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 17:11ὦσιν · they may be
    I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by Your name, the name You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one.
  2. John 17:12ἤμην · I was
    While I was with them, I protected and preserved them by Your name, the name You gave Me. Not one of them has been lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
  3. John 17:14εἰσὶν · they are; εἰμὶ · am
    I have given them Your word and the world has hated them. For they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
  4. John 17:16εἰσὶν · They are; εἰμὶ · am
    They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
  5. John 17:17ἐστιν · is
    Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.
  6. John 17:19ὦσιν · may be
    For them I sanctify Myself, so that they too may be sanctified by the truth.
  7. John 17:21ὦσιν · may be; ὦσιν · be
    …that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
  8. John 17:22ὦσιν · they may be
    I have given them the glory You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one—
  9. John 17:23ὦσιν · they may be
    I in them and You in Me—that they may be perfectly united, so that the world may know that You sent Me and have loved them just as You have loved Me.
  10. John 17:24εἰμὶ · am; ὦσιν · to be
    Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see the glory You gave Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
  11. John 17:26ᾖ · may be
    And I have made Your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love You have for Me may be in them, and I in them.”
  12. John 18:1ἦν
    After Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples across the Kidron Valley, where they entered a garden.
  13. John 18:5εἰμι · am [He]
    “Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered. Jesus said, “I am He.” And Judas His betrayer was standing there with them.
  14. John 18:6εἰμι · am [He]
    When Jesus said, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
  15. John 18:8εἰμι · am [He]
    “I told you that I am He,” Jesus replied. “So if you are looking for Me, let these men go.”
  16. John 18:10ἦν · was
    Then Simon Peter drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
  17. John 18:13ἦν · who was; ἦν
    They brought Him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year.
  18. John 18:14ἦν · was
    Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be better if one man died for the people.
  19. John 18:15ἦν · was
    Now Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he also went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.
  20. John 18:17εἶ · Aren’t; εἰμί · I am
    At this, the servant girl watching the door said to Peter, “Aren’t you also one of this man’s disciples?” “I am not,” he answered.
  21. John 18:18ἦν · it was; ἦν · was
    Because it was cold, the servants and officers were standing around a charcoal fire they had made to keep warm. And Peter was also standing with them, warming himself.
  22. John 18:25Ἦν · was; εἶ · Aren’t; εἰμί · I am
    Simon Peter was still standing and warming himself. So they asked him, “Aren’t you also one of His disciples?” He denied it and said, “I am not.”
  23. John 18:26ὢν
    One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Didn’t I see you with Him in the garden?”
  24. John 18:28ἦν · it was
    Then they led Jesus away from Caiaphas into the Praetorium. By now it was early morning, and the Jews did not enter the Praetorium, to avoid being defiled and unable to eat the Passover.
  25. John 18:30ἦν · were
    “If He were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed Him over to you.”
  26. John 18:33εἶ · Are
    Pilate went back into the Praetorium, summoned Jesus, and asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
  27. John 18:35εἰμι · Am
    “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed You over to me. What have You done?”
  28. John 18:36ἔστιν · is; ἦν · were; ἔστιν · is
    Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world; if it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews. But now My kingdom is not of this realm.”
  29. John 18:37εἶ · are; εἰμι · am; ὢν · belongs to
    “Then You are a king!” Pilate said. “You say that I am a king,” Jesus answered. “For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.”
  30. John 18:38ἐστιν · is
    “What is truth?” Pilate asked. And having said this, he went out again to the Jews and told them, “I find no basis for a charge against Him.
  31. John 18:39ἔστιν · it is
    But it is your custom that I release to you one prisoner at the Passover. So then, do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
  32. John 18:40ἦν · was
    “Not this man,” they shouted, “but Barabbas!” (Now Barabbas was an insurrectionist.)
  33. John 19:9εἶ · are
    …and he went back into the Praetorium. “Where are You from?” he asked. But Jesus gave no answer.
  34. John 19:11ἦν · it were
    Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of greater sin.”
  35. John 19:12εἶ · you are
    From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.”
  36. John 19:14ἦν · It was; ἦν
    It was the day of Preparation for the Passover, about the sixth hour. And Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your King!”