Bill Mounce

For an Informed Love of God

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Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Does a present imperative indicate an action already under way? (1 Tim 5:16)

We used to teach that an imperative built on the present tense stem indicated an action already underway. This is most evident in prohibitions, for example, to tell a barking dog to stop. We know this is no longer the case, but it does surface from time to time in translations and commentaries.