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 8:50ἔστιν · There is
    I do not seek My own glory. There is One who seeks it, and He is the Judge.
  2. John 8:53εἶ · Are
    Are You greater than our father Abraham? He died, as did the prophets. Who do You claim to be?”
  3. John 8:54ἐστιν · means; ἔστιν · is; ἐστιν · He is
    Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory means nothing. The One who glorifies Me is My Father, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’
  4. John 8:55ἔσομαι · I would be
    You do not know Him, but I know Him. If I said I did not know Him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know Him, and I keep His word.
  5. John 8:58εἰμί · am
    “Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!”
  6. John 9:4ἐστίν · it is
    While it is daytime, we must do the works of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work.
  7. John 9:5ὦ · I am; εἰμι · I am
    While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
  8. John 9:8ἦν; ἐστιν · Isn’t
    At this, his neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging began to ask, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?”
  9. John 9:9ἐστιν · was; ἐστιν · he just looks; εἰμι · am [the one]
    Some claimed that he was, but others said, “No, he just looks like him.” But the man kept saying, “I am the one.”
  10. John 9:12ἐστιν · is
    “Where is He?” they asked. “I do not know,” he answered.
  11. John 9:14ἦν · was
    Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened his eyes was a Sabbath.
  12. John 9:16ἔστιν · is; ἦν · there was
    Because of this, some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man perform such signs?” And there was division among them.
  13. John 9:17ἐστίν · He is
    So once again they asked the man who had been blind, “What do you say about Him, since it was your eyes He opened?” “He is a prophet,” the man replied.
  14. John 9:18ἦν · [the man] had been
    The Jews still did not believe that the man had been blind and had received his sight until they summoned his parents
  15. John 9:19ἐστιν · Is
    …and asked, “Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? So how is it that he can now see?”
  16. John 9:20ἐστιν · is
    His parents answered, “We know he is our son, and we know he was born blind.
  17. John 9:24ἦν · had been; ἐστιν · is
    So a second time they called for the man who had been blind and said, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.”
  18. John 9:25ἐστιν · He is; ὢν · I was
    He answered, “Whether He is a sinner I do not know. There is one thing I do know: I was blind, but now I see!”
  19. John 9:28εἶ · are; ἐσμὲν · are
    Then they heaped insults on him and said, “You are His disciple; we are disciples of Moses.
  20. John 9:29ἐστίν · is {from}
    We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this man is from.”
  21. John 9:30ἐστιν · is; ἐστίν · He is {from}
    “That is remarkable indeed!” the man said. “You do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes.
  22. John 9:31ᾖ
    We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will.
  23. John 9:33ἦν · were
    If this man were not from God, He could do no such thing.”
  24. John 9:36ἐστιν · is He
    “Who is He, Sir?” he replied. “Tell me so that I may believe in Him.”
  25. John 9:37ἐστιν · is
    “You have already seen Him,” Jesus answered. “He is the One speaking with you.”
  26. John 9:40ὄντες · were; ἐσμεν · Are
    Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard this, and they asked Him, “Are we blind too?”
  27. John 9:41ἦτε · you were
    “If you were blind,” Jesus replied, “you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”
  28. John 10:1ἐστὶν · is
    “Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.
  29. John 10:2ἐστιν · is
    But the one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
  30. John 10:6ἦν
    Jesus spoke to them using this illustration, but they did not understand what He was telling them.
  31. John 10:7εἰμι · am
    So He said to them again, “Truly, truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
  32. John 10:8εἰσὶν · were
    All who came before Me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
  33. John 10:9εἰμι · am
    I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture.
  34. John 10:11εἰμι · am
    I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
  35. John 10:12ὢν · is; ἔστιν · are
    The hired hand is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf pounces on them and scatters the flock.
  36. John 10:13ἐστιν · he is
    The man runs away because he is a hired servant and is unconcerned for the sheep.
  37. John 10:14εἰμι · am
    I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me,