The αἰτέω / αἰτέομαι Distinction in the New Testament: A proposal 107 ὃ ἐὰν αἰτῶμεν λαμβάνομεν ἀπ ᾿ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηροῦμεν καὶ τὰ ἀρεστὰ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ποιοῦμεν (1 John 3:22) Whatever we ask we receive from him because we keep his command- ments and do pleasing things before him. In 1 John 5:16 the character’s statement presents a conditional clause that specifies seeing a brother sin a sin that does not lead to death as the antecedent motivation for the Agent’s asking. The following phrase then specifies praying only for those whose sin does not lead to death as the constraint on the action. Since the motivation for asking assures that the Agent recognizes and fulfills this constraint, the verb form is active.9 ἐάν τις ἴδῃ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἁμαρτάνοντα ἁμαρτίαν μὴ πρὸς θάνατον, αἰτήσει καὶ δώσει αὐτῷ ζωήν, τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν μὴ πρὸς θάνατον. (1 John 5:16) If someone sees his brother sinning a sin [that does] not [lead] to death, he will ask; and he will give to him life, to those not sinning to death. In Matt 18:19 Jesus’ statement identifies agreement as the constraint, and the future condition implies that whenever there is agreement about something, it will happen.10 However, the verb appears in a relative clause within the conditional clause, which, of itself, describes only a potential action from the perspective of Jesus. Thus the constraint on the action is not actually fulfilled, and the verb form is middle. ἐὰν δύο συμφωνήσωσιν ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς περὶ παντὸς πράγματος οὗ ἐὰν αἰτήσωνται, γενήσεται αὐτοῖς παρὰ τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς (Matt 18:19) If two of you on the earth agree about any deed, which you [with affect] may ask, it will be done for them by my Father in [the] heavens. In Mark 11:24 Jesus recognizes believing that one will receive as a constraint on asking. Here the imperative, “Believe!”, makes no claim that the disciples actually will believe when the situation arises, and the verb form is middle. πάντα ὅσα προσεύχεσθε καὶ αἰτεῖσθε, πιστεύετε ὅτι ἐλάβετε, καὶ ἔσται ὑμῖν (Mark 11:24) 9 The interpretation of 1 John 5:16 assumes the punctuation of the UBS text, which inserts a paragraph break before the verse. 10 For a discussion of the form and implications of the future condition, see H.W. Smyth, Greek Grammar (Cambridge, MA 1959) 519, 523-24.