What does ἐνίστημι (enístēmi) mean in the Bible?
Enistēmi can describe what is present, has arrived, is at hand, or will set in. Romans 8:38 and 1 Corinthians 3:22 pair present things with future things.
Greek · G1764
ἐνίστημι
Be present
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ἐνίστημι G1764
Pronunciation enístēmi
What does ἐνίστημι (enístēmi) mean in the Bible?
Enistēmi can describe what is present, has arrived, is at hand, or will set in. Romans 8:38 and 1 Corinthians 3:22 pair present things with future things.
Reader summary
Full entry for ἐνίστημι (G1764) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G1764?
The BSB source-word alignment has 7 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include present (3), the present (2), has already come (1), will come (1).
Where does ἐνίστημι (enístēmi) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Romans 8:38. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Corinthians (2), 2 Thessalonians (1), 2 Timothy (1), Galatians (1).
What This Word Actually Means
Enistēmi can describe what is present, has arrived, is at hand, or will set in. Romans 8:38 and 1 Corinthians 3:22 pair present things with future things. First Corinthians 7:26 names a present distress, Galatians 1:4 the present evil age, and Hebrews 9:9 the present time illustrated by the tabernacle arrangement. In 2 Thessalonians 2:2 the disputed claim is that the day of the Lord has come or is present, while 2 Timothy 3:1 warns that difficult times will come in the last days.
The verb's tense and surrounding nouns therefore matter. It does not automatically mean soon, continually present, or already fulfilled. Teachers should use the immediate statement to distinguish current reality from arrival or impending conditions, especially in eschatological passages.
How the Bible Uses It
The governed local index counts about seven G1764 uses. Perfect forms commonly identify present things or a condition that has arrived, while 2 Timothy 3:1 uses a future form for difficult times that will set in.
- 1Cor.7.26
Because of the present crisis, I think it is good for a man to remain as he is.
The participle identifies a distress currently pressing on the Corinthian situation; the verse does not name every age or circumstance as the same crisis.
- 2Thess.2.2
Not to be easily disconcerted or alarmed by any spirit or message or letter seeming to be from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has already come.
Paul rejects an alarming claim that the day of the Lord has already come or is present. The verb contributes to that claim but does not settle the chapter's entire chronology by itself.
- 2Tim.3.1
But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come.
The future form warns that difficult times will set in during the last days, showing that G1764 can mark impending arrival as well as a present condition.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It present 3× 1 Corinthians 7:26, Galatians 1:4, Hebrews 9:9
the present 2× Romans 8:38, 1 Corinthians 3:22
has already come 1× 2 Thessalonians 2:2
will come 1× 2 Timothy 3:1
Show sample aligned rows
Romans 8:38 ἐνεστῶτα to the present Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Nominative Neuter Plural 1 Corinthians 3:22 ἐνεστῶτα to the present Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Nominative Neuter Plural 1 Corinthians 7:26 ἐνεστῶσαν to present Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Accusative Feminine Singular Galatians 1:4 ἐνεστῶτος to present Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Singular 2 Thessalonians 2:2 ἐνέστηκεν to has already come Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 2 Timothy 3:1 ἐνστήσονται to will come Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Plural Hebrews 9:9 ἐνεστηκότα to present Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Romans 8:38
Aligned rows 7
Books represented 6
Romans 1 1 Corinthians 2 Galatians 1 2 Thessalonians 1 2 Timothy 1 Hebrews 1
Source forms
ἐνεστῶτα 2x enestōta Romans 8:38, 1 Corinthians 3:22
ἐνέστηκεν 1x enestēken 2 Thessalonians 2:2
ἐνεστηκότα 1x enestēkota Hebrews 9:9
ἐνεστῶσαν 1x enestōsan 1 Corinthians 7:26
ἐνεστῶτος 1x enestōtos Galatians 1:4
ἐνστήσονται 1x enstēsontai 2 Timothy 3:1
Parsing patterns
Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Nominative Neuter Plural 2x Romans 8:38, 1 Corinthians 3:22
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Plural 1x 2 Timothy 3:1
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 1x 2 Thessalonians 2:2
Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Accusative Feminine Singular 1x 1 Corinthians 7:26
Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Singular 1x Hebrews 9:9
Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Singular 1x Galatians 1:4
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Distinguish what the passage says is present from what it says will arrive.
- Let the surrounding argument define the pastoral response to each present or impending condition.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that G1764 by itself proves an eschatological date or full chronology.
