# BBG Chapter 19 — Future Active and Middle Indicative

## Files

### Exercises

Exercise | Description
--- | ---
exercises/ch19-future-parsing/ | Future Active/Middle Parsing Drill — 20 forms to parse

### Flashcards

File | Description
--- | ---
ch19-vocab-deck.md | Human-readable card list — 10 vocabulary words
ch19-vocab-deck.txt | Anki import file (File → Import)
ch19-vocab-deck-fd.txt | Flashcards Deluxe import file

### Notebooks

Notebook | What it shows
--- | ---
GNT Verb Morphology | Future tense count and voice breakdown
Genre Comparison | Future tense distribution and voice patterns across NT genres

Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar, Mounce, 4th Edition
Data: MACULA Greek TAGNT (~18,000 future indicative tokens NT-wide)

## 1. The Future Tense — Overview

The future indicative expresses simple future action — an action that will occur at a point after the time of speaking. Aspectually, the future is perfective (it views the action as a whole unit), though some grammarians treat it as aspect-neutral since the future cannot yet be observed.

Feature | Value
--- | ---
Tense | Future
Voice | Active or Middle
Mood | Indicative
Aspect | Perfective (undefined)
Time | Future (relative to speaker)
Augment? | No
Reduplication? | No

## 2. How the Future Stem Is Formed

The future tense stem is built by adding σ directly to the present (or verbal) stem. This σ is the tense formant — the single most diagnostic feature of the future.

    Future Active  = Verbal stem + σ + connecting vowel (ο/ε) + primary active endings
    Future Middle  = Verbal stem + σ + connecting vowel (ο/ε) + primary middle/passive endings

### 2.1 Regular Formation (λύω)

Step | Form | Notes
--- | --- | ---
Present stem | λυ- | From λύω "I loose"
+ σ formant | λυσ- | Tense formant added
+ connecting vowel + ending | λύσω | ο before μ/ν; ε before others

### 2.2 Stop Consonant Changes Before σ

When the verbal stem ends in a stop consonant, the stop combines with σ to produce a double consonant:

Consonant Class | Stops | + σ → | Example
--- | --- | --- | ---
Labials | π, β, φ | → ψ | γράφω → γράψω
Velars | κ, γ, χ | → ξ | ἄγω → ἄξω
Dentals | τ, δ, θ | → σ (dental drops) | πείθω → πείσω

> Note: These same stop + σ combinations appear in the future, aorist, and perfect active. Memorizing this table now will pay dividends across six chapters of verb study.

## 3. Primary Active Endings

The future active uses the primary active endings — the same endings as the present active indicative. The σ formant distinguishes future from present.

Person/Number | Ending | Connecting Vowel + Ending
--- | --- | ---
1sg | -ω | ο + — → -ω
2sg | -εις | ε + ις → -εις
3sg | -ει | ε + ι → -ει
1pl | -ομεν | ο + μεν → -ομεν
2pl | -ετε | ε + τε → -ετε
3pl | -ουσι(ν) | ο + νσι → -ουσι(ν)

## 4. Primary Middle/Passive Endings

The future middle uses the primary middle/passive endings:

Person/Number | Ending | Connecting Vowel + Ending
--- | --- | ---
1sg | -ομαι | ο + μαι → -ομαι
2sg | -ῃ | ε + σαι → -ῃ (σ drops, ε + αι contract)
3sg | -εται | ε + ται → -εται
1pl | -ομεθα | ο + μεθα → -ομεθα
2pl | -εσθε | ε + σθε → -εσθε
3pl | -ονται | ο + νται → -ονται

> Note: The future passive is not introduced until Ch24. When you see a future middle form, it is middle voice (the subject acts for its own benefit or upon itself), not passive.

