Attendant Circumstance Participles

Participles can function as either an adjective, adverb, or noun (depending on context [and technically a gerund in English speak]), which allows for various endings (e.g., -ing, -ed, -en,-d, -n, -t). Attendant circumstance is a special scenario where the participle contains an action that is dependent on the main verb semantically, but the two actions cannot be separated. If the participle can be categorized as another type of adverbial participle, then it cannot be attendant circumstance. For more thorough discussion, see Wallace, Greek Grammar, 640-644.

According to Dan Wallace, attendant circumstance participles usually (90% of the time) have these five characteristics:

• tense of participle is aorist
• tense of main verb is aorist
• main verb is imperative or indicative
• participle precedes main verb in word order
• usually in narrative genre

A clear example is found in Matthew 9:13: πορευθέντες δὲ μάθετε τί ἐστιν· ἔλεος θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν, "Go and learn what it is: I desire mercy, not sacrifice." 

Another good passage to discuss would be the "Great Commission" in Matthew 28:19-20:

19  πορευθέντες οὖν μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος,  20  διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος.

All five characteristics are present in the opening participle and the main verb. It would be difficult to see a mere temporal idea in this participle. Translating as "while going," is ok, but there is certainly more force to the "Go," idea. Wallace concludes removing imperative force from "Go" turns this into more of a suggestion.

However, the final two participles "baptizing" and "teaching," would not be attendant circumstance. Not only do they follow the main verb, but "Means" would be a much more appropriate function for them. They answer how the disciples were commanded to "make disciples."

This category of participles may not be the most obvious choice, but knowing these five characteristics will help the student from mislabeling a participle and allow for more accurate understandings of debatable passages.

Participles of Means and Cause

Participles can function as either an adjective, adverb, or noun (depending on context [and technically a gerund in English speak]), which allows for various endings (e.g., -ing, -ed, -en,-d, -n, -t). 

This post focuses on two functions of participles that modify verbs. Therefore, they will be used as adverbs. Rather than being boring and translating with a simple -ing, it is more helpful to insert a word or two to help the reader see the connection between the dependent and independent clause (assuming that connection is clear). If it's not, then leaving it plain vanilla is probably best.

Means: Extremely common use of participles, and answers "How an action is accomplished." This is distinct from manner, which gives an accompanying characteristic or attribute of the person performing the action (e.g., "rejoicing").

Perhaps my most favorite example is 1 Peter 5:6-7.

Ταπεινώθητε οὖν ὑπὸ τὴν κραταιὰν χεῖρα τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα ὑμᾶς ὑψώσῃ ἐν καιρῷ, 7  πᾶσαν τὴν μέριμναν ὑμῶν ἐπιρίψαντες ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν, ὅτι αὐτῷ μέλει περὶ ὑμῶν.  "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, "by means of/by" casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."

The command is to "humble yourselves." The participial clause "casting anxiety" answers how we are to be humble. Prayer, in this case, is an act of humility. It's an expression of dependence on God. For Peter's letter as a whole, and his audience in their situation, this would be a great comfort.

ἀλλὰ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσεν μορφὴν δούλου λαβών, ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος· but he emptied himself "by means of/by" taking the form of a slave, becoming in the likeness of men (Phi 2:7) The main verb is so vague, and the participle answers how Jesus emptied himself. There are other options here (result, temporal, but those are not nearly as probable--sometimes for grammatical reasons). The "problem" with means here is that "emptying" usually doesn't include "taking" or adding something to the equation. When we understand the background of Philippians 2 as an early hymn (maybe one of the earliest creeds), we can allow for poetic license.

Cause: Another extremely common adverbial use of the participle is to give the reason an action occurred. By "reason," I mean the action looking backward that caused a current reality. All tenses are adequately represented as causal participles, and Wallace notes that this participle usually precedes its main verb.

Ἰωσὴφ δὲ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς, δίκαιος ὢν καὶ μὴ θέλων αὐτὴν δειγματίσαι, ἐβουλήθη λάθρᾳ ἀπολῦσαι αὐτήν. "But Joseph, her husband, "because he was" just/righteous and not wanting to shame her, desired to put her away privately (Mat 1:19)

For deeper explanation, see Wallace, Greek Grammar, 628-32.