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. James 3:4ὄντα · Although they are
    Consider ships as well. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot is inclined.
  2. James 3:5ἐστὶν · is
    In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things. Consider how small a spark sets a great forest ablaze.
  3. James 3:15ἔστιν · [does]
    Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
  4. James 3:17ἐστιν · is
    But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.
  5. James 4:4ἐστιν · is; εἶναι · to be
    You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.
  6. James 4:11εἶ · you are
    Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. And if you judge the law, you are not a practitioner of the law, but a judge of it.
  7. James 4:12ἐστιν · There is; εἶ · are
    There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
  8. James 4:14ἐστε · You are
    You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
  9. James 4:16ἐστιν · is
    As it is, you boast in your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil.
  10. James 4:17ἐστιν · is
    Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin.
  11. James 5:3ἔσται · will
    Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days.
  12. James 5:11ἐστιν · is
    See how blessed we consider those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
  13. James 5:12ἤτω · be
    Above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or earth or by any other oath. Simply let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, so that you will not fall under judgment.
  14. James 5:15ᾖ · he
    And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
  15. James 5:17ἦν · was
    Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.
  16. 1 Peter 1:6ἐστὶν · you may
    In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials
  17. 1 Peter 1:16ἔσεσθε · Be; εἰμι · am
    …for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
  18. 1 Peter 1:21εἶναι · are
    Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him; and so your faith and hope are in God.
  19. 1 Peter 1:25ἐστιν · is
    …but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.
  20. 1 Peter 2:15ἐστὶν · it is
    For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorance of foolish men.
  21. 1 Peter 2:25Ἦτε · you were
    For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
  22. 1 Peter 3:3ἔστω · come
    Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair or gold jewelry or fine clothes,
  23. 1 Peter 3:4ἐστιν · is
    …but from the inner disposition of your heart, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.
  24. 1 Peter 3:20ἔστιν
    …who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In the ark a few people, only eight souls, were saved through water.
  25. 1 Peter 3:22ἐστιν · [and] is
    …who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to Him.
  26. 1 Peter 4:11ἐστιν · be
    If anyone speaks, he should speak as one conveying the words of God. If anyone serves, he should serve with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
  27. 1 Peter 5:12εἶναι · is
    Through Silvanus, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.
  28. 2 Peter 1:9ἐστιν · is
    But whoever lacks these traits is nearsighted to the point of blindness, having forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
  29. 2 Peter 1:13εἰμὶ · I [live]
    I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of my body,
  30. 2 Peter 1:14ἐστιν · will
    …because I know that this tent will soon be laid aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.
  31. 2 Peter 1:17ἐστιν · is
    For He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
  32. 2 Peter 1:18ὄντες · [when] we were
    And we ourselves heard this voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
  33. 2 Peter 2:1ἔσονται · there will be
    Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
  34. 2 Peter 2:11ὄντες · [though]
    Yet not even angels, though greater in strength and power, dare to bring such slanderous charges against them before the Lord.
  35. 2 Peter 2:17εἰσιν · are
    These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.
  36. 2 Peter 2:21ἦν · It would have been
    It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and then to turn away from the holy commandment passed on to them.
  37. 2 Peter 3:4ἐστιν · is
    “Where is the promise of His coming?” they will ask. “Ever since our fathers fell asleep, everything continues as it has from the beginning of creation.”
  38. 2 Peter 3:5ἦσαν · existed
    But they deliberately overlook the fact that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water,
  39. 2 Peter 3:7εἰσὶν · are
    And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
  40. 2 Peter 3:16ἐστιν · are
    He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
  41. 1 John 1:1ἦν · was
    That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have gazed upon and touched with our own hands—this is the Word of life.
  42. 1 John 1:2ἦν · was
    And this is the life that was revealed; we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us.
  43. 1 John 1:4ᾖ · may be
    We write these things so that our joy may be complete.
  44. 1 John 1:5ἔστιν · is; ἐστιν · is; ἔστιν · there is
    And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
  45. 1 John 1:7ἐστιν · is
    But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.