The Present Indicative is used to express customary actions and general truths.
Matt. 7:17; οὕτως πᾶν δένδρον ἀγαθὸν καρποὺς καλοὺς ποιεῖ, τὸ δὲ σαπρὸν δένδρον καρποὺς πονηροὺς ποιεῖ, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit.
2 Cor. 9:7; ἕκαστος καθὼς προῄρηται τῇ καρδίᾳ, μὴ ἐκ λύπης ἢ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἱλαρὸν γὰρ δότην ἀγαπᾷ ὁ θεός, for God loveth a cheerful giver.… Learn Koine Greek
The Present Indicative is occasionally used of action attempted, but not accomplished. This use is, however, not to be regarded as a distinct function of the tense. The Conative Present is merely a species of the Progressive Present. A verb which of itself suggests effort, when used in a tense which implies action in progress, and hence incomplete, naturally suggests the idea of attempt. All the verb-forms of the Present system are equally, with the Present, capable of expressing attempted action, since they all denote action in progress. John 10:32, λιθάζετε, and Gal. 5:4, δικαιοῦσθε, illustrate this usage in the Present.… Learn Koine Greek
The Present Indicative is used of action in progress in present time.
Matt. 25:8; αἱ δὲ μωραὶ ταῖς φρονίμοις εἶπαν Δότε ἡμῖν ἐκ τοῦ ἐλαίου ὑμῶν, ὅτι αἱ λαμπάδες ἡμῶν σβέννυνται, our lamps are going out.
Gal. 1:6; Θαυμάζω ὅτι οὕτως ταχέως μετατίθεσθε ἀπὸ τοῦ καλέσαντος ὑμᾶς, I marvel that ye are so quickly removing from him that called you.
The most constant characteristic of the Present Indicative is that it denotes action in progress. It probably had originally no reference to present time. But since, in the historical periods of the language, action in progress in past time is expressed by the Imperfect, and the Future is used both as a progressive and as an aoristic tense for future time, it results that the Present Indicative is chiefly used to express action in progress in present time.… Learn Koine Greek
(1) The significance of the tenses of the Indicative mood may be stated in general as follows: – As respects progress: The Present and Imperfect denote action in progress; the Perfect, Pluperfect, and Future Perfect denote completed action; the Aorist represents the action indefinitely as an event or single fact; the Future is used either of action in progress like the Present, or indefinitely like the Aorist.
As respects time:
The Present and Perfect denote present time; the Imperfect, Aorist, and Pluperfect denote past time; the Future and Future Perfect denote future time.
(2) The tenses of the Indicative in general denote time relative to that of speaking.… Learn Koine Greek
The action denoted by a verb may be defined by the tense of the verb:
(a) As respects its progress. Thus it may be represented as in progress, or as completed, or indefinitely, i.e., as a simple event without reference to progress or completion. This corresponds to what is known as aspect in Greek grammar: the viewpoint or manner in which an action is portrayed.
(b) As respects its time, as past, present, or future. This is known as temporal reference, and it is most strictly observed only in the Indicative mood.
The tenses of the Indicative mood in general define the action of the verb in both these respects: aspect and time.… Learn Koine Greek
There are seven tenses in Greek:-
Present, Imperfect, Aorist, Future, Perfect, Pluperfect, Future Perfect.These tenses express both aspect (the kind of action) and time (when the action takes place), though aspect is often more primary than time in many moods outside the indicative.
Those tenses which denote present or future time are called Primary Tenses. Those tenses which denote past time are called Secondary Tenses.
Since the time denoted by a tense varies with the particular use of the tense and the mood in which it occurs, no fixed or absolute line of division can be drawn between the two classes of tenses.… Learn Koine Greek
There are four moods in the Greek verb:-
the Indicative, the Subjunctive, the Optative, and the Imperative.With these are associated in the study of Syntax the Infinitive, which is, strictly speaking, a verbal noun, and the Participle, which is a verbal adjective.
The Subjunctive, Optative, Imperative, and Infinitive are often called dependent moods.
REMARK. The term dependent is not strictly applicable to these moods, and least of all to the Imperative, which almost always stands as a principal verb. It has, however, become an established term, and is retained as a matter of convenience.
Indicative Mood
The Indicative mood is the mood of factual assertion and reality.… Learn Koine Greek
– καὶ: Coordinating conjunction—”and.” – τὸ πτῶμα: Accusative singular neuter of πτῶμα, “corpse” or “dead body.” – Subject of the implied verb “lies” or “was” (understood from the context). – αὐτῶν: Genitive plural personal pronoun—”their.” – Possessive genitive modifying πτῶμα: “their dead body” (collectively referring to the two witnesses). – ἐπὶ τῆς πλατείας: Preposition ἐπὶ with genitive—”on the street.” – πλατείας: Genitive singular feminine of πλατεία, “broad street” or “public square.”… Learn Koine Greek
ὑμεῖς δὲ λέγετε· ἐὰν εἴπῃ ἄνθρωπος τῷ πατρὶ ἢ τῇ μητρί, κορβᾶν, ὅ ἐστι, δῶρον, ὃ ἐὰν ἐξ ἐμοῦ ὠφεληθῇς,
Focus Topic: Conditional Clauses and Parenthetical ExplanationThis verse involves a nested conditional sentence, with explanatory gloss, and a relative clause inside a conditional protasis. The structure reflects both legalistic reasoning and linguistic complexity found in rabbinic-style traditions.
Main Verb: λέγετελέγετε is present active indicative, 2nd person plural, from λέγω (“you say”). It introduces direct speech that reports a hypothetical legalistic statement attributed to the religious leaders.
Conditional Clause: ἐὰν εἴπῃ ἄνθρωπος…This is a third-class conditional clause: ἐὰν + subjunctive (εἴπῃ) introduces a future hypothetical situation — “if a man says…”
Greek Word Form Function ἐὰν Subordinating conjunction Introduces the protasis (if-clause) εἴπῃ Aorist active subjunctive, 3rd singular “he says” — hypothetical statement Dative Indirect Objects: τῷ πατρὶ ἢ τῇ μητρίThese datives indicate the people to whom the man speaks — his father or mother.… Learn Koine Greek
The primary verb ἐξῆλθεν (aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular of ἐξέρχομαι) serves as the central narrative action, translated as “went out” or “came forth.” The aorist tense marks this as a completed event in the sequence of visionary disclosures.
This verb governs the subject ἄλλος ἵππος πυρρός—“another horse, fiery red”—a phrase that introduces the symbolic figure with vivid imagery, following apocalyptic genre conventions.
Nominal Phrase: ἄλλος ἵππος πυρρόςThis phrase consists of:
– ἄλλος (nominative masculine singular): “another,” functioning as an adjective modifying ἵππος – ἵππος (nominative masculine singular): “horse,” the subject of ἐξῆλθεν – πυρρός (nominative masculine singular adjective): “fiery red,” agreeing with ἵππος
The word order places emphasis on the color descriptor πυρρός, a rare and intense term, highlighting the horse’s symbolic function of violence and war.… Learn Koine Greek
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