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
- Luke 6:32εἰ · IfIf you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.
- Luke 7:39εἰ · IfWhen the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this is and what kind of woman is touching Him—for she is a sinner!”
- Luke 8:51εἰ · exceptWhen He entered the house, He did not allow anyone to go in with Him except Peter, John, James, and the child’s father and mother.
- Luke 9:13εἰ · unlessBut Jesus told them, “You give them something to eat.” “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.”
- Luke 9:23Εἴ · IfThen Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
- Luke 10:6εἰ · ifIf a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.
- Luke 10:13εἰ · ifWoe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
- Luke 10:22εἰ · except; εἰ · exceptAll things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”
- Luke 11:8εἰ · thoughI tell you, even though he will not get up to provide for him because of his friendship, yet because of the man’s persistence, he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
- Luke 11:13εἰ · ifSo if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
- Luke 11:18εἰ · IfIf Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? After all, you say that I drive out demons by Beelzebul.
- Luke 11:19εἰ · ifAnd if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.
- Luke 11:20εἰ · ifBut if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
- Luke 11:29εἰ · exceptAs the crowds were increasing, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.
- Luke 11:36εἰ · ifSo if your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, you will be radiant, as though a lamp were shining on you.”
- Luke 12:26εἰ · ifSo if you cannot do such a small thing, why do you worry about the rest?
- Luke 12:28εἰ · IfIf that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith!
- Luke 12:39εἰ · IfBut understand this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.
- I have come to ignite a fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!
- Luke 13:9εἰ · ifIf it bears fruit next year, fine. But if not, you can cut it down.’”
- Luke 13:23εἰ · [will]“Lord,” someone asked Him, “will only a few people be saved?” Jesus answered,
- Luke 14:26Εἴ · If“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.
- Luke 14:28εἰ · to see ifWhich of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it?
- Luke 14:31εἰ · whetherOr what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
- Luke 14:32εἰ · ifAnd if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace.
- Luke 16:11εἰ · ifSo if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?
- Luke 16:12εἰ · ifAnd if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own?
- Luke 16:31Εἰ · IfThen Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
- Luke 17:2εἰ · to haveIt would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.
- Luke 17:6Εἰ · IfAnd the Lord answered, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.
- Luke 17:18εἰ · exceptWas no one found except this foreigner to return and give glory to God?”
- Luke 18:4Εἰ · ThoughFor a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect men,
- Luke 18:19εἰ · except“Why do you call Me good?” Jesus replied. “No one is good except God alone.
- Luke 19:8εἴ · ifBut Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will repay it fourfold.”
- Luke 19:42Εἰ · If only…and said, “If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes.
- Luke 22:42εἰ · if“Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
- Those around Jesus saw what was about to happen and said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?”
- Luke 22:67Εἰ · If“If You are the Christ, tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe.
- Luke 23:6εἰ · ifWhen Pilate heard this, he asked if the man was a Galilean.
- Luke 23:31εἰ · ifFor if men do these things while the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
- Luke 23:35εἰ · ifThe people stood watching, and the rulers sneered at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”
- Luke 23:37Εἰ · If“If You are the King of the Jews,” they said, “save Yourself!”
- John 1:25εἰ · if…asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
- John 3:12Εἰ · IfIf I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
- John 3:13εἰ · exceptNo one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.
- John 4:10Εἰ · IfJesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
- John 5:46εἰ · IfIf you had believed Moses, you would believe Me, because he wrote about Me.
- John 5:47εἰ · sinceBut since you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”
- John 6:22εἰ · onlyThe next day, the crowd that had remained on the other side of the sea realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded it with His disciples, but they had gone away alone.