21.2 To see the distinction that Greeks made between the ACTIVE and MIDDLE VOICE in transitive verbs, let’s consider the following example. Say you have a horse. If someone frees or unties your horse, then the verb is in the ACTIVE VOICE in Greek:
- λύει τὸν ἵππον μου.
- He frees my horse.
But if you untie your own horse so that you can ride it, this would be in the Greek MIDDLE VOICE:
- λύομαι τὸν ἵππον
- I free (my own) horse.
21.3 Oftentimes, verbs that are intransitive and ACTIVE in English are rendered in the MIDDLE VOICE in Greek, particularly if there is a reflexive quality about them (e.g. I move; I stop). That said, to a native speaker of Greek, the action of some intransitive verbs made sense ONLY in the MIDDLE VOICE.
For example, some verbs that mean come and go in Greek occur only in the MIDDLE VOICE. A subject is inevitably participating in the action of coming or going, so it just seemed natural that some of these verbs should be in the MIDDLE VOICE.
21.4 Finally, for some Greek verbs, there can be an important distinction in meaning between the ACTIVE and MIDDLE VOICES (S 1728, 1734; G 500). For example:
- αἱρέω αἱρήσω in the ACTIVE: I take
- in the MIDDLE: I choose
- σταθμάω σταθμήσω in the ACTIVE: I measure
- in the MIDDLE: I calculate
- σκοπέω σκοπήσω in the ACTIVE: I look at
- in the MIDDLE: I consider
- πορεύω πορεύσω in the ACTIVE: I carry
- in the MIDDLE: I march, go
- λανθάνω λήσω in the ACTIVE: I escape notice of
- in the MIDDLE: I forget
Such distinctions, when they occur, are noted in your lexicon.