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Acts 8:15 — Word Study

Depth

N1904οἵτινες καταβάντες προσηύξαντο περὶ αὐτῶν ὅπως λάβωσιν πνεῦμα ἅγιον.

BSAwhohostis, hētis having come downkatabainō [when they came down, having descended] they prayedproseuchomai [to worship and ask of God] forperi themautos thathopōs they may receive [the]lambanō [to take, accept, and possess] Spiritpneuma [the divine breath, the vital principle of God] Holy.hagios [set apart, sacred]

Word
Listen & take awayActs 8
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 15 is in this chapter.
Say the word Each Greek word carries its transliteration (hagios) — no per-word recordings of the Greek exist to link to.
Take it away
Acts 8:15quick helps
In a sentenceThe apostles prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit after arriving in Samaria.
Who is speakingThe apostles, specifically Peter and John, are the ones who prayed.
Where we areThis event occurs in Samaria after the apostles hear about the acceptance of the word of God there.
The hard wordπροσηύξαντο
Take awayThe act of prayer is directed toward God for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectὅστις verbκαταβαίνω The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the New Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the New Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — , the commonest word in the Greek New Testament, stands 19,867 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Acts 8:15

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Apostles' Ministry in Samariagenerated

14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
15On their arrival, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.
16For the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
17Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:15 describes the apostles' journey to Samaria after hearing that the Samaritans had accepted the word of God. Upon their arrival, Peter and John prayed for the new believers to receive the Holy Spirit, indicating the importance of the Spirit in the life of believers. This reflects the early church's practice of seeking God's empowerment through prayer, as seen in other passages like Acts 2:38 and Philippians 1:19.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Acts 2:38Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
2Matthew 18:19Again, I tell you truly that if two of you on the earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven.
3John 14:13–14And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
4John 16:23–24In that day you will no longer ask Me anything. Truly, truly, I tell you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.
5Philippians 1:19because I know that through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, my distress will turn out for my deliverance.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word προσηύξαντο, proseuchomaigenerated

The verb προσεύχομαι (proseuchomai) means 'to pray' and is used to express a direct appeal to God. It is a middle deponent verb, indicating that the subject is acting on themselves, in this case, praying to God on behalf of others.

This word appears frequently in the New Testament, highlighting its significance in both worship and supplication. The context here emphasizes the communal aspect of prayer as the apostles intercede for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as 'On their arrival, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.' The KJV and ASV use similar phrasing, stating 'prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost/Spirit.'

Where translations differ is in the rendering of προσηύξαντο. The BSB, WEB, and others use 'they prayed', while the YLT opts for 'pray'. Additionally, the conjunction ὅπως is translated as 'that' in most versions, but the NETB uses 'so that'.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is προσηύξαντο, they prayed, which governs the action of the apostles. The structure includes a noun phrase as the subject and a prepositional phrase indicating the purpose of their prayer.

The verse can be broken down into clauses: the first describes the action of arriving, while the second details the prayer for the Holy Spirit. This structure highlights the sequential nature of the events.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The verb καταβαίνω translates the Hebrew word יָרַד (yarad), meaning 'to go down' or 'descend.' This connection emphasizes the physical movement of the apostles as they traveled to Samaria.

The term πνεῦμα corresponds to the Hebrew word רוּחַ (ruach), which also means 'spirit' or 'breath.' This shows continuity in the understanding of the divine spirit across both Testaments.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Acts 8:15 tells us that when Peter and John arrived in Samaria, they prayed for the new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. This shows the importance of prayer and the Holy Spirit in the life of the early church.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to receive the Holy Spirit?

Receiving the Holy Spirit signifies the empowerment and presence of God in a believer's life, enabling them to live according to God's will and bear witness to their faith.

Why did the apostles pray for the Samaritans?

The apostles prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit as a sign of their acceptance into the community of believers, emphasizing the importance of the Spirit in their spiritual journey.

How does prayer play a role in the life of a believer?

Prayer is a vital aspect of a believer's life, serving as a means of communication with God, seeking guidance, and interceding for others.

What is the significance of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament?

The Holy Spirit is seen as the active presence of God in the world, guiding, empowering, and comforting believers as they live out their faith.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How can I incorporate prayer into my daily life, as the apostles did?
  2. What does it mean for me to receive the Holy Spirit, and how can I be more aware of His presence?
  3. In what ways can I support others in their spiritual journey, similar to how the apostles prayed for the Samaritans?
  4. What role does the Holy Spirit play in my understanding of Scripture and my relationship with God?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Acts 8:15 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Who when they were come down,.... To the city of Samaria, where Philip was, and these converts dwelt: prayed for them; for some of them, unto God: that they might receive the Holy Ghost; the

Read John Gill on Acts 8 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: No JFB commentary on these verses.

Read Robert Jamieson on Acts 8 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

They; Peter and John. Prayed for them; in this particular they did not pray for all that believed, amongst whom there were several women, . That they might receive the Holy Ghost; those extraordinary gifts of tongues, of prophesying of working miracles, &c. See .

Read Matthew Poole on Acts 8 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: Ver. 15. The Holy Ghost] That is, those extraordinary gifts of tongues, healing, &c.

Read John Trapp on Acts 8 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(15) Prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost.—The prayer clearly pointed to such a gift of the power of the Spirit as had been bestowed on the Day of Pentecost. It assumed that such gifts had been received by the disciples generally at Jerusalem, and that they were distinct from the new birth of water and the Spirit (John 3:5) which was given through baptism. The Apostles looked on the Samaritans as qualified for that higher gift as well as for admission into the kingdom, and it was given to them, and not to Philip in his subordinate position as an evangelist, to be the channels of communicating it.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Acts 8 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 15. When they were come down] The very same mode of speaking, in reference to Jerusalem formerly, obtains now in reference to London. The metropolis in both cases is considered as the centre; and all parts, in every direction, no matter how distant, or how situated, are represented as below the metropolis. Hence we so frequently hear of persons going up to Jerusalem: and going down from the same. So in London the people speak of going down to the country; and, in the country, of going up to London. It is necessary to make this remark, lest any person should be led away with the notion that Jerusalem was situated on the highest ground in Palestine. It is a mode of speech which is used…

Read AdamClarke on Acts 8 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

15. who, when they were come down, &c.] It is clear from the whole history that the special gift of the Holy Ghost, bestowed at this period on the Christian converts in various places, was not given except through the Apostles. The case of Ananias, sent by God’s special command to Saul, differs from all others. Peter could promise it (Acts 2:38) to those who should repent and be baptized, but the Samaritan converts whom Philip had made received no share of such powers till the arrival of Peter and John. But the Apostles make it manifest by their prayer that the gift was not theirs either to impart or withhold, but was “of God,” as Peter calls it (Acts 8:20).

Read Cambridge on Acts 8 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Were come down - To Samaria. Jerusalem was generally represented as “up,” or “higher” than the rest of the land, Matthew 20:18; John 7:8.

Read Albert Barnes on Acts 8 →

The verse in English, compared — 16 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

On their arrival, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

who, when they had come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit;

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

On their arrival, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.

NETBNew English Translation2006

These two went down and prayed for them so that they would receive the Holy Spirit.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit:

RVARevised Version, American1894

who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit:

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Which whe they were come downe, prayed for them, that they might receiue the holy Ghost.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

who, having come down, prayed for them that they might receive [the] Holy Spirit;

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

who having come down did pray concerning them, that they may receive the Holy Spirit, —

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

who having come down prayed concerning them, that they may receive the Holy Spirit—

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

When they had come down, they prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Who, when they were come, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

When they arrived they prayed for the converts in Samaria to receive the Holy Spirit.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Who, when they came there, made prayer for them, that the Holy Spirit might be given to them:

Word by word, the decisions they made

καταβάντεςkatabainō having come down G2597 2 different renderings
having come downDBY LSV YLT
went downNETB
προσηύξαντοproseuchomai they prayed G4336 2 different renderings
they prayedBSB FBV MSB ULB
prayYLT
ὅπωςhopōs that G3704 2 different renderings
thatASV BBE DBY DRA GNV KJV LSV NWB RVA ULB WEB YLT
so thatNETB

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the Nestle 1904 treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

clauseδὲnowclausenoun phrase · subjectοἱthenoun phraseprepositional phraseἐνinἹεροσολύμοιςJerusalemἀπόστολοιapostlesclause · adverbialclauseverbἈκούσαντεςHaving heardclauseὅτιthatclauseverbδέδεκταιhad receivednoun phrase · subject-ΣαμάριαSamarianoun phrase · objectτὸνthenoun phraseλόγονwordnoun phraseτοῦ-Θεοῦof Godverbἀπέστειλανthey sentprepositional phrase · adverbialπρὸςtoαὐτοὺςthemnoun phrase · objectnoun phraseΠέτρονPeterκαὶandἸωάνηνJohnclausesubjectοἵτινεςwhoadverbialκαταβάντεςhaving come downverbπροσηύξαντοprayedprepositional phrase · adverbialπερὶforαὐτῶνthemclauseὅπωςthatclauseverbλάβωσινthey might receive [the]noun phrase · objectΠνεῦμαSpiritἍγιονHoly

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The earliest translations — Latin and Syriac

Every translation is an argument about meaning made by someone who had to commit to one. These two were made while the Greek was still a living language, and they are the oldest opinions we have about what this verse says.

Latin VulgateAD 382–405

Qui cum venissent, oraverunt pro ipsis ut acciperent Spiritum Sanctum :

Jerome revised the Old Latin against the Greek from AD 382; the Latin west read this text for a thousand years.

Syriac Peshittaby AD 400

ܘܢܚܬܘ ܘܨܠܝܘ ܥܠܝܗܘܢ ܐܝܟ ܕܢܩܒܠܘܢ ܪܘܚܐ ܕܩܘܕܫܐ

The Bible of the Syriac-speaking church, in the language nearest to the Aramaic Jesus spoke.

Shown verse by verse rather than word by word: aligning a Greek word to its Latin or Syriac counterpart automatically would be guesswork, and a wrong alignment is worse than none.


The Greek editions compared — what the manuscripts actually say

Eight printed editions of the Greek New Testament, side by side. Where they agree the wording is settled; where a word is missing from an edition it is marked, so you can see the difference rather than take it on trust.

Nestle-Aland 28th edition2012 · Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft

οἵτινες καταβάντες προσηύξαντο περὶ αὐτῶν ὅπως λάβωσιν πνεῦμα ἅγιον.

The standard critical text of the New Testament.

Nestle-Aland 27th edition1993 · Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft

οἵτινες καταβάντες προσηύξαντο περὶ αὐτῶν ὅπως λάβωσιν πνεῦμα ἅγιον.

The previous edition, still widely cited.

SBL Greek New Testament2010 · Michael Holmes

οἵτινες καταβάντες προσηύξαντο περὶ αὐτῶν ὅπως λάβωσιν πνεῦμα ἅγιον.

The Society of Biblical Literature edition, freely licensed.

Westcott–Hort1881 · Westcott and Hort

οἵτινες καταβάντες προσηύξαντο περὶ αὐτῶν ὅπως λάβωσιν πνεῦμα ἅγιον.

The edition that turned scholarship toward the earliest manuscripts.

Tregelles1857–1879 · Samuel Prideaux Tregelles

οἵτινες καταβάντες προσηύξαντο περὶ αὐτῶν ὅπως λάβωσιν πνεῦμα ἅγιον.

An independent critical text built from the oldest witnesses then known.

Tyndale House Greek NT2017 · Tyndale House, Cambridge

οἵτινες καταβάντες προσηύξαντο περὶ αὐτῶν ὅπως λάβωσιν πνεῦμα ἅγιον.

A recent critical edition following documentary evidence closely.

Byzantine majority text2018 · Robinson–Pierpont

οἵτινες καταβάντες προσηύξαντο περὶ αὐτῶν ὅπως λάβωσιν πνεῦμα ἅγιον.

The reading of the majority of surviving manuscripts.

Textus Receptus1550/1894 lineage

οἵτινες καταβάντες προσηύξαντο περὶ αὐτῶν ὅπως λάβωσιν πνεῦμα ἅγιον.

The printed tradition behind the King James Version.

Every witness on this verse all agree
Critical editions
Nestle-Aland 28th edition2012Nestle-Aland 27th edition1993SBL Greek New Testament2010Westcott–Hort1881Tregelles1857–1879Tyndale House Greek NT2017
Byzantine / Majority
Byzantine majority text2018
Received Text
Textus Receptus1550/1894

A witness that read differently would show its variant word here, marked.

