THE AORIST FOR THE (ENGLISH) PERFECT
(1) The Aorist is frequently used in Greek where the English idiom requires a Perfect.
Luke 19:9; Σήμερον σωτηρία τῷ οἴκῳ τούτῳ ἐγένετο, to-day is salvation come to this house.
Matt. 5:21; Ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη τοῖς ἀρχαίοις, ye have heard that it was said to them of old time.
Phil. 4:11; ἐγὼ γὰρ ἔμαθον ἐν οἷς εἰμι αὐτάρκης εἶναι, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am therein to be content. See also under ENGLISH EQUIVALENTS OF THE GREEK AORIST INDICATIVE.
(2) The Aorist Indicative of a few verbs is used in the New Testament to denote a present state, the result of a past act, hence with the proper force of a Greek Perfect. Cf. The Perfect of Existing State, PERIPHRASTIC FORM OF THE PERFECT (3). So the Aorists ἀπέθανεν (cf. Mark 5:35 with Luke 8:49, and see John 8:52 et al.), ἐξέστην (Mark 3:21; 2 Cor. 5:13), and possibly ἔγνων (John 7:26; cf. 1 Macc. 6:13). All these Aorists may also be used as simple historical Aorists.
