Matthew 12:14

συμβούλιον ἔλαβον κατʼ αὐτοῦ. St Mark adds that the Herodians joined the Pharisees.

ὅπως αὐτὸν�. This sequence of the subjunctive on the historic tenses is the established usage in Hellenistic Greek. For instances in the Classics see note, ch. Matthew 14:36. The use of the subjunctive gradually displaced the optative mood, which does not exist in Modern Greek. In the N.T. it is somewhat rare. It occurs, (1) in conditional sentences; as, ἀλλʼ εἰ καὶ πάσχοιτε διὰ δικαιοσύνην, μακάριοι, 1 Peter 3:14. (2) In the expression of a wish; as, μηδεὶς καρπὸν φάγοι, Mark 11:14, and the formula, μὴ γένοιτο. (3) In indirect questions; as, ἤρξαντο συζητεῖν … τὸ τίς ἄρα εἴη ἐξ αὐτῶν, Luke 22:23. (4) In a temporal sentence; once only, in oratio obliqua, Acts 25:16. (5) With ἄν, ‘when subjective possibility is connected with a condition’ (Winer), as Acts 17:18. (6) In strictly final sentences it does not occur; on the apparent instances, (α) Mark 9:30; Mark 14:10, where there are strong reasons for regarding γνοῖ and παραδοῖ as subjunctive forms; and (β) Ephesians 1:17, where the sentence introduced by ἵνα expresses the object of the prayer or wish; see Winer. p. 360, note 2, and p. 363.