Keraia
Lexicon

εἰμί

eimito beHow to read Greek
greekNew TestamentVerb2,465 occurrences27 books2,100 verses

Definition

εἰμί,

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

I. As substantive verb.

1. Of persons and things, to be, exist: Acts 17:28, John 1:1; 8:58; 17:5, al; ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν (for past ptcp.), Revelation 1:4, 8; 4:8; 11:17; 16:5 (see Swete, Ap., 5; M, Pr., 228); τὰ (μὴ) ὄντα, Romans 4:17, 1 Corinthians 1:28.

2. Of times, events, etc., to be, happen, take place: Matthew 24:3, Mark 14:2; 15:42, Luke 21:23, John 4:6, 23; 5:10, al.

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

4. Impers., ἔστι, ἦν, etc.;

(a) there is (Fr. il y a), was, etc.: Matthew 16:28, Luke 16:19, John 3:1; 5:2, Romans 3:10, al.; with dative (of the possessor; Bl., §37, 3), Matthew 16:22, Luke 1:7, John 18:10, Romans 9:2, al.; ἔστιν ὅς, ὅστις (chiefly in pl), Matthew 16:28; 19:2, Mark 9:1, al.;

(b) with inf., = ἔξεστιν (which see), it is possible: Hebrews 9:5, 1 Corinthians 11:20, RV (but see ICC, in l.).

II. As copula uniting subject and predicate.

1. Expressing simply identity or equivalence: Matthew 5:13; 14:15, Luke 1:18, 19, John 1:1; 4:19, Revelation 3:9, al. mult.

2. Explicative, as in parable, figure, type, etc.: Matthew 13:19, 1 Corinthians 9:2; 10:4; 11:25, Galatians 4:24, Revelation 17:15, al.; ταῦτ᾽ ἔστιν, Matthew 27:46, Mark 7:2, Romans 7:18 al.; ὅ ἐστιν, Mark 3:17, Colossians 1:24, Hebrews 7:2, al.; akin to this is the sacramental usage: Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22, 24, Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 11:24 (see ICC on Mk, I Co, ll. with; DB, iii, 148 f.).

3. C. genitive: qual., etc., Mark 5:42, Luke 3:23, 1 Corinthians 14:33, Hebrews 12:11, al.; part., 1 Timothy 1:20, 2 Timothy 1:15; poss., Matthew 5:3, 10, Mark 12:7, Luke 4:7; of service or partisanship, Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 1:12, 2 Corinthians 10:7, 2 Timothy 2:19.

4. C. dative (BL, §37, 3): Acts 1:8; 9:15, Romans 4:12, 1 Corinthians 1:18; 2:14, Revelation 21:7, al.

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

(a) with ptcp. pf. (cl.): Matthew 10:30, Luke 9:32, John 3:24, Acts 21:35, 1 Corinthians 15:19, al;

(b) with ptcp. pr. (esp. in impf., as in Heb. and Aram.; Dalman, Words, 35 f.), Matthew 7:29, Mark 1:22, Luke 4:31; 14:1, Acts 1:10, al. mult., id. for imper. (M, Pr., 180f., 182f.), with ellipsis of εἰμί, Romans 12:9, 10, Hebrews 13:5, al.;

(with) with ptcp. aor. (cl), Luke 23:9.

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

7. C. adv.: Matthew 19:20, Mark 4:26, Luke 18:11, al.

8. Ellipses;

(a) of the copula (Bl., §30, 3): Matthew 8:29; 24:32, John 21:22, 23, Hebrews 6:4, al.;

(b) of the predicate: ἐγώ εἰμί, Matthew 14:27, Mark 6:50, al.; absol. (cf. Deuteronomy 32:39; אֲנִי הוּא), Mark 13:6, John 4:26, al. (cf. ἄπ-, ἔν-, πάρ-, συμ-πάρ-, σύν-ειμι).

