Definition
εἰ,
conjunctive particle, used in conditions and in indirect questions.
I. Conditional, if;
1. with indic, expressing a general assumption;
(a) pres.: before indic, pres., Matthew 11:14, Romans 8:25, al.; before imperat., Mark 4:23; 9:22, John 15:18, 1 Corinthians 7:9, al.; before fut. indic., Luke 16:31, Romans 8:11, al.; before pf. or aor., with negation in apodosis, Matthew 12:26, Romans 4:14, al.; similarly, before impf., Luke 17:6, John 8:39; before quæst., Matthew 6:23, John 5:47; 7:23; 8:46, 1 Peter 2:20;
(b) fut.: Matthew 26:33, 1 Peter 2:20;
(with) pf.: John 11:12, Romans 6:5, al.;
(d) aor.: Luke 16:11; 19:8, John 13:32; 18:23, Revelation 20:15, al.
2. Where the assumption is certain = ἐπεί: Matthew 12:28, John 7:4, Romans 5:17, al.
3. Of an unfulfilled condition, with indic, impf., aor. or plpf., before ἄν, with imp. or aor. (see: ἄν, I, i).
4. C. indic., after verbs denoting wonder, etc., sometimes, but not always, coupled with an element of doubt: Mark 15:44, 1 John 3:13, al.
5. C. indic., as in LXX (Numbers 14:3o, 1 Samuel 14:45, al. = Heb. אִם), in oaths, with the formula of imprecation understood in a suppressed apodosis (WM, 627; Burton, §272): Mark 8:12, Hebrews 3:11" (LXX) 4:3 (LXX).
6. Rarely (cl.) with optative, to express a merely possible condition: Acts 24:19; 27:39, 1 Corinthians 14:10; 15:37, I Pe3:14, 17.
II. Interrogative, if, whether.
1. As in cl., in indir. questions after verbs of seeing, asking, knowing, saying, etc.: with indic. pres., Matthew 26:63, Mark 15:36, Acts 19:2, 2 Corinthians 13:5, al.; fut., Mark 3:2, Acts 8:22, al.; aor., Mark 15:44, 1 Corinthians 1:16, al.; with subjc. aor. (M, Pr., 194), Philippians 3:12.
2. As in LXX (= Heb. אִם and interrog. הֲ, Genesis 17:17, al.; see WM, 639f.; Viteau, i, 22), in direct questions: Mark 8:23 (Tr., WH, txt.), Luke 13:23; 22:49, Acts 19:2, al.
III. With other particles.
1. εἰ ἄρα, εἴγε, εἰ δὲ μήγε, see: ἄρα, γε.
2. εἰ δὲ καί, but if also: Luke 11:18; but even if, 1 Corinthians 4:7, 2 Corinthians 4:3; 11:16.
3. εἰ δὲ μή, but if not, but if otherwise: Mark 2:21, 22, John 14:2, Revelation 2:5, al.
4. εἰ καί, if even, if also, although: Mark 14:29, Luke 11:8, 1 Corinthians 7:21, 2 Corinthians 4:16, Philippians 2:17, al.
5. καὶ εἰ, even if, see: καί
6. εἰ μή, if not, unless, except, but only: Matthew 24:22, Mark 2:26; 6:5, John 9:33, 1 Corinthians 7:17 (only), Galatians 1:19 (cf. ἐὰν μή, 2:16; see Hort., Ja., xvi); ἐκτὸς εἰ μή, pleonastic (Bl., §65, 6), 1 Corinthians 14:5; 15:2, 1 Timothy 5:19.
7. εἰ μήν = cl. ἦ μήν (M, Pr., 46), in oaths, surely (Ezekiel 33:27, al.): Hebrews 6:14.
8. εἴ πως, if haply: Acts 27:12, Romans 1:10.
9. εἴτε . . . εἴτε, whether . . . or; Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 3:22; 13:8, al.
Hebrew words it translates
Usage patterns
Occurrences
- Revelation 20:15εἴ · ifAnd if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
- Revelation 21:27εἰ · but onlyBut nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.