## 5. Full Paradigm — Future Active Indicative (λύω)

Person/Number | Future Active | Translation
--- | --- | ---
1sg | λύσω | I will loose
2sg | λύσεις | You will loose
3sg | λύσει | He/she/it will loose
1pl | λύσομεν | We will loose
2pl | λύσετε | You (pl) will loose
3pl | λύσουσι(ν) | They will loose

## 6. Full Paradigm — Future Middle Indicative (λύω)

Person/Number | Future Middle | Translation
--- | --- | ---
1sg | λύσομαι | I will loose (for myself)
2sg | λύσῃ | You will loose (for yourself)
3sg | λύσεται | He/she will loose (for himself/herself)
1pl | λυσόμεθα | We will loose (for ourselves)
2pl | λύσεσθε | You (pl) will loose (for yourselves)
3pl | λύσονται | They will loose (for themselves)

## 7. Liquid Futures

Verbs whose stems end in λ, μ, ν, ρ (liquid consonants) cannot take the σ tense formant directly — σ is unstable between a vowel and a liquid, and drops. Instead, liquid futures:

1. Drop the σ
2. Add ε between the stem and the endings
3. This ε contracts with the connecting vowel, producing contract-like circumflex forms

Present | Stem | Future | Notes
--- | --- | --- | ---
μένω | μεν- | μενῶ | Circumflex accent = contraction
αἴρω | ἀρ- | ἀρῶ | Stem vowel-grades; ε contracts
ἀποκτείνω | ἀποκτεν- | ἀποκτενῶ | ν-stem liquid
ἀποστέλλω | ἀποστελ- | ἀποστελῶ | λλ → λ before ending
ἐγείρω | ἐγερ- | ἐγερῶ | ρ-stem liquid
κρίνω | κριν- | κρινῶ | ν-stem liquid

> Note: The circumflex accent over the connecting vowel in liquid futures is a key diagnostic. If you see a future-looking form with a circumflex and no σ, suspect a liquid future.

### Liquid Future Paradigm (μένω — "I remain")

Person/Number | Future Active
--- | ---
1sg | μενῶ
2sg | μενεῖς
3sg | μενεῖ
1pl | μενοῦμεν
2pl | μενεῖτε
3pl | μενοῦσι(ν)

## 8. Contract Verb Futures

Contract verbs (stems ending in α, ε, ο) lengthen their final stem vowel before adding the σ tense formant:

Contract Class | Present | Stem Vowel | Future
--- | --- | --- | ---
α-contracts | ἀγαπάω | α → η | ἀγαπήσω
ε-contracts | ποιέω | ε → η | ποιήσω
ο-contracts | πληρόω | ο → ω | πληρώσω

> Note: After lengthening, contract verb futures are entirely regular — they follow the same λύσω paradigm. Vowel lengthening is the only adjustment.

## 9. Deponent Futures

Some verbs are deponent in the future (middle form, active meaning). Common examples:

Verb | Future (Deponent) | Meaning
--- | --- | ---
ἀκούω | ἀκούσομαι | I will hear
ἔρχομαι | ἐλεύσομαι | I will come/go
λαμβάνω | λήμψομαι | I will take/receive
ὁράω | ὄψομαι | I will see
πίνω | πίομαι | I will drink

## 10. Identifying Future vs. Present Forms

The σ formant is the key distinguishing feature:

Form | Tense | Key Feature
--- | --- | ---
λύω | Present | No σ before endings
λύσω | Future | σ before connecting vowel
γράφω | Present | No consonant cluster
γράψω | Future | ψ = φ + σ
ἄγω | Present | No consonant cluster
ἄξω | Future | ξ = γ + σ

## 11. GNT Frequency and Theological Examples

The future indicative carries enormous theological weight in the GNT. Key examples:

Reference | Greek | Translation
--- | --- | ---
Matt 1:21 | σώσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ | "He will save his people"
John 14:26 | διδάξει ὑμᾶς πάντα | "He will teach you all things"
John 16:13 | ὁδηγήσει ὑμᾶς | "He will guide you"
Rom 8:11 | ζῳοποιήσει | "He will give life to"
Rev 21:4 | ἐξαλείψει πᾶν δάκρυον | "He will wipe away every tear"