Word by word, across the editions

Every edition agrees. All 8 printed editions — Nestle-Aland 28, Nestle-Aland 27, SBLGNT, Westcott-Hort, Tregelles, Tyndale House 2017, Textus Receptus (KJV), Byzantine majority — carry every word of this verse, in the same order, with no difference that any translator would render differently.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Greek New Testament — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Acts 8:15ὅστιςwhowhoὅστιςκαταβαίνωhaving comehaving come dowκαταβαίνωπροσεύχομαιthey prayedthey prayedπροσεύχομαιπερίforforπερίαὐτόςthemthemαὐτόςὅπωςthatthatὅπωςλαμβάνωthey may rethey may receivλαμβάνωπνεῦμαSpiritSpiritπνεῦμαἅγιοςHoly.Holy.ἅγιοςὅςRel.pr. whRel.pr. who, whὅςκατάPrep. downPrep. down fromκατάπρόςPrep. to, Prep. to, towarπρόςπνέωv. I blowv. I blowπνέωπέρανAdv over, Adv over, beyonπέρανἀήρn.m. airn.m. airἀήρἑαυτοῦRefl.pr. hRefl.pr. himselἑαυτοῦδέχομαιv. I take,v. I take, receδέχομαιαἱρέωv. I choosv. I choose, prαἱρέωἁγνόςAdj pure, Adj pure, chastἁγνόςθάλπωv. I cheriv. I cherish, nθάλπωεὐνοῦχοςn.m. a eunn.m. a eunuch, εὐνοῦχοςοἰκοδεσπότηςn.m. a hean.m. a head of οἰκοδεσπότηςπεριστεράn.f. a dovn.f. a doveπεριστεράὡσείAdv as if,Adv as if, as iὡσείἐπιτίθημιv. I put, v. I put, placeἐπιτίθημιὄροςn.n. a moun.n. a mountainὄροςἀκριβῶς(Comp.)adv(Comp.)adv. carἀκριβῶς
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Acts 8:15

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Greek lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. Imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, the full Liddell-Scott-Jones, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate LSJ, Robinson and Packard on the Greek, Webster and Cawdrey on the English the translators were using. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

who having come down they prayed for them that they may receive [the] Spirit Holy.
οἵτινεςhostis, hētis who G3748 Relative pronoun · nominative · plural · masculine
140× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Acts as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
This word means 'who' or 'which' and is used to ask about someone or something's identity, like in Matthew 5:39. It's often used to make general statements.
Tyndale gloss
who/which
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word ὅστις (i.e., *hostis*) is a relative pronoun meaning 'whoever' or 'whosoever.' It is used in the New Testament primarily in general statements and relative sentences, often indicating an indefinite person or thing. The word is built from the components for 'who' and 'any.' Notably, there is some distinction in usage between ὅστις and its simpler form ὅς, particularly in the writings of Paul compared to Luke.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ὅστις, ἥτις, ὅ τι (also written ὅ, τι and ὅτι; v. LS, s.v.; WH, § 411; Tdf., Pr., 111), in NT scarcely ever except in nom. (M, Pr., 91), the only instance of the oblique cases being found in ἕως ὅτου (v.s. ἕως), relative of indef. reference (related to simple ὅς as Lat. quisquis to qui),

whoever, anyone who;

of an indef. person or thing: in general statements, Mt 5:39, 41 13:12, and freq., Lk 14:27, Ga 5:4, al.; in relative sentences, Mt 7:26, Lk 15:7, Phl 3:7, al.; πᾶς ὅ., c. indic., Mt 7:24 10:32; ὅ ἄν (ἐάν), c. subjc., Read the full entry →

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

ὅστις, ἥτις, ὅ,τι (separated by a hypodiastole [comma], to distinguish it from ὅτε; but L T Tr write 6 τι, without a hypodiastole [ef. Td. Proleg. p. 111], leaving a little space between 6 and τι; [WH ὅτι]; cf. W. 46 (45 sq.); [Lipsius, Gramm. Untersuch. p. 118 sq.; WH. Intr. § 4117), gen. οὕτινος (but of the oblique cases only the acc. neut. ὅ,τι and the gen. ὅτου, in the phrase ἕως ὅτου, are found in the N. T.), [fr. Hom. down], comp. of és and tis, hence prop. any one who; i.e. 1. whoever, every one who: ὅστις simply, in the sing. chiefly at the beginning of a sentence in general propositions, esp. in Matt. ; w. an indic. pres., Mt. xiii. 12 (twice); Mk. viii. 34 (where L Tr WH εἴ τις); Lk. xiv. 27; neut. Mt. xviii. 28 Rec.; w. a fut., Mt. v. 39 [RG Trmrg.], 41; xxiii. 12, ete.; Jas. ii. 10 RG; plur. οἵτινες, whosoever (all those who): w. indic. pres., Mk. iv. 20; Lk. viii. 15; Gal.…

Read the full entry →
Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

ὅστις. The classical distinction between ὅστις and ὅς which in the NT is maintained on the whole in Paul, but not in Luke (nor in the LXX, Thackeray ΟἿ". i. p. 192), has worn very thin in the papyri. Thus with Mt 2753 a/. we may compare i P Oxy I. 1104 (an invitation to dinner—ii/a.D.) αὔριον, ἥτις

Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ὅστις (hostis, hētis) — who/which.

ὅστις, ἥτις, ὅ τι

(sometimes written ὅ, τι to distinct it from ὅτι, that): [Refs 8th c.BC+] has also the masculine collateral form ὅτις [Refs 8th c.BC+] and Ionic dialect and [Refs 4th c.AD+] and the neuter ὅττι [Refs 8th c.BC+]—In some forms only the second part is inflected, i.e. genitive ὅτου [Refs 5th c.BC+], Epic dialect ὅττεο [Refs 8th c.BC+][same place], contraction ὅττευ [Refs 8th c.BC+]; perhaps also in Ionic dialect, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Epic dialect ὅτεῳ [Refs 8th c.BC+], and as disyllable, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Epic dialect accusative ὅτινα [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Delph. dative ὅτινι [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; neuter ὅτινα [Refs 8th c.BC+], Attic dialect ὅτων [Refs 8th c.BC+], Attic dialect ὅτοισι [Refs 8th c.BC+], Aeolic dialect ὄττινας [Refs 7th c.BC+]: of the forms with double inflexion [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ᾧτινι first in [Refs 8th c.BC+]…

Read the full entry →
Strong's Greek Dictionary

ὅστις

hostis

hetis hay'-tis, and the neuter

ho,ti hot'-ee

from 3739 and 5100; which some, i.e. any that; also (definite) which

same:--X and (they), (such) as, (they) that, in that they,

what(-soever), whereas ye, (they) which, who(-soever). Compare 3754.

see GREEK for 3739

see GREEK for 5100

see GREEK for 3754

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ὅστις, ἥτις, ὅτι

Rel.pr.

whosoever, whichsoever, whatsoever

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ὅστις hostis 144x

whoever, whatever; whosoever, whatsoever, Mt. 5:39, 41; 13:12; 18:4; its use in place of the simple relative is also required in various cases, which may be learned from the grammars; ἕως ὅτου, i.e. χρόνου, until, Lk. 13:8; while, Mt. 5:25

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ὅστις any one who, anything which, i. e. whosoever, whichsoever, differing from ὅς, as Lat. quisquis, from qui, Hom., etc.; ὅντινα κιχείη whomsoever he caught, Il.; ὅτις κ ἐπίορκον ὀμόσσῃ whoso forswears himself, id. Il., etc.: —ἔστιν ὅστις, Lat. est qui, often with a negat., οὐκ ἔστιν ὅτῳ μείζονα μοῖραν νείμαιμ᾽ there is no one to whom I would give more, Aesch., etc.: —οὐδὲν ὅ τι οὐ everything, Hdt.

hardly different from ὅς, who, βωμόν, ὅστις νῦν ἔξω τῆς πόλεώς ἐστι the altar, which . . , Thuc.

in indirect questions, ξεῖνος ὅδ᾽, οὐκ οἶδ᾽ ὅστις Od.:—in dialogue, when the person questioned repeats the question asked by τίς, as οὗτος τί ποιεῖς; Answ. ὅ τι ποιῶ; [you ask] what I'm doing?…

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Rel-NPM — Relative pronoun · nominative · plural · masculine
nominative — the one doing it — the subject.
Agrees with anything else marked plural masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

R-NPM Part of Speech: Relative pronoun Case: Nominative Number: Plural Gender: Masculine

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
54%who
who54% · 79×which26% · 38×whoever9% · 13×when2% · 3×other renderings4% · 6×other renderings4% · 6×

145 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 13 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
subject99%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 140 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
γυνήa woman, wife, my la
Article theὁράωI see, look uponκαίand, even, also,
εἰμίI am, exist
οὗτοςὕψιστοςhighest, most hiἅγιοςset apart, holy,
καίand, even, also, nam
ταπεινόωI humble, humiliὀφθαλμόςthe eyeθεόςGod, a god
ἐγώ
λόγοςa word, speech, θεόςGod, a godὑπαντάωI meet
οἰκοδεσπότηςa head of a househol
ἄνθρωποςa man, one of thεἰμίI am, exist
ὅστιςwho140×
what comes after →
εἰμίI am, exist
μετάπᾶςall, the whole, ἐν
οὐNeg
μήNegἰσχύωI am strong, ablἀφαιρέωI take away, smi
ἐν
Article theκαρδίαthe heart, innerνόμοςa law, the Mosai
σύ
ῥαπίζωI slap, strikeἀγγαρεύωI impress, sendὡςas, like as, how
δέbut, on the other ha
ἄνDisjοὐNegὑψόωI lift up, exalt

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceὅστις · 140× in the New Testament
Matthew Acts Luke Hebrews Romans Revelation Galatians Ephesians Mark Philippians 1 Corinthians 1 Timothy

Every reference is on the Strong's page.

Across the New Testament22 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Philo of Alexandria Josephus Clement of Rome Ignatius of Antioch Polycarp
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 47c. AD 40

εἰ γοῦν οἱ ἀπὸ μονάδος ἄχρι τετράδος ἑξῆς συντεθεῖεν ἀριθμοί, δεκάδα γεννήσουσιν, ἥτις ὅρος τῆς ἀπειρίας τῶν ἀριθμῶν ἐστι, περὶ ὃν ὡς καμπτῆρα εἱλοῦνται καὶ ἀνακάμπτουσι.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.3c. AD 75–95

εἰσὶ δʼ οἵτινες ἐβιάσθησαν ὑπʼ αὐτῆς τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων ἀνάγκης οἷς πραττομένοις παρέτυχον ταῦτα γραφῇ δηλούσῃ περιλαβεῖν·

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 10.3c. AD 100

τὸ οὖν χοιρίον πρὸς τοῦτο εἶπεν: οὐ κολληθήσῃ φησίν, ἀνθρώποις τοιούτοις, οἵτινές εἰσιν ὅμοιοι χοίρων: τουτέστιν ὅταν σπαταλῶσιν, ἐπιλανθάνονται τοῦ κυρίου, ὅταν δὲ ὑστεροῦνται, ἐπιγινώσκουσιν τὸν κύριον, ὡς καὶ ὁ χοῖρος ὅταν τρώγει τὸν κύριον οὐκ…

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
6th c. AD 2nd c. AD 3rd c. AD 4th c. AD 5th c. AD
P.Fam.Tebt. 9Tebtynis (Arsinoites)AD 107

τοὺς τόκους ἃ ὤφειλεν ἡ Θαῆσις τῇ τῶν δύο Ἡρακλείδου καὶ Ἀπίας ἀδελφῆι Ἡρωδιαίνῃ ἥτις ἀπῄτησεν κατὰ ἀσφάλειαν τετελειωμένην διὰ τοῦ ἐν Θεογονίδι γραφείου τῶι ὀγδόωι ἔτει Τραιανοῦ Καίσαρος

P.Fam.Tebt. 13ArsinoitesAD 113–AD 114

ἐτῶν λ οὐλὴ γόνατι ἀριστερῷ … ονους με … συνῆρσθαι τὴν προς ἀλλήλους συνβίωσιν ἥτις αὐτοῖς συνειστήκει ἀπὸ συνγραφῆς ὁμολογίας τετελειωμένης διὰ τοῦ ἐν Τεπτύνει γραφείου ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν

P.Athen.. 35Theadelphia (Arsinoites)AD 154

Ἁδριανοῦ Ἀντωνίνου Σεβαστοῦ Εὐσεβοῦς τύχην ἐργάσεσθαι ἐν τῷ προκιμένῳ δρυμῷ ἀπὸ τῆς ὑπογεγραμμένης ἡμέρας, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἡ πέμπτη τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος μηνὸς Φαρμοῦθι καὶ παραστήσειν τὸν μὲν Ζεναμοῦνιν τὰ ἑαυτοῦ

who having come down they prayed for them that they may receive [the] Spirit Holy.
καταβάντεςkatabainō having come down G2597 Verb · second aorist · active · participle · nominative · plural · masculine
82× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Acts than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
To come or go down, like Jesus coming down from heaven in John 3:13. It can also mean to fall down, as in Matthew 8:1. This verb is used to describe physical or spiritual descent.
Amplified meaning
when they came down, having descended
Tyndale gloss
to come/go down
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

καταβαίνω (katabaino) means to go or come down, and it is built from the prefix κατά meaning 'down' and a root related to 'to step.' It covers a range of meanings from literal descent to metaphorical uses, appearing frequently in the New Testament, such as in Matthew 8:1 and Acts 10:11. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

κατα-βαίνω,

[in LXX chiefly for ירד;]

to go or come down, descend.

Of persons: Mt 3:16 24:17, Lk 2:51 6:17 10:31 17:31 19:5, 6, Jo 4:47, 49, 51 5:7, Ac 7:34 8:15 10:20 20:10 23:10 24:1, 22, Eph 4:10; seq. ἀπό, Mt 8:1 14:29 27:40, 42, Mk 3:22 15:30, Lk 10:30, Jo 6:38, Ac 25:7, I Th 4:16; ἐκ, Mt 17:9; ἐκ τ. οὐρανοῦ,

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

καταβαίνω (z.c. 118) κατὰ μηδεμίαν παρεύρεσι (= -σιν), “on no pretext whatsoever,” 20.871 (B.c. 118) κατὰ τοῦτο, ‘‘on this account,” ‘in consequence,” 7. 11. 3814 (A.D. 123) (= Selections, p. 78) ἕτερα καθ’ ὃν δήποτε οὖν τρόπον, ‘other things of whatsoever kind,” P Lond 9045) (Α.}. 104) (= Ill. p. 125, Selections, p. 73) καθ᾽ ἥντινα] ϑήποτε αἰτ[ίαν (cf. 2 Macc 143, 3 Macc 77), and P Tebt I. 425 (c. B.c. 114) ἠδικημένος καθ᾽ ὑπερβολὴν ὑπ[ὸ] ᾿Αρμιύσιος, “having been excessively wronged by Harmiusis.’’ The marriage contract P Eleph 15 (B.c. 311-10) (= Se/ections, p. 2) εἶναι δὲ ἡμᾶς κατὰ ταὐτὸ ὅπου ἂν δοκῆι ἄριστον εἶναι, ‘and that we should live together wherever it may seem best” supports the rendering of κατὰ τὸ αὐτό in Ac 144 AV, RV. On the other hand, the meaning s¢mi/zter, ‘‘after the same manner,” preferred by Blass ad Z., and adopted for κατὰ τὰ αὐτά in Lk 172° RV, is found in the…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

καταβαίνω (katabainō) — to come/go down.

