ἐν

enin/on/amongHow to read Greek
greekNew TestamentPreposition2,754 occurrences27 books2,112 verses

Definition

ἐν,

prep, (the most frequently of all in NT), with dative (= Heb. בְּ, Lat. in, with abl.).

I. Of place, with dative of thing(s), of person(s), in, within, on, at, by, among: ἐν τ. πόλει, Luke 7:37; τ. οφθαλμῷ, Matthew 7:3; τ. κοιλίᾳ, Matthew 12:40; τ. ὄρει, 2 Peter 1:18; τ. θρόνῳ, Revelation 3:21; τ. δεξιᾷ τ. θεοῦ, Romans 8:34; ἐν ἡμῖν Abbott-Smith has ὑμῖν., Luke 1:1; of books, ἐν τ. βιβλίῳ, Galatians 3:10; τ. νόμῳ, Matthew 12:5, al.; ἐν τοῖς τ. Πατρός, in my Father's house (RV; cf. M, Pr., 103), Luke 2:49; trop., of the region of thought or feeling, ἐν τ. καρδίᾳ (-αις), Matthew 5:28, 2 Corinthians 4:6, al.; τ. συνειδήσεσιν, 2 Corinthians 5:11; after verbs of motion, instead of εἰς (constructio praegnans, a usage extended in late Gk. beyond the limits observed in cl.; cf. Bl., §41, 1; M, Th., 12), ἀποστέλλω . . . ἐν, Matthew 10:16. δέδωκεν ἐν τ. χειρί (cf. τιθέναι ἐν χερσί, Hom., Il., i, 441, al.), John 3:35; id. after verbs of coming and going (not in cl.), εἰσῆλθε, Luke 9:46; ἐξῆλθεν, Luke 7:17.

II. Of state, condition, form, occupation, etc.: ἐν ζωῇ, Romans 5:10; ἐν τ. θανάτῳ, 1 John 3:14; ἐν πειρασμοῖς, 1 Peter 1:6; ἐν εἰρήνῃ, Mark 5:25; ἐν δόξῃ, Philippians 4:19; ἐν πραΰτητι, James 3:13; ἐν μυστηρίῳ, 1 Corinthians 2:7; ἐν τ. διδαχῇ, Mark 4:2; of a part as contained in a whole, ἐν τ. ἀμπέλῳ, John 15:4; ἐν ἑνὶ σώματι, Romans 12:4; of accompanying objects or persons (simple dative in cl.), with, ἐν αἵματι, Hebrews 9:25; ἐν δέκα χιλιάσιν, Luke 14:31 (cf. Jude 14, Acts 7:14); similarly (cl.), of clothing, armour, arms, ἐν στολαῖς, Mark 12:38; ἐν ἐσθῆτι λαμπρᾷ, James 2:2; ἐν μαξαίρῃ, Luke 22:49; ἐν ῥάβδῳ, 1 Corinthians 4:21 (cf. ἐν τόξοις, Xen., Mem., 3, 9, 2); of manner (cl.), ἐν τάχει (= ταχέως), Luke 18:8 (cf. Bl., §41, 1); of spiritual influence, ἐν πνεύματι, Romans 8:9; ἐν π. ἀκαθάρτῳ, Mark 1:23; of the mystical relation of the Christian life and the believer himself, to God and Christ (cf. ICC, Ro., 160f.; Mayor on Jude 1; M, Pr., 103): ἐν Χριστῷ, Romans 3:24; 6:11, 1 Corinthians 3:1; 4:10, 2 Corinthians 12:2, Galatians 2:17, Ephesians 6:21, Colossians 4:7, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, al.

III. Of the agent, instrument or means (an extension of cl. ἐν of instr.—see LS, see word Ill—corresponding to similar use of Heb. בְּ), by, with: ἐν ὑμῖν κρίνεται ὁ κόσμος (= cl. παρά, C. dative), 1 Corinthians 6:2; ἐν τ. ἄρχοντι τ. δαιμονίων, Matthew 9:34; ἐν αἵματι, Hebrews 9:22; ἐν ὕδατι, Matthew 3:11, al.; ἐν μαχαίρᾳ ἀποκτενεῖ (cf. the absol. ἐν μ., ἐν ῥάβδῳ, supr., II, which some would classify here), Revelation 13:10 (Revelation 6:8). Allied to this usage and distinctly Semitic are the following: ἠγόρασας . . . ἐν τ. αἵματι σου (cf. BDB, see word בְּ, III, 3), Revelation 5:9; ὁμολογεῖν ἐν (= Aram. אודי בּ; cf. McNeile on Mt, I.with; M, Pr., 104), Matthew 10:32, Luke 12:8; ὀμνύναι ἐν (= cl. accusative, so James 5:12), Matthew 5:34, al.; also at the rate of, amounting to, Mark 4:8 (WH; vv. ll., εἰς, ἒν), Acts 7:14 (LXX).

