηταὶ τοὺς λόγους τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
ἔρχομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς.
γίνονται οἱ τυφλοὶ ἀδελφοὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. [τυφλοί = "blind ones"]
προσευχόμεθα τῷ θεῷ ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ.

Answers 1. We go into the city. (πορεύομαι deponent.)
2. The sinners are baptized by John. (Passive — agent phrase.)
3. God is heard by the righteous. (Passive — agent phrase.)
4. The disciples receive the words of Christ. (δέχομαι deponent.)
5. I am coming to you. (ἔρχομαι deponent.)
6. The blind become brothers of Christ. (γίνομαι deponent. Substantival τυφλοί = "the blind ones.")
7. We pray to God in the temple. (προσεύχομαι deponent.)

Practice — drill the concepts

Six skill-specific drill sets, then a cumulative Mastery Test of 52 questions on middle and passive voice — predicting m/p endings, distinguishing middle from passive in identical forms (context decides!), parsing deponent verbs that have no active form, recognizing ὑπό + gen as the agency marker for passives, and translating real NT mid/pass clauses. Items you miss loop until mastered.

Vocabulary — Lesson 12 14 vocabulary words

Greek	Translit.	Meaning
ἀποκρίνομαι	apokrinomai	I answer (deponent)
ἄρχω / ἄρχομαι	archō	I rule (active); I begin (mid.)
βαπτίζω	baptizō	I baptize (active); be baptized (passive)
γίνομαι	ginomai	I become, am, happen (deponent)
δέχομαι	dechomai	I receive, welcome (deponent)
δύναμαι	dynamai	I am able, can (deponent)
ἔρχομαι	erchomai	I come, go (deponent)
πορεύομαι	poreuomai	I go, proceed (deponent)
προσεύχομαι	proseuchomai	I pray (deponent)
προσέρχομαι	proserchomai	I come/go to (+ dat) (deponent)
ἐκπορεύομαι	ekporeuomai	I go out, proceed (deponent)
ἐργάζομαι	ergazomai	I work, do (deponent)
κάθημαι	kathēmai	I sit (deponent)
ὑπάρχω	hyparchō	I am, exist