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. 1 John 1:7ἐν · in; ἐν · in
    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.
  2. 1 John 1:8ἐν · in
    If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
  3. 1 John 1:10ἐν · in
    If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.
  4. 1 John 2:3ἐν · By
    By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments.
  5. 1 John 2:4ἐν · in
    If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
  6. 1 John 2:5ἐν · in; Ἐν · By; ἐν · in
    But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him:
  7. 1 John 2:6ἐν · in
    Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked.
  8. 1 John 2:8ἐν · in; ἐν · in
    Then again, I am also writing to you a new commandment, which is true in Him and also in you. For the darkness is fading and the true light is already shining.
  9. 1 John 2:9ἐν · in; ἐν · in
    If anyone claims to be in the light but hates his brother, he is still in the darkness.
  10. 1 John 2:10ἐν · in; ἐν · in
    Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no cause of stumbling in him.
  11. 1 John 2:11ἐν · in; ἐν · in
    But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness. He does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
  12. 1 John 2:14ἐν · in
    I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
  13. 1 John 2:15ἐν · in; ἐν · in
    Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
  14. 1 John 2:16ἐν · in
    For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.
  15. 1 John 2:24ἐν · in; ἐν; ἐν · in; ἐν · in
    As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father.
  16. 1 John 2:27ἐν · in; ἐν · in
    And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.
  17. 1 John 2:28ἐν · in; ἐν · at
    And now, little children, remain in Christ, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.
  18. 1 John 3:5ἐν · in
    But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.
  19. 1 John 3:6ἐν · in
    No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.
  20. 1 John 3:9ἐν · in
    Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.
  21. 1 John 3:10ἐν · By
    By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
  22. 1 John 3:14ἐν · in
    We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.
  23. 1 John 3:15ἐν · in
    Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.
  24. 1 John 3:16Ἐν · By
    By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
  25. 1 John 3:17ἐν · in
    If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?
  26. 1 John 3:18ἐν · in
    Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.
  27. 1 John 3:19ἐν · by
    And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence:
  28. 1 John 3:24ἐν · in; ἐν · in; ἐν · by; ἐν · in
    Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.
  29. 1 John 4:2Ἐν · By; ἐν · in
    By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
  30. 1 John 4:3ἐν · in
    …and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time.
  31. 1 John 4:4ἐν · in; ἐν · in
    You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
  32. 1 John 4:9Ἐν · This is how
    This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.