IV. Of time,

(a) in or during a period: ἐν τ. ἡμέρᾳ (νυκτί), John 11:9, al.; ἐν σαββάτῳ, Matthew 12:2, al.; ἐν τῷ μεταξύ, meanwhile, John 4:31;

(b) at the time of an event: ἐν τ. παρουσίᾳ, 1 Corinthians 15:23; ἐν τ. ἀναστάσει, Matthew 22:28;

(with) with art. inf.,

(α) present (so sometimes in cl., but not as in NT = ἕως; V. M, Pr., 215), while: Matthew 13:4, Mark 6:48, Galatians 4:18, al.;

(β) aor., when, after: Luke 9:36, al.;

(d) within (cl.): Matthew 27:40,

V. In composition: (1) meaning: (a) with adjectives, it signifies usually the possession of a quality, as ἐνάλιος, ἐν́δοξος; (b) with verbs, continuance in (before ἐν) or motion into (before εἰς), as ἐμμένω, ἐμβαίνω. (ii) Assimilation: ἐν becomes ἐμ- before β, μ, π, φ, ψ; ἐγ- before γ, κ, ξ, χ; ἐλ- before λ. But in the older MSS of NT, followed by modern editions, assimilation is sometimes neglected, as in ἐνγράφω, ἐγκαινίζω, etc.

Hebrew words it translates

The Hebrew words that the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament renders as ἐν:

Usage patterns

Old TestamentNew Testament

Occurrences

2,754 total
  1. Acts 7:38ἐν · in; ἐν · in; ἐν · on
    He was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. And he received living words to pass on to us.
  2. Acts 7:39ἐν · in
    But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.
  3. Acts 7:41ἐν · At; ἐν · in
    At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands.
  4. Acts 7:42ἐν · in; ἐν · in
    But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
  5. Acts 7:44ἐν · in
    Our fathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the wilderness. It was constructed exactly as God had directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.
  6. Acts 7:45ἐν · [when]
    And our fathers who received it brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations God drove out before them. It remained until the time of David,
  7. Acts 7:48ἐν · in
    However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:
  8. Acts 8:1ἐν · On; ἐν · in
    And Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
  9. The crowds all paid close attention to Philip’s message and to the signs they saw him perform.
  10. Acts 8:8ἐν · in
    So there was great joy in that city.
  11. Acts 8:9ἐν · in
    Prior to that time, a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and astounded the people of Samaria. He claimed to be someone great,
  12. Acts 8:14ἐν · in
    When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
  13. Acts 8:21ἐν · in
    You have no part or share in our ministry, because your heart is not right before God.
  14. Acts 8:33Ἐν · In
    In His humiliation He was deprived of justice. Who can recount His descendants? For His life was removed from the earth.”
  15. Acts 9:3Ἐν · on
    As Saul drew near to Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
  16. Acts 9:10ἐν · In; ἐν · in
    In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Here I am, Lord,” he answered.
  17. Acts 9:11ἐν · on
    “Get up!” the Lord told him. “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.
  18. Acts 9:12ἐν · In
    In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
  19. Acts 9:13ἐν · in
    But Ananias answered, “Lord, many people have told me about this man and all the harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.
  20. Acts 9:17ἐν · on
    So Ananias went to the house, and when he arrived, he placed his hands on Saul. “Brother Saul,” he said, “the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
  21. Acts 9:19ἐν · in
    …and after taking some food, he regained his strength. And he spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
  22. Acts 9:20ἐν · in
    Saul promptly began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, declaring, “He is the Son of God.”
  23. Acts 9:22ἐν · in
    But Saul was empowered all the more, and he confounded the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.
  24. Acts 9:25ἐν · in
    One night, however, his disciples took him and lowered him in a basket through a window in the wall.
  25. Acts 9:27ἐν · on; ἐν · in; ἐν · in
    Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and described how Saul had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him on the road to Damascus, and how Saul had spoken boldly in that city in the name of Jesus.
  26. Acts 9:28ἐν · in
    So Saul stayed with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.
  27. Acts 9:36Ἐν · In
    In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which is translated as Dorcas), who was always occupied with works of kindness and charity.
  28. Acts 9:37ἐν · At; ἐν · in
    At that time, however, she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upper room.
  29. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to urge him, “Come to us without delay.”
  30. Acts 9:43ἐν · in
    And Peter stayed for several days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.
  31. Acts 10:1ἐν · At
    At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was called the Italian Regiment.
  32. One day at about the ninth hour, he had a clear vision of an angel of God who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
  33. Acts 10:12ἐν · It contained
    It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air.
  34. While Peter was puzzling over the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house and approached the gate.
  35. Acts 10:30ἐν · in; ἐν · in
    Cornelius answered: “Four days ago I was in my house praying at this, the ninth hour. Suddenly a man in radiant clothing stood before me
  36. Acts 10:32ἐν · in
    Therefore send to Joppa for Simon, who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, by the sea.’
  37. Acts 10:35ἐν · from
    …but welcomes those from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.
  38. Acts 10:39ἔν · in; ἐν · in
    We are witnesses of all that He did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And although they put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree,
  39. Acts 10:40ἐν · on
    God raised Him up on the third day and caused Him to be seen—