Greek · G1510 · unreviewed

εἰμί

I exist (used only when emphatic)

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εἰμί G1510

Pronunciation eimí

What does εἰμί (eimí) mean in the Bible?

εἰμί (eimí) is a Greek word meaning "I exist (used only when emphatic)". εἰμί, with various uses and significations, like the English verb to be.

Full entry for εἰμί (G1510) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

I exist (used only when emphatic)

Extended definition

with various uses and significations, like the English verb to be.

IAs substantive verb.

1Of persons and things, to be, exist: Act.17:28, Jhn.1:1, 8:58, 17:5, al; ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν (for past ptcp.), Rev.1:4, 8, 4:8, 11:17, 16:5 (see Swete, Ap., 5; M, Pr., 228); τὰ (μὴ) ὄντα, Rom.4:17, 1Co.1:28.

2Of times, events, etc., to be, happen, take place: Mat.24:3, Mrk.14:2, 15:42, Luk.21:23, Jhn.4:6, 23, 5:10, al.

3to be present, be in a place, have come: Mat.2:13, 15, Mrk.1:45, 5:21, 15:40, Luk.1:80, 5:29, Jhn.7:30, al.; before εἰς, Mrk.2:1; before ἐκ, (ἐξ), Mat.1:20, 21:25, Mrk.11:30, Jhn.3:31, al.

4Impers., ἔστι, ἦν, etc.;

athere is (Fr. il y a), was, etc.: Mat.16:28, Luk.16:19, Jhn.3:1, 5:2, Rom.3:10, al.; with dative (of the possessor; Bl., §37, 3), Mat.16:22, Luk.1:7, Jhn.18.10, Rom.9:2, al.; ἔστιν ὅς, ὅστις (chiefly in pl), Mat.16:28, 19:2, Mrk.9:1, al.;

bwith inf., = ἔξεστιν (which see), it is possible: Heb.9:5, 1Co.11:20, RV (but see ICC, in l.).

IIAs copula uniting subject and predicate.

1Expressing simply identity or equivalence: Mat.5:13, 14:15, Luk.1:18, 19, Jhn.1:1, 4:19, Rev.3:9, al. mult.

2Explicative, as in parable, figure, type, etc.: Mat.13:19, 1Co.9:2, 10:4, 11:25, Gal.4:24, Rev.17:15, al.; ταῦτ᾽ ἔστιν, Mat.27:46, Mrk.7:2, Rom.7:18 al.; ὅ ἐστιν, Mrk.3:17, Col.1:24, Heb.7:2, al.; akin to this is the sacramental usage: Mat.26:26-28, Mrk.14:22, 24, Luk.22:19, 1Co.11:24 (see ICC on Mk, I Co, ll. with; DB, iii, 148 f.).

3C. genitive: qual., etc., Mrk.5:42, Luk.3:23, 1Co.14:33, Heb.12:11, al.; part., 1Ti.1:20, 2Ti.1:15; poss., Mat.5:3, 10, Mrk.12:7, Luk.4:7; of service or partisanship, Rom.8:9, 1Co.1:12, 2Co.10:7, 2Ti.2:19.

4C. dative (BL, §37, 3): Act.1:8, 9:15, Rom.4:12, 1Co.1:18, 2:14, Rev.21:7, al.

5C. ptcp., as a periphrasis for the simple verb (Bl., §62, 1, 2; M, Pr., 225 ff.);

awith ptcp. pf. (cl.): Mat.10:30, Luk.9:32, Jhn.3:24, Act.21:35, 1Co.15:19, al;

bwith ptcp. pr. (esp. in impf., as in Heb. and Aram.; Dalman, Words, 35 f.), Mat.7:29, Mrk.1:22, Luk.4:31, 14:1, Act.1:10, al. mult., id. for imper. (M, Pr., 180f., 182f.), with ellipsis of εἰμί, Rom.12:9, 10, Heb.13:5, al.; __(with) with ptcp. aor. (cl), Luk.23:9.

6Seq. εἰς (cf. Heb. הָיָה לְ), a vernac. usage (M, Pr., 71): Mat.19:5, Mrk.10:8, Heb.8:10, al.

7C. adv.: Mat.19:20, Mrk.4:26, Luk.18:11, al.

8Ellipses;

aof the copula (Bl., §30, 3): Mat.8:29, 24:32, Jhn.21:22, 23, Heb.6:4, al.;

bof the predicate: ἐγώ εἰμί, Mat.14:27, Mrk.6:50, al.; absol. (cf. Deu.32:39; אֲנִי הוּא), Mrk.13:6, Jhn.4:26, al. (cf. ἄπ-, ἔν-, πάρ-, συμ-πάρ-, σύν-ειμι).

Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith

Grammatical Forms

How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.

