# BBG Chapter 30 — Combinative (Perfect) Participles and Genitive Absolutes

## Files

### Exercises

Exercise | Description
--- | ---
exercises/ch30-perfect-participle-genabs/ | 15-item drill: parse perfect participles and identify/translate genitive absolute constructions

### Flashcards

File | Description
--- | ---
ch30-vocab-deck.md | Human-readable card list — 2 vocabulary words
ch30-vocab-deck.txt | Anki import file (File → Import)
ch30-vocab-deck-fd.txt | Flashcards Deluxe import file

### Notebooks

Notebook | What it shows
--- | ---
Greek Participles | Perfect participle count and top lemmas; genitive absolute distribution
Genre Comparison | Perfect participle and genitive absolute distribution by genre

Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar, Mounce, 4th Edition
Data: MACULA Greek TAGNT (~520 perfect participle tokens NT-wide; ~480 genitive absolute constructions NT-wide)

## 1. The Perfect Aspect — Review

The perfect tense-form in Greek expresses combinative aspect: a past action whose results or effects persist into the present. The perfect participle communicates this same aspect in participial form: a state that exists as a result of a prior completed action.

> Note: The perfect participle does not simply mean "having done X in the past." It means "being in the state produced by having done X." The state — not just the action — is in view.

## 2. Perfect Active Participle

### 2.1 Formation

Component | Description
--- | ---
Reduplication | First consonant + ε (e.g., λ → λε-)
Perfect active stem | λελυκ-
Tense suffix | κ
Participial morpheme (masc/neut) | οτ (nom sg: masc -ώς, neut -ός)
Participial morpheme (fem) | υι → -υῖα
Endings | 3rd declension (masc/neut), 1st declension (fem)

The perfect active participle is often listed with the stem in -κ- and the masculine nominative singular ending -ώς.

### 2.2 Paradigm — Perfect Active Participle (λύω → λελυκ-)

Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter
--- | --- | --- | ---
Nominative sg | λελυκώς | λελυκυῖα | λελυκός
Genitive sg | λελυκότος | λελυκυίας | λελυκότος
Dative sg | λελυκότι | λελυκυίᾳ | λελυκότι
Accusative sg | λελυκότα | λελυκυῖαν | λελυκός
Nominative pl | λελυκότες | λελυκυῖαι | λελυκότα
Genitive pl | λελυκότων | λελυκυιῶν | λελυκότων
Dative pl | λελυκόσι(ν) | λελυκυίαις | λελυκόσι(ν)
Accusative pl | λελυκότας | λελυκυίας | λελυκότα

> Note: The key markers of the perfect active participle are: (1) reduplication at the beginning of the word (repeated consonant + ε), (2) the κ suffix, and (3) the -κώς / -κότ- pattern in the masculine/neuter. The feminine -κυῖα is unique and unmistakable.

## 3. Perfect Middle/Passive Participle

### 3.1 Formation

Component | Description
--- | ---
Reduplication | Same reduplication as perfect active
Perfect middle/passive stem | λελυ-
Participial morpheme | μεν
Endings | 2-1-2 declension (like regular adjectives)

Result: λελυμένος, λελυμένη, λελυμένον

### 3.2 Paradigm — Perfect Middle/Passive Participle (λύω)

Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter
--- | --- | --- | ---
Nominative sg | λελυμένος | λελυμένη | λελυμένον
Genitive sg | λελυμένου | λελυμένης | λελυμένου
Dative sg | λελυμένῳ | λελυμένῃ | λελυμένῳ
Accusative sg | λελυμένον | λελυμένην | λελυμένον
Nominative pl | λελυμένοι | λελυμέναι | λελυμένα
Genitive pl | λελυμένων | λελυμένων | λελυμένων
Dative pl | λελυμένοις | λελυμέναις | λελυμένοις
Accusative pl | λελυμένους | λελυμένας | λελυμένα

> Note: The perfect middle/passive participle is easily identified: reduplication + -μεν- + 2-1-2 endings. The reduplication distinguishes it from the present middle/passive participle (which also uses -μεν- but lacks reduplication).

