Thoughts on Verbal Aspect

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Campbell, Constantine R. Basics of Verbal Aspect in Biblical Greek.Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008.

I originally thought when I started this blog that I would have time to write thoughtful essays and reviews, but I no longer think that that is the case. Instead, when I review a book, I'm going to make bullet points like this and point out anything I found interesting or important. I read this book a while ago, but I read it again somewhat recently. I want to point out why it's important. English readers need to understand Greek a little more if we are to make solid theological and biblical conclusions. 

·      This book is important because it clarifies why Greek verbs behave the way that they do. Scholars have traditionally maintained that Greek verbs encode aspect and temporal reference, but as Campbell points out, some verbs that supposedly encode a certain temporal reference, say past temporal reference, behave in ways outside the supposed encoded temporal reference. For example, aorist tense verbs sometimes are future and present in temporal reference, even though they supposedly encode past temporal reference. So, instead of Greek verbs encoding aspect and time, they encode aspect and spatial value, he argues; after all, even we often refer to time with the imagery of distance (e.g. the past is far away). The possible spatial values are remoteness (far away, distant) and proximity (close, nearby). This holds true for all the verb tenses besides the future. He points out that every future communicates future temporal reference; there are no exceptions. This is because the future tense verb was developed later in Greek history as time became more important.

·      When we open up our English Bibles, most of you probably think that biblical Greek verbs behave in similar or even identical ways that English verbs behave; this is normal and expected. After all, when we read our Bibles, we see temporal reference everywhere. However, if this is not the case, then English readers to be aware that their translations might not be 100% correct, or at least they need to be aware that there is a possibility that English translations might not have it right, and we should therefore not base our theology off of how an English verb behaves. Study the commentaries and interact with their conversations overs aspect.

·      It is also an important book because it helps to clarify common pastor mistakes. Many pastors have said in the past that aorist communicate once-and-for-all actions (13). However, if we understand perfective aspect properly, we realize that perfective aspect does not necessarily communicate this. This sort of action, called punctilliar, is a result of the perfective aspect working in tandem with surrounding verb’s context. Campbell’s clarification of aspect helps remove this sort of confusion.

·      So, this book explains the exceptions to the rules so that these exceptions are no longer exceptions. Instead, they are expected results that occur when the aspect and spatial value act with the verb’s lexeme (the particular verb) and context within the verse. For example, Matthew 3:17 reads, “And behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’” The verb of being (“I am well please”) is actually an aorist verb; scholars have maintained that aorists encode past temporal reference, but nonetheless, many of those same people argue that this aorist has present temporal reference. If spatial value is encoded in Greek verbs, this can explain this exception (which then is no longer an exception). Aoristd have perfective aspect and the spatial value of remoteness. God, thus, from the perspective of seeing his whole life—birth to death—in sight, which can only be viewed/seen, metaphorically speaking, from a distance, God says that he is happy with his whole life lived. If past temporal reference were maintained, then it would sound as though God was pleased, but maybe not anymore, at least this possibility is available based on the grammar, and it is hard to explain this exception other than to say that the context overrides the encoded temporal reference. But is time really encoded if it can be overridden?

·      It is especially an important book because of its discussion of perfect and pluperfect verbs. Traditionally, scholars have maintained that perfects encode the aspect of stativity and past temporal reference with continuing significance in the present. However, he argues that perfects and pluperfects encode imperfective aspect, with the perfect also encoding heightened proximity and the pluperfect encoding heightened remoteness. “Heightened” differentiates these from the present and imperfect tense-verbs that they parallel. They parallel them in that they are used in similar situations in which the presents and imperfects are used. Also, Campbell points out that stativity is not an aspect at all in any language; it is universally regarded as an aktionsart (“type of action” in German), and perfects in the New Testament simply do not always convey past actions with continuing significance and actions that are stative. However, imperfective aspect is well-suited for stative contexts.

·      This is a good example of the significance of this book for the perfect tense: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). This verse uses perfect-tense verbs; interpreters have traditionally interpreted perfect-tense verbs with “have/had,” (15) and as already noted, scholars have argued that perfects convey past temporal reference, but the actions have continuing significance in the present. If this is the case, then this verse as quoted above is correct. Paul is about to die, and he has finished his mission. He feels as though his past actions and faith have been enough; he no longer has to do anything more to get to heaven. However, if perfects convey imperfective aspect and heightened proximity, then it is better translated as, “I am fighting the good fight, I am finishing the race, and I am keeping the faith.” This changes the verse a little. Instead of Paul seeing that his mission is already accomplished, he sees it as always continuing. The mission is never over; we cannot just say we are done and accomplished because of past actions and faith; even to the point of death, we must continue to fight and keep the faith. Our faith counts for all of life; there is not room to hang on to past laurels. We must remain faithful, even to death. Now this sounds like the Paul that we meet in his letters, and it sounds and looks like the Jesus that never saw his mission accomplished until he breathed his last.

·      He also talks about the how aspect and spatial distance work with the subjunctive, imperative, and participle moods. He notes that only aspect, not spatial distance, is encoded in these moods. This makes sense, as traditionally scholars have argued that these moods only encode aspect and not temporal reference. The aspect's interaction with the surrounding context and the temporal reference of the main verb of any given clause usually determines the temporal reference in these moods.