Hebrew words it translates

The Hebrew words that the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament renders as εἰμί:

Usage patterns

Old TestamentNew Testament

Occurrences

2,465 total
  1. Luke 19:2ἦν
    And there was a man named Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, who was very wealthy.
  2. Luke 19:3ἐστιν · was; ἦν · he was
    He was trying to see who Jesus was, but could not see over the crowd because he was small in stature.
  3. Luke 19:9ἐστιν · is
    Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham.
  4. Luke 19:11εἶναι · was
    While the people were listening to this, Jesus proceeded to tell them a parable, because He was near Jerusalem and they thought the kingdom of God would appear imminently.
  5. Luke 19:17ἴσθι · you
    His master replied, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you shall have authority over ten cities.’
  6. Luke 19:21εἶ · you are
    For I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man. You withdraw what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow.’
  7. Luke 19:22εἰμι · am
    His master replied, ‘You wicked servant, I will judge you by your own words. So you knew that I am a harsh man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?
  8. Luke 19:46ἔσται · will be
    He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be a house of prayer.’ But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
  9. Luke 19:47ἦν · [Jesus] was
    Jesus was teaching at the temple every day, but the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people were intent on killing Him.
  10. Luke 20:2ἐστιν
    “Tell us,” they said, “by what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?”
  11. Luke 20:4ἦν · was it
    John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men?”
  12. Luke 20:6ἐστιν · they are; εἶναι · was
    But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”
  13. Luke 20:14ἐστιν · is
    But when the tenants saw the son, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
  14. Luke 20:17ἐστιν · is
    But Jesus looked directly at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?
  15. Luke 20:20εἶναι · to be
    So they watched Him closely and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. They were hoping to catch Him in His words in order to hand Him over to the rule and authority of the governor.
  16. Luke 20:27εἶναι
    Then some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to question Him.
  17. Luke 20:28ᾖ
    “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother’s widow and raise up offspring for him.
  18. Luke 20:29ἦσαν · there were
    Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a wife but died childless.
  19. Luke 20:36εἰσιν · they are; εἰσιν · they are; ὄντες · since they are
    In fact, they can no longer die, because they are like the angels. And since they are sons of the resurrection, they are sons of God.
  20. Luke 20:38ἔστιν · He is
    He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive.”
  21. Luke 20:41εἶναι · is
    Then Jesus declared, “How can it be said that the Christ is the Son of David?
  22. Luke 20:44ἐστιν · can He be
    Thus David calls Him ‘Lord.’ So how can He be David’s son?”
  23. Luke 21:7ἔσται · happen
    “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
  24. Luke 21:8εἰμι · am [He]
    Jesus answered, “See to it that you are not deceived. For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.
  25. Luke 21:11ἔσονται · There will be; ἔσται
    There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, along with fearful sights and great signs from heaven.
  26. Luke 21:17ἔσεσθε · you will be
    And you will be hated by everyone because of My name.
  27. Luke 21:22εἰσιν · are
    For these are the days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written.
  28. Luke 21:23ἔσται · there will be
    How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people.
  29. Luke 21:24ἔσται · will be
    They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
  30. Luke 21:25ἔσονται · There will be
    There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves.
  31. Luke 21:30ἐστίν · is
    When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near.
  32. Luke 21:31ἐστιν · is
    So also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.
  33. Luke 21:37Ἦν · [Jesus]
    Every day Jesus taught at the temple, but every evening He went out to spend the night on the Mount of Olives.
  34. Luke 22:3ὄντα · who was
    Then Satan entered Judas Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve.
  35. Luke 22:11ἐστιν · is
    …and say to the owner of that house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?’
  36. Luke 22:19ἐστιν · is
    And He took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
  37. Luke 22:23εἴη · was
    Then they began to question among themselves which of them was going to do this.
  38. Luke 22:24εἶναι
    A dispute also arose among the disciples as to which of them should be considered the greatest.
  39. Luke 22:27εἰμι · am
    For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines? But I am among you as one who serves.
  40. Luke 22:28ἐστε · are
    You are the ones who have stood by Me in My trials.
  41. Luke 22:33εἰμι · I am
    “Lord,” said Peter, “I am ready to go with You even to prison and to death.”
  42. Luke 22:38ἐστιν · That is
    So they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” “That is enough,” He answered.
  43. Luke 22:49ἐσόμενον · was about to happen
    Those around Jesus saw what was about to happen and said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?”
  44. Luke 22:53ὄντος · was; ἐστὶν · belongs
    Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on Me. But this hour belongs to you and to the power of darkness.”