## 4. Combinative Aspect in Participle Translation

Participle | Aspect | Translation of the State
--- | --- | ---
Present (λύων) | Imperfective | "while loosing"
Aorist (λύσας) | Perfective | "after loosing / having loosed"
Perfect (λελυκώς) | Combinative | "having loosed [and the loosing still matters]"

The perfect participle emphasizes the ongoing state more than the mere completion. It often translates as "having [verb]-ed" with the implication that the resulting state is still in effect.

### 4.1 GNT Examples

> ὁ δεδεμένος = "the one who has been bound" (= who is in a bound state)

> γεγραμμένος ἐν τῇ βίβλῳ = "written in the book" (= existing in a written state in the book)

> Ἰωσὴφ ὁ λεγόμενος Βαρσαββᾶς (Acts 1:23) — present pass. ptc for contrast:
> vs. perfect pass. would be: ὁ εἰρημένος (the one who has been called / whose name has been permanently established)

> πεπιστευκότας τῷ θεῷ (Tit 3:8)
> "those who have believed in God" — the perfect emphasizes the ongoing commitment

## 5. The Genitive Absolute

### 5.1 Definition

A genitive absolute is a participial construction that is syntactically independent from the main clause. It consists of:

1. A noun or pronoun in the genitive (the subject of the participial phrase)
2. A participle in the genitive (agrees with its subject)

The subject of the genitive absolute is different from the subject of the main verb.

> Note: The word "absolute" means "free" or "unattached" — the construction is grammatically independent, not connected to the main clause by any syntactic link. This is what distinguishes it from an ordinary participial modifier.

### 5.2 Structure

    [Genitive noun/pronoun] + [Genitive participle] , [Main clause]

Both the noun and the participle are in the genitive case and agree with each other.

### 5.3 Translation

Translate the genitive absolute as a dependent clause:

Participle Tense | Translation
--- | ---
Present | "while [subject] was [verb]-ing…"
Aorist | "when/after [subject] had [verb]-ed…"
Perfect | "since [subject] had [verb]-ed (and the state persisted)…"

### 5.4 GNT Examples

> αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος τοῖς ὄχλοις, ἰδοὺ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ… (Matt 12:46)
> "While he was still speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother…"
> — αὐτοῦ (gen) = subject; λαλοῦντος (gen pres ptc) = participle; main subject = ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ

> ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ εἰπόντος, πολλοὶ ἐπίστευσαν. (cf. John 8:30)
> "After he had said these things, many believed."
> — αὐτοῦ (gen) + εἰπόντος (gen aor ptc); main subject = πολλοί

> τεθνηκότος δὲ τοῦ Ἡρῴδου (Matt 2:19)
> "When Herod had died [= after Herod's death]"
> — τοῦ Ἡρῴδου (gen) + τεθνηκότος (gen perf ptc)

### 5.5 Why the Genitive Absolute?

Greek requires the genitive absolute when the participial phrase needs its own distinct subject that is different from the main clause subject. English solves this with "when/while/after [subject] [verb]..." — a subordinate clause. Greek uses the genitive absolute instead.

Subject Same? | Construction | Example
--- | --- | ---
Yes — same as main verb | Regular adverbial participle (nominative) | ἐλθὼν εἶπεν (he came and said)
No — different subject | Genitive absolute | αὐτοῦ ἐλθόντος, εἶπον (when he came, they said)

## 6. Complete Participle Formation Summary

Participle | Tense Marker | Key Morpheme | Masc Nom Sg | Fem Nom Sg | Neut Nom Sg
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Pres. Active | — | -οντ- | -ων | -ουσα | -ον
Pres. Mid/Pass | — | -μεν- | -όμενος | -ομένη | -όμενον
Aor. Active (1st) | -σα- | -σαντ- | -σας | -σασα | -σαν
Aor. Passive (1st) | -θε(ι)- | -θεντ- | -θείς | -θεῖσα | -θέν
Aor. Active (2nd) | — (diff. stem) | -οντ- | -ών | -οῦσα | -όν
Perf. Active | redupl. + κ | -κοτ-/-κυι- | -κώς | -κυῖα | -κός
Perf. Mid/Pass | redupl. | -μεν- | -μένος | -μένη | -μένον