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Greek · G1487 · unreviewed

εἰ

If, whether, that, etc.

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εἰ G1487
Pronunciation ei

What does εἰ (ei) mean in the Bible?

εἰ (ei) is a Greek word meaning "if, whether, that, etc.". εἰ, conjunctive particle, used in conditions and in indirect questions.

Full entry for εἰ (G1487) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

if, whether, that, etc.
Extended definition

Marks logical conditions and indirect questions; distinguishes reality-level assumptions from hypothetical or contrary-to-fact scenarios.

conjunctive particle, used in conditions and in indirect questions.

IConditional, if;
1with indic, expressing a general assumption;
apres.: before indic, pres., Mat.11:14, Rom.8:25, al.; before imperat., Mrk.4:23 9:22, Jhn.15:18, 1Co.7:9, al.; before fut. indic., Luk.16:31, Rom.8:11, al.; before pf. or aor., with negation in apodosis, Mat.12:26, Rom.4:14, al.; similarly, before impf., Luk.17:6, Jhn.8:39; before quæst., Mat.6:23, Jhn.5:47 7:23 8:46, 1Pe.2:20;
bfut.: Mat.26:33, 1Pe.2:20; __(with) pf.: Jhn.11:12, Rom.6:5, al.;
daor.: Luk.16:11 19:8, Jhn.13:32, 18:23, Rev.20:15, al.
2Where the assumption is certain = ἐπεί: Mat.12:28, Jhn.7:4, Rom.5:17, al.
3Of an unfulfilled condition, with indic, impf., aor. or plpf., before ἄν, with imp. or aor. (see: ἄν, I, i).
4C. indic., after verbs denoting wonder, etc., sometimes, but not always, coupled with an element of doubt: Mrk.15:44, 1Jn.3:13, al.
5C. indic., as in LXX (Num.14:3o, 1Ki.14:45, al. = Heb. אִם), in oaths, with the formula of imprecation understood in a suppressed apodosis (WM, 627; Burton, §272): Mrk.8:12, Heb.3:11" (LXX) 4:3 (LXX).
6Rarely (cl.) with optative, to express a merely possible condition: Act.24:19 27:39, 1Co.14:10 15:37, I Pe3:14, 17.
IIInterrogative, if, whether.
1As in cl., in indir. questions after verbs of seeing, asking, knowing, saying, etc.: with indic. pres., Mat.26:63, Mrk.15:36, Act.19:2, 2Co.13:5, al.; fut., Mrk.3:2, Act.8:22, al.; aor., Mrk.15:44, 1Co.1:16, al.; with subjc. aor. (M, Pr., 194), Php.3:12.
2As in LXX (= Heb. אִם and interrog. הֲ, Gen.17:17, al.; see WM, 639f.; Viteau, i, 22), in direct questions: Mrk.8:23 (Tr., WH, txt.), Luk.13:23, 22:49, Act.19:2, al.
IIIWith other particles.
1εἰ ἄρα, εἴγε, εἰ δὲ μήγε, see: ἄρα, γε.
2εἰ δὲ καί, but if also: Luk.11:18; but even if, 1Co.4:7, 2Co.4:3 11:16.
3εἰ δὲ μή, but if not, but if otherwise: Mrk.2:21, 22 Jhn.14:2, Rev.2:5, al.
4εἰ καί, if even, if also, although: Mrk.14:29, Luk.11:8, 1Co.7:21, 2Co.4:16, Php.2:17, al.
5καὶ εἰ, even if, see: καί
6εἰ μή, if not, unless, except, but only: Mat.24:22, Mrk.2:26 6:5, Jhn.9:33, 1Co.7:17 (only), Gal.1:19 (cf. ἐὰν μή, 2:16; see Hort., Ja., xvi); ἐκτὸς εἰ μή, pleonastic (Bl., §65, 6), 1Co.14:5 15:2, 1Ti.5:19.
7εἰ μήν = cl. ἦ μήν (M, Pr., 46), in oaths, surely (Eze.33:27, al.): Heb.6:14.
8εἴ πως, if haply: Act.27:12, Rom.1:10.
9εἴτε . . . εἴτε, whether . . . or; Rom.12:6-8, 1Co.3:22 13:8, al.
Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Grammatical Forms

How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.

Matt 4:3 · Matt 4:6 · Matt 5:13 · Matt 5:29 · Matt 5:30 · Matt 6:1 · Matt 6:23 · Matt 6:30 · Matt 7:11 · Matt 8:31 · Matt 9:17 · Matt 10:25 · Matt 11:14 · Matt 11:21 · Matt 11:23 · Matt 11:27 458×
Matt 12:10 · Matt 19:3 · Matt 27:49 · Mark 3:2 · Mark 8:23 · Mark 10:2 · Mark 11:13 · Mark 15:36 · Mark 15:44 · Luke 6:7 · Luke 6:9 · Luke 13:23 · Luke 14:28 · Luke 14:31 · Luke 22:49 · Luke 23:6 40×
Acts 26:23 · 1 Pet 2:19 · 1 Pet 2:20 4×
502 total occurrences across all forms in the biblical text Morphology: MorphGNT SBLGNT — CC BY-SA 3.0
Biblical Occurrences

Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.

Biblical Witnesses
Ephesians 3:1-6 if ei
conditional particle introducing assumption about reader's knowledge of Paul's ministry
Luke 13:1-9 if ei
conditional particle in parable expressing hypothetical future outcomes and repentance
Appears In

Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.

εἰ · μή G1487, G3361
but if not
εἰ · υἱός · θεός G1487, G5207, G2316
if you are the Son of God
Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

Matthew 4 — The Tested Son, the Kingdom Proclaimed, and the First Disciples Called

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

Sources

MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0

Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0

STEPBible Data — CC BY 4.0

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