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. John 7:27ἐστίν · is {from}; ἐστίν · He is {from}
    But we know where this man is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where He is from.”
  2. John 7:28εἰμί · I am {from}; ἔστιν · is
    Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “You know Me, and you know where I am from. I have not come of My own accord, but He who sent Me is true. You do not know Him,
  3. John 7:29εἰμι · I am
    …but I know Him, because I am from Him and He sent Me.”
  4. John 7:33εἰμι · I am
    So Jesus said, “I am with you only a little while longer, and then I am going to the One who sent Me.
  5. John 7:34εἰμὶ · am
    You will look for Me, but you will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.”
  6. John 7:36ἐστιν; εἰμὶ · am
    What does He mean by saying, ‘You will look for Me, but you will not find Me,’ and, ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”
  7. John 7:39ἦν · had
    He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
  8. John 7:40ἐστιν · is
    On hearing these words, some of the people said, “This is truly the Prophet.”
  9. John 7:41ἐστιν · is
    Others declared, “This is the Christ.” But still others asked, “How can the Christ come from Galilee?
  10. John 7:42ἦν · lived
    Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Christ will come from the line of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”
  11. John 7:49εἰσιν · they are
    But this crowd that does not know the law—they are under a curse.”
  12. John 7:50ὢν · [and who himself] was
    Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who himself was one of them, asked,
  13. John 7:52εἶ · Aren’t
    “Aren’t you also from Galilee?” they replied. “Look into it, and you will see that no prophet comes out of Galilee.”
  14. John 8:9οὖσα · standing
    When they heard this, they began to go away one by one, beginning with the older ones, until only Jesus was left, with the woman standing there.
  15. John 8:10εἰσιν · are
    Then Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?”
  16. John 8:12εἰμι · am
    Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
  17. John 8:13ἔστιν · is
    So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not valid.”
  18. John 8:14ἐστιν · is
    Jesus replied, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is valid, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I came from or where I am going.
  19. John 8:16ἐστιν · is; εἰμί · I am
    But even if I do judge, My judgment is true, because I am not alone; I am with the Father who sent Me.
  20. John 8:17ἐστιν · is
    Even in your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid.
  21. John 8:18εἰμι · am
    I am One who testifies about Myself, and the Father, who sent Me, also testifies about Me.”
  22. John 8:19ἐστιν · is
    “Where is Your Father?” they asked Him. “You do not know Me or My Father,” Jesus answered. “If you knew Me, you would know My Father as well.”
  23. John 8:23ἐστέ · are; εἰμί · am; ἐστέ · are; εἰμὶ · am
    Then He told them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
  24. John 8:24εἰμι · am [He]
    That is why I told you that you would die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
  25. John 8:25εἶ · are
    “Who are You?” they asked. “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied.
  26. John 8:26ἐστιν · is
    “I have much to say about you and much to judge. But the One who sent Me is truthful, and what I have heard from Him, I tell the world.”
  27. John 8:28εἰμι · am [He]
    So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own, but speak exactly what the Father has taught Me.
  28. John 8:29ἐστιν · is
    He who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.”
  29. John 8:31ἐστε · you are
    So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples.
  30. John 8:33ἐσμεν · We are
    “We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered. “We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?”
  31. John 8:34ἐστιν · is
    Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
  32. John 8:36ἔσεσθε · you will be
    So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
  33. John 8:37ἐστε · you are
    I know you are Abraham’s descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within you.
  34. John 8:39ἐστιν · is; ἐστε · you were
    “Abraham is our father,” they replied. “If you were children of Abraham,” said Jesus, “you would do the works of Abraham.
  35. John 8:42ἦν · were
    Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on My own, but He sent Me.
  36. John 8:44ἐστὲ · belong to; ἦν · was; ἔστιν · there is; ἐστὶν · he is
    You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
  37. John 8:47ὢν · belongs to; ἐστέ · you do
    Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
  38. John 8:48εἶ · are
    The Jews answered Him, “Are we not right to say that You are a Samaritan and You have a demon?”