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. This is why the ancients were commended.
  2. Hebrews 11:9ἐν · in
    By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
  3. Hebrews 11:18Ἐν · Through
    …even though God had said to him, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
  4. Hebrews 11:19ἐν · [and] in
    Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and in a sense, he did receive Isaac back from death.
  5. Hebrews 11:34ἐν · in
    …quenched the raging fire, and escaped the edge of the sword; who gained strength from weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.
  6. Hebrews 11:37ἐν · by; ἐν · in; ἐν · [and]
    They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, oppressed, and mistreated.
  7. Hebrews 12:2ἐν · at
    Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
  8. Hebrews 12:23ἐν · in
    …in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in heaven. You have come to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
  9. Remember those in prison as if you were bound with them, and those who are mistreated as if you were suffering with them.
  10. Hebrews 13:4ἐν · by
    Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
  11. Hebrews 13:9ἐν · to [them]
    Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace and not by foods of no value to those devoted to them.
  12. Hebrews 13:18ἐν · in
    Pray for us; we are convinced that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.
  13. Hebrews 13:20ἐν · through
    Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,
  14. Hebrews 13:21ἐν · with; ἐν · in
    …equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
  15. James 1:1ἐν · of
    James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes of the Dispersion: Greetings.
  16. Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
  17. James 1:6ἐν · in
    But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
  18. James 1:8ἐν · in
    He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
  19. James 1:9ἐν · in
    The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position.
  20. James 1:10ἐν · [should exult] in
    But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field.
  21. James 1:11ἐν · in the midst of
    For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
  22. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.
  23. James 1:23ἐν · in
    For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror,
  24. James 1:25ἐν · in
    But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.
  25. James 1:27ἐν · in
    Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
  26. James 2:1ἐν · [show]
    My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.
  27. James 2:2ἐν · [and]; ἐν · in
    Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.
  28. James 2:4ἐν · among
    …have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
  29. James 2:5ἐν · in
    Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?
  30. James 2:10ἐν · at
    Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
  31. James 2:16ἐν · in
    If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that?
  32. James 3:2ἐν · in
    We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body.
  33. James 3:6ἐν · among
    The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
  34. James 3:9Ἐν · With; ἐν · with
    With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.
  35. James 3:13ἐν · among; ἐν · in
    Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
  36. James 3:14ἐν · in
    But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth.
  37. James 3:18ἐν · in
    Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the fruit of righteousness.
  38. James 4:1ἐν · among; ἐν · within
    What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you?
  39. James 4:3ἐν · on
    And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.
  40. James 4:5ἐν · in
    Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy?
  41. James 4:16ἐν · in
    As it is, you boast in your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil.
  42. James 5:3ἐν · in
    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.
  43. James 5:5ἐν · in
    You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter.