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unfoldingWord Greek Grammar ⌂

Tense pluperfect

Glossary

Pluperfect is the verb tense-form a speaker can use to describe the state of a completed action that was in existance at some point in the past. (e.g., we had eaten, they had traveled).

Example V-T-PL-1 - Pluperfect Tense

Pluperfect Tense Matthew 12:46
ἡ μήτηρ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ ἵστήκεισαν ἔξω
hē mētēr kai hoi adelphoi autou histēkeisan exō
the mother and the brothers of him had stood outside

His mother and his brothers had stood outside

Article

Background

The Pluperfect tense has the same meaning as the Perfect Tense, except that it only brings the results of an action up to a selected time in the past.

Both the Pluperfect Tense and the Perfect Tense describe the state resulting from a previous action or series of actions. The Pluperfect describes an event that was completed in the past and had results that existed in the past from the speaker’s point of view. On the other hand, the Perfect Tense, brings the results all the way up to the time the speaker is speaking.

Use of the Pluperfect Tense does not indicate if the results still exist at the time the speaker is speaking only that they existed at some point in the past.

The Perfect Tense is usually translated “I have believed”, the Pluperfect Tense is usually translated “I had believed.” The Pluperfect only occurs 88 times in the New Testament.

Categories

Based on context, the Pluperfect Tense may be classified into the following categories:

  1. Intensive Pluperfect - stress is on the stative result of some action that occurred at some point in the past prior to the time of the speaker. The emphasis is therefore on the results that occurred. [See Intensive Pluperfect]
  2. Consummative Pluperfect (also known as the Extensive Pluperfect) – stress is on the process that led to the results. [See Consumative Pluperfect ]
  3. Pluperfect used as Past Tense – Sometimes the Pluperfect is used in such a manner that it seems to simply refer to an event that occurred in the past. [See Pluperfect Used as Past Tense ]
  4. Periphrastic Construction - Instead of using the Pluperfect Tense, the meaning of the Pluperfect is also found in the Greek text by using two verbs (εἰμί in the indicative or imperfect tense combined with a Perfect Participle). This is known as a Periphrastic Construction. [ See Periphrastic Construction]

Listing of Pluperfect Verbs

The following is a list of the Pluperfect Verbs in the New Testament.

  • ἤδειν – (I knew, or had known) – occurs 32 times
  • εἰστήκη – (I stood) – occurs 15 times
  • ἐληλύθει (had come) – occurs 11 times
βάλλω Βεβλήκειν I throw/cast   γίνομαι (ε)γεγόνειν I am/ become
γινώσκω ἐγνώκειν I know   δίδωμι (ε)δεδώκειν I give
εἴθω εἰώθειν I am accustomed   ἐπιπείθω ἐπεποίθειν I convince/ persuade
κρίνω κεκρίκειν I judge   λέγω εἰρήκειν I say
μένω μεμενήκειν I remain/abide   ὁράω ἑωράκειν I see
πιστεύω πεπιστεύκειν I believe   ποιέω πεποιήκειν I do/make
συναρπάζω σθνηρπάκειν I seize        

Form

The basic form for a verb in the Pluperfect tense is given in Verb Master Table 4-Primary and Secondary Endings of Verbs of the Master paradigm.

See also:

Table V-IT-6 Pluperfect Active and Middle Indicative Thematic Verbs

In this section we will describe the formation of the Active and Middle Pluperfect Verbs with a theme vowel.

Formation of the 1st Pluperfect Active Indicative Verb with a Theme Vowel:

Table T-PL-2 Formation of 1st Pluperfect Active Indicative For Thematic Verbs

Table V-T-PL-2
Formation of
1st Pluperfect Active Indicative
for Thematic Verbs
Augment * + Reduplication + Perfect
Active
Tense
Stem		 + Form
Marker
(κ)		 + Connecting
Vowel/
Diphthong
ει		 + Quadrant 2
Secondary
Personal
Ending
(ε) + λε + λυ + κ + ει + ν -> ἐλελύκειν
I had loosed

  • [Note] The augment is often missing.

The 1st Pluperfect Active Indicative for thematic verbs is formed by using:

  1. An augment which may or may not be present. This is why it is shown in parenthesis.
  2. Reduplication (or duplicating the first consonant of the tense stem of the verb for verbs that begin with a single consonant) and adding an epsilon (ε).
  3. Plus the first perfect active tense stem
  4. Plus the tense formative (κ)
  5. Plus the connecting vowel (ει)
  6. Plus the secondary active personal ending (quadrant 2) Paradigms Master Table 4 Primary and Secondary Endings of Verbs

Table V-T-PL-3 [ 1st Pluperfect Active Indicative Verb ]

Based on λὐω (I loose).
Table V-T-PL-3
Pluperfect
Active Indicative
Thematic
Active
Singular
1 person ἐλελύκειν
2 person ἐλελύκεις
3 person ἐλελύκει(ν)
Plural
1 person ἐλελύκειμεν
2 person ἐλελύκειτε
3 person ἐλελύκεισαν

Formation – The Second Pluperfect Active Indicative Verb with a Theme Vowel:

Table V-T-PL-4 Formation of Second Pluperfect Active Indicative Verb based on ἔρχομαι (I go)

Table V-T-PL-4
Formation of
2nd Pluperfect Active Indicative
for Thematic Verbs
Augment * + Reduplication + 2nd Perfect
Active
Tense
Stem		 + Connecting
Vowel
ει		 + Quadrant 2
Secondary Active
Personal
Ending
ε + λε + λυθ + ει + ν -> ἐλελύθειν
I had gone

[Note]: There is no tense formative for the 2nd Pluperfect as is the case with the 2nd Perfect verb. The use of the 2nd Perfect tense stem notifies the reader that this is a 2nd Pluperfect verb.

Table V-T-PL-5 [ 2nd Pluperfect Active Indicative based on ἔρχομαι (I go) ].

[Note] Only the 3rd person singular and 3rd person plural appear in the New Testament.
Table V-T-PL-5
Second Pluperfect
Active Indicative
Thematic
Active
Singular
1 person (ἐ)λελύθειν
2 person (ἐ)λελύθεις
3 person (ἐ)λελύθει(ν)
Plural
1 person (ἐ)λελύθειμεν
2 person (ἐ)λελύθειτε
3 person (ἐ)λελύθεισαν

Formation of the Middle Pluperfect Active Indicative Verb with a Theme Vowel

Table V-T-PL-6 [ Formation of the Middle Pulperfect Active Indicative verb based on λὐω (I loose). ]

Table V-T-PL-6
Formation of
Middle Pluperfect Active Indicative
for Thematic Verbs
Augment * + Reduplication + Perfect
Middle/Passive
Tense
Stem		 + Quadrant 4
Middle/Passive
Personal
Ending
(ε) + λε + λυθ + μην -> ἐλελύμην
I had loosed myself (or I had been freed)

[Note]:

  • The augment is often missing. This is why it is in parenthesis.
  • There is no tense formative nor connecting vowel.
  • The Quadrant 4 personal ending is attached directly to the perfect Middle/Passive stem.

Table V-T-PL-7 [ Pluperfect Middle/Passive Indicative Thematic ]

Table V-T-PL-7
Pluperfect
Middle/ Indicative
Thematic
Active
Singular
1 person (ἐ)λελύμην
2 person (ἐ)λέλυσο
3 person (ἐ)λέλυτο
Plural
1 person (ἐ)λελύμεθα
2 person (ἐ)λέλυσθε
3 person (ἐ)λέλυντο

Table V-T-PL-8 [ Pluperfect of οἴδα ]

The Pluperfect of οἴδα (I know, understand) - ἥδειν

Table V-T-PL-8
Pluperfect
Οἴδα
Active
Singular
1 person ἥδειν
2 person ἥδεις
3 person ἥδει
Plural
1 person ἥδειμεν
2 person ἥδειτε
3 person ἥδεισαν

Examples

Intensive Pluperfect

With the Intensive Pluperfect, stress is on the results that existed from some action that occurred in the past prior to the time of the speaker. The emphasis is therefore on the results that occurred.

Example V-T-PL-9
V-T-PL-9 John 6:17
σκοτία ἤδη ἐγεγόνει καὶ οὔπω ἐληλύθει πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ Ἰησοῦς.
skotia ēdē egegonei kai oupō elēlythei pros autous ho Iēsous.
dark already it had become and not yet he had come to them the Jesus.

darkness had already happened, but Jesus had not yet come to them.

Consummative Pluperfect

The Consummative Pluperfect is also known as the Extensive Pluperfect. With the Consummative Pluperfect stress is on the process that led to the results.

Example V-T-PL-10 John 4:8

V-T-PL-10 John 4:8
οἱ γὰρ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἀπεληλύθεισαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἵνα τροφὰς ἀγοράσωσιν.
hoi gar mathētai autou apelēlytheisan eis tēn polin hina trophas agorasōsin.
the for disciples his had gone into the city so that food they could buy.

for his disciples had gone away into the city so that they might buy food.

Pluperfect used as Past Tense

Sometimes the Pluperfect is used in such a manner that it seems to simply refer to an event that occurred in the past.

Example V-T-PL-11 John 1:35

V-T-PL-11 John 1:35
τῇ ἐπαύριον πάλιν ἵστήκει ὁ Ἰωάννης
tē epaurion palin histēkei ho Iōannēs
on the next day again he stood the John

The next day, John was standing again with two of his disciples.

Periphrastic construction.

The meaning of the Pluperfect is also found in the Greek text by using two verbs (εἰμί in the indicative or imperfect tense combined with a perfect participle). The use of the “helping” verb (εἰμί) along with a perfect participle is known as a periphrastic construction.

The word-for-word translation below tries to pick up on the imperfect helping verb (ἦν) combined with the perfect participle (ἑστὠς). The time of the Periphrastic construction also affects the time of the present participle (παρακαλῶν) and so we included the helping verb “was” in our word-for-word translation.

Example V-T-PL-12 Acts 16:9

V-T-PL-12 Acts 16:9
ἀνὴρ Μακεδών τις ἦν ἑστὼς καὶ παρακαλῶν αὐτὸν
anēr Makedōn tis ēn hestōs kai parakalōn auton
man from Macedonia certain had been standing and was exhorting/calling him

A certain man of Macedonia was standing and calling him. or ( A certain man of Macedonia had been standing and was calling him.)