καταβαίνω,

Doric dialect κᾰβαίνω [Refs 7th c.BC+]: future -βήσομαι[Refs 8th c.BC+]perfect -βέβηκ; Boeotian dialect participle καταβεβάων [Refs]: aorist κατέβην [Refs 8th c.BC+]; poetry 3rd.pers. plural κατέβαν [LXX+8th c.BC+], Laconian dialect κάβασι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Epic dialect 1st pers. plural subjunctive καταβήομεν (variant{-βείομεν}) [Refs 8th c.BC+]; late 3rd.pers. singular optative κατάβοι [LXX+1st c.BC+]; poetry participle καββάς [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Epic dialect infinitive καταβήμεναι [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—middle, Epic dialect aorist 1 κατεβήσετο [Refs 8th c.BC+]; imperative καταβήσεο [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—go or come down from.., with genitive, πόλιος κ. [Refs]; οὐρανόθεν κ[Refs 5th c.BC+]: also with Preps., ἐξ ὄρεος [Refs 8th c.BC+]; κ. Ἀΐδαν, Ἀΐδα δόμον, [Refs 8th c.BC+] (later absolutely, die, [Refs 4th c.AD+]; ἔσω κ. [Refs…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

καταβαίνω

katabaino

from 2596 and the base of 939; to descend (literally or

figuratively):--come (get, go, step) down, fall (down).

see GREEK for 2596

see GREEK for 939

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

καταβαίνω

v.

I go down, come down

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

καταβαίνω katabainō 81x

to come or go down, descend, Mt. 8:1; 17:9; to lead down, Acts 8:26; to come down, fall, Mt. 7:25, 27; to be let down, Acts 10:11; 11:5

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

καταβαίνω fut. -βήσομαι perf. -βέβηκα aor2 κατέβην poet. 3rd pl. κατέβαν imperat. κατάβηθι or κατάβα epic 1st pl. subj. καταβείομεν epic 1st pl. subj. καταβείομεν for -βῶμεν Mid., epic 3rd sg. aor1 κατεβήσετο imperat. καταβήσεο to step down, go or come down, Lat. descendere, ἐξ ὄρεος from the mountain, Il.; κ. πόλιος to go down from the city, id. Il.; κ. δίφρου to dismount from the chariot, id. Il.; c. acc. loci, θάλαμον κατεβήσετο she came down to her chamber, Od.:—but also c. acc., κατέβαιν᾽ ὑπερώϊα she came down from the upper floor, id. Od.; κλίμακα κατεβήσετο came down the ladder, id. Od.; absol. to come down stairs, Ar.; hence in Pass., ἵππος καταβαίνεται the horse is dismounted from, Xen.

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-2AAP-NPM — Verb · second aorist · active · participle · nominative · plural · masculine
nominative — the one doing it — the subject.
Agrees with anything else marked plural masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-2AAP-NPM Part of Speech: Verb Tense: second Aorist Voice: Active Mood: Participle Case: Nominative Number: Plural Gender: Masculine

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
16%descending
descending16% · 13×having come down9% · 7×going down6% · 5×having descended6% · 5×came down6% · 5×coming down6% · 5×went down4% · 3×having gone down4% · 3×other renderings44% · 36×

82 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 33 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
verb95%adverbial5%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 82 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
καίand, even, also, nam
ἔρχομαιI come, goθεόςGod, a godἀφυπνόωI fall asleep
οὐρανόςthe sky, the heaven
Article theἐκ
Article the
εἰμίI am, existἄρτοςbread, a loaf, fὁδόςa way, road, jou
μήNeg
δῶμαthe top of the hοἰκίαa house, househo
θεόςGod, a god
πνεῦμαwind, breath, spσάλπιγξa trumpet
καταβαίνωhaving come down82×
what comes after →
ἐκ
Article theοὐρανόςthe sky, the hea
ἀπό
Article theἹεροσόλυμαPropοὐρανόςthe sky, the hea
εἰς
Article theαὐτόςΚαφαρναούμProp
Article the
βροχήa heavy rainπνεῦμαwind, breath, spυἱόςa son, descenden
καίand, even, also, nam
ὑποδέχομαιI receive as a gμένωI remain, abideἰάομαιI heal

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceκαταβαίνω · 82× in the New Testament
Acts John Luke Matthew Revelation Mark Ephesians 1 Thessalonians James Romans
Across the New Testament10 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 144 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Josephus Philo of Alexandria The Epistle of Barnabas Clement of Rome The Shepherd of Hermas
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 117c. AD 40

Ἐπεὶ δ’ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανίων τὰ ἐπίγεια ἤρτηται κατά τινα φυσικὴν συμπάθειαν, ὁ τῆς ἑβδομάδος λόγος ἄνωθεν ἀρξάμενος κατέβη καὶ πρὸς ἡμᾶς τοῖς θνητοῖς γένεσιν ἐπιφοιτήσας.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 3.24c. AD 75–95

Μωυσῆς δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ ταῦτʼ ἀκούσας καταβαίνει πρὸς τὸ πλῆθος·

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 4.8c. AD 100

Μωϋσῆ Μωϋσῆ, κατάβηθι τὸ τάχος, ὅτι ἠνόμησεν ὁ λαός σου, οὓς ἐξήγαγες ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, καὶ συνῆκεν Μωϋσῆς καὶ ἔριψεν τὰς δύο πλάκας ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ: καὶ συνετρίβη αὐτῶν ἡ διαθήκη, ἵνα ἡ τοῦ ἠγαπημένου Ἰησοῦ ἐγκατασφραγισθῇ εἰς τὴν καρδίαν ἡμῶν…

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. BC 2nd c. BC 1st c. AD 3rd c. AD

ὁ νεανίσκος· καὶ σπεῖρον τῆι β τοῦ Ἁθὺρ διὰ σοῦ καὶ ἐγὼ δʼ αὐτὸς καταβαίνω πρὸ τοῦ Ἦλιν· καὶ ὡς οὐ μὴ ἀμελήσῃς, παρὰ πάντα δὲ ἐπιμέλου σαυτοῦ ἵνʼ

O.Did. 331DidymoiAD 77–AD 92

ἠρώτηκάς με περὶ τοῦ κορασίου, νῦν δὲ ἀμερίμνει· ἄν πληρώσῃ τὰ ἡμέρια … … καταβήσεται … δε παρα … οὐδεν … τουτ … κα

ἀκούσῃς περὶ Θερμουθᾶτος πέμψον μοι φάσιν. ἐρωτῶ σε, οὐ πρᾶγμά ἐστιν, ἐάν τινα εὕρητε καταβαίνοντα, ἀποστεῖλαι ἡμῖν φάσιν περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας ὑμῶν καὶ τῆς μικρᾶς. ἐρωτῶ σε καὶ παρακαλῶ,

who having come down they prayed for them that they may receive [the] Spirit Holy.
προσηύξαντοproseuchomai they prayed G4336 Verb · aorist · middle deponent · indicative · third person · plural
86× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Acts as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
To pray to God, as Jesus did in Matthew 6:5-7 and Luke 1:10, or to worship Him
Amplified meaning
to worship and ask of God
Tyndale gloss
to pray
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

προσεύχομαι is a Greek verb meaning to pray, specifically directed towards God or gods. It is built from the roots meaning 'towards' and 'to vow.' The New Testament frequently uses this term in various contexts, including supplication and worship, as seen in verses like Matthew 6:5-7 and James 5:13. The entries do not present any significant disagreement.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

προσ-εύχομαι,

[in LXX chiefly for פלל hith.;]

to pray (always of prayer to God, or in cl., to gods): absol., Mt 6:5-7, 9 14:23 19:13 26:36, 39, 41, 44, Mk 1:35 6:46 11:24, 25 13:33 (WH, R, txt., om.) Mk 14:32, 38, 39, Lk 1:10 3:21 5:16 6:12 9:18, 28, 29 11:1, 2 18:1, 10 22:44 (WH, R, mg., om.), Ac 1:24 6:6 9:11, 40 10:9, 30 11:5 12:12 13:3 14:23 16:25 20:36 21:5 22:17 28:8, I Co 11:4, 5 14:14, I Th 5:17, I Ti 2:8, Ja 5:13, 18; seq. λέγων, Read the full entry →

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

προσ-εύχομαι; depon. mid.; impf. προσηυχόμην ; fut. προσεύξομαι; 1 aor. mpoonv&duny; [on the augm. see WH. App. p. 162; ef. Τὰ Proleg. p. 121]; fr. Aeschyl. and Hat. down ; Sept. for Sbann; to offer prayers, to pray, (everywhere of prayers to the gods, or to God [cf. δέησις, fin.]): absol., Mt. vi. 5-7, 9; xiv. 23; xxvi. 36,39, 44; Mk. i. 35; vi.46; xi. 24 sq.; xiii. 33 [ΠΤ WH om. Tr br. the el.]; xiv. [32], 39; Lk. i. 10; iii. 21; v.16; vi. 12; ix. 18, 28 sq-; xi. 1.54. : xviii. 1, 10; xxii. 44 [Τὸ br. WH reject the pass.]; Acts i. 24; vi. 6; ix 11. 40. χ 9.530. Kio ois xii. 12; xiii. 3; xiv. 23; xvi. 25; xx. 86; χχὶ. 5; xxii. 17; xxviii. 8; 1 Co. xi. 4 sq.3 xiv.14; 1 Th.v.17; 1 Tim. ii. 8; Jas. v. 13,18; foll. by λέγων and direct disc. containing the words of the prayer, Mt. xxvi. 39, 42; Lk. xxii.41; προσεύχ- with a dat. indicating the manner or instrument, 1 Co. xi.5 [W. $31, 7d.]…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

προσεύχομαι. An interesting ex. of this verb, which is always used of prayer to the gods or to God, is afforded by P Cairo Zen 59034 (B.C. 257). A certain Zoilos had been ordered by the god Sarapis to inform a high State official Apollonios that a temple should be erected to him. Zoilos neglected the charge and in consequence was thrown into a serious illness κινδυνεῦσαί [pe. But on praying to the god and promising to do his bidding he was healed—* προσευξάμενος δὲ] αὐ[τῶι, ἐ]άμ pe] ὑγιάσηι, διότι ὑπομενῶ τὴν ληιτοϊῃυρ)γίαν καὶ ποιή[σει]ν τὸ ὑφ᾽ αὑτοῦ προστασσόμενον (supply ὑγιάσθην). [An important commentary on the whole letter is supplied by Deissmann Zxf. VIII. xxiv. p. 420ff.J. Cf. Pretsigke 3740 (i/a.b.) ΓἌττηος προσεύχετα[ι] τοῖς ᾿Αβύτο “νὰ θεοῖς, ἵνα ὑγιαίνῃ. See also 5.2.…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

προσεύχομαι (proseuchomai) — to pray.

προσεύχομαι,

future -ξομαι[Refs 4th c.BC+]:—offer prayers or vows, θεοῖς [Refs 5th c.BC+]

2. with accusative, π. τὸν θεόν address him in prayer, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

3. absolutely, offer prayers, worship, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; π. γλώσσῃ, πνεύματι, νοΐ, [NT]

II. with accusative of things, pray for a thing, νίκην πολέμου [Refs 5th c.BC+]: c.infinitive, ἕλκειν τὸ βέδυ π. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ζῆσαι προσεύχου pray for life, [Refs] with infinitive, [NT]; π. ἵνα.., περί τινων ὅπως, [NT]

Strong's Greek Dictionary

προσεύχομαι

proseuchomai

from 4314 and 2172; to pray to God, i.e. supplicate, worship:--pray (X

earnestly, for), make prayer.

see GREEK for 4314

see GREEK for 2172

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

προσεύχομαι

v.

I pray, pray for

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

προσεύχομαι proseuchomai 85x

to pray, offer prayer, Mt. 5:44; 6:5, 6

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

προσεύχομαι fut. ξομαι Dep.:

to offer prayers or vows, Aesch., Eur., etc.

c. acc., πρ. τὸν θεόν to address him in prayer, Ar.

absol. to offer prayers, to worship, Hdt., Aesch., etc.

πρ. τι to pray for a thing, Xen.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-ADI-3P — Verb · aorist · middle deponent · indicative · third person · plural
aorist middle deponent indicative — a completed action, viewed as a whole.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-ADI-3P Part of Speech: Verb Tense: Aorist Voice: middle Deponent Mood: Indicative Person: third Number: Plural

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
28%praying
praying28% · 24×do pray17% · 15×pray13% · 11×having prayed8% · 7×he prayed8% · 7×he was praying5% · 4×you may pray3% · 3×he should pray2% · 2×other renderings16% · 14×

87 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 20 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
verb86%adverbial14%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 86 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
καίand, even, also, nam
γρηγορέωI am awake, am vσύαὐτός
σύ
θύραa door, opportunκαταράομαιI curseπερί
αὐτός
πρόσωπονthe face, counteεἰμίI am, existλέγωI say, speak
ὅτανwhen, whensoever
καίand, even, also,δέbut, on the otheαὐτός
ἀπέρχομαιI come or go away fr
πάλινagain, further, δεύτερος& Adv
προσεύχομαιthey prayed86×
what comes after →
Article the
δέbut, on the otheπατήρfather, Father, αὐτός
καίand, even, also, nam
αἰτέωI ask, request, λέγωI say, speakεἰμίI am, exist
ἵναin order that, so th
μήNegεἰCondδιερμηνεύωI translate, int
περί
ἐγώArticle theαὐτός
δέbut, on the other ha
ἵναin order that, sμήNegκαίand, even, also,

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceπροσεύχομαι · 86× in the New Testament
Luke Acts Matthew Mark 1 Corinthians James Colossians 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 1 Timothy Ephesians Hebrews
Across the New Testament15 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 44 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Ignatius of Antioch The Shepherd of Hermas The Didache Philo of Alexandria Josephus
Philo of AlexandriaOn Dreams 2.139c. AD 40

Ἆρ’ οὖν, φησίν, ἐλεύσομαι μὲν ὁ ὀρθὸς λόγος, ἐγώ, ἀφίξεται δὲ καὶ ἡ τοῦ φιλομαθοῦς θιάσου [ψυχὴ] μήτηρ ὁμοῦ καὶ τροφός, ἀρετῶσα παιδεία, συντενοῦσι δὲ καὶ οἱ ἀμφοτέρων ἡμῶν ἔγγονοι καὶ στάντες ἀντικρὺς οὕτω κατὰ στοῖχον ἐν κόσμῳ τὰς χεῖρας ἐξάραντες…

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 10.252c. AD 75–95

ὁρῶντες οὖν τὸν Δανίηλον τρὶς τῆς ἡμέρας προσευχόμενον τῷ θεῷ πρόφασιν ἔγνωσαν εὑρηκέναι, διʼ ἧς ἀπολέσουσιν αὐτόν.

Clement of RomeSecond Clement 16.4c. AD 96

καλὸν οὖν ἐλεημοσύνη ὡς μετάνοια ἁμαρτίας: κρείσσων νηστεία προσευχῆς, ἐλεημοσύνη δὲ ἀμφοτέρων: ἀγάπη δὲ καλύπτει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν, προσευχὴ δὲ ἐκ καλῆς συνειδήσεως ἐκ θανάτου ῥύεται.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
4th c. AD 3rd c. BC undated
P.Lond. 7 2046Philadelphia (Arsinoites)276 BC–227 BC

μόνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἰκείους ἔχω ἵνα καὶ περὶ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῆς σῆς ὑγιείας προσεύχωμαι. γέγραφα οὖν σοι ἵνα μὴ ἀλλότριος ἐμπέσηι, ἀλλʼ ἐγώ σοι ὑπάρχω. εὐτύχει.

P.Lond. 6 1926AD 326–AD 375

ἴασιν λαμβάνω. δέομαι τῷ θεῷ δέομαι καὶ σοι μνήσθητί μου ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ σου προσευχῇ. εἰ καὶ ἐν σώματι οὐκ ἧκα παρὰ τοὺς πόδας σου ἐν πνεύματι ἧκα πρὸς

P.Neph. 12Omboi ?AD 301–AD 400

Σεραπίωνα ἀ … … Ταϩμουρού· ἀσπάζομαι Καπίτωνα· ἀσπάζομαι ὑμᾶς πάντας τοὺς ἀδελφούς μου, ὅπως προσεύχησθε περὶ ἐμοῦ. γράφω σοι, Νεφερῶς, προνοήσῃς τὸ μικρὸν … … ον γῆς, ὡς ἔρχομαι,

who having come down they prayed for them that they may receive [the] Spirit Holy.
περὶperi for G4012 Preposition
333× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Acts as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
The Greek word for about or around, used in various contexts such as place, cause, or time. It is often translated as 'about' or 'concerning' in the KJV, and appears in many passages, including Matthew 2:8 and John 16:26.
Tyndale gloss
about
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

One of the workhorse prepositions, standing 333 times. With the genitive it means about, concerning, with reference to. There is no hidden depth here, and it would be a mistake to look for one: its usefulness is that it marks the subject a sentence is circling. In this verse it points at what the earlier accounts were about.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

περί, prep. c. gen., acc. (in cl. also c. dat.; cf. M, Pr., 105f.),

with radical sense round about (as distinct from ἀμφί, on both sides).

C. gen.,

of place, about (poët.).

Causal, about, on account of, concerning, in reference to: Mt 2:8, Mk 1:44, Lk 4:38, Jo 16:26, Ac 28:21, al. mult.; τὰ περί, c. gen., the things concerning one, one's state or case: Mk 5:27, Ac 1:3 28:15, Eph 6:22, al.; at the beginning of a sentence, περί, regarding, as to, I Co 7:1, al.…

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

περί, (akin to πέρα. πέραν ; [Curtius § 359]), prep., joined in the N. T. with the gen. and the ace. (in class. Grk. also with the dat.), and indicating that the person or thing relative to which an act or state is predicated is as it were encompassed by this act or state ; Lat. circum, circa; around, about. I. with the GeniTIve it denotes that around which an act or state revolves ; about, concerning, as touching, ete., (Lat. de, quod attinet ad, causa w. a gen., propter) [ef. W. 372 sq. (349)]. a. about, concerning, (Lat. de; in later Lat. also circa): after verbs of speaking, teaching, writing, ete., see under ἀναγγέλλω, ἀπαγγέλλω, ἀπολογοῦμαι, γογγύζω, γράφω, Sydow, διαβεβαιοῦμαι, διαγνωρίζω, διαλέγομαι, διδάσκω. διηγοῦμαι (Heb. xi. 32), διήγησις, εἶπον and προεῖπον, ἐπερωτάω and ἐρωτάω, κατηχέω, λαλέω, λέγω, λόγον αἰτέω. λόγον ἀποδίδωμι, λόγον δίδωμι, μαρτυρέω, μνεία, μνημονεύω…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

περί τροπὴν δέδωκα, “1 have entrusted to him the care of the whole matter” (Edd.), 7. XII. 15831! (ii/A.D.) γράψον μοι περὶ τῶν ὄντων, ‘ write me revarding the present state of affairs,” and ΒΟῸΣ II. 63218 (ii/a.p.) (= ZAZ, p. 173) ο[ὐ]χ ὀκνῶ σοι γράψαι περὶ THs] σωτηρίας pov καὶ τῶν ἐμῶν, “T am not delaying to write you regarding the health of me and mine.” In P Par 488 (B.c. 153) (= Witkowski Zp.” p- 91) ἀκούσαντες... τὰ περὶ σου συνβεβηκότα, we have a mixture of ἀκούσαντες περὶ σοῦ and ἀκούσαντες τά (σοι) συνβεβηκότα ΠΕερί, ‘‘ with regard to,” at the beginning of a new clause (as in 1 Cor 71) may be illustrated from the headings in the Mysteries inscr, from Andania Sy// 653 (=*736)} (B.c. 91) περὶ ἱε]ρῶν Kal ἱερᾶν, α΄. See also P Eleph 134! (B.c, 223-2) περὶ δὲ τῶν εἴκοσι δραχμῶν οὔπω ἐκεκόμιστο Φίλων . περὶ δὲ τοῦ οἰναρίου ΤΙραξιάδης οὔπω εἰσελήλυθεν ἐξ ἀγροῦ, BGU IV. 1097° (time of…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

περί (peri) — about.

περί,

Thess., Delph. περ [Refs 5th c.BC+], also Aeolic dialect, see below [Refs 4th c.BC+] V; Elean παρ [Refs]: preposition with genitive, dative, and accusative:—round about, all round (properly different from ἀμφί, on both sides). (Cogn. with Sanskrit pári 'round about'.)

__A WITH GENITIVE,

__A.I of Place, sometimes in Poets, round about, around, τετάνυστο π. σπείους ἡμερίς [Refs 8th c.BC+], on both sides, see at {περιβαίνω} [Refs]

__A.I.2 about near, π. σοῦ πάντα γένοιτο ῥόδα [Refs]

__A.II to denote the object about or for which one does something:

__A.II.1 with Verbs of fighting or contending, π. τινός for an object—from the notion of the thing's lying in the middle to be fought about, π. τῶνδε for these prizes, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; δόλους καὶ μῆτιν ὕφαινον, ὥς τε π. ψυχῆς since it…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

περί

peri

from the base of 4008; properly, through (all over), i.e. around;

figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place,

cause or time (with the genitive case denoting the subject or occasion

or superlative point; with the accusative case the locality, circuit,

matter, circumstance or general period):--(there-)about, above,

against, at, on behalf of, X and his company, which concern, (as)

concerning, for, X how it will go with, ((there-, where-)) of, on,

over, pertaining (to), for sake, X (e-)state, (as) touching,

(where-)by (in), with. In comparative, it retains substantially the

same meaning of circuit (around), excess (beyond), or completeness

(through).

see GREEK for 4008

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

περί

Prep.

about, concerning, around

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

περί peri 333x

pr. of place, (1) gen., about, around; about, concerning, respecting, Mt. 2:8; 11:10; 22:31; Jn. 8:18; Rom. 8:3, et al. freq.; (2) acc., of place, about, around, round about, Mt. 3:4; Mk. 3:34; Lk. 13:8; οἱ περί τινα, the companions of a person, Lk. 22:49; a person and his companions, Acts 13:13; simply a person, Jn. 11:19; τὰ περί τινα, the condition, circumstances of any one, Read the full entry →

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

περί around, round about with gen., dat., and acc.

prep. with gen., dat., and acc.: Radical sense, round about, all round, whereas ἀμφί properly means on both sides.

WITH GENITIVE:

of Place, round about, around, Lat. circum, Od.

about, near, ἑσδόμεναι περὶ σεῖο Mosch.

Causal, to denote the object about or for which one does something:

with Verbs of fighting or contending, μάχεσθαι περὶ πτόλιος Il.; περὶ Πατρόκλοιο θανόντος id. Il.; so, τρέχειν περὶ ἑωυτοῦ, περὶ τῆς ψυχῆς Hdt.

about, for, on account of, μερμηρίζειν περί τινος Il.; φροντίζειν περί τινος Hdt.

with Verbs of hearing, knowing, speaking, about, concerning, Lat. circa, de, περὶ νόστου ἄκουσα Od., etc.

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
preposition — its sense depends on the case of the word it governs.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

PREP PREPosition

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

for (ki (conjunction), le, from 'el (preposition), and various other words. In the New Testament also the words are various, chiefly gar, kai gar, hoti (conjunctions); anti apo eis dia (accusative), epi (dative and accusative), peri (genitive), pros (genitive and accusative), huper (genitive) (prepositions)): the English Revised Version and the American Standard Revised Version give in many cases more literal or more accurate renderings than those in the King James Version.

In the New Testament the most important preps. from a doctrinal point of view are anti, "face to face," "over against," "instead," "on behalf of," peri, "around," "about," "concerning," huper, "over," "on behalf of." The first has been claimed as stating the substitutionary nature of Christ's sacrifice as contrasted with huper and peri, more frequently used of it. But, although anti in the New Testament often means…

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
59%concerning
concerning59% · 199×about16% · 55×for13% · 45×around6% · 19×of3% · 9×other renderings3% · 9×

336 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 12 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
adverbial86%object8%subject4%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 333 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
Article the
δέbut, on the otheκαίand, even, also,ἀκούωI hear, listen
αὐτός
λέγωI say, speakλαλέωI speak, sayἐρωτάωI ask, question,
καίand, even, also, nam
αὐτόςἁμαρτίαa sinἀλλάbut, except
μαρτυρέωI witness, testify
Article theἐγώἵναin order that, s
σύ
μέλειit is a care, itγράφωI writeΦαρισαῖοςa Pharisee
περίfor333×
what comes after →
Article the
ἸησοῦςJesusβασιλείαkingship, sovereτράχηλοςthe neck
αὐτός
καίand, even, also,ὅτιthat, since, becοὐαίindcl
ἐγώ
καίand, even, also,ἵναin order that, sArticle the
σύ
ὅτιthat, since, becἀδελφόςa brotherArticle the
πᾶςall, the whole, ever
ὅςArticle theοὗτος

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceπερί · 333× in the New Testament
Acts John Luke Matthew Hebrews Mark 1 Corinthians 1 John 1 Thessalonians Romans 1 Peter Jude

Every reference is on the Strong's page.

Across the New Testament24 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 297 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Josephus Philo of Alexandria The Shepherd of Hermas The Epistle of Barnabas Clement of Rome
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 15c. AD 40

περιέχει γὰρ τὸν νοητὸν κόσμον ἐξαίρετον, ὡς ὁ περὶ αὐτῆς λόγος μηνύει.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.argc. AD 75–95

περὶ τοῦ γένους Ἀδάμου καὶ τῶν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ δέκα γενεῶν τῶν μέχρι τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 1.5c. AD 100

λογισάμενος οὖν τοῦτο, ὅτι ἐὰν μελήσῃ μοι περὶ ὑμῶν τοῦ μέρος τι μεταδοῦναι ἀφ̓ οὗ ἔλαβον, ὅτι ἔσται μοι τοιούτοις πνεύμασιν ὑπηρετήσαντι εἰς μισθόν, ἐσπούδασα κατὰ μικρὸν ὑμῖν πέμπειν, ἵνα μετὰ τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν τελείαν ἔχητε τὴν γνῶσιν.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. AD 3rd c. BC 4th c. AD 1st c. AD
P.Grenf. 2 33Pathyris101 BC

καὶ μὴ ἐπελεύσεσθαι μήτʼ αὐτὸν Ψενενοῦπιν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἁρσιῆσιν μήτʼ ἄλλον μηδένα ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ περὶ τοῦ διασαφουμένου μέρους γῆς τρόπῳ μηδενί. εἰ δὲ μή, ἀποτεισάτω Ἁρσιήσει ἐπίτιμον παραχρῆμα χαλκοῦ

P.Stras. 2 89Pathyris100 BC

ἐτῶν μ εὐμεγέθης μελίχρως μακροπρόσωπος εὐθύριν τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν αὐτῷ μερίδα γῆς σιτοφόρου ἐν τῷ περὶ Παθῦρειν πεδίωι σφραγίδων τεσσάρων , ἣν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐωνήσατο παρὰ Πανοβχούνιος τοῦ Τοτόηους ἐν

P.Lond. 3 p. 18 no. 678Krokodilopolis (Pathyrites)100 BC–99 BC

νδ ἐλάσσων μελίχρως μακροπρόσωπος εὐθύριν ἀδύνατος ὄμμασι τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν αὐτῶι ἐν τῶι ἄνω πεδίωι περὶ Πάθυριν γῆν ἤπειρον σιτοφόρον ἀρουρῶν … ἧς γείτονες νότουπλατεῖαὁδός, βορρᾶ … περίχωμα … προπεπρα

who having come down they prayed for them that they may receive [the] Spirit Holy.
αὐτῶνautos them G846 Personal pronoun · genitive · plural · masculine
5,550× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Acts as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
This pronoun refers to a person or thing, like 'he', 'she', or 'it'. It is used in the Bible to emphasize a person or thing, like in John 2:25 where it says 'he himself knew'.
Tyndale gloss
it/s/he
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

αὐτός is a pronoun meaning 'self' or 'the same,' used to emphasize distinction or opposition. It can function as a reflexive pronoun and appears frequently in the New Testament, often in contexts that highlight contrast or identity, such as in Luke 5:37 and John 2:25. The entries indicate that it can also be used in various grammatical constructions, including with articles to denote sameness.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

αὐτός, -ή, -ό,

determinative pron., in late Gk. much more freq. than in cl. (WM, 178 f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399).

Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., v. infr., iii);

self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Lk 5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jo 2:25; αὐ. ὑμεῖς, Jo 3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Ro 15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jo 2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ’ αὐτοῦ, Mk 2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mk 6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mt 3:4, Mk 6:17, Jo 16:27, I Th 3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes…

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

αὐτός, -7, -d, pron. (“derived from the particle αὖ with the added force of a demonstrative pronoun. In itself it signifies nothing more than again, applied to what has either been previously mentioned or, when the whole discourse is looked at, must necessarily be .upplied.” Klotz ad Devar. ii. p. 219; [see Vaniéek p. 268]). It is used by the bibl. writ. both of the O. T. and of the N. T. far more frequently than the other pronouns; and in this very frequent and almost inordinate use of it, they deviate greatly from prof. auth.; cf. B. § 127, 9. [On classic usage ef. Hermann, Opusce. i. 308 sqq., of which dissertation a summary is given in his edition of Viger pp- 732-736.] I. self, as used (in all persons, genders, numbers) to distinguish a person or thing from or contrast it with another, or to give him (it) emphatic prominence. ik When used to express Opposition or Distinction, it is…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

αὐτός. The weakening of the old distinction between αὐτὸς 6 and ὁ αὐτός, especially in Luke, is noted in Proleg. p. 91, and paralleled from Hellenistic. We may add (cf. Linleitung p. 145f.) Sy// 8071 (ii/A.D.) αὐταῖς ταῖς ἡμέραις, where Dittenberger remarks ‘‘expectaveris ταῖς αὐταῖς," OG/S 383! (Antiochus of Commagene, i/8.c.) τὴν αὐτήν τε κρίσιν, for which Ditt. desiderates ταύτην τὴν κρίσιν, P Iib I. 30° (B.c. 265) αὐτὸς Ὧρος “the said H.,’’ P Lille I. 238 (B.C, 221) οὗ μ[ισ]θωτὴς Ἡρώδ[ης] ὁ αὐτός “ce méme L.,”’ P Oxy VI. 892% (A.D. 338) τῆς αὐτῆς πόλεως, 26. VIII. 1105 (A.D. 254) τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἀμφοδογραμματέως “the said a.’’: all these seem to be practically identical, with αὐτός differing little from ἐκεῖνος. The combination αὐτὸ τοῦτο may be illustrated by P Grenf I. 114 (literary, ii/B.c.) “ for this reason ” (Ed.) as in 2 Pet 1°, P Ryl 11. 77°9 (a.p. 192) καὶ αὐτὰ ταῦτα ἀσφαλίσομαι…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

αὐτός (autos) — it/s/he.

αὐτός

(Cretan dialect ἀϝτός [Refs] (also αὐτόν[Refs], reflexive pronoun, self:—in oblique cases used for the personal pronoun, him, her, it:—with Article, ὁ αὐτός, ἡ αὐτή, τὸ αὐτό (also ταὐτόν), etc., the very one, the same.

I. self, myself, thyself, etc., accusative to the person of the Verb: frequently joined with ἐγώ, σύ, etc. (see. below 10),

I.1. one's true self, the soul, not the body, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; reversely, body, not soul, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; oneself, as opposed to others who are less prominent, as king to subject, [Refs]; man to wife and children, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; warrior to horses, [Refs 8th c.BC+], or to weapons, [Refs]; shepherd to herd, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; seamen to ships, [Refs]: generally, whole to parts,[Refs 5th c.BC+]: absolutely, the Master, as in the [Refs 4th c.BC+]…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

αὐτός

autos

from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea

of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used

(alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the

proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one,

the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy-

)self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at,

- by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man),

those, together, very, which. Compare 848.

see GREEK for 109

see GREEK for 1438

see GREEK for 848

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

αὐτός, αὐτή, αὐτό

Pers.pr.

he, she, it, they, them, same

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

αὐτός autos 5x

self, very; alone, Mk. 6:31; 2 Cor. 12:13; of one’s self, of one’s own motion, Jn. 16:27; used also in the oblique cases independently as a personal pron. of the third person; ὁ αὐτός, the same; unchangeable, Heb. 1:12; κατὰ τὸ αὐτό, at the same time, together, Acts 14:1; ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό, in one and the same place, Mt. 22:34; at the same time, together, Acts 3:1

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

αὐτός self, Lat. ipse:— in the oblique cases simply for the personal Pron., him, her, it:— with the Artic. ὁ αὐτός, ἡ αὐτή, τὸ αὐτό (or ταὐτόν), etc., the very one, the same.

self, myself, thyself, etc., acc. to the person of the Verb., Hom., etc.:

oneself, one's true self, the soul, not the body, Od.; or opp. to others, as king to subjects, parent to children, man to wife, etc., Hom.; hence absol. for the master, τίς οὗτος;—Αὐτός, i. e. Socrates, Ar.; similarly in neut. αὐτὸ δείξει the result will shew, Eur.

of oneself, of one's own accord, Lat. sponte, Hom., Soph.

by oneself, alone, αὐτός περ ἐών although alone, Il.; αὐτοί ἐσμεν we are by ourselves, i. e. among friends, Ar.

in Plat., τὸ δίκαιον αὐτό right in itself, the idea of right, etc.; cf. αὐτοάνθρωπος.

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Pron-GPM — Personal pronoun · genitive · plural · masculine
genitive — of, from, belonging to.
Agrees with anything else marked plural masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

P-GPM Part of Speech: Personal pronoun Case: Genitive Number: Plural Gender: Masculine

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
52%him
him52% · 3025×them25% · 1488×it6% · 323×her4% · 250×other renderings10% · 587×other renderings3% · 188×

5,861 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 92 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
object33%adverbial28%indirect object19%subject18%predicate3%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 5,561 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
λέγωI say, speak
καίand, even, also,δέbut, on the otheἸησοῦςJesus
πρός
λέγωI say, speakἔρχομαιI come, goδέbut, on the othe
ἐν
Article theαὐτόςεὑρίσκωI find
δέbut, on the other ha
λέγωI say, speakοὗτοςὁράωI see, look upon
καίand, even, also, nam
αὐτόςσύθεόςGod, a god
αὐτόςthem5550×
what comes after →
Article the
ἸησοῦςJesusμαθητήςa learner, disciθεόςGod, a god
καίand, even, also, nam
Article theλέγωI say, speakαὐτός
λέγωI say, speak
αὐτόςτίςIrgκύριοςlord, Lord, mast
ἐν
Article theαὐτόςὅς
εἰς
Article theδικαιοσύνηjustice, justnesἹεροσόλυμαJerusalem

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceαὐτός · 5,550× in the New Testament
Luke Matthew John Mark Acts Revelation Romans Hebrews 1 John 1 Corinthians Ephesians 2 Corinthians

19 inflected forms — one of the commonest words in the New Testament. Full distribution →

Across the New Testament27 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Josephus Philo of Alexandria The Shepherd of Hermas Clement of Rome The Epistle of Barnabas
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 1c. AD 40

Τῶν ἄλλων νομοθετῶν οἱ μὲν ἀκαλλώπιστα καὶ γυμνὰ τὰ νομισθέντα παρ’ αὐτοῖς εἶναι δίκαια διετάξαντο, οἱ δὲ πολὺν ὄγκον τοῖς νοήμασι προσπεριβαλόντες ἐξετύφωσαν τὰ πλήθη μυθικοῖς πλάσμασι τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπικρύψαντες.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.argc. AD 75–95

περὶ τοῦ γένους Ἀδάμου καὶ τῶν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ δέκα γενεῶν τῶν μέχρι τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 1.4c. AD 100

πεπεισμένος οὖν τοῦτο καὶ συνειδὼς ἐμαυτῷ, ὅτι ἐν ὑμῖν λαλήσας πολλὰ ἐπίσταμαι, ὅτι ἐμοὶ συνώδευσεν ἐν ὁδῷ δικαιοσύνης κύριος, καὶ πάντως ἀναγκάζομαι κἀγὼ εἰς τοῦτο, ἀγαπᾶν ὑμᾶς ὑπὲρ τὴν ψυχήν μου, ὅτι μεγάλη πίστις καὶ ἀγάπη ἐγκατοικεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν ἐπ’…

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. AD 6th c. AD 4th c. AD 1st c. AD
P.Stras. 2 89Pathyris100 BC

Πακοίβιος ἱερεὺς Σούχου καὶ Ἀφροδίτης ὡς ἐτῶν μ εὐμεγέθης μελίχρως μακροπρόσωπος εὐθύριν τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν αὐτῷ μερίδα γῆς σιτοφόρου ἐν τῷ περὶ Παθῦρειν πεδίωι σφραγίδων τεσσάρων , ἣν καὶ αὐτὸς

P.Adl. 11Pathyris99 BC

1 ἔτους ιζ Θῶυθ κη ἀπέδοτο Πετεσοῦχος Φίβιος καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ τὸ ὕπαρχον αὐτοῖς ἥμισυ περιστερῶνος τοῦ ὄντος ἐν τῶι ἀπὸ βορρᾶ μέρει Παθύρεως χαλκοῦ Γ. ἐπρίατο Ὧρος

P.Grenf. 2 35Pathyris99 BC

ὡς ἐτῶν νε μέσος ἢ ἐλάσσων μελίχρως μακροπρόσωπος εὐθύριν ὑπόσκνιφος, καὶ Πετεαρσοῆρις Σχώτου τῶν αὐτῶν ἱερέων ὡς ἐτῶν ν μέσος ἢ ἐλασσων μελίχρως μακροπρόσωπος εὐθύριν ὑπόσκνιφος, ἀπὸ τοῦ ὑπάρχοντος

who having come down they prayed for them that they may receive [the] Spirit Holy.
ὅπωςhopōs that G3704 Adverb
53× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Acts than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
This word means 'that' or 'how' and is used to show the manner or purpose of something, like in Matthew 6:2 and Acts 9:17. It can also mean 'in order that' or 'to the end that'.
Tyndale gloss
that
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word ὅπως (i.e., *hopōs*) serves as both a relative adverb and a conjunction. It conveys meanings related to manner, purpose, or design, often translated as 'how' or 'in order that.' The New Testament uses it in various contexts, including Matthew 6:2 and Luke 24:20. Notably, it can appear with different verb tenses and moods, indicating its flexible grammatical role.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ὅπως.

Relat. adv. of manner, as, how: c. indic., Lk 24:20.

Conj., c. subjc. (in cl. also c. opt., indic.: so in Mt 26:59, LT, Tr.), in order that, to the end that, that;

final, denoting purpose or design (in which the original idea of modality has been merged): after pres., Mt 6:2, al.; pf., Ac 9:17, al.; impf., Ac 9:24; aor., Ac 9:2, al.; plpf., Jo 11:57; fut., Mt 23:35; imperat., Mt 2:8, al.; ὅ. μή (M, Pr., 185),

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

ὅπως, (fr. πῶς and the relat. ὁ), with the indicative, a relat. adverb but, like the Lat. ut, assuminz also the nature of a conjunction [οἵ. W. 449 (418 sq.) ]. aE As an Adverb; as, in what manner, how; once so in the N. T. in an indir. question, with the indie.: οὐκ ἔγνως, ὅπως κτλ. Lk. xxiv. 20, where cf. Bornemann, Scholia ete. Ir. A Conjunction, Lat. ut, answering to the Germ. dass, that; in class. Grk. with the optat., and subjunc., and fut. indic.; ef. esp. Klotz ad Devar. ii. 2 p. 681 sqq. But the distinction observed between these constructions by the more elegant Grk. writ. is quite neglected in the N. T., and if we except Mt. xxvi. 59 L TTr (ὅπως θανατώσουσιν), [1 Co. i. 29 Ree.*!7], only the subjunctive follows this particle (for in Mk. v. 23, for ὅπως . . . ζήσεται, L txt. T Tr WH have correctly restored iva... ζήσῃ); cf. W. 289 (271); B. 233 (201) sq.; [214 (185) ]. 1. It…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

ὅπως. (1) An interesting use of ὅπως, in which it is virtually a conjunction = ‘‘in which case,”’ is seen in such passages as P Tebt II. 414°? (ii/a.D.) ἡ Anvé(= ὶ)ς Tod ᾿Αγαθανγέλου ἐστίν, ὅπως τοῖς παιδίοζιδς δοθῇ, ‘‘the trough belongs to Agathangelus, so let it be given to the children ’’ (Edd.). See further Pro/eg. p. 177 nt. (2) For ὅπως, like πῶς, used in the sense of ὡς, ὅτι (cf. Blass Gr. p. 230f.), we may recall the letter of the prodigal BGU III. 846*® (ii/a.p.) (= Selections, p. 95) οὐκ οἶδες, ὅτι θέλω πηρὸς γενέσται, εἰ γνοῦναι, ὅπως ἀνθρόπῳ [ἔ]τ[ι] ὀφείλω ὀβολόν ; “do you not know that I would rather be a cripple than be conscious that I am still owing anyone an obolus?’’ Deissmann (LAE, p. 179 n.*8) finds a beginning of this usage in Lk 247°, the only place in the NT where ὅπως is construed with the ind. (but cf. Mt 2655. A). A good ex. of ὅπως c. ind. from the papyri is…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ὅπως (hopōs) — that.

ὅπως,

Epic dialect also and Aeolic dialect ὅππως, Ionic dialect ὅκως, Doric dialect ὁπῶς accusative to [Refs 2nd c.AD+] adverb of Manner, Relat. as, in such manner as, and with interrogative force how, in what manner, rarely indefinite, see below [Refs 4th c.BC+]

__B FINAL CONJUNCTION, in such a manner that, in order that. adverb of Manner, how, as:

__B.I Relat. to ὥς or οὕτως (like ὡς), in such manner as, as:

__B.I.1 with the ordinary Constr. of the Relat.:

__B.I.1.a with indicative, ἦ τοι νόστον, ὅπως φρεσὶ σῇσι μενοινᾷς, ὥς τοι Ζεὺς τελέσειεν [Refs 8th c.BC+] adverb, με τοῖον ἔθηκεν, ὅπως (for οἷον)[Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὅ. ἔχω as I am, on the spot, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ὅπως

hopos

from 3739 and 4459; what(-ever) how, i.e. in the manner that (as

adverb or conjunction of coincidence, intentional or

actual):--because, how, (so) that, to, when.

see GREEK for 3739

see GREEK for 4459

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ὅπως

Adv

how, in order that, so that

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ὅπως hopōs 53x

can function as a conj., how, in what way or manner, by what means, Mt. 22:5; Lk. 24:20; conj. that, in order that, and ὅπως μή, that not, lest, Mt. 6:2, 4, 5, 16, 18; Acts 9:2, et al. freq.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adv — Adverb
adverb — it qualifies the verb, and never changes form.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

ADV ADVerb or adverb and particle combined

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
72%so that
so that72% · 38×that23% · 12×how6% · 3×

53 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 3 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
object8%adverbial6%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 53 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
αὐτός
κατάπρόσωπονthe face, counteἐρωτάωI ask, question,
ἐγώ
ἀπαγγέλλωI report, bring ἁμαρτίαa sin
θερισμόςreaping, harvest
Article the
σύ
ἐρωτάωI ask, question,ἐξεγείρωI raise up, arou
ΝαζαράProp
λέγωI say, speak
ὅπωςthat53×
what comes after →
αὐτός
ἀπόλλυμιI destroy, lose,παγιδεύωI ensnare, entraθανατόωI put to death,
ἄνDisj
ἀποκαλύπτωI uncover, bringἔρχομαιI come, goἐκζητέωI seek out, requ
Article the
θέλωI will, wish, deἀνάκρισιςjudicial examinaκοινωνίαparticipation, c
πληρόωI fill, fulfill, com
Article the
μήNeg
φαίνωI shine, appear,γίνομαιI come into beinκαυχάομαιI boast, glory

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceὅπως · 53× in the New Testament
Matthew Acts Luke Romans 2 Corinthians Hebrews 1 Corinthians 1 Peter 2 Thessalonians Galatians James John
Across the New Testament14 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 112 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Josephus Philo of Alexandria Clement of Rome Ignatius of Antioch The Didache
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 58c. AD 40

γεγόνασι δ’ ὅπερ αὐτὸς εἶπεν οὐ μόνον, ἵνα φῶς ἐκπέμπωσιν ἐπὶ γῆν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅπως σημεῖα μελλόντων προφαίνωσιν·

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.argc. AD 75–95

ὅπως Ἅβραμος ὁ πρόγονος ἡμῶν ἐξελθὼν ἐκ τῆς Χαλδαίων γῆς κατέσχε τὴν τότε μὲν Χαναναίαν νῦν δὲ Ἰουδαίαν λεγομένην.

Clement of RomeFirst Clement 10.2c. AD 96

οὗτος δἰ ὑπακοῆς ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ τῆς γῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, ὅπως γῆν ὀλίγην καὶ συγγένειαν ἀσθενῆ καὶ οἶκον μικρὸν καταλιπὼν κληρονομήσῃ τὰς ἐπαγγελίας τοῦ θεοῦ.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
3rd c. BC 2nd c. AD 2nd c. BC 4th c. AD 3rd c. AD
P.Grenf. 1 43Thebais201 BC–102 BC

αὐτοῦ δὲ μηδʼ ἀποδεδωκότος ἡμῖν μηδὲ ἵππον μηδὲ τὴν πορείαν αὐτῆς ἐπιδεδωκότος, ἐγράψαμέν σοι, ὅπως οὖν εἰδῆις. ἔρρωσο. καλῶς οὖν ποιήσεις ἀγοράσας ἐμοί τε πορφύρας στατῆρας δύο καὶ Ἀφροδισίαι

αὐτοῦ … ἐὰν φαίνηται μεταδόνθʼ ἡμῖν τῶν παρὰ σοῦ φιλανθρώπων συντάξαι γράψαι οἷς καθήκει ὅπως μὴ περισπώμεθα ἐπὶ τὰ μὴ καθήκοντα κριτήρια, εἰ δέ τι οἴεται ἐπὶ τοῦ Σαντοβίθυος

Chrest.Wilck. 12Pathyris89 BC

βασιλέα ἐπιβεβληκέναι εἰς Μέμφιν, Ἱέρακα δὲ προκεχειρίσθαι μετὰ δυνάμεων μυρίων ἐπὶ καταστολὴν τῆς Θηβαίδος. ὅπως οὖν εἰδότες εὐθαρσεῖς ὑπάρχητε ἐκρίναμεν σημῆναι. ἔρρωσθε ἔτους λ Φαῶφι ιθ

who having come down they prayed for them that they may receive [the] Spirit Holy.
λάβωσινlambanō they may receive [the] G2983 Verb · second aorist · active · subjunctive · third person · plural
258× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Acts as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
To take or receive something, like in Matthew 26:26, where Jesus takes bread and breaks it. It can also mean to accept or obtain something, and is often translated as receive or accept in the KJV.
Amplified meaning
to take, accept, and possess
Tyndale gloss
to take
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

λαμβάνω (lambanō) means both 'to take' and 'to receive,' covering a wide range of applications from literal actions like grasping or seizing to more abstract uses such as accepting ideas or concepts. It appears frequently in the New Testament, often in contexts involving physical actions (e.g., taking bread in Mt 26:26) or receiving something (e.g., receiving a message in Jn 6:21). The lexicons note that the word can also imply a sense of violence or urgency in some contexts.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

λαμβάνω,

[in LXX chiefly for לקח, also for נשׂא, לכד, אחז, etc.;]

to take, lay hold of: absol., Mt 26:26, Mk 14:22; c. acc. rei, Mt 5:40 26:52, al. mult.; c. acc. pers., Mt 21:35, Mk 12:3, al.; pleonastic λαβών (M, Pr., 230; Bl., §74, 2), Mt 13:31 14:19, al.; so also indic., Mk 7:27, Jo 19:1, 40, Re 8:5, al.; metaph., c. acc. rei, ἀφορμήν, Ro 7:8, 11; ὑδόδειγμα, Ja 5:10; id. c. acc. pers.…

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

λαμβάνω; impf. ἐλάμβανον; fut. λήψομαι, (LT Tr WH λήμψομαι, an Alexandrian form; 568 8. v. M, μ); 2 aor. ἔλαβον (2 pers. plur. once [in Tdf. 7 after B*] ἐλάβατε, 1 Jn. ii. 27; see reff. s. v. ἀπέρχομαι, init.), impv. λάβε (Rey. x. 8 54.), not λαβέ (W. § 6,1 a.; B. 62 (54)); pf. εἴληφα, 2 pers. εἴληφας [and εἴληφες (Rev. xi. 17 WHI; see xomidw); on the use of the pf. interchangeably with an aor. (Rey. v. 7; viii. 5, ete.) οἵ. B. 197 (170) ; W. 272 (255); Jebb in Vincent and Dickson’s Mod. Grk. 2d ed. App. §§ 67, 68], ptep. εἰληφώς ; [Pass., pres. ptep. λαμβανόμενος ; pf. 3 pers. sing. εἴληπται, Jn. viii. 4 ὙΠ το. (rejected section)]; Sept. hundreds of times for n>), very often for 8wW3, also for 729 and several times for 108; [fr. Hom. down]; I. to take,i.e. 1. to take with the hand, lay hold of, any pers. or thing in order to use it: absol., where the context shows what is taken, Mt.…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

λαμβάνω in its ordinary sense of ‘‘ receive,” ‘‘ get,” as in Mt 78, Jn 357, is naturally very common, e.g. P Giss I. 67° (ii/a.p.) ἔλαβόν σου ἐπιστολήν, P Ryl II. 122} (a.p. 127) λαβὼν τὸ πιττάκιον τὸ ἀκόλουθον ποίει, “on receipt of this document, act in accordance with it” (Edd.), P Fay 1274 (ii/iii a.p.) | ἐὰ (= ἐὰν) λάβητε φαγὸν πέμψαι ἐμοὶ διὰ Karolrov, “if you get any lentils send them to me by Katoitus " (Edd.), and 76, 1355 (iv/A.D.) τὰ ἀργύρια ἃ ἔλαβες, “money which you received.” Similarly in connexion with money receipts, as 26. 1098 (early i/A.D.) ἀποχὴν θέλω λαβεῖν, “1 wish to get a receipt,” 20. 2113 (A.D. 134) ἀλλήλ[οις] ἀποχὰς τούς τε διδόντας καὶ τοὺς λαμβάν[ο]ντας, ‘‘that payer and payee shall mutually give receipts’’ (Edd.). Wilcken Ostr. i. p. 109 has pointed out that in the case of all ostraca receipts known to him the writers were Romans, but see 7hed Ostr 1058…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

λαμβάνω (lambanō) — to take.

λαμβάνω,

future λήψομαι (λήψω only late, variant in [LXX]; Ionic dialect λάψομαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Doric dialectfuture 2nd pers. singular λαψῇ [Refs 5th c.BC+], infinitive λαμψεῖσθαι [Refs 2nd c.BC+]aorist 2 ἔλᾰβον, Epic dialect ἔλλᾰβον [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Ionic dialect Iterat. λάβεσκον [Refs 8th c.BC+]; written λάβε in middle Ms. of [Refs 4th c.BC+] Attic dialectaccusative to [Refs 2nd c.AD+]: perfect εἴληφα [Refs 7th c.BC+]; Ionic dialect, Doric dialect, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; infinitive λελαβήκειν [Refs]: pluperfect εἰλήφειν [Refs 5th c.BC+] (κατα-); Doric dialect perfect subjunctive 3rd.pers. singular (παρ-) λελόνβῃ [Refs] —middle, aorist 2 ἐλαβόμην, Epic dialect ἐλλ-, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Epic dialect reduplicate λελαβέσθαι [Refs]:—passive, future ληφθήσομαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]: aorist ἐλήφθην [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Ionic dialect ἐλάφθην [Refs 5th…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

λαμβάνω

lambano

a prolonged form of a primary verb, which is use only as an alternate

in certain tenses; to take (in very many applications, literally and

figuratively (properly objective or active, to get hold of; whereas

1209 is rather subjective or passive, to have offered to one; while

138 is more violent, to seize or remove)):--accept, + be amazed,

assay, attain, bring, X when I call, catch, come on (X unto), +

forget, have, hold, obtain, receive (X after), take (away, up).

see GREEK for 1209

see GREEK for 138

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

λαμβάνω

v.

I receive, take

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

λαμβάνω lambanō 258x

to take, take up, take in the hand, Mt. 10:38; 13:31, 33; to take on one’s self, sustain, Mt. 8:17; to take, seize, seize upon, Mt. 5:40; 21:34; Lk. 5:26; 1 Cor. 10:13; to catch, Lk. 5:5; 2 Cor. 12:16; to assume, put on, Phil. 2:7; to make a rightful or successful assumption of, Jn. 3:27; to conceive, Acts 28:15; to take by…

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Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

λαμβάνω from Root ΛΑΒ The orig. sense of the word is two-fold, one (more active) to take, and the other (more passive) to receive

to take:

to take hold of, grasp, seize, Hom., etc.; the part seized in gen., the whole in acc., τὴν πτέρυγος λάβεν caught her by the wing, Il.; γούνων λάβε κούρην Od., etc.:—then, with gen. of part only, ποδῶν, γούνων, κόρυθος λάβεν took hold of the feet, etc., Il.

to take by violence, seize, carry off as prize or booty, Hom.

λ. δίκην, ποινάς, Lat. sumere poenas, to exact punishment, Eur., etc.; v. infr. II. 3.

of passions, feelings, etc., to seize, Hom., etc.; of fever and sudden illnesses, to attack, Hdt., attic

of a deity, to seize, possess, τινά Hdt.: of darkness, and the like, to occupy, possess, Aesch.

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-2AAS-3P — Verb · second aorist · active · subjunctive · third person · plural
second aorist active subjunctive — a completed action, viewed as a whole.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-2AAS-3P Part of Speech: Verb Tense: second Aorist Voice: Active Mood: Subjunctive Person: third Number: Plural

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
18%having taken
having taken18% · 48×receive8% · 20×having received7% · 18×took6% · 16×take4% · 11×receiving4% · 10×receives4% · 10×do take3% · 9×other renderings46% · 123×

265 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 76 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
verb98%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 258 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
καίand, even, also, nam
αὐτόςλαμβάνωI receive, takeλέγωI say, speak
οὐNeg
καίand, even, also,ὅςἄνθρωποςa man, one of th
αὐτός
δέbut, on the otheεἰςἐσθίωI eat
ὅς
σίναπιmustardζύμηleaven, fermentδιακονίαwaiting at table
Article the
γάρforσύθεόςGod, a god
λαμβάνωthey may receive [the]258×
what comes after →
Article the
ἄρτοςbread, a loaf, fβιβλίονa papyrus rollχάραγμαsculpture, a sta
καίand, even, also, nam
Article theἀναγγέλλωI announce, makeζωήlife
αὐτός
καίand, even, also,εἰςσύ
πνεῦμαwind, breath, spirit
ἅγιοςset apart, holy,δουλείαslavery, bondageυἱοθεσίαadoption
γυνήa woman, wife, my la
ἐγκρύπτωI hide in, mix wκαίand, even, also,κρύπτωI hide, conceal,

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceλαμβάνω · 258× in the New Testament
Matthew John Acts Revelation Luke Mark Hebrews 1 Corinthians Romans 2 Corinthians James 1 John

Every reference is on the Strong's page.

