Main Clause Optative: Potential Optative

47.33 The POTENTIAL OPTATIVE expresses the opinion of the speaker about the possibility or likelihood of an action (S 1824-1834, G 478-480). Common characteristics of the potential optative are:

• It is always accompanied by the particle ἄν.
• The negative is οὐ.

POTENTIAL optatives can be translated with may, might, would, or should.

• τοὺς ἐκ τῆς μάχης φεύγοντας ἂν παύσαιμεν.
• We might stop the men fleeing from battle.
• We should stop the men fleeing from battle.
• πόλεμον οὐκ ἂν παύοι.
• He might not be stopping the war.
• He should not be stopping the war.
• τοὺς ἵππους ἂν δοίη.
• He might give the horses.
• He should give the horses.
• τοὺς ἵππους οὐκ ἂν λύοιεν;
• Wouldn’t they be freeing the horses?
• Shouldn’t they be freeing the horses?
• τοὺς ἵππους ἂν λαβοίμεθα;
• Would we take the horses?
• Should we take the horses?

47.34 The Subjunctive and Optative Mood

Both subjunctives and optatives consider future action. In some ways, the core distinction between the moods is that the subjunctive expresses apprehension about the future, while the optative expresses hope.

Many of the languages that developed from PIE gradually lost distinct optative forms. Latin, for example, has no optative. Interestingly, the Latin subjunctive is based morphologically on the PIE optative!

Distinct optative forms gradually waned in Greek, as well, in the post-Classical world. By the time New Testament Greek was being written, the optative had all but disappeared from the Greek language, surviving mostly in phrases such as μὴ γένοιτο (optative of wish).

For example:

• ἁμαρτήσωμεν, ὅτι οὐκ ἐσμὲν ὑπὸ νόμον ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ χάριν; μὴ γένοιτο.
  • Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May this never happen! (Romans 6:15)
• εἶπεν δὲ Μαριάμ· ἰδοὺ ἡ δούλη κυρίου· γένοιτό μοι κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου. καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἀπ᾿ αὐτῆς ὁ ἄγγελος.
  • And Mary said, “Behold, the servant of the Lord; may it be for me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:38)