Clip (<5 mins)
New TestamentBiblical Languages
Evangelical
Does a present imperative indicate an action already underway? (1 Tim 5:16)
Theologian
Bill Mounce
Duration
4.14
Uploaded to YouTube
4 February 2021
Added to Database
17 December 2025
YouTube description
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.