Across the New Testament21 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 650 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Josephus Philo of Alexandria The Shepherd of Hermas The Epistle of Barnabas Clement of Rome
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 54c. AD 40

εἶθ’, οἷα φιλεῖ, προσπεριειργάζετο, τίς ἡ τῶν ὁρατῶν δὴ τούτων οὐσία καὶ εἰ ἀγένητοι πεφύκασιν ἢ γενέσεως ἔλαβον ἀρχὴν καὶ τίς ὁ τρόπος τῆς κινήσεως καὶ τίνες αἱ αἰτίαι δι’ ὧν ἕκαστα οἰκονομεῖται·

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.argc. AD 75–95

ὡς Ἅβραμος ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἀσσυρίους ἐκστρατεύσας ἐνίκησε καὶ τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους τῶν Σοδομιτῶν ἔσωσε καὶ τὴν λείαν ἣν ἔλαβον ἀφείλετο.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 1.5c. AD 100

λογισάμενος οὖν τοῦτο, ὅτι ἐὰν μελήσῃ μοι περὶ ὑμῶν τοῦ μέρος τι μεταδοῦναι ἀφ̓ οὗ ἔλαβον, ὅτι ἔσται μοι τοιούτοις πνεύμασιν ὑπηρετήσαντι εἰς μισθόν, ἐσπούδασα κατὰ μικρὸν ὑμῖν πέμπειν, ἵνα μετὰ τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν τελείαν ἔχητε τὴν γνῶσιν.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. BC 3rd c. AD 6th c. AD 1st c. AD
P.Gen. 1 20Pathyris110 BC

Λατοπολίτου, ἣν ἐωνήσατο ἐκ βασιλικοῦ ἐν τῶι ε ἔτει πρὸς τὰ ταύτης ἐκφόρια, καὶ λαβὼν τὴν εἰθισμένην διαγραφὴν ἐπικεχωρηκέναι ταύτηι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δ μερίδα, ὃς καὶ παρὼν ἐπὶ τοῦ

P.Bad. 2 3Pathyris110 BC

Λατοπολίτου, ἣν ἐωνήσατο ἐκ βασιλικοῦ ἐν τῷ πέμπτωι ἔτει πρὸς τὰ τῆς γῆς ἐκφόρια λαβὼν τὴν εἰθισμένην διαγραφήν. ὁ Ἁρκοννῆσις ἐπικεχώρηκεν ταύτῃ τὴν τετάρτην μερίδα πρὸς πυροῦ ἀρτάβας δέκα

P.Grenf. 2 37Pathyris109 BC

τῆς κώμης καθέσταται Πατσεοῦς Πατῆτος ὁ τὴν ἐντολὴν ἐπιδεικνὺς χειρογραφήσας ὡς εἴθισται καὶ διαστολὴν λαβὼν προ

who having come down they prayed for them that they may receive [the] Spirit Holy.
πνεῦμαpneuma Spirit G4151 Noun · accusative · singular · neuter
379× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Acts as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
The Greek word for spirit or breath refers to the vital principle or mental disposition of a person, as seen in John 3:8 and 1 Corinthians 5:5. It can also mean a superhuman spirit, like the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:2.
Amplified meaning
the divine breath, the vital principle of God
Tyndale gloss
spirit/breath: spirit
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word πνεῦμα (i.e., *pneuma*) means 'spirit' or 'breath' and is derived from the verb πνέω (to blow). It encompasses various meanings, including air in motion, the vital principle of life, and spiritual beings such as angels and demons. In the New Testament, it frequently refers to the Holy Spirit and the human spirit, appearing in contexts that contrast it with the body or flesh.

Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament — πνοή, πνεῦμα, ἄνεμος, θύελλα from a scan

From the words into comparison with which πνεῦμα is here brought, it will be evident that it is proposed to deal with it in its natural and earthly, not in its supernatural and heavenly, meaning. Only I will observe, that on the relations between πνοή and πνεῦμα in this its higher sense there is a discussion in Augustine, De Civ. Dei, xiii. 22; cf. De Anim. et huj. Orig. i. 14, 19. The first three words of this group, as they designate not things heavenly but things earthly, differ from one another exactly as, according to Seneca, do in the Latin ‘aér,’ ‘spiritus,’ ‘ ventus’ (Nat. Qu. v. 13) : ‘Spiritum a vento motus' separat; vehementior enim spiritus ventus est; invicem spiritus leviter fluens aer.’ Πνοή and πνεῦμα occur not seldom together, as at Isai. xlii. 5; lvii. 16; πνοή conveying the impression of a lighter, gentler, motion of the air than πνεῦμα, as ‘aura’ than ‘ventus.’…

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Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

πνεῦμα, -τος, τό,

(< πνέω),

[in LXX chiefly and very freq. for רוּחַ;]

of air in motion;

wind: Jo 3:8; pl., He 1:7(LXX);

breath: π. ζωῆς, Re 11:11; π. τοῦ στόματος, fig., II Th 2:8 (cf. Ps 32 (33):6).

Of the vital principle, the spirit (Arist., Polyb., al.): Lk 8:55, Jo 19:30, Ac 7:59, al.; opp. to σάρξ, Mt 26:41, Mk 14:38, I Co 5:5, al.; to σῶμα, Ro 8:10, I Co 6:17 7:34,

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

πνεῦμα, -τος, τό, (πνέω), Grk. writ. fr. Aeschyl. and Hdt. down; Hebr. may, Lat. spiritus; i. 6. 1. a movement of air, (gentle) blast; a. of the wind: ἀνέμων πνεύματα, Hat. 7,16, 1; Paus. 5, 25; hence the wind itself, Jn. iii. 8; plur. Heb. i. 7, (1 K. xviii. 45; xix. 11; Job i. 19; Ps. ciii. (civ.) 4, etc.; often in Grk. writ.). b. breath of the nostrils or mouth, often in Grk. writ. fr. Aeschyl. down: πνεῦμα τοῦ στόματος, 2 Th. ii. 8 (Ps. xxxii. (xxxiii.) 6, ef. Is. xi. 4); mv. ζωῆς, the breath of life, Rev. xi. 11 (Gen. vi. 17, cf. πνοὴ ζωῆς, il. 7). [πνεῦμα and πνοή seem to have been in the main coincident terms; but avon became the more poetical. Both retain a suggestion of their evident etymology. Even in class. Grk. πνεῦμα became as freq. and as wide in its application as ἄνεμος. (Schmidt ch. 55, 7; Trench § lxxiii.) ] 2. the spirit, i.e. the vital principle by which the body 18…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

πνεῦμα. This is a notable ex. of those words, whose meaning has been so deepened and enriched through Christian influences, that we cannot expect our sources to throw much light on their use in the NT. One or two points may, however, be noted. Thus for the more literal meaning of the word we may cite P Oxy VI. 9047 (v/A.D.), where a certain Flavius petitions a praeses on the ground ὡς λοιπὸν εἰς αὐτὸ τὸ τῆς σωτηρίας πνεῦμα δυστυχῖν pe, “so that at last the very breath of my life is in danger” (Edd.). In P Leid Wii 2 (ii/iii A.D.) (= II. p. 157) reference is made to a book which περιέχει γέννησιν πνεύματος, πυρὸς Kal okdTo(=ov)s, ‘contains the creation of spirit, fire and darkness.” The same document αν. 4 shows οὐ ἀντιτάξεταί μοι πᾶν πνεῦμα, οὐ δαιμόνιον, οὐ συνάτ(--άντ)ημα. Reminiscent of LXX Numb 1622, 2716, isthe Jewish ‘‘ prayer for vengeance” from Rheneia, Sy// 816 (=#1181)*, which…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

πνεῦμα (pneuma) — spirit/breath: spirit.

πνεῦμα, ατος, τό,

(πνέω) blast, wind, first in [Refs 6th c.BC+]: frequently in Trag., etc., ἀνέμων πνεύματα πάντων [Refs 4th c.BC+]; θαλάσσας.. πνεύματι λάβρῳ [Refs 5th c.BC+] is commoner in Poets; [Refs 8th c.BC+]; κατὰ πρύμναν ἵσταται τὸ π.[Refs 5th c.BC+]; κατὰ πνεῦμα στῆναι τοῦ ἄρρενος to leeward of him, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; but κατὰ π. προσιόντες down wind, [Refs]; πνεύματος ἀνείλησις, ἐκπύρωσις, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; as an element, air, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]

2. metaphorically, θαλερωτέρῳ π. with more genial breeze or influence, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; αἰδοίῳ π. χώρας with air or spirit of respect on the part of the country, [Refs]; π. ταὐτὸν οὔποτ᾽.. ἐν ἀνδράσιν φίλοις βέβηκεν the…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

πνεῦμα

pneuma

from 4154; a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze; by

analogy or figuratively, a spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by

implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or

(superhuman) an angel, demon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the

Holy Spirit:--ghost, life, spirit(-ual, -ually), mind. Compare 5590.

see GREEK for 4154

see GREEK for 5590

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

πνεῦμα, ατος, τό

n.n.

wind, breath, spirit

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

πνεῦμα pneuma 379x

wind, air in motion, Jn. 3:8; breath, 2 Thess. 2:8; the substance spirit, Jn. 3:6; a spirit, spiritual being, Jn. 4:24; Acts 23:8, 9; Heb. 1:14; a bodiless spirit, specter, Lk. 24:37; a foul spirit, δαιμόνιον, Mt. 8:16; Lk. 10:20; spirit, as a vital principle, Jn. 6:63; 1 Cor.…

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Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

πνεῦμα πνεῦμα, ατος, τό, πνέω a blowing, πνεύματα ἀνέμων Hdt., Aesch.: alone, a wind, blast, Trag., etc.

metaph., θαλερωτέρῳ πν. with more genial breeze or influence, Aesch.; λύσσης πν. μάργῳ id. Aesch.; πν. ταὐτὸν οὔποτ᾽ ἐν ἀνδράσιν φίλοις βέβηκεν the wind is constantly changing even among friends, Soph.

like Lat. spiritus or anima, breathed air, breath, Aesch.; πν. βίου the breath of life, id. Aesch.; πν. ἀθροίζειν to collect breath, Eur.; πν. ἀφιέναι, ἀνιέναι, μεθιέναι to give up the ghost, id. Eur.; πνεύματος διαρροαί the wind-pipe, id. Eur.

that is breathed forth, odour, scent, id. Eur.

spirit, Lat. afflatus, Anth.: inspiration, NTest.

the spirit of man, id. NTest.

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Noun-ASN — Noun · accusative · singular · neuter
accusative — the one it is done to — the object.
Agrees with anything else marked singular neuter.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

N-ASN Part of Speech: Noun Case: Accusative Number: Singular Gender: Neuter

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

spir'-it (ruach; pneuma; Latin, spiritus):

1. Primary and Figurative Senses

(1) As Wind, Breath

(2) As Anger or Fury

(3) As Mental and Moral Qualities in Man

2. Shades of Meaning

(1) As Life-Principle

(2) As Surviving Death

(3) Spiritual Manifestations

3. Human and Divine Spirit

(1) The Human as Related with the Divine

(2) Operations of the Divine Spirit as Third Person of the Trinity

4. Old Testament Applications

5. Various Interpretations

1. Primary and Figurative Senses:

(1) As Wind, Breath:

Used primarily in the Old Testament and New Testament of the wind, as in Ge 8:1; Nu 11:31; Am 4:13 ("createth the wind"); Heb 1:7 (angels, "spirits" or "winds" in margin); often used of the breath, as…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Spirit

(Heb. ruah; Gr. pneuma), properly wind or breath. In 2 Thess. 2:8 it means “breath,” and in Eccl. 8:8 the vital principle in man. It also denotes the rational, immortal soul by which man is distinguished (Acts 7:59; 1 Cor. 5:5; 6:20; 7:34), and the soul in its separate state (Heb. 12:23), and hence also an apparition (Job 4:15; Luke 24:37, 39), an angel (Heb. 1:14), and a demon (Luke 4:36; 10:20). This…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A word employed in various senses in Scripture.

1. For THE HOLY, HOLINESS SPIRIT, the third person of the Holy Trinity, who inspired the prophets, animates good men, pours his unction into our hearts, imparts to us life and comfort; and in whose name we are baptized and blessed, as well as in that of the Father and the Son. When the adjective Holy is applied to the term Spirit, we should always understand it as here explained; but there are many places whether it must be taken in this sense, although the term Holy is omitted. See HOLY, HOLINESS SPIRIT.