- Do not claim that every use means soon; several forms name what is currently present.
- Do not merge the present distress, present evil age, and present time into one identical condition.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. be present
Strong's G1764
Lexical occurrences 7 verses Greek text appearances 7 times Word forms 2 forms 7 references Verse guides 0 guides
Source Gloss
be present
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
7 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Romans 8:38 Verb Perfect Active Participle Nominative Plural Neuter
ἐνεστῶτα enestwta
I place in or upon, am at hand, am present, threaten
Read verse 1 Corinthians 3:22 Verb Perfect Active Participle Nominative Plural Neuter
ἐνεστῶτα, enestwta
I place in or upon, am at hand, am present, threaten
Read verse 1 Corinthians 7:26 Verb Perfect Active Participle Accusative Singular Feminine
ἐνεστῶσαν enestwsan
I place in or upon, am at hand, am present, threaten
Read verse Galatians 1:4 Verb Perfect Active Participle Genitive Singular Masculine
ἐνεστῶτος enestwtov
I place in or upon, am at hand, am present, threaten
Read verse 2 Thessalonians 2:2 Verb Third Person Singular Perfect Active Indicative
ἐνέστηκεν enesthken
I place in or upon, am at hand, am present, threaten
Read verse 2 Timothy 3:1 Verb Third Person Plural Future Middle Deponent Indicative
ἐνστήσονται ensthsontai
I place in or upon, am at hand, am present, threaten
Read verse Hebrews 9:9 Verb Perfect Active Participle Accusative Singular Masculine
ἐνεστηκότα, enesthkota
I place in or upon, am at hand, am present, threaten
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 2 Aligned forms 7 Tenses Perfect, Future Voices Active, Middle
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 5×
Perfect Active Rom 8:38 · 1 Cor 3:22 · 1 Cor 7:26 · Gal 1:4 · Heb 9:9 5×
Indicative states a fact or reality 2×
Perfect Active 2 Thess 2:2 1×
Future Middle 2 Tim 3:1 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 7 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
perfect 6 future 1
Voice
active 6 middle 1
Mood
participle 5 indicative 2
NT Occurrences
Romans 8:38 ἐνεστῶτα perfect active participle participle 1 Corinthians 3:22 ἐνεστῶτα perfect active participle participle 1 Corinthians 7:26 ἐνεστῶσαν perfect active participle participle Galatians 1:4 ἐνεστῶτος perfect active participle participle 2 Thessalonians 2:2 ἐνέστηκεν perfect active indicative resultant 2 Timothy 3:1 ἐνστήσονται future middle indicative prospective Hebrews 9:9 ἐνεστηκότα perfect active participle participle
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)
Word Origins
ἐνίστημι is built from these roots:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
G1764 helps readers mark temporal location without flattening the theology of time. Present and future realities remain under Christ's rule, a present crisis can shape prudential counsel, and the present evil age is the setting from which Christ rescues His people. Paul also rejects false alarm about the day of the Lord and warns that difficult times will set in.
The word serves those arguments, but it does not decide when every prophecy is fulfilled or authorize date-setting. Hebrews adds a cultic-historical use by naming the present time illustrated through the tabernacle arrangement. Together the passages teach readers to ask what condition is present, what has allegedly arrived, what will set in, and what response the author commands.
Temporal vocabulary supports the argument; it never replaces it.
Anchor passage
1Cor.7.26
Doctrinal connections
- Romans 8:38 and 1 Corinthians 3:22 contrast present things with future things inside assurances centered on God and Christ.
- First Corinthians 7:26 applies the word to a present distress governing Paul's counsel.
- Galatians 1:4 describes the present age as evil and Christ's self-giving as rescue according to the Father's will.
- Second Thessalonians 2:2 rejects alarm based on a claim that the day of the Lord is present or has come.
- Second Timothy 3:1 uses a future form for difficult times that will set in.
- Hebrews 9:9 applies the word to the present time within the sanctuary argument.
The local index counts about seven uses. Perfect participles commonly function adjectivally for what is present, 2 Thessalonians 2:2 uses a perfect indicative for asserted arrival, and 2 Timothy 3:1 uses a future form for times that will set in.
From Old to New Testament
Biblical distinctions among the present age, future hope, crisis, and appointed times can support synthesis. G1764 does not make those categories interchangeable or determine a chronology on its own.
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
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain