Wallace_Middle and Passive Voice

Question 1

Define the middle voice

Answer 1

emphasizes the subject’s participation (it may be said that the subject acts ‘with a vested interest’)

Question 2

What is the difference between the active and middle voice? And what are each’s nuances?

Answer 2

1. emphasis
2. active emphasizes action of the verb
3. middle emphasizes the actor of the verb (this emphasis can be expressed to some degree by putting the subject in italics)

Question 3

What is the direct middle? And what is the translational gloss?

Answer 3

1. the subject acts on himself.
2. “himself” “herself” etc.
   (but very rare in Bible; being replaced with the reflexive active; it can be seen with verbs that have a reflexive notion)

Question 4

What is an indirect middle?

Answer 4

the subject acts for himself, or in his own interest (shows a special interest in the action of the verb; common; closest to the general definition of the middle in most grammars)

Question 5

What is a permissive middle? And how should it be translated to see if it is a middle passive?

Answer 5

1. the subject allows something to be done for or to himself. (rare, but has some important texts)
2. translate as a passive verb, if this makes sense it might be a middle passive

Question 6

What is a deponent middle?

Answer 6

verb that has no active form but is active in meaning (very common)

Question 7

What is the difference between a partial and complete deponent

Answer 7

1. partial has one or more principle parts as a deponent

2. complete has all of its principle parts as a deponent

Question 8

What is an important distinction to determine if a verb is truly deponent?

Answer 8

1. there are some verbs that never had an active form, but the true middle is clearly seen
2. it must lack an active form and demonstrate that it does not have a middle force

Question 9

What are the three forms of agency (for passive verbs) in NT?

Answer 9

1. Ultimate:
2. Intermediate:
3. Impersonal means (not necessarily indicating it is not personal; usually an implied agent who uses the noun in the dative as an instrument)

Question 10

What are the three Greek prepositions and glosses for the ultimate agency?

Answer 10

1. ὑπό (gen.) by (most common)
2. ἀπό (gen.) by, of (common)
3. παρά (gen.) from, by (rare)

Question 11

What is Greek prepositions and glosses for the intermediate agency?

Answer 11

1. διά (gen.) through (common)

Question 12

What are the three Greek prepositions and glosses for the impersonal means?

Answer 12

1. ἐν (dat.) by, with (common)
2. dative (no prep) by, with (most common)
3. ἐκ (gen.) by, of (rare)

Question 13

What is a passive with an accusative object?

Answer 13

1. sometimes accusative of thing in a double accusative person-thing construction with an active verb retains its case when the verb is put in the passive
2. the accusative of person becomes the subject (most frequently with causative verbs; rare) (“I taught you the lesson” becomes “You were taught the lesson by me.”)

Question 14

What is the simple passive?

Answer 14

the most common use of the passive voice is to indicate that the subject receives the action (no implication is made about cognition, volition, or cause on the part of the subject)

Question 15

What is a deponent passive?

Answer 15

a verb that has no active form may be active in meaning though passive in form (discussion on middle deponent also applies to passive)