Participles in New Testament Greek are verbal adjectives that blend the properties of verbs and adjectives, carrying tense and voice while agreeing with nouns in gender, number, and case. They serve multiple syntactic roles: adjectival (modifying nouns), substantival (functioning as nouns), and adverbial (modifying verbs to express time, cause, means, condition, concession, or purpose). Their tense conveys aspect—present for ongoing action, aorist for completed action, and perfect for resulting states—rather than strict chronological time. Participles are essential for understanding the flow and logic of Greek sentences, especially in narrative and theological contexts, where they often form extended clauses that enrich meaning and cohesion. Their nuanced use allows for compact yet expressive theological statements, as seen in examples like ὁ πιστεύων (“the one believing”) or φερομένης (“being carried”), which reveal both grammatical precision and interpretive depth.
What Is a Participle?
A participle in New Testament Greek is a verbal adjective—a form derived from a verb that functions syntactically like an adjective. Participles retain verbal features such as tense and voice, while also adopting adjectival features like gender, number, and case. This hybrid nature makes participles incredibly versatile tools for expressing time, cause, means, condition, concession, and more.
In the New Testament, participles are used extensively, contributing to the richness and flow of Greek narrative and argumentation. They are especially important in Paul’s epistles and the Gospels, often forming extended clauses that require close attention to translation and interpretation.
Basic Characteristics
- Declinable: Participles agree with nouns in gender, number, and case.
- Tense: Tense indicates aspect, not absolute time.
- Voice: Participles appear in active, middle, and passive voices.
- Function: Can function adverbially, adjectivally, or substantivally.
Main Functions of Participles
1. Adjectival Participles
These modify nouns and act like adjectives. They must agree in case, gender, and number with the noun they modify.
Example (John 3:18): ὁ πιστεύων – “the one believing” (i.e., “whoever believes”)
2. Substantival Participles
These function like nouns themselves, often with the article.
Example (Romans 4:5): τὸν δικαιοῦντα – “the one who justifies”
3. Adverbial Participles
These modify the verb of the main clause and express a wide range of relationships, including:
| Use | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Temporal | Answers “when?” | λέγοντος αὐτοῦ ταῦτα – “while he was saying these things” |
| Cause | Answers “why?” | φοβηθεὶς ἐξῆλθεν – “because he was afraid, he went out” |
| Means | Answers “how?” | ἠλάλουν παρακαλοῦντες – “they spoke by exhorting” |
| Condition | Answers “if?” | πιστεύων σωθήσῃ – “if you believe, you will be saved” |
| Concession | Answers “although?” | καὶ ὢν τέλειος, ἔμαθεν – “although being perfect, he learned” |
| Purpose | Answers “why?” | λαβὼν τὸ βιβλίον ἵνα ἀναγνώσῃ – “having taken the scroll to read it” |
Aspect and Time
Greek participles communicate aspect (the type of action) rather than strict chronological time. The relationship between the participle and main verb must be interpreted contextually:
- Present Participle: Imperfective aspect – continuous or ongoing action.
- Aorist Participle: Perfective aspect – action viewed as a whole or completed.
- Perfect Participle: Stative aspect – result of a completed action with continuing effects.
Illustrative Verse: Acts 2:4
καὶ ἐπλήσθησαν πάντες Πνεύματος Ἁγίου, καὶ ἤρξαντο λαλεῖν ἑτέραις γλώσσαις καθὼς τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐδίδου αὐτοῖς ἀποφθέγγεσθαι.
Though this verse contains no participle, compare with Acts 2:2:
καὶ ἐγένετο ἄφνω ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἦχος ὥσπερ φερομένης πνοῆς βιαίας – “as of a rushing violent wind being carried” (φερομένης, present participle passive, genitive feminine singular). This participle modifies πνοῆς and indicates continuous motion.
Why Participles Matter
Participles are not mere grammatical tools—they are stylistic and theological devices. The Greek participle allows dense, fluid, and precise description. It conveys theological nuance (e.g., “those who are believing” vs. “those who believed”) and syntactic cohesion across complex sentences. A reader attuned to participial structure can better discern flow of thought, cause-effect relationships, and authorial emphasis in the inspired text.
