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. Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ.
  2. 1 Corinthians 3:3ἐν · among
    …for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man?
  3. 1 Corinthians 3:13ἐν · with
    …his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work.
  4. Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
  5. 1 Corinthians 3:18ἐν · of; ἐν · in
    Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.
  6. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”
  7. Therefore, stop boasting in men. All things are yours,
  8. Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.
  9. My conscience is clear, but that does not vindicate me. It is the Lord who judges me.
  10. 1 Corinthians 4:6ἐν · from
    Brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us not to go beyond what is written. Then you will not take pride in one man over another.
  11. We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are dishonored.
  12. 1 Corinthians 4:15ἐν · in; ἐν · in
    Even if you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.
  13. 1 Corinthians 4:17ἐν · in; ἐν · in; ἐν · in
    That is why I have sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which is exactly what I teach everywhere in every church.
  14. 1 Corinthians 4:20ἐν · a matter of; ἐν · of
    For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.
  15. 1 Corinthians 4:21ἐν · with; ἐν · in
    Which do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and with a gentle spirit?
  16. 1 Corinthians 5:1ἐν · among; ἐν · among
    It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife.
  17. When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, along with the power of the Lord Jesus,
  18. …hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the Day of the Lord.
  19. 1 Corinthians 5:8ἐν · with; ἐν; ἐν · with
    Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old bread, leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and of truth.
  20. I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people.
  21. Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?
  22. So if you need to settle everyday matters, do you appoint as judges those of no standing in the church?
  23. 1 Corinthians 6:5ἐν · among
    I say this to your shame. Is there really no one among you wise enough to arbitrate between his brothers?
  24. 1 Corinthians 6:11ἐν · in; ἐν · by
    And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
  25. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
  26. 1 Corinthians 6:20ἐν · with
    …you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.
  27. 1 Corinthians 7:14ἐν · through; ἐν · through
    For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.
  28. 1 Corinthians 7:15ἐν · in; ἐν · [to live] in
    But if the unbeliever leaves, let him go. The believing brother or sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace.
  29. Regardless, each one should lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is what I prescribe in all the churches.
  30. Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man still uncircumcised when called? He should not be circumcised.
  31. 1 Corinthians 7:20ἐν · in; ἐν
    Each one should remain in the situation he was in when he was called.
  32. For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord’s freedman. Conversely, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ’s slave.
  33. 1 Corinthians 7:24ἐν · he was in; ἐν · in
    Brothers, each one should remain in the situation he was in when God called him.
  34. 1 Corinthians 7:37ἐν · in; ἐν · in
    But the man who is firmly established in his heart and under no constraint, with control over his will and resolve in his heart not to marry the virgin, he will do well.
  35. 1 Corinthians 7:39ἐν · [he] belongs to
    A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, as long as he belongs to the Lord.