2. BREATH, respiration; or the principle of animal life, common to men and animal: this God has given, and this he recalls when he takes away life, Ec 3:21. See SOUL.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Called “the inner man,” Ro 7:22; Eph 3:16

→ See ANGELS

→ See DEMONS

→ See HOLY SPIRIT

→ See MAN, A SPIRIT

→ See SATAN

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
90%spirit
spirit90% · 346×spirits8% · 31×other renderings2% · 8×

385 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 9 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
adverbial39%subject29%object21%predicate7%indirect object2%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 379 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
Article the
καίand, even, also,δέbut, on the otheτίςIrg
ἐν
βαπτίζωI dip, submerge,δέbut, on the otheἄνθρωποςa man, one of th
ἅγιοςset apart, holy, sac
Article theγάρforσύ
αὐτός
Article theθυγάτριονa little daughteλέγωI say, speak
καίand, even, also, nam
πίνωI drink, imbibeἸσραήλPropμάστιξa scourge, lash,
πνεῦμαSpirit379×
what comes after →
Article the
ἅγιοςset apart, holy,ἀκάθαρτοςunclean, impureθεόςGod, a god
ἅγιοςset apart, holy, sac
καίand, even, also,Article theἀτενίζωI direct my gaze
καίand, even, also, nam
Article theδύναμιςmight, power, maἀλήθειαtruth
ἐγώ
ἐπίἐπιτάσσωI give order, coοὗτος
εἰμίI am, exist
Article theἅγιοςset apart, holy,καίand, even, also,

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceπνεῦμα · 379× in the New Testament
Acts 1 Corinthians Luke Romans John Revelation Mark Matthew Galatians 2 Corinthians Ephesians 1 John

Every reference is on the Strong's page.

Across the New Testament25 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 173 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Philo of Alexandria The Shepherd of Hermas Josephus Clement of Rome Ignatius of Antioch
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 29c. AD 40

εἶθ’ ὕδατος ἀσώματον οὐσίαν καὶ πνεύματος καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ἑβδόμου φωτός, ὃ πάλιν ἀσώματον ἦν καὶ νοητὸν ἡλίου παράδειγμα καὶ πάντων ὅσα φωσφόρα ἄστρα κατὰ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἔμελλε συνίστασθαι.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.27c. AD 75–95

ταύτης δʼ ὑπʼ ὄψιν οὐκ ἐρχομένης, ἀλλὰ βαθεῖ μὲν κρυπτομένης σκότει, πνεύματος δʼ αὐτὴν ἄνωθεν ἐπιθέοντος, γενέσθαι φῶς ἐκέλευσεν ὁ θεός.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 1.2c. AD 100

Μεγάλων μὲν ὄντων καὶ πλουσίων τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιωμάτων εἰς ὑμᾶς, ὑπέρ τι καὶ καθ̓ ὑπερβολὴν ὑπερευφραίνομαι ἐπὶ τοῖς μακαρίοις καὶ ἐνδόξοις ὑμῶν πνεύμασιν: οὕτως ἔμφυτον τῆς δωρεᾶς πνευματικῆς χάριν εἰλήφατε.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
7th c. AD 4th c. AD 8th c. AD 5th c. AD 6th c. AD

ἐν ὀνόματι τῆς ἁγίας καὶ ὁμοουσίου τριάδος πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος βασιλείας τοῦ θειοτάτου καὶ εὐσεβεστάτου ἡμῶν δεσπότου Φλαυίου Φωκᾶ τοῦ αἰωνίου Αὐγούστου Αὐτοκράτορος καὶ

Tyche 20 (2005), p. 1-9HerakleopolitesAD 603

r ἐν ὀνόματι τῆς ἁγίας τριάδος πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος καὶ τῆς δεσποίνης ἡμῶν τῆς θεοτόκου καὶ πάντων τῶν ἁγίων, βασιλείας τοῦ θειοτάτου καὶ

SB 1 4740ArsinoitesAD 602–AD 610

ἐν ὀνόματι τῆς ἁγίας καὶ ὁμοουσίου τριάδος πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος καὶ τῆς δεσποίνης

who having come down they prayed for them that they may receive [the] Spirit Holy.
ἅγιον.hagios Holy. G40 Adjective · accusative · singular · neuter
234× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Acts than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this word means holy or set apart, describing God and things dedicated to Him. It appears in Luke 1:49 and John 17:11, highlighting God's purity and majesty.
Amplified meaning
set apart, sacred
Tyndale gloss
holy
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word ἅγιος (i.e., *hagios*) means holy or sacred, derived from a root indicating reverence. It refers to things and places dedicated to God, such as temples, and to persons, including angels and saints. In the New Testament, it is often applied to God, Christ, and believers, emphasizing moral purity and separation for divine service. Notably, it can also imply a sense of veneration.

Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament — ἱερός, ὅσιος, ἅγιος, ἁγνός from a scan

‘Iepos, probably the same word as the German ‘hehr’ (see Curtius, Grundziige, vol. v. p. 369), never in the N. T., and very seldom elsewhere, implies any moral excellence. It is singular how seldom the word is found there, indeed only twice (1 Cor. ix. 13; 2 Tim. iii. 15) ; and only once in the Septuagint (Josh. vi. 8: ἱεραὶ cadrvyyes); four times in 2 Maccabees, but not else in the Apocrypha; being in none of these instances employed of persons, who only are moral agents, but always of things. To persons the word elsewhere also is of rarest application, though examples are not wanting. Thus ἱερὸς ἄνθρωπος is in Aristophanes (Rane, 652) a man initiated in the mysteries ; kings for 328 SYNONYMS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. § uxxxvut. Pindar (Pyth. v. 97 [Diss., 131 Heyn.]) are ἱεροί, as having their dignity from the gods; for Plutarch the Indian gymnosophists are ἄνδρες ἱεροὶ καὶ αὐτόνομοι (De…

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Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ἅγιος, -α, ον

(< τό ἅγός, religious awe; ἅζω, to venerate),

[in LXX chiefly for קֹ֫דֶשׁ;]

primarily, dedicated to the gods, sacred (Hdt.; rare in Att., never in Hom., Hes. and Trag., who use ἁγνός), hence, holy, characteristic of God, separated to God, worthy of veneration. Its highest application is to God himself, in his purity, majesty, and glory: Lk 1:49, Jo 17:11, Re 4:8. Hence

of things and places which have a claim to reverence as sacred to God, e.g. the Temple: Mt 24:15, He 9:1;

of persons employed by him, as angels: I Th 3:13; prophets,

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

ἅγιος, -a, -ov, (fr. τὸ dyos religious awe, reverence ; dl, ἅζομαι, to venerate, revere, esp. the gods, parents, [Curtius § 1187), rare in prof. auth.; very frequent in the sacred writ.; in the Sept. for wap; 1. properly reverend, worthy of veneration: τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ, Lk. i. 49; God, on account of his incomparable majesty, Rev. iv. 8 (Is. vi. 3, ete.), i. q. ἔνδοξος. Hence used a. of things which on account of some connection with God possess a certain distinction and claim to reverence, as places sacred to God which are not to be profaned, Acts vii. 83; τόπος ἅγιος the temple, Mt. xxiv. 15 (on which pass. see βδέλυγμα, ¢.); Acts vi. 13; xxi. 28; the holy land or Palestine, 2 Mace. i. 29; ii. 18; τὸ ἅγιον and τὰ ἅγια [W. 177 (167)] the temple, Heb. ix. 1, 24 (cf. Bleek on Heb. vol. ii. 2, p. 477 sq.) ; spec. that part of the temple or tabernacle which is called ‘the holy place’…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

ἅγιος. The adjective is common as a title of the gods in the inscriptions, e. σ. OGZS 3781 (A.D. 18-9) θεῷ ἁγίῳ ὑψίστῳ : cf. 26, 721' ὃ δαδοῦχος τῶν ἁγιωτάτων ᾿Εἰλευσῖνι μυστηρίων. The superlative may be further illustrated (cf. Jude?) from the oldest recovered Christian letter P Amh I. 3(a)iii 22f. (between A.D. 264 (265) and 282 (281)) τοῖς κατ᾽ αἰὐτὸν ἁγιωτάτοις προ[εστῶσι]: cf. Deissmann Z4Z, p. 192 ff. For τὸ ἅγιον as “temple” cf. OGZS 56° (the Canopus inscr. of Ptolemy III, B.c. 239) καθιδρῦσαι [sc. ἄγαλμα Χρυσοῦν διάλιθον] ἐν τῶι ἁγίωι. : ἁγιότης, ἁγιωσύνη. ᾿Αγιότης, as a title, is found in the late P Giss I. 55° (vi/A.D.) addressed by one “‘ papa” or ‘‘ bishop ” to another --ἠξιώθην. . . γράψαι πρ[ὸ]ς τὴν σὴν ἁγιότητα]. Fora similar use of ἡ ἁγιωσύνη with reference to an ἐπίσκοπος, see the Pe/agfa-Legenden (ed. Usener) p. 107, cf. p. 84, On the “‘profane” warrant for ἁγιωσύνη…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ἅγιος (hagios) — holy.

ἅγιος [ᾰ], α, ον,

devoted to the gods:

I. in good sense, sacred, holy:

I.1. of things, especially temples, ἈΦροδίτης ἱρὸν ἅ.[Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἱρο᾽ν Ἡρακλέος ἅ.[Refs 5th c.BC+]; μητρός.. ἐστι πατρὶς ἁγιώτερον[Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἅ., τό, temple, [LXX+NT]Holy of Holies, [NT]

I.2. of persons, holy, pure, [LXX+5th c.BC+] οἱ ἅ. the Saints, [NT] πνεῦμα ἅ. the Holy Spirit, [NT] adverb ἁγίως καὶ σεμνῶς ἔχειν[Refs 5th c.BC+]

II. in bad sense, accursed, execrable, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; rare in Attic dialect (see. above). (Possibly cognate with Sanskrit yajati 'sacrifice'.)

ἅγιος (hagios) — holy: saint.

ἅγιος [ᾰ], α, ον,

devoted to the gods:

I. in good sense, sacred, holy:

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ἅγιος

hagios

from hagos (an awful thing) (compare 53, 2282); sacred (physically,

pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially,

consecrated):--(most) holy (one, thing), saint.

see GREEK for 53

see GREEK for 2282

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ἅγιος, ία, ον

Adj

set apart, holy, sacred

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ἅγιος hagios 233x

separate from common condition and use; dedicated. Lk. 2:23; hallowed; used of things, τὰ ἅγια, the sanctuary; and of persons, saints, e.g., members of the first Christian communities; pure, righteous, ceremonially or morally; holy

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ἅγιος ἄγος devoted to the gods, sacred, holy, Lat. sacer:

of things, esp. temples, Hdt., Xen., etc.: τὸ ἅγιον the Temple, τὰ ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων theHoly of Holies, NTest.

of persons, holy, pure, Ar.; adv. ἁγίως, Isocr., NTest.—The word never occurs in Hom. or Trag., ἁγνός being used instead.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj-ASN — Adjective · accusative · singular · neuter
accusative — the one it is done to — the object.
Agrees with anything else marked singular neuter.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

A-ASN Part of Speech: Adjective Case: Accusative Number: Singular Gender: Neuter

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
72%holy
holy72% · 165×saints25% · 56×other renderings3% · 7×

228 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 8 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
adverbial45%subject16%object16%predicate14%indirect object5%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 234 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
Article the
πνεῦμαwind, breath, spεἰςπᾶςall, the whole,
πνεῦμαwind, breath, spirit
ἐνπίμπλημιI fillκαίand, even, also,
εἰμίI am, exist
πνεῦμαwind, breath, spἵναin order that, s
καίand, even, also, nam
δίκαιοςjust, righteous,δυνατόςpowerful, able, προφήτηςa prophet, poet
πᾶςall, the whole, ever
αὐτόςἐλάχιστοςthe smallest, leἀσπάζομαιI greet, salute,
ἅγιοςHoly.234×
what comes after →
καίand, even, also, nam
Article theἄμωμοςblamelessπῦρfire, trials
Article the
θεόςGod, a godκύωνa dogἀναγινώσκωI read
πνεῦμαwind, breath, spirit
βλασφημέωI speak evil agaδιδάσκωI teachἐπί
εἰμίI am, exist
ἀκούωI hear, listenὅστιςὅτιthat, since, bec
ἐν
Χριστόςanointed, the MeArticle theἀγάπηlove

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceἅγιος · 234× in the New Testament
Acts Revelation Romans Luke Hebrews Ephesians 1 Corinthians Matthew 1 Peter 2 Corinthians Mark Colossians

Every reference is on the Strong's page.

Across the New Testament23 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 438 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Philo of Alexandria Josephus The Shepherd of Hermas Clement of Rome Ignatius of Antioch
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 89c. AD 40

Ἐπεὶ δ’ ὁ σύμπας κόσμος ἐτελειώθη κατὰ τὴν ἑξάδος ἀριθμοῦ τελείου φύσιν, τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν ἡμέραν ἑβδόμην ἐσέμνυνεν ὁ πατὴρ ἐπαινέσας καὶ ἁγίαν προσειπών·

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 3.125c. AD 75–95

καὶ ὁ μὲν πᾶς ναὸς ἅγιον ἐκαλεῖτο, τὸ δʼ ἄβατον τὸ ἐντὸς τῶν τεσσάρων κιόνων τοῦ ἁγίου τὸ ἅγιον.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 6.15c. AD 100

ναὸς γὰρ ἅγιος, ἀδελφοί μου, τῷ κυρίῳ τὸ κατοικητήριον ἡμῶν τῆς καρδίας.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
6th c. AD 7th c. AD 5th c. AD 8th c. AD 4th c. AD
P.Col. 3 58Philadelphia? (Arsinoites)249 BC

περὶ τοῦ ὀρόβου Τηλέμαχον ἰδεῖν ἢ Ἀρτέμωνα. Μητροδώρωι τὴν παρὰ Νέστου ἐντολὴν ἀποδοῦναι. Ἀγίαν τὸν παρὰ Μακίνου ὑπηρέτην ἰδεῖν. ἐκ τῆς ὑπερορίας τῶν ὑποδιφθέρων τί τέλος ἐστίν. Φοίνικα

τὸ προσκύνημα τοῦ ἁγίου τόπου καὶ τοῦ γράψαντος παρὰ πᾶσι τοῖς θεοῖς Φιλόσοφος

⳨ τῷ ἁγίῳ μοναστηρίῳ ἄπα Δωροθέου … … … … η … ω ἀπὸ ἐποικίου Νειλάμμωνος παρὰ

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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