Tenses

Present Imperfect Future

Voices

Active Middle

Indicative states a fact or reality 2068×

Present Active Matt 1:20 · Matt 1:23 · Matt 2:2 · Matt 3:3 · Matt 3:11 · Matt 3:15 · Matt 3:17 · Matt 5:3 · Matt 5:10 · Matt 5:34 · Matt 5:35 · Matt 5:37 · Matt 5:48 · Matt 6:21 · Matt 6:22 · Matt 6:23 1427×

Imperfect Active Matt 1:18 · Matt 2:9 · Matt 2:15 · Matt 3:4 · Matt 7:27 · Matt 7:29 · Matt 8:30 · Matt 12:4 · Matt 12:40 · Matt 14:23 · Matt 14:24 · Matt 19:22 · Matt 21:25 · Matt 21:33 · Matt 26:24 · Matt 26:71 435×

Future Middle Matt 5:21 · Matt 5:22 · Matt 6:21 · Matt 6:22 · Matt 6:23 · Matt 8:12 · Matt 10:15 · Matt 11:22 · Matt 11:24 · Matt 12:11 · Matt 12:40 · Matt 12:45 · Matt 13:40 · Matt 13:42 · Matt 13:49 · Matt 13:50 186×

Imperfect Middle Matt 25:35 · Matt 25:36 · Matt 25:43 · Mark 14:49 · John 11:15 · John 16:4 · John 17:12 · Acts 10:30 · Acts 11:5 · Acts 11:17 · Acts 22:19 · Acts 22:20 · 1 Cor 13:11 · Gal 1:10 · Gal 1:22 · Matt 23:30 20×

Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 128×

Present Active Matt 16:13 · Matt 16:15 · Matt 17:4 · Matt 19:21 · Matt 20:27 · Matt 22:23 · Mark 8:27 · Mark 8:29 · Mark 9:5 · Mark 9:35 · Mark 10:44 · Mark 12:18 · Mark 14:64 · Luke 2:4 · Luke 2:6 · Luke 2:44 124×

Future Middle Acts 11:28 · Acts 23:30 · Acts 24:15 · Acts 27:10 4×

Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 158×

Present Active Matt 1:19 · Matt 12:30 · Luke 3:23 · Luke 11:23 · Luke 24:6 · Luke 24:44 · John 1:18 · John 3:4 · John 3:31 · John 4:9 · John 6:46 · John 7:50 · John 8:47 · John 9:25 · John 10:12 · John 10:33 157×

Future Middle Luke 22:49 1×

Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 69×

Present Active Matt 6:4 · Matt 6:22 · Matt 6:23 · Matt 10:13 · Matt 20:4 · Matt 24:28 · Mark 5:18 · Luke 10:6 · Luke 11:34 · Luke 14:8 · Luke 20:28 · John 3:2 · John 3:27 · John 6:65 · John 9:31 · John 14:16 69×

Imperative command or strong request 21×

Present Active Matt 5:37 · Matt 18:17 · Acts 1:20 · Acts 2:14 · Acts 4:10 · Acts 13:38 · Acts 28:28 · 1 Cor 16:22 · 2 Cor 12:16 · Gal 1:8 · Gal 1:9 · Jas 1:19 · Jas 5:12 · 1 Pet 3:3 · Matt 2:13 · Matt 5:25 21×

Optative wish or remote possibility 12×

Present Active Luke 1:29 · Luke 3:15 · Luke 8:9 · Luke 9:46 · Luke 15:26 · Luke 18:36 · Luke 22:23 · John 13:24 · Acts 8:20 · Acts 10:17 · Acts 20:16 · Acts 21:33 12×

Discourse Aspect

How this verb appears across 1 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).

Aspect

ongoing 1

Tense

present 1

Voice

active 1

Mood

indicative 1

NT Occurrences

John 8:58 εἰμί present active indicative ongoing

Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.

Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)

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.

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.

Acts 27 — The Storm, the Shipwreck, and the Promise of God John 11 — The Resurrection and the Life, the Raising of Lazarus, and the Plot to Kill Jesus John 13 — The Servant-Lord, the Washed Disciples, and the New Command of Love John 17 — The Son’s High Priestly Prayer: Glory, Preservation, Sanctification, Unity, Mission, and Love John 18 — The Arrested King: Betrayal, Sovereign Surrender, Denial, Trial, and the Kingdom Not of This World John 19 — The Crucified King: Behold the Man, Behold Your King, It Is Finished, and the Pierced Son John 20 — The Risen Lord: Empty Tomb, Eyewitness Faith, Peace, Mission, Spirit, Thomas, and the Purpose of the Gospel John 21 — The Risen Lord Restores, Commissions, Shepherds, and Testifies through His Witness John 6 — The Bread of Life, the Words of Eternal Life, and the Crisis of True Discipleship John 8 — The Light of the World, True Freedom, and the I AM Before Abraham Luke 21 — The Widow’s Gift, Jerusalem’s Fall, and Watchfulness before the Son of Man Mark 13 — Watch and Endure: Temple Judgment, Gospel Witness, Tribulation, the Son of Man, and Readiness Mark 14 — The Son of Man Handed Over: Anointing, Supper, Gethsemane, Betrayal, Trial, and Denial Mark 16 — He Has Risen: The Empty Tomb, the Angelic Announcement, Galilee Promise, and Trembling Witness Mark 3 — The Servant-King Confronted: Sabbath Mercy, Demonic Accusation, and the Family of God Mark 6 — Rejected Prophet, Sending Lord, Wilderness Shepherd, and Divine Son on the Sea Matthew 14 — The Death of John, the Compassion of Jesus, and the Son of God over Bread, Sea, and Fear Matthew 18 — Kingdom Humility, Care for the Little Ones, Discipline, and Forgiveness in Christ’s Community Matthew 28 — The Resurrection of Jesus and the Great Commission of the Risen King Philippians 4 — Rejoicing, Peace, Contentment, and Gospel Partnership in Christ Romans 14 — Receiving One Another, Honoring the Lord, and Pursuing Peace in Matters of Conscience

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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