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. Romans 4:17ὄντα · [into] being; ὄντα · exist
    As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the presence of God, in whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not yet exist.
  2. Romans 4:18ἔσται · be
    Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
  3. Romans 4:21ἐστιν · [God] was
    …being fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised.
  4. Romans 5:6ὄντων · we were
    For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
  5. Romans 5:8ὄντων · were
    But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
  6. Romans 5:10ὄντες · when we were
    For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!
  7. Romans 5:13ἦν · was; ὄντος · when there is
    For sin was in the world before the law was given; but sin is not taken into account when there is no law.
  8. Romans 5:14ἐστιν · is
    Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who did not sin in the way that Adam transgressed. He is a pattern of the One to come.
  9. Romans 6:5ἐσόμεθα · we will certainly also be [united with Him]
    For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection.
  10. Romans 6:11εἶναι
    So you too must count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
  11. Romans 6:14ἐστε · you are
    For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
  12. Romans 6:15ἐσμὲν · we are
    What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? Certainly not!
  13. Romans 6:16ἐστε · you are
    Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness?
  14. Romans 6:17ἦτε · though you once were
    But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed.
  15. Romans 6:20ἦτε · you were; ἦτε · you were
    For when you were slaves to sin, you were free of obligation to righteousness.
  16. Romans 7:3ἐστὶν · she is; εἶναι · is
    So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.
  17. Romans 7:5ἦμεν · we [lived]
    For when we lived according to the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, bearing fruit for death.
  18. Romans 7:14ἐστιν · is; εἰμι · am
    We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.
  19. Romans 7:18ἔστιν · is
    I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
  20. Romans 7:23ὄντι · that dwells
    But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.
  21. Romans 8:5ὄντες · who live
    Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
  22. Romans 8:8ὄντες
    Those controlled by the flesh cannot please God.
  23. Romans 8:9ἐστὲ · are; ἔστιν · belong
    You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
  24. Romans 8:12ἐσμέν · we have
    Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation, but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.
  25. Romans 8:14εἰσιν · are
    For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
  26. Romans 8:16ἐσμὲν · we are
    The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
  27. Romans 8:24ἔστιν · is
    For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he can already see?
  28. Romans 8:28οὖσιν · are
    And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
  29. Romans 8:29εἶναι · would be
    For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.
  30. Romans 8:34ἐστιν · is
    Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God—and He is interceding for us.
  31. Romans 9:2ἐστιν · have
    I have deep sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
  32. Romans 9:3εἶναι · were
    For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my own flesh and blood,
  33. Romans 9:4εἰσιν
    …the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory and the covenants; theirs the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises.
  34. Romans 9:5ὢν · is
    Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them proceeds the human descent of Christ, who is God over all, forever worthy of praise! Amen.
  35. Romans 9:7εἰσὶν · they are
    Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
  36. Romans 9:8ἔστιν · it is
    So it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring.
  37. Romans 9:9ἔσται · will have
    For this is what the promise stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”
  38. Romans 9:20εἶ · are you
    But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?”
  39. Romans 9:26Ἔσται · It will happen that
    …and, “It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”
  40. Romans 9:27ᾖ · is
    Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites is like the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved.
  41. Romans 10:6ἔστιν · is
    But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down)
  42. Romans 10:7ἔστιν · is
    …or, ‘Who will descend into the Abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”
  43. Romans 10:8ἐστιν · is; ἔστιν · is
    But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: