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Hebrews 10:31 — Word Study

Depth

N1904φοβερὸν τὸ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς χεῖρας θεοῦ ζῶντος.¶

BSA[It is] a fearful thingphoberos [terrifying, awe-inspiring] <the>ho to fallempiptō [to be overwhelmed, to come under the power] intoeis [the] handscheir [power, control] of Godtheos [the one true deity, Creator] [the] living.zaō [who is all-powerful, having life]

Word
Listen & take awayHebrews 10
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 31 is in this chapter.
Say the word Each Greek word carries its transliteration (zaō) — no per-word recordings of the Greek exist to link to.
Take it away
Hebrews 10:31quick helps
In a sentenceThe verse warns that falling into God's hands is a terrifying prospect.
Who is speakingThe author of Hebrews, addressing believers about God's judgment.
Where we areThis verse is part of a warning about the consequences of turning away from faith.
The hard wordφοβερός
Take awayGod's power to judge is real and should inspire awe.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectφοβερός verbἐμπίπτω 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 — Hebrews 10:31

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 — A Warning Against Apostasygenerated

30For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.”
31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32Remember the early days that you were in the light. In those days, you endured a great conflict in the face of suffering.
33Sometimes you were publicly exposed to ridicule and persecution; at other times you were partners with those who were so treated.

Hebrews 10:31 is part of a passage that emphasizes the seriousness of rejecting God's grace. The author reminds believers of the consequences of their actions, urging them to remain steadfast in their faith. This warning is framed within the context of God's judgment, as referenced in the preceding verse, Hebrews 10:30, where the author cites God's promise of vengeance. The passage serves as a reminder of the importance of perseverance in faith amidst trials and challenges.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Hebrews 10:27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries.
2Isaiah 33:14The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling grips the ungodly: “Who of us can dwell with a consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting flames?”
3Luke 21:11There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, along with fearful sights and great signs from heaven.
4Hebrews 12:29“For our God is a consuming fire.”
5Psalm 50:22Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word φοβερός, phoberosgenerated

The word φοβερὸς is an adjective meaning 'fearful' or 'terrifying.' It is derived from the verb φοβέω, which means 'to fear.' In this context, it describes the awe-inspiring nature of falling into the hands of God, highlighting the seriousness of His judgment.

This term conveys a sense of dread and terror, particularly in relation to divine authority, as seen in other New Testament passages like Hebrews 10:27 and Hebrews 12:21. The use of this word emphasizes the gravity of the situation when one faces God's judgment.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The verse is rendered consistently across several translations, including the BSB, KJV, and ASV, all stating, 'It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.' This agreement reflects the shared understanding of the seriousness of the warning.

However, some translations offer variations. For instance, the YLT states, 'fearful [is] the falling into the hands of a living God,' while the BBE suggests a more interpretive approach with 'We may well go in fear of falling into the hands of the living God.' These differences highlight how translators approach the text's tone and meaning.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main clause of the verse is governed by the finite verb ἐμπεσεῖν, to fall, which is the action being described. The subject is implied, with the focus on the fearful nature of the action. The structure emphasizes the seriousness of the situation by placing the adjective φοβερὸν at the beginning.

The phrase 'into the hands of the living God' serves as a prepositional phrase that provides context for the action, indicating the destination of the fall. This construction highlights the gravity of falling into God's hands, which is central to the verse's warning.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

φοβερὸς does not have a direct equivalent in the Septuagint but relates to the Hebrew word יָרֵא (H3372), meaning 'to fear.' This connection emphasizes the theme of fear in the presence of God's power, which is consistent with the warnings found in the Old Testament regarding divine judgment.

The concept of falling into God's hands can be linked to the Hebrew word נָפַל (H5307), which means 'to fall.' This further illustrates the seriousness of the warning in Hebrews 10:31, as it draws on familiar imagery from the Hebrew Scriptures.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Hebrews 10:31 warns that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. This verse emphasizes the seriousness of facing God's judgment and serves as a reminder to remain faithful and aware of the consequences of our actions.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to fall into the hands of the living God?

Falling into the hands of the living God refers to facing His judgment and authority, which is portrayed as a terrifying experience for those who reject Him.

Why is this verse significant in the context of Hebrews?

This verse serves as a warning to believers about the consequences of apostasy and the seriousness of remaining faithful to God amidst challenges.

How can this verse apply to my life today?

This verse encourages self-reflection on one's faith and actions, reminding believers to stay committed to God and to recognize the weight of His judgment.

What does 'the living God' signify?

The phrase 'the living God' emphasizes God's active presence and power, contrasting Him with false idols and highlighting His authority over all creation.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what ways have I experienced God's power in my life, and how does that shape my understanding of His judgment?
  2. How can I remain steadfast in my faith to avoid the warning given in this verse?
  3. What does it mean for me to recognize God as the living God in my daily life?
  4. How can I encourage others to understand the seriousness of their relationship with God?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Thomas Aquinas references this verse to support his argument about the importance of adhering to Christ's priesthood and the consequences of neglecting it.

Thomas Aquinas 1225–1274
514. - Having commended the superiority of Christ’s priesthood and added an admonition to adhere to His priesthood by faith and charity, the Apostle now proves his admonition by reason.
Early Church Fathers on Hebrews 10 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Hebrews 10:31 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Read John Gill on Hebrews 10 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Fearful thing to fall into the hands.

Read Robert Jamieson on Hebrews 10 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The punishment of these apostates is further aggravated from the inflicter of it, the knowledge of which should make them tremble; the thoughts of it might affect them, as the hand-writing on the wall did Belshazzar, . It should strike horror into their heart, trembling into their persons, ,66, by apostacy from him as a Father, to be subjected to him as a Judge, and as obnoxious to his severest judgment. Him in whose hand is power inexpressible, , to avenge himself on his enemies, , who have renounced him as their God, and provoked him to fury by it. A God that will not repent of vengeance, and who liveth ever to inflict it; who lifts up his hand to heaven, and saith, I live for ever, ,40…

Read Matthew Poole on Hebrews 10 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Ver. 31. It is a fearful thing] For who knoweth the power of his anger? even according to thy fear is thy wrath, Psalms 90:11. A melancholy man can fancy vast and terrible fears, fire, sword, racks, strappadoes, scalding lead, boiling pitch, running bell metal, and this to all eternity; yet all these are nothing to that wrath of God which none can either avoid or abide.

Read John Trapp on Hebrews 10 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(31) The living God.—As in Hebrews 3:12; Hebrews 9:14 the exact meaning of the writer’s words is “a Living God;” and a reference to the first of these passages (and to Hebrews 4:12) will show clearly what is their force in this place. There can be little doubt that Deuteronomy 32, from which he has been quoting, is still in his thought. See Deuteronomy 32:40—“I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.”

Read Charles John Ellicott on Hebrews 10 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.] To fall into the hands of God is to fall under his displeasure; and he who lives for ever can punish for ever. How dreadful to have the displeasure of an eternal, almighty Being to rest on the soul for ever! Apostates, and all the persecutors and enemies of God's cause and people, may expect the heaviest judgments of an incensed Deity: and these, not for a time, but through eternity.

Read AdamClarke on Hebrews 10 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God] Fearful for the deliberate apostate and even for the penitent sinner (1 Chronicles 21:13; 1 Samuel 24:14; LXX. Sir 2:18), and yet better in any case than to fall into the hands of man.of the living God] Hebrews 3:12.

Read Cambridge on Hebrews 10 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God - There may be an allusion here to the request of David to “fall into the hands of the Lord and not into the hands of men,” when it was

Read Albert Barnes on Hebrews 10 →

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

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

NETBNew English Translation2006

It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

RVARevised Version, American1894

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

[It is] a fearful thing falling into [the] hands of [the] living God.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

fearful [is] the falling into the hands of a living God.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

[It is] fearful to fall into [the] hands of [the] living God.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

It's terrifying to come under the power of the living God.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

We may well go in fear of falling into the hands of the living God.

Word by word, the decisions they made

φοβερὸνphoberos [It is] a fearful thing G5398 3 different renderings
fearful thingASV BSB DBY DRA KJV MSB NWB RVA ULB WEB
fearfulLSV YLT
terrifyingFBV NETB
ἐμπεσεῖνempiptō to fall G1706 3 different renderings
to fallASV BSB DRA GNV KJV LSV MSB NETB NWB RVA ULB WEB
fallingBBE DBY YLT
to come under the powerFBV
χεῖραςcheir [the] hands G5495 2 different renderings
handsASV BBE BSB DBY DRA GNV KJV LSV MSB NETB NWB RVA ULB WEB YLT
powerFBV

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.

clausepredicateφοβερὸν[It is] a fearful thingnoun phrase · subjectτὸ-clauseverbἐμπεσεῖνto fallprepositional phrase · adverbialεἰςintonoun phraseχεῖρας[the] handsnoun phraseΘεοῦof Godζῶντος[the] living

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

Horrendum est incidere in manus Dei viventis.

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

ܕܚܠܬܐ ܗܝ ܪܒܬܐ ܠܡܦܠ ܒܐܝܕܘܗܝ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܚܝܐ

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

φοβερὸν τὸ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς χεῖρας θεοῦ ζῶντος.¶

The standard critical text of the New Testament.

Nestle-Aland 27th edition1993 · Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft

φοβερὸν τὸ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς χεῖρας θεοῦ ζῶντος.¶

The previous edition, still widely cited.

SBL Greek New Testament2010 · Michael Holmes

φοβερὸν τὸ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς χεῖρας θεοῦ ζῶντος.¶

The Society of Biblical Literature edition, freely licensed.

Westcott–Hort1881 · Westcott and Hort

φοβερὸν τὸ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς χεῖρας θεοῦ ζῶντος.¶

The edition that turned scholarship toward the earliest manuscripts.

Tregelles1857–1879 · Samuel Prideaux Tregelles

φοβερὸν τὸ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς χεῖρας θεοῦ ζῶντος.¶

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

Tyndale House Greek NT2017 · Tyndale House, Cambridge

φοβερὸν τὸ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς χεῖρας θεοῦ ζῶντος.¶

A recent critical edition following documentary evidence closely.

Byzantine majority text2018 · Robinson–Pierpont

φοβερὸν τὸ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς χεῖρας θεοῦ ζῶντος.¶

The reading of the majority of surviving manuscripts.

Textus Receptus1550/1894 lineage

φοβερὸν τὸ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς χεῖρας θεοῦ ζῶντος.¶

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.

Hebrews 10:31φοβερός[It is] a f[It is] a fearfφοβερός<the><the>ἐμπίπτωto fallto fallἐμπίπτωεἰςintointoεἰςχείρ[the] hands[the] handsχείρθεόςof Godof Godθεόςζάω[the] livin[the] living.ζάωφόβοςn.m. fear,n.m. fear, terrφόβοςἐνPrep. in, Prep. in, on, aἐνχειμώνn.m. a temn.m. a tempest,χειμώνχάσμαn.n. a gapn.n. a gap, gulχάσμαArticle thArticle theεἰςPrep. intoPrep. into, in,εἰςἹεροσόλυμαn.f. & n.nn.f. & n.n. JerἹεροσόλυμαεἰσέρχομαιv. I go inv. I go in, comεἰσέρχομαιἐκτείνωv. I stretv. I stretch ouἐκτείνωἐπιτίθημιv. I put, v. I put, placeἐπιτίθημιεὐχαριστέωv. I thankv. I thank, givεὐχαριστέωβασιλείαn.f. kingsn.f. kingship, βασιλείαμηκέτιNeg.adv. nNeg.adv. no lonμηκέτινεκρόςAdj dead, Adj dead, a corνεκρός
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 Hebrews 10:31

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.

[It is] a fearful thing <the> to fall into [the] hands of God [the] living.
φοβερὸνphoberos [It is] a fearful thing G5398 Adjective · nominative · singular · neuter
3× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Hebrews than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
Something or someone fearful inspires awe or fear, like God's power in Hebrews 10:27 and 31. It can also describe someone who feels fear or is timid.
Amplified meaning
terrifying, awe-inspiring
Tyndale gloss
fearful
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

φοβερός is an adjective meaning 'fearful' or 'terrible,' derived from the verb φοβέω. It can describe something that causes fear (active sense) or someone who feels fear (passive sense). In the New Testament, it is used primarily in the active sense, as seen in Hebrews 10:27, 31 and 12:21, where it conveys a sense of dread or terror.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

φοβερός, -ά, -όν

(< φοβέω),

[in LXX chiefly for נוֺרָא, also for דְּחַל, אָיֹם ;]

fearful, whether act, or pass.;

act., = δεινός, causing fear, terrible (LXX): He 10:27, 31 12:21

Pass., = δειλός, feeling fear, timid (cl. in both senses).†

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

φοβερός, -d, dv, (φοβέω), fr. Aeschyl. down, [fearful i. e.] 1. (actively) inspiring fear, terrible, formidable; Sept. for δὲ 12. 2. (passively) affected with fear, timid; in the N. T., only in the former (active) sense: Heb. x. 27, 31; xii. 21." oBew, -ὥ : Pass., pres. φοβοῦμαι ; impf. ἐφοβούμην; 1 aor. ἐφοβήθην ; fut. φοβηθήσομαι ; (φόβος) ; fr. Hom. down; to terrify, frighten, Sap. xvii. 9; to put to flight by terrifying (to scare away). Pass. 1. to be put to Slight, to flee, (Hom.). 2. to fear, be afraid; Sept. very often for 83°; absol. to be struck with fear, to be seized with alarm: of those who fear harm or injury, Mt. x. 813 xiv. 30; xxv. 25; Mk. νυ. 88, 36; x. 82; xvi. 8; LK. viii. 50; xii. 7,32; Jn. xii. 15; xix. 8; Acts xvi. 38; xxii. 29; [Ro. xiii.4]; Heb. xiii.6; 1Jn.iv. 18; opp. to ὑψηλοφρονεῖν, Ro. xi. 20; of those startled by strange sights or occurrences, Mt. xiv. 27…

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

φοβερός, “fearful’” (Heb 10®?, a/.): BGU II. 4288 (ii/a.p.) φοβερὸς ἐγένετο before a lacuna, P Leid W*'-9 (ii/iii a.p.) (=I. p. 121) ἐκλήθη δὲ ὀνόματι ἁγίῳ ἀναγραμματιζόμενον Ξ- -ἐνῳ) φωβερῷ καὶ φρεικτῷ (/. φοβερῷ καὶ φρικτῷ), and

Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

φοβερός (phoberos) — fearful.

φοβερός, ά, όν,

(φόβος) fearful, whether active or passive:

I. active, causing fear, terrible, χρηστήρια φ. [Refs 5th c.BC+], etc.; ὅμιλος πλήθει -ώτατος formidable only from numbers, [Refs 5th c.BC+] things which are fearful to the multitude, [Refs 5th c.BC+]infinitive, φ. ἰδεῖν, φ. προσιδέσθαι, fearful to behold, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

I.2. regarded with fear, especially with respect to consequences, οὔτε ὅρκος φ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἵππος φ. μὴ ἀνήκεστόν τι ποιήσῃ a horse that makes one fear he will do some mischief, [Refs 5th c.BC+]terror, danger, [Refs]; τῶν φοβερῶν ὄντων τῇ πόλει γενέσθαι the things which were dreaded as like ly to happen.., [Refs]; φοβερόν [ἐστι] μὴ.. there is reason to dread that.., [Refs]; ἀγγέλλεσθαι ἐπὶ τὸ φοβερώτατον to be fearfully exaggerated, [Refs 1st…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

φοβερός

phoberos

from 5401; frightful, i.e. (objectively) formidable:--fearful,

terrible.

see GREEK for 5401

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

φοβερός, ά, όν

Adj

fearful, dreadful

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

φοβερός phoberos 3x

fearful; terrible, Heb. 10:27, 31; 12:21*

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

φοβερός φοβερός, ή, όν φόβος fearful, whether act. or pass.:

act. causing fear, dreadful, terrible, formidable, Hdt., Aesch., etc.; πλήθει φ. formidable only from numbers, Thuc.; c. inf., φ. ἰδεῖν, φ. προσιδέσθαι fearful to behold, Aesch., Eur.: τὸ ξύνηθες τοῖς πολίταις φοβερόν the terror habitual to the people, Thuc.

matter for fear, regarded with fear, οὐδὲ ὅρκος φ. id. Thuc.; φοβεροὶ ἦσαν μὴ ποιήσειαν they gave cause for fear lest . . , Xen.; τὸ φ. terror, danger, id. Xen.; φοβερόν [ἐστι] μὴ . . there is reason to dread that . . , id. Xen.

pass. feeling fear, afraid, timid, Soph., Thuc., etc.

caused by fear, panic, Thuc.; φ. φροντίδες anxious thoughts, Plat.

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj-NSN — Adjective · nominative · singular · neuter
nominative — the one doing it — the subject.
Agrees with anything else marked singular neuter.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

A-NSN Part of Speech: Adjective Case: Nominative Number: Singular Gender: Neuter

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
33%terrifying
terrifying33% · 1×fearful thing33% · 1×fearful33% · 1×

3 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
predicate67%subject33%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 3 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
οὕτωthus, so, in this ma
καίand, even, also,
φοβερός[It is] a fearful thing
what comes after →
δέbut, on the other ha
τὶς
Article the
ἐμπίπτωI fall in, am ca
εἰμίI am, exist
Article the

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

Concordanceφοβερός · 3× in the New Testament
Hebrews
Across the New Testament1 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 17 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
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Giants 47c. AD 40

πάντα γὰρ πεπληρωκὼς ὁ θεὸς ἐγγύς ἐστιν, ὥστε ἐφορῶντος καὶ πλησίον ὄντος μάλιστα μὲν αἰδεσθέντες, εἰ δὲ μὴ τοῦτο, εὐλαβηθέντες γοῦν τὸ ἀνίκητον τῆς ἀρχῆς αὐτοῦ κράτος καὶ τὸ φοβερὸν καὶ ἀπαραίτητον ἐν ταῖς τιμωρίαις, ὁπότε τῇ κολαστηρίῳ χρῆσθαι…

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.273c. AD 75–95

ταῦτʼ οὖν καὶ βεβαίωσον καὶ μὴ περιίδῃς με διὰ τὴν παροῦσαν ἀσθένειαν, διʼ ἣν καὶ μᾶλλόν σου δεόμενος τυγχάνω, καί μοι παῖδα τοῦτον εὐμενὴς σῶζε καὶ παντὸς ἀπαθῆ κακοῦ διαφύλαττε δοὺς αὐτῷ βίον εὐδαίμονα καὶ κτῆσιν ἀγαθῶν, ὅσων σοι δύναμις…

The Shepherd of HermasThe Shepherd of Hermas 17.1.2c. AD 140

φοβερὰ γάρ ἐστι καὶ λίαν τῇ ἀγριότητι αὐτῆς δαπανᾷ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους: μάλιστα δὲ ἐὰν ἐμπέσῃ εἰς αὐτὴν δοῦλος θεοῦ καὶ μὴ ᾖ συνετός, δαπανᾶται ὑπ’ αὐτῆς δεινῶς: δαπανᾷ δὲ τοὺς τοιούτους τοὺς μὴ ἔχοντας ἔνδυμα τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀγαθῆς, ἀλλὰ ἐμπεφυρμένους…

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 5th c. AD 6th c. AD
BGU 2 428ArsinoitesAD 101–AD 200

τὴν στρατείαν … … τα δυναστείαν ἐπὶ τῇ δευτέρᾳ … … τοῖς τόποις φοβερὸς ἐγένετο … … ἔσεισεν τοὺς περὶ αὐτὸν ἐπικα … … παραχρῆμα ἥκειν αὐτὸν λο

PSI 13 1337AD 250–AD 260

τὴν ἐπὶ τόπων βίαν ᾗπερ οὗτος κέχρηται. ἱκανὸς γὰρ ὁ ἄρχων ὁ βουλευτὴς καὶ φοβερὸς ὁ γνωστὴρ μάλιστα πρὸς ἐμὲ τυγχάνουσιν· δεῖ γάρ μοι κακ … … … τὸν

P.Oxy. 8 1151OxyrhynchosAD 401–AD 500

ἁγίων. ὃτι τὸ ὄνομά σου, κύριε ὁ θεός, ἐπικαλεσάμην τὸ θαυμαστὸν καὶ ὑπερένδοξον καὶ φοβερὸν τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις. ἀμήν.

[It is] a fearful thing <the> to fall into [the] hands of God [the] living.
τὸho <the> G3588 Article · nominative · singular · neuter
19,783× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Hebrews as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
The Greek word for 'the' or 'this', used to point out a specific person or thing, like in Acts 17:28. It can also mean 'he', 'she', or 'it'.
Tyndale gloss
the/this/who
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The definite article — the commonest word in the Greek New Testament at 19,867 occurrences. Greek uses it more freely than English does and can drop it deliberately, so its presence and its absence both carry weight for a translator; but no single occurrence carries a message of its own. Here it simply gathers “the things” into one definite bundle.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ὁ, ἡ, τό,

the prepositive article (ἄρθρον προτακτικόν), originally a demonstr. pron. (so usually in Hom.), in general corresponding to the Eng. definite article.

As demonstr. pron.

As freq. in Hom., absol., he (she, it), his (etc.): Ac 17:28 (quoted from the poet Aratus).

Distributive, ὁ μὲν . . . ὁ δέ, the one . . . the other: I Co 7:7, Ga 4:22; pl., Ac 14:4, 17:32, Phl 1:16, al.; οἱ μὲν . . . ἄλλοι δέ, Mt 16:14, Jo 7:12; οἱ μεν̀ . . . ὁ δέ, He 7:21, 23.

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

ὁ 435 ὁ tives of quantity, ὅλος, πᾶς, πολύς, see each in its own place. d. What has been said concerning adjectives holds true also of all other limitations added to substantives, as ἡ κατ᾽ ἐκλογὴν πρόθεσις, Ro. ix. 11; ἡ παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ διαθήκη, Ro. xi. 27; 6 λόγος 6 τοῦ σταυροῦ, 1 Co. i. 18; ἡ εἰς Χριστὸν πίστις, Col. ii. 5; on the other hand, ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν ἡ πρὸς τὸν θεόν, 1 Th. i. 8; τῆς διακονίας τῆς εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους, 2 Co. viii. 4; see many other exx. of each usage in W. 131 (124) sqq.; [B. 91 (80) sqq.]. e. The noun has the article before it when a demonstrative pronoun (υὗτος, ἐκεῖνος) belonging to it either precedes or follows [W. § 18, 4; B. § 127, 29-31]; as, ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος, Jn. ix. 24 [οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρ. 1, Tr mrg. WH); Acts vi. 13; xxii. 26; ὁ λαὸς οὗτος, Mt. xv. 8; 6 vids σου οὗτος, Lk. xv. 30; plur. Lk. xxiv. 17, and numberless other exx.; οὗτος 6 ἄνθρωπος, Lk. xiv. 30; οὗτος ὁ…

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

ὃ, ἡ τό. (1) Apart from connexion with μέν or δέ (see below) the demonstrative use of the art. in the NT is confined to a poetical quotation Ac 1778, but it is not uncommon in the papyri, e.g. P Par 45® (B.C. 153) (= Witkowski®, p. 85) τὰ (for ἃ) πράσεις (Δ πράσσεις), P Oxy VIII. 1160! (iii/iv A.D.) Ta (for ἃ) σεσύλληχα (for συνείληχα) δὲ κέρμα {ταν τηρῶ αὐτὰ εἰς τὴν δίκην, “1 am keeping for the trial the money that I have collected” (Ed.). For the distributive Opéev.. - 6 8€, as in 1 Cor7’, cf. P Lond 535 (B.c. 161) (=I. p. 19, U.P.Z. i. p. 239) kal τὰ μὲν ἡμῶν ἐληφότων εἰς τὴν γινομένην ἡμῖν συντάξειν, τὰ δ᾽ ἔτι διὰ τὴν τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων {(.. ... > παρελκομένων. (2) The use of the art. as a relative, of which there is no trace in the NT, may again be illustrated by the following papyrus citations from ¢c. A.D. 346—P Lond 414® (= II. Ῥ. 292) γεινῴσκιν oe θέλω περὶ τοῦ βρεουίου…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ὁ (ho) — the/this/who.

ὁ,

ἡ, τό, is, when thus written,

__A demonstrative Pronoun.

__B in Attic dialect, definite or prepositive Article.

__C in Epic dialect, the so-called postpositive Article, = relative Pronoun, ὅς, ἥ, ὅ.—The nominative masculine and feminine singular and plural, ὁ, ἡ, οἱ, αἱ, have no accent in codices and most printed books, except when used as the relative; but ὁ, ἡ, οἱ, αἱ differ only in writing from ὃ, ἣ, οἳ, α; the nominative forms of the article are said by Hdn.Gr.1.474 to be oxytone, and by [Refs 2nd c.AD+] in Aeolic dialect accusative to [Refs 8th c.BC+] genitive and dative dual τοῖιν [Refs 8th c.BC+]— In Doric dialect and all other dialects except Attic dialect and Ionic dialect the feminine forms preserve the old ᾱ instead of changing it to η, hence Doric dialect etc. ἁ, τάν, τᾶ; the genitive plural τάων contracts in many dialects to τᾶ; the genitive…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ὁ ἡ τό

ho

he hay, and the neuter

to to

in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be

supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one,

he, she, it, etc.

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ὁ, ἡ, τό

Article

the

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ὁ ho 19x

the prepositive article, answering, to a considerable extent, to the English definite article; but, for the principle and facts of its usage, consult a grammar; ὁ μὲν ... ὁ δέ, the one ... the other, Phil. 1:16, 17; Heb. 7:5, 6, 20, 21, 23, 24; pl. some ... others, Mt. 13:23; 22:5, 6; ὁ δέ, but he, Mt. 4:4; 12:48; οἱ δέ, but others, Mt. 28:17; used, in a poetic quotation, for a personal pronoun, Acts 17:28

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ὁ the, that

ὁ, ἡ, τό, is

demonstr. Pronoun.

the definite Article.

in epic, the relative Pronoun, when it is written with the accent ὅ, ἥ, τό ῀ ὅς, ἥ, ὅ. Besides the common forms, note epic gen. sg. τοῖο for τοῦ; pl. nom. τοί, ταί; gen. fem. τάων [α^], dat. τοῖσι, τῇς and τῇσι; dual gen, and dat. τοῖιν:— in Trag. we find τοὶ μέν . . , τοὶ δέ . . , for οἱ μέν . . , οἱ δέ . . ; dat. pl. also τοῖσι, ταῖσι: the dual has commonly but one gender, τώ for τά, τοῖν for ταῖν.

DEMONSTR. PRONOUN:

joined with a Subst., not as the Art., but like Lat. ille, ὁ Τυδείδης Tydeus's famous son, Il.; Νέστωρ ὁ γέρων Nestor— that aged man, id. Il.; τιμῆς τῆς Πριάμου for honour, namely that of Priam, id. Il.

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art-NSN — Article · nominative · singular · neuter
nominative — the one doing it — the subject.
Agrees with anything else marked singular neuter.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

T-NSN Part of Speech: definite arTicle Case: Nominative Number: Singular Gender: Neuter

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

THE, an adjective or definitive adjective.

1. This adjective is used as a definitive, that is, before nouns which are specific or understood; or it is used to limit their signification to a specific thing or things, or to describe them; as the laws of the twelve tables. the independent tribunals of justice in our country, are the security or private rights, and the best bulwark against arbitrary power. the sun is the source of light and heat.

This he calls the preaching of the cross.

2. the is also used rhetorically before a noun in the singular number, to denote a species by way of distinction; a single thing representing the whole. the fig tree putteth forth her green figs; the almond tree shall flourish; the grasshopper shall be a burden.

3. In poetry, the sometimes loses the final vowel before another vowel.

Th' adorning thee with so much art,

Is but a barb'rous skill.

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
64%the
the64% · 13160×<the>28% · 5846×those3% · 597×other renderings4% · 788×other renderings1% · 294×

20,685 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 83 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
subject34%adverbial32%object24%predicate5%indirect object4%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 19,783 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
αὐτόςεἰμίI am, existἐγώ
ἐν
καίand, even, also,αὐτόςArticle the
εἰς
αὐτόςεἰσέρχομαιI go in, come inἔρχομαιI come, go
αὐτός
λέγωI say, speakδέbut, on the otheπρός
εἰμίI am, exist
οὗτοςσύἐγώ
<the>19783×
what comes after →
θεόςGod, a god
Article theκαίand, even, also,ἐγώ
δέbut, on the other ha
λέγωI say, speakἸησοῦςJesusἀποκρίνομαιI answer, reply
ἸησοῦςJesus
λέγωI say, speakκαίand, even, also,Article the
κύριοςlord, Lord, master,
ἐγώἸησοῦςJesusArticle the
πατήρfather, Father, ance
ἐγώσύαὐτός

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

Concordance · 19,783× in the New Testament
Matthew Acts Luke John Revelation Mark Romans 1 Corinthians Hebrews 2 Corinthians Ephesians 1 John

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

Across the New Testament27 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
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

τοῦ κόσμου σύστασις καὶ διάταξις τῶν στοιχείων.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 1.1c. AD 100

Χαίρετε, υἱοὶ καὶ θυγατέρες, ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντος ἡμᾶς, ἐν εἰρήνῃ.

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 1st c. AD 3rd c. BC 6th c. AD
P.Stras. 2 89Pathyris100 BC

r βασιλεύοντος Πτολεμαίου τοῦ ἐπικαλουμένου Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ Βερενίκης τῆς ἀδελφῆς θεῶν Φιλομητόρων ἔτους ιε, ἐφʼ ἱερέων καὶ ἱερειῶν

P.Adl. 11Pathyris99 BC

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 Νεχούτου.

P.Grenf. 2 35Pathyris99 BC

βασιλευόντων Πτολεμαίου τοῦ ἐπικαλουμένου Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ Βερενίκης τῆς ἀδελφῆς θεῶν φιλομητόρων ἔτους ιϛ, ἐφʼ ἱερέων καὶ ἱερειῶν

[It is] a fearful thing <the> to fall into [the] hands of God [the] living.
ἐμπεσεῖνempiptō to fall G1706 Verb · second aorist · active · infinitive
7× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Hebrews than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
To fall into something, like a trap or a situation, as in Matthew 12:11 and Luke 6:39. It can also mean to be overwhelmed with something, like judgment or temptation.
Amplified meaning
to be overwhelmed, to come under the power
Tyndale gloss
to fall into
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word ἐμπίπτω (i.e., *empipto*) means 'to fall into' and is formed from the prefix ἐν (in) and πίπτω (to fall). It covers a range of meanings, including literal falling and metaphorical senses like encountering difficulties or being overwhelmed. In the New Testament, it appears in contexts such as falling into a pit (Matthew 12:11) and incurring divine penalties (Hebrews 10:31).

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ἐμ-πίπτω

[in LXX chiefly for נָפַל ;]

to fall into: seq. εἰς, Mt 12:11, Lk 6:39 10:36; metaph., εἰς κρίμα, I Ti 3:6; ὀνειδισμόν I Ti 3:7; πειρασμόν, I Ti 6:9; εἰς χεῖρας θεοῦ (cf. II Ki 24:14, I Ch 21:13, Si 2:18), He 10:31.†

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

ἐμ-πίπτω [see ἐν, IIL. 3]; fut. ἐμπεσοῦμαι; 2 aor. ἐνérecov; [fr. Ilom. down]; to fall into: εἰς βόθυνον, Mt. xii. 11, and Ltxt. T Tr WH in Lk. vi. 39; eis φρέαρ, Lk. xiv.5 [RG]; to fall among robbers, eis τοὺς ληστάς, Lk. x. 36, and in metaph. phrases, 1 Tim. iii. 6 sq.; vi. 9; els χεῖράς τινος, into one’s power: τοῦ θεοῦ, to incur (livine penalties, Heb. x. 31, as in 2 S. xxiv. 14; 1 Chr. xxi. 18 ;. Sir. ii. 18.

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

ἐμπίπτω. P Lille 1. 168 (111,8.6.) εἰς τὸν “E. λόγον ἐμπεσεῖν, ‘to be paid into the account of H.”: cf. P Tebt I. 179 (B.c. 114) ὅπως μὴ ἐπικατασχὼν αὐτὸν cis δαπάνας ἐμπέσῃς οὐκ ὀλίας, “‘so that you may not detain him and thus incur no little expense” (Edd.). In 2. 392° (B.c. 114) the verb is construed with the dat.—ép]mecdvros pov τῶι Σισόϊτι, “*T fell in with Sisois,” and in P Ryl 11. 689 (B.c. 89) it has the stronger sense of ‘‘ attack " ἐμπεσοῦσα ἐξ ἀντιλο[γ]ίας ἔϊπληξέν] με ταῖς αὐτῆς χερσὶν [πλη]γαῖς πλεί[στα]ις, “attacking me in consequence of a dispute gave me many blows with her hands” (Edd.). Cf. P Oxy 11. 24326 (A.b. 79) σὺν τ[ο]ῖς ἐμπεσουμένοις εἰς τούτοις (/. τούτους) [φ]ορτίοις πᾶσι, “together with all fixtures which may be included in them” (Edd.), and similarly 74. IIT. 49421 (A.p. 156) καὶ καταχρᾶσθαι εἰς τὸ ἴδιον x . [.] . ς τοῖς ἐμπεσουμένοις > , ἐμπορευομαι ἤτοι ἐκ…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ἐμπίπτω (empiptō) — to fall into.

ἐμπίπτω,

future -πεσοῦμαι: aorist ἐνέπεσον, Epic dialect ἔμπεσον (see. below): Lyric poetry aorist ἔμπετες [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—fall in or on, with dative, τρύφος ἔμπεσε πόντῳ [Refs 8th c.BC+]; πῦρ ἔμπεσε νηυσίν fire fell upon them,[Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐμπέσοι γέ σοι (i.e. ὁ πύργος) [Refs 5th c.BC+]

__b Geometry texts, meet, of a line meeting another, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; to be placed, ἐὰν εἰς τὸν κύκλον εὐθεῖα ἐμπέσῃ [Refs 3rd c.BC+]

__c of a dislocated limb, fall into place, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

2. fall upon, attack, ἐν δ᾽ ἔπεσον προμάχοις [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐμπεσόντες having fallen on them, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: metaphorically, insult, ἄλλοισι δ᾽ ἐμπίπτων γελᾷ [Refs 5th c.BC+]…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ἐμπίπτω

empipto

from 1722 and 4098; to fall on, i.e. (literally) to be entrapped by,

or (figuratively) be overwhelmed with:--fall among (into).

see GREEK for 1722

see GREEK for 4098

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ἐμπίπτω

v.

I fall in, am cast in

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ἐμπίπτω empiptō 7x

to fall into, Mt. 12:11; Lk. 14:5; to encounter, Lk. 10:36; to be involved in, 1 Tim. 3:6, 7; 6:9; εἰς χεῖρας, to fall under the chastisement of, Heb. 10:31

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ἐμπίπτω fut. -πεσοῦμαι aor2 ἐνέπεσον epic ἔμπεσον to fall in or upon or into, c. dat., Hom., etc.

to fall upon, attack, id. Hom.; also ἐμπ. εἰς . . , Hdt., etc.; rarely c. acc., Soph., Eur.

to light or chance upon a thing, to fall in with, τινί Hdt., etc.; more commonly ἐμπ. εἰς . . , Lat. incidere in . . , Soph., etc.

to break in, burst in or into, c. dat., id. Soph., etc.; aor2 part. ἐμπεσών violently, Hdt.

ἐμπίτνω poet. for ἐμπίπτω

to fall upon, τινί Aesch., Soph.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-2AAN — Verb · second aorist · active · infinitive
second aorist active infinitive — a completed action, viewed as a whole.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-2AAN Part of Speech: Verb Tense: second Aorist Voice: Active Mood: iNfinitive TVM equivalent: G5629

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

fol (vb.): The idea of falling is most frequently expressed in Hebrew by naphal, but also by many other words; in Greek by pipto, and its compounds. The uses of the word in Scripture are very varied. There is the literal falling by descent; the falling of the countenance in sorrow, shame, anger, etc. (Ge 4:5,6); the falling in battle (Ge 14:10; Nu 14:3, etc.); the falling into trouble, etc. (Pr 24:16,17); prostration in supplication and reverence (Ge 17:3; Nu 14:5, etc.); falling of the Spirit of Yahweh (Eze 11:5

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
29%he may fall
he may fall29% · 2×they fall14% · 1×fall14% · 1×shall fall14% · 1×will fall in?14% · 1×falling14% · 1×

7 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 6 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
verb100%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 7 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
γίνομαιI come into beinφοβερόςfearful, dreadfu
ἐάνCond
καίand, even, also,
βόθυνοςa pit, ditch
εἰς
κρίμαa judgment, verdict,
εἰς
ὀνειδισμόςreproach, reviling
εἰς
ἐμπίπτωto fall
what comes after →
εἰς
Article theπειρασμόςtrial, testing, χείρa hand
οὗτος
Article the
Article the
διάβολοςslanderous, the
καίand, even, also, nam
παγίςa snare, trap

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

Concordanceἐμπίπτω · 7× in the New Testament
1 Timothy Luke Hebrews Matthew
Across the New Testament4 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 15 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 Clement of Rome Ignatius of Antioch The Shepherd of Hermas
JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.254c. AD 75–95

ἐπεὶ γὰρ πλησίον τῆς πόλεως ἐγενόμην, παρθένους ἰδὼν πολλὰς ἐπὶ τὸ φρέαρ παραγινομένας ηὐξάμην εἰς ταύτην ἐμπεσεῖν, ὃ δὴ γέγονε.

Clement of RomeFirst Clement 43.2c. AD 96

ἐκεῖνος γάρ, ζήλου ἐμπεσόντος περὶ τῆς ἱερωσύνης καὶ στασιαζουσῶν τῶν φυλῶν, ὁποία αὐτῶν εἴη τῷ ἐνδόξῳ ὀνόματι κεκοσμημένη, ἐκέλευσεν τοὺς δώδεκα φυλάρχους προσενεγκεῖν αὐτῷ ῥάβδους ἐπιγεγραμμένας ἑκάστης φυλῆς κατ̓ ὄνομα: καὶ λαβὼν αὐτὰς ἔδησεν καὶ…

The Shepherd of HermasThe Shepherd of Hermas 17.1.2c. AD 140

φοβερὰ γάρ ἐστι καὶ λίαν τῇ ἀγριότητι αὐτῆς δαπανᾷ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους: μάλιστα δὲ ἐὰν ἐμπέσῃ εἰς αὐτὴν δοῦλος θεοῦ καὶ μὴ ᾖ συνετός, δαπανᾶται ὑπ’ αὐτῆς δεινῶς: δαπανᾷ δὲ τοὺς τοιούτους τοὺς μὴ ἔχοντας ἔνδυμα τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀγαθῆς, ἀλλὰ ἐμπεφυρμένους…

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 2nd c. BC 3rd c. BC 6th c. AD 1st c. AD
BGU 16 2610Herakleopolites10 BC

ἐποίησας· πάλαι ἐμοὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐπιρρίψεις, οἶδά σε μὴ ὄντα ἀμελῆν· ἐὰν γὰρ λάθῃς, ἐμπέσῃ εἰς τὸν ἐπὶ τιμῆς· ὁ γὰρ πυρὸς χρηστὸς ἐστίν· τὰ δʼ ἄλλα σεαυτοῦ ἐπιμέλου

ἀδελφῶν σου γυναῖκας καὶ τὰ τὲκνα καὶ τοὺς φιλοῦντας σε πάντας. ἐὰν δέ σοι ἐμπέσῃ ὀψαρίδιν σιναπηρόν, ἀγόρασον καὶ ταρίχευσον ἡμῖν ἐάν τι ποιῇς χρηστόν, περιποίησον εἰς οἶκον ἀδελφῶν.

O.Did. 442DidymoiAD 120–AD 125

αὐτὴν διὰ τοῦ ὀνηλάτου καὶ τὸ προσκύνημά σου ποιῶ παρὰ τῇ Ἀφροδίτῃ. ἐάν σοι ἐμπέσῃ ταρίχιον πέμψον μοι τῆς τιμῆς. οἶδα ὅτι πολλά σοι ἐπιβαρεῖ. ἔρρωσο.

[It is] a fearful thing <the> to fall into [the] hands of God [the] living.
εἰςeis into G1519 Preposition
1,766× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Hebrews as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
This word means toward or into, indicating direction or purpose, as seen in Matthew 8:23 and Mark 1:45. It can also imply a sense of movement or action. The KJV translates it in various ways.
Tyndale gloss
toward
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

εἰς is a preposition meaning 'into' or 'to,' used with the accusative case. It indicates direction, entrance, or limit, applicable to place, time, and figurative purposes. The New Testament frequently employs it to express movement toward locations or states, as seen in passages like Matthew 8:23. It can also denote relationships or results, such as 'for' or 'among.'

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

εἰς,

prep. c. acc.,

expressing entrance, direction, limit, into, unto, to, upon, towards, for, among (Lat. in, c. acc.).

Of place.

After verbs of motion;

of entrance into: Mt 8:23 9:7, Mk 1:45, Lk 2:15 8:31, al.;

of approach, to or towards: Mk 11:1, Lk 6:8 19:28, Jo 11:31 21:6, al.;

before pl. and collective nouns, among: Mk 4:7 8:19, 20, Lk 11:49, Jo 21:23, al.;

Of a limit reached, unto, on, upon: Mt 8:18, 21:1, Mk…

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

εἰς, a Prep. governing the Accusative, and denoting entrance into, or direction and limit: into, to, towards, for, among. It is used A. Property I. of Place, after verbs of going, coming, sailing, flying, falling, living, leading, carrying, throwing, sending, etc. ; 1. of a place entered, or of entrance into a place, into; and 8. it stands before nouns designating an open place, a hollow thing, or one in which an object can be hidden: as εἰς (τὴν) πόλιν, Mt. xxvi. 18; xxviii. 11; Mk. i. 45, and often; εἰς r. οἶκον, Mt. ix. 7; συναγωγήν, Acts xvii. 10; πλοῖον, Mt. viii. 23; Jn. vi. 17; Acts xxi. 6; θάλασσαν, Mt. xvii. 27; ἄβυσσον, Lk. viii. 31; οὐρανόν, Lk. ii. 15; κόσμον, In. 1. 9; iii. 19, ete.; τὰ ἴδια, Jn. i. 11; xvi. 32; Acts xxi. 6; ἀποθήκην, Mt. iii. 12; εἰς ra ὦτα, Lk. i. 44; εἰς τὰς ζώνας or ζώνην, Mt. x. 9; Mk. vi. 8, etc.; εἰς ἀέρα, 1 Co. xiv. 9; eis πῦρ, Mk. ix. 22, ete.…

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

εἰς ἁλιέων εἰς ᾿Αλεξάνδριί[αν (P Oxy II. 2943 = Selections, Ρ- 34): see further Pro/eg. pp. 234 f., 245. For εἰς in the wide sense in which we use ‘‘for” we may cite such passages as P Lille I. 261 (iii/B.c.) ἔγραψάς μοι περὶ τῆς εἰς THY σησαμείαν γῆς, 20." ἕως ἂν] μάθωμεν περὶ τῶν κ[εχρ]ηματισμένων εἰς τὸν νομόν, P Petr II. 11 (1)" (mid. iii/B.c.) (= Witkowski*, p. 8) ἀπὸ τούτου τὸ μὲν ἥμυσυ εἰς τὰ δέοντα ὑπελιπόμην, τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν εἰς τὸ δάνειον κατέβαλον, P Lond 43? (ii/B.c.) (=I. p. 48, Witkowski’, p- 110) ἕξεις ἐφόδιον εἰς τὸ γῆρας, P Tebt I. 577 (8.6. 118) προστε]τάχασι δὲ καὶ τὰ els τὴν ταφὴν τοῦ “Amos, P Oxy I. 379 (A.D. 149) (= Selections, p. 49) ἐγένετο ἐνθάδε ἡ τροφεῖτις εἰς υἱὸν tod ΤΠεσούριος, ‘‘there was concluded here the nursing-contract for the son of Pesouris”; and the recurring formulae in a private account of ς. A.D. 15 τό. 1V. 736° θρύων εἰς τοὺς ἄρτους (ὀβολοὶ δύο)…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

εἰς (eis) — toward.

ἐν εἰς

or ἐς, PREP. WITH ACC. ONLY:—both forms are found in [Refs 8th c.BC+], Ionic dialect poets, and early metrical Inscrr.; ἐς is best attested in [Refs 5th c.BC+], and is found in nearly all early Ionic dialect Inscrr. (except [Refs 5th c.BC+]; and usually in Attic dialect Prose (except [Refs 5th c.BC+] is used before vowels for the sake of meter; ἐς was retained in the phrases ἐς κόρακας (whence the Verb σκορακίζω), ἐς μακαρίαν. Aeolic dialect poets have εἰς before vowels, ἐς before consonants, and this is given as the rule in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; compare ἐν, ἰν. The diphthong is genuine in Aeolic dialect εἰς, but spurious in Attic dialect-Ionic dialect) Radical sense into, and then more loosely, to:

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

εἰς

eis

a primary preposition; to or into (indicating the point reached or

entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.);

also in adverbial phrases:--(abundant-)ly, against, among, as, at,

(back-)ward, before, by, concerning, + continual, + far more

exceeding, for (intent, purpose), fore,

+ forth, in (among, at, unto, -so much that, -to), to the

intent that, + of one mind, + never, of, (up-)on, + perish, + set at

one again, (so) that, therefore(-unto), throughout, til, to (be, the

end, -ward), (here-)until(-to), ...ward, (where-)fore, with. Often

used in composition with the same general import, but only with verbs

(etc.) expressing motion (literally or figuratively).

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

εἰς

Prep.

into, in, among, till, for

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

εἰς

into, to c. acc.

PREP. WITH ACC. ONLY. Radical sense, into, and then to:

OF PLACE, the commonest usage, εἰς ἅλα into or to the sea, Hom., etc.:—properly opposed to ἐκ, ἐς σφυρὸν ἐκ πτέρνης from head to foot, Il.; εἰς ἔτος ἐξ ἔτεος from year to year, Theocr.:—then, with all Verbs implying motion or direction, ἰδεῖν εἰς οὐρανόν Il.; εἰς ὦπα ἰδέσθαι to look in the face, id. Il.:—in Hom. and Hdt. also c. acc. pers., where the attic use ὡς, πρός, παρά.

with Verbs which express rest in a place, when a previous motion into or to it is implied, ἐς μέγαρον κατέθηκε, i. e. he brought it into the house, and put it there, Od.; παρεῖναι ἐς τόπον to go to a place and be there, Hdt.

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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

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
33%into
into33% · 595×to32% · 570×for10% · 185×in9% · 160×unto4% · 69×toward2% · 44×other renderings8% · 145×other renderings2% · 29×

1,797 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 37 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
adverbial95%predicate3%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 1,766 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
βάλλωI cast, throw, rεἰσέρχομαιI go in, come inδέbut, on the othe
εἰσέρχομαιI go in, come in, en
καίand, even, also,μήNegαὐτός
ἔρχομαιI come, go
καίand, even, also,αὐτόςοὗτος
καίand, even, also, nam
αὐτόςἐκκόπτωI cut out, cut oπόλιςa city
ἐγώ
εἰμίI am, existκαίand, even, also,δίδωμιI offer, give
εἰςinto1766×
what comes after →
Article the
αἰώνan age, a cycle οἶκοςa house, househoοὐρανόςthe sky, the hea
αὐτός
Article theκαίand, even, also,οὗτος
ἹεροσόλυμαJerusalem
καίand, even, also,εἰςὅτιthat, since, bec
ὅς
καίand, even, also,δέbut, on the otheἄνDisj
σύ
καίand, even, also,μήNegἐν

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

Concordanceεἰς · 1,766× in the New Testament
Acts Luke Matthew John Mark Romans Revelation 2 Corinthians Hebrews 1 Peter 1 Corinthians Ephesians

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

Across the New Testament27 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Josephus Philo of Alexandria The Shepherd of Hermas Clement of Rome Ignatius of Antioch
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 9c. AD 40

τὸ δὲ παθητὸν ἄψυχον καὶ ἀκίνητον ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ, κινηθὲν δὲ καὶ σχηματισθὲν καὶ ψυχωθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ νοῦ μετέβαλεν εἰς τὸ τελειότατον ἔργον, τόνδε τὸν κόσμον·

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

ὅτι λιμοῦ τὴν Χαναναίαν καταλαβόντος εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἀπῆρε καὶ διατρίψας ἐν αὐτῇ τινα χρόνον ὑπέστρεψεν ὀπίσω.

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
2nd c. AD 3rd c. AD 3rd c. BC 6th c. AD 2nd c. BC
P.Grenf. 2 33Pathyris101 BC

καὶ τοῖς μετόχοις γῆς σιτοφόρου λεγομένης Νεχθαραῦτι θεοῦ μεγάλου παρὰ τῶν ἱερέων ἐτῶν δέκα εἰς τὰ ἐνλιπόντα αὐτῷ ἑτέρων , τεσσάρων εἰς συμπλήρωσιν ἐτῶν πέντε , ὥστε γεωργῆσαι ἧς

BGU 3 999Pathyris100 BC

καὶ ἀπηλιώτου τὸ λοιπὸν τῆς Εὐνόου οἰκίας λιβὸς ῥύμη ἐφ ᾧ ἀνοίξει τὴν θύραν εἰς τὴν Ὀρσηοῦς οἰκίαν ἢ οἳ ἂν ὦσι γείτονες πάντοθεν. ἐπρίατο Πετεσοῦχος Νεχθανούπιος ὡς ἐτῶν

P.Adl. 17Krokodilopolis (Pathyrites)100 BC

ος, βορρᾶ γῆ Σχώτου τοῦ Τρύφωνος, ἀπηλιώτου τὸ λοιπὸν τῆς γῆς, λιβὸς ἡ φέρουσα εἰς τὸ Κρόνειον ὁδός, ἢ οἳ ἂν ὦσι γείτονες πάντοθεν. ἐπρίατο Ὧρος Νεχούτου Πέρσης τῆς

[It is] a fearful thing <the> to fall into [the] hands of God [the] living.
χεῖραςcheir [the] hands G5495 Noun · accusative · plural · feminine
176× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Hebrews as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
The word for hand in Greek can be literal or figurative, referring to power or instrument, as seen in Matthew 3:12 and 1 Corinthians 16:21. It is often used to describe a means of action or a symbol of authority, and is sometimes used in phrases that are similar to Hebrew constructions.
Amplified meaning
power, control
Tyndale gloss
hand
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

χείρ (cheir) is a feminine noun meaning 'hand,' used in various contexts both literally and figuratively, such as power or agency. It appears frequently in the New Testament, notably in verses like Matthew 3:12 and Acts 11:21. The word is built from a root suggesting the idea of grasping, and it encompasses a range of uses, including physical actions and metaphorical expressions of authority.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

χείρ, gen., χειρος (acc., χεῖραν, I Pe 5:6 T), ἡ,

[in LXX chiefly for יָד ;]

the hand: Mt 3:12, Mk 3:1, Lk 6:6, al. mult.; ἡ χ., acting subject, Lk 22:21; pl., Ac 17:25 20:34, I Jo 1:1; τ. ἔργα τῶν χ., Ac 7:41, Re 9:20; ὁ ἀσπασμὸς τ. ἐμῇ χ., I Co 16:21, Col 4:18, II Th 3:17

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

χείρ, gen. χειρός, acc. χεῖραν (1 Pet. v.6 Tdf.; see ἄρσην, fin.), 7, [fr. τ. meaning ‘to lay hold of’; ef. Lat. heres, οἴου; Curtius § 189; Vanicek p. 249 sq.], fr. Hom. down, Hebr. 1, the hand: Mt. iii. 12; Mk. iii. 1; Lk. vi. 6; 1 Tim. ii. 8; Heb. xii. 12, and often; the gen. with the verbs ἅπτομαι. ἐπιλαμβάνομαι, κρατέω, πιάζω, etc., which see in their places; the dat. with ἐργάζομαι, ἐσθίω, ete. ; 6 ἀσπασμὸς TH ἐμῇ χειρί, 1 Co. xvi. 21; Col.iv.18; 2 Th. iii. 17; the acc. with the verbs αἴρω, δέω. ἐκπετάννυμι, ἐκτείνω, ἐμβάπτω. ἐπιτίθημι, καθαρίζω, κατασείω. vinta, ete. ἡ ἐπίθεσις τῶν χειρῶν [see ἐπίθεσις and reff.], 1 Tim. iv. 14; 2 Tim. i.6; Heb.vi.2; ἐν χειρί τινος, in imitation of the Hebr. “3. 1a [ef. Β. 8188, 20 cf. 319 sq. (274) ; Bp. Lghtft. on Gal. iii. 19], by the help or agency, of any one, by means of any one, Acts vii. 35 Rec.; Gal. iii. 19; σὺν χειρὶ ἀγγέλου, with the…

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

χείρ χείρ, “ἐᾷ hand.”” The grammatical forms of this common noun are fully illustrated by Mayser Gr. p. 282f. For its varied uses we may cite—P Par 637° (B.c. 164) (=P Petr III. p- 36) φροντίζεσθ᾽ ὅπως μηθεὶς ἐπ[ι]βάλληι τὰ[ς] χεῖρας τοῖς τοιούτοις κατὰ μηδεμίαν π[αρ]εύρεϊσιν, ‘take care that no one lay violent hands on such persons on any pretext whatever ’’ (Mahaffy): Perxg 268 C™ (B.c. 98) τὸν παρακα]λέσοντα δοῦναι τ[ὰ]ς χεῖρας ἡμῖν εἰ[ς σύλλυσιν, ‘to give the hands towards an agreement to be brought about by us,”’ a usage for which Deissmann (8S p. 251) can find no other ex., but compares Gal 2° δεξιὰς ἔδωκαν... κοινωνίας, and similar phrases in 1 and 2 Macc. : P Tebt II. 39178 (a.D. go) ἡ χὶρ ἥδη κυρία ἔστω ws ἐν δημοσίωι κατακεχωρισμένη, “this bond shall be valid, as if it had been publicly registered” (Edd.), similarly 76. 37918 (A.D. 128): BGU II. 42316 (ii/A.D.) (= Selections…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

χείρ (cheir) — hand.

χείρ, ἡ, χειρός, χειρί, χεῖρα,

dual χεῖρε, χεροῖν, plural χεῖρες, χερῶν, χεῖρας, penultimate being regularly short, when the ultima is long; dative plural regularly χερσί (χειρσί occurs in codex Vat. of [LXX], and late Inscrr. as [Refs 8th c.BC+], and once in trimeter, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χέρεσσι (ν) [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—Doric dialect nominative χέρς [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χήρ [Refs 5th c.BC+] (also, ={δίψακος}, Ps.-[Refs 7th c.BC+]:— the hand, whether closed, παχεῖα [Refs 8th c.BC+]; or open, flat, χερσὶ καταπρηνέσσι, χειρὶ καταπρηνεῖ,[Refs 8th c.BC+]: frequently in plural where a single hand is meant, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; reversely, singular where more than one hand is spoken of, e.g. [Refs 8th c.BC+]; dual joined with plural, ἄμφω χεῖρας [Refs 8th…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

χείρ

cheir

perhaps from the base of 5494 in the sense of its congener the base of

5490 (through the idea of hollowness for grasping); the hand

(literally or figuratively (power); especially (by Hebraism) a means

or instrument):--hand.

see GREEK for 5494

see GREEK for 5490

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

χείρ, χειρός, ἡ

n.f.

a hand

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

χείρ cheir 177x

a hand, Mt. 3:12; 4:6; 8:15 freq.; from the Hebrew, χεὶρ Κυρίου, a special operation of God, Acts 11:21; 13:3; ἐν χειρί, by agency, Acts 7:35; Gal. 3:19

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

χείρ the penult. is regularly short, when the ult. is long: e.g. χειρός, χερών, but Poets used the penult. long or short, as the verse required. the hand, Hom., etc.: also the hand and arm, the arm, χεῖρα μέσην ἀγκῶνος ἔνερθεν Il.; χεῖρες ἀπ᾽ ὤμων ἀΐσσοντο Hes.; so, ἐν χερσὶ πεσεῖν into the arms, Il., etc.; ἄκρη χείρ, to denote the hand as distinct from the arm, id. Il.

Special usages:

to denote position, ἐπ᾽ ἀριστερὰ χειρός Od.; ἐπὶ δεξιὰ χειρός Pind.; λαιᾶς χειρός on the left hand, Aesch.; ποτέρας τῆς χειρός; on which hand? Eur.

the dat. is common with Verbs which imply the use of hands, χειρὶ λαβεῖν, χερσὶν ἑλέσθαι, etc., Hom., etc.

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

N-APF Part of Speech: Noun Case: Accusative Number: Plural Gender: Feminine

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
50%hand
hand50% · 90×hands50% · 90×

180 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 2 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
object48%adverbial41%subject8%predicate3%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 176 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
αὐτόςἐκτείνωI stretch out, cἐν
εἰς
παραδίδωμιI hand over, delπατήρfather, Father, ἐμπίπτωI fall in, am ca
ἐκ
καίand, even, also,ἀφόβωςfearlesslyἐγώ
διά
ἔκδοτοςgiven up, deliveθεόςGod, a godπρεσβύτεροςelder
ἐμός
Article the
χείρ[the] hands176×
what comes after →
αὐτός
καίand, even, also,Article theἵναin order that, s
Article the
ἄγγελοςan angel, messenἀπόστολοςan apostle, a meπαιδίονa little child,
σύ
καίand, even, also,ἐπίDisj
καίand, even, also, nam
Article theἐκτείνωI stretch out, cἀφίημιI send away, rel
ἐγώ
καίand, even, also,ποιέωI do, makeπρός

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

Concordanceχείρ · 176× in the New Testament
Acts Luke Mark Matthew Revelation John Hebrews 1 Corinthians 1 Timothy Galatians 1 John 1 Peter

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 860 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 The Shepherd of Hermas Clement of Rome
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 118c. AD 40

κεφαλή, στέρνα, γαστήρ, διτταὶ χεῖρες, διτταὶ βάσεις·

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.113c. AD 75–95

Ἐξῆρέ τε αὐτοὺς πρός τε ὕβριν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ καταφρόνησιν Ναβρώδης, ὃς υἱωνὸς μὲν ἦν Χάμου τοῦ Νώχου, τολμηρὸς δὲ καὶ κατὰ χεῖρα γενναῖος·

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 2.5c. AD 100

πλήρης εἰμὶ ὁλοκαυτωμάτων, καὶ στέαρ ἀρνῶν καὶ αἷμα ταύρων καὶ τράγων οὐ βούλομαι, οὐδ̓ ἂν ἔρχησθε ὀφθῆναί μοι, τίς γὰρ ἐξεζήτησεν ταῦτα ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ὑμῶν;

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 1st c. AD 6th c. AD 3rd c. AD 4th c. AD
P.Cair. Zen. 3 59443Philadelphia (Arsinoites)276 BC–227 BC

ἐπὶ τοῦ ποταμοῦ … ἵνα μὴ διασπάσηται κροκοδίλος … α, παραλαβών με Ψοσναῦς τὰς χεῖρας με προσήνεκεν καὶ τὴν γυναῖκά μου ἐπαροίνησεν ἐναντίον μαρτύρων Πετεμοῦνις καὶ Θοτεὺς τῶν παρὰ

λε Τῦβι δ. προσάγγελμα Ζήνωνι. νυκτὸς ἐκ τοῦ σιτοβολῶνος ἀπόλωλεν σήσαμον καὶ λελέανται τῆι χειρί. διὸ οὐ δυνάμεθά πως ἐπιμετρήσαντες ἰδεῖν τὸ ἀπολωλὸς ἕως ἂν ὑμεῖς ἴδητε καὶ ἐναντίον

εἰς τὸ κατάλυμα … οἱ ὑοφορβοὶ προσπηδήσαντός με τῆι ιθ ὀψὲ τῆς ὥρας τὰς χεῖρας με προσήνεγκαν … … … … … … ἐπὶ τοὺς φυλακίτας … … υρον

[It is] a fearful thing <the> to fall into [the] hands of God [the] living.
θεοῦtheos of God G2316 Noun · genitive · singular · masculine
1,311× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Hebrews as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
This word simply means God, referring to the one true deity. It is used throughout the New Testament, including in Matthew 27:46 and Acts 14:11, to describe the supreme being and creator of the universe.
Amplified meaning
the one true deity, Creator
Tyndale gloss
God
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

θεός (theos) means 'God' or 'a god' and is used in both singular and plural forms. It refers to the supreme deity in monotheistic contexts, as well as to lesser deities in polytheistic settings. The New Testament frequently employs this term, notably in verses like Matthew 27:46 and Acts 19:37. Some lexicons note its use as a title for rulers or magistrates, reflecting its broader application in ancient texts.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

θεός, -οῦ, ὁ, ἡ (Ac 19:37 only; v. M, Pr., 60, 244), late voc., θεέ (Mt 27:46; cf. De 3:24, al.),

[in LXX chiefly for אֱלֹהִים, also for אֵל and other cognate forms, יהוה, etc.;]

a god or deity, God.

In polytheistic sense, a god or deity: Ac 28:6, I Co 8:4, II Th 2:4, al.; pl., Ac. 14:11 19:26, Ga 4:8, al.

Of the one true God;

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

θεός, -οὔ, ὁ and ἡ, voc. θεέ, once in the N. T., Mt. xxvii. 46; besides in Deut. iii. 24; Judg. [xvi. 28;] xxi. 3; [2 S. vii. 25; Is. xxxviii. 20]; Sir. xxiii. 4; Sap. ix. 1; 3 Mace. vi. 3; 4 Mace. vi. 27; Act. Thom. 44 sq. 57; Eus. h. 6. 2, 23,16; [5, 20,7; vit. Const. 2,55, 1.59]; ef. W. §8, 2 ο.; [B. 12 (11)]; ({on the eight or more proposed derivations see Vaniéek p. 386, who follows Curtius (after Doderlein) p. 513 sqq. in connecting it with a root meaning to supplicate, implore; hence the implored ; per contra cf. Max Miiller, Chips ete. iv. 227 sq.; L. and 8. s. v. fin.]); [fr. Hom. down]; Sept. for 58, ΟΝ and m7; a god, a goddess; 1. a general appellation of deities or divinities: Acts xxviii. 6; 1 Co. viii. 4; 2 Th. ii. 4; once ἡ θεός, Acts xix. 37 G LT Tr WH; θεοῦ φωνὴ καὶ οὐκ ἀνθρώπου, Acts xii. 22; ἄνθρωπος ὧν ποιεῖς σεαυτὸν θεόν, Jn. x. 33; plur., of the gods of the…

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

θεός. For the application of the title θεός to the Ptolemaic kings it is sufficient to recall Brit. Mus. Inscrr. IV. 1 No. 906% (B.C. 284-273) where a votive offering is dedicated in honour of Πτολεμαίου τοῦ σωτῆρος καὶ θεοῦ, and the description of Ptolemy V. (Epiphanes) on the Rosetta stone—OG/S gol? (B.C. 196) ὑπάρχων θεὸς ἐκ θεοῦ Kal θεᾶς : cf. Deissmann LAE, p. 348 and the full discussion by E. Kornemann ‘‘ Zur Geschichte der antiken Herrscherkulte” in Beztrdge zur alten Geschichte [Klio] i., p. 51 ff. (Leipzig, 1902). The same practice is still more strikingly illustrated in the Imperial period, as when in an inscr. from the Fayum district, dated March 17th, B.c. 24, Augustus is described as θεὸς ἐκ θεοῦ (OG/S 6557), or as when a votive inscr. is addressed to Nero—daya0a(t) θεῶ(ι) (Cos 927): see Deissmann 7s. p. 349. With this may be compared the frequent use for Augustus of the…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

θεός (theos) — God.

θεός, ὁ,

Boeotian dialect θιός, Laconian dialect σιός (see. below), [Refs 5th c.AD+], Cretan dialect θιός [Refs], Doric dialect also θεύς [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; vocative (only late) θεός, also θεέ [LXX+NT]; but classical in compound names, Ἀμφίθεε, Τιμόθεε:—God, the Deity, in general sense, both singular and plural (εἰ καὶ ἐπὶ θεοὺς καὶ ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐπὶ θεὸν ἁρμόζει μεταφέρειν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; σὺν θ. εἰρημένον [Refs 5th c.BC+]: so in plural, σύν γε θεοῖσιν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὐ θεῶν ἄτερ pi.[Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὑπὲρ θεόν against his will,[Refs 4th c.BC+]; θεῶν συνεθελόντων, βουλομένων, [Refs 5th c.BC+]bless you! good heavens! for heaven's sake! [Refs 8th c.BC+]: doubled in poets, θεὸν θεόν τις ἀγλαϊζέτω [Refs 5th c.BC+]; θεοί (Cretan dialect θιοί) as an opening formula in Inscrr. (i.e. τύχην ἀγαθὴν διδοῖεν), [Refs].1, etc.: in Prose also with the Article, ὁ θ.…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

θεός

theos

of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with 3588) the supreme

Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:--X exceeding,

God, god(-ly, -ward).

see GREEK for 3588

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

θεός, οῦ, ὁ

n.f. & n.m.

God, a god

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

θεός theos 1x

a deity, Acts 7:43; 1 Cor. 8:5; an idol, Acts 7:40; God, the true God, Mt. 3:9, et al. freq.; God, possessed of true godhead, Jn. 1:1; Rom. 9:5; from the Hebrew, applied to potentates, Jn. 10:34, 35; τῷ θεῷ, an intensive term, from the Hebrew, exceedingly, Acts 7:20, and, perhaps, 2 Cor. 10:4

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

θεός θεός, ὁ, God, Hom., both in general sense, Θεὸς δώσει God will grant, and in particular sense, θεός τις a god; πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε Hom.:—things are said to happen σὺν θεῷ, σύν γε θεοῖσιν by the will of God, id. Hom., etc.; οὐκ ἄνευ θεοῦ, Lat. non sine diis, Od.; οὐκ ἄνευθε θεοῦ Il.; οὐ θεῶν ἄτερ Pind.;— ἐκ θεόφι Il.;— ὑπὲρ θεόν against his will, id. Il.;— κατὰ θεόν τινα, Lat. divinitus, Eur.:—as an oath, πρὸς θεῶν by the gods, in God's name, Trag.; θεὸς ἴστω Soph., etc.

θεός as fem. for θεά, θέαινα, a goddess, Hom.; θήλεια θεός Il.; ἡ νερτέρα θ. Proserpine, Soph.; often in oaths, νὴ τὼ θεώ id. Soph.; ναὶ τὼ σιώ, with the Spartans, of Castor and Pollux, Xen.; with the Boeotians, of Amphion and Zethus, id.…

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Noun-GSM — Noun · genitive · singular · masculine
genitive — of, from, belonging to.
Agrees with anything else marked singular masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

N-GSM Part of Speech: Noun Case: Genitive Number: Singular Gender: Masculine

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

god ('Elohim, 'El, [`Elyon], Shadday, Yahweh; Theos):

I. INTRODUCTION TO THE GENERAL IDEA

1. The Idea in Experience and in Thought

2. Definition of the Idea

3. The Knowledge of God

4. Ethnic Ideas of God

(1) Animism

(2) Fetishism

(3) Idolatry

(4) Polytheism

(5) Henotheism

(6) Pantheism

(7) Deism

(8) Semitic Monolatry

(9) Monotheism

II. THE IDEA OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

1. The Course of Its Development

2. Forms of Its Manifestation

(1) The Face or Countenance of God

(2) The Voice and Word of God

(3) The Glory of God

(4) The Angel of God

(5) The Spirit of God

(6) The Name of God

(7) Occasional Forms

3. The Names of God

(1) Generic

(2) Attributive

(3) Yahweh

4. Pre-prophetic Conceptions of God

(1) Yahweh Alone Is the God of Israel

(a) His Early Worship

(b) Popular Religion

(c) Polytheistic Tendencies

(i) Coordination

(ii) Assimilation

(iii) Disintegration

(d) No Hebrew Goddesses

(e) Human Sacrifices

Easton's Bible Dictionary

God

(A.S. and Dutch God; Dan. Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebrew ’El, from a word meaning to be strong; (2) of ’Eloah_, plural _’Elohim. The singular form, Eloah, is used only in poetry. The plural form is more commonly used in all parts of the Bible, The Hebrew word Jehovah (q.v.), the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being, is uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by “LORD,” printed in small capitals. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. There is nowhere any argument to prove it. He who disbelieves this truth is spoken of as one devoid of understanding (Ps. 14:1).

The arguments generally adduced by theologians in proof of the being of God are:

(1.) The a priori argument, which is the testimony afforded by reason.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(good). Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures two chief names are used for the one true divine Being--ELOHIM, commonly translated God in our version, and JEHOVAH, translated Lord . Elohim is the plural of Eloah (in Arabic Allah); it is often used in the short form EL (a word signifying strength , as in EL-SHADDAI, God Almighty, the name by which God was specially known to the patriarchs. (Genesis 17:1; 28:3; Exodus 6:3) The etymology is uncertain, but it is generally agreed that the primary idea is that of strength, power of effect , and that it properly describes God in that character in which he is exhibited to all men in his works, as the creator, sustainer and supreme governor of the world. The plural form of Elohim has given rise to much discussion. The fanciful idea that it…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

This name, the derivation of which is uncertain, we give to that eternal, infinite, perfect, and incomprehensible Being, the Creator of all things, who preserves and governs all by his almighty power and wisdom, and is the only proper object of worship. The proper Hebrew name for God is JEHOVAH, which signifies He is. But the Jews, from a feeling of reverence, avoid pronouncing this name, substituting for it, wherever it occurs in the sacred test, the word ADONAI, Lord; except in the expression, ADONAI JEHOVAH, Lord Jehovah, for which they put, ADONAI ELOHIM, Lord God. This usage, which is not without an element of superstition, is very ancient, dating its origin some centuries before Christ; but there is no good ground for assuming its existence in the days of the inspired Old Testament writers. The proper word for God is ELOHIM, which is plural in its form, being thus used to signify…

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
96%god
god96% · 1289×other renderings3% · 34×other renderings1% · 19×

1,342 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 14 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
subject31%adverbial26%object24%predicate12%indirect object5%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 1,311 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
βασιλείαkingship, sovereλόγοςa word, speech, υἱόςa son, descenden
δέbut, on the other ha
Article theπαράδικαιοσύνηjustice, justnes
ἀπό
εἰρήνηpeace, peace of ὅτιthat, since, becἐγώ
καίand, even, also, nam
ἈβραάμPropἸσαάκPropΧριστόςanointed, the Me
εἰμίI am, exist
οὐNegυἱόςa son, descendenοὗτος
θεόςof God1311×
what comes after →
Article the
δίδωμιI offer, giveπαντοκράτωρruler of the uniπατήρfather, Father,
καίand, even, also, nam
Article theπατήρfather, Father, αὐτός
ἐγώ
καίand, even, also,Article theἐκβάλλωI throw, cast, p
ἐν
Article theαὐτόςΧριστόςanointed, the Me
εἰμίI am, exist
Article theκαίand, even, also,εἰς

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

Concordanceθεός · 1,311× in the New Testament
Acts Romans Luke 1 Corinthians Revelation John 2 Corinthians Hebrews 1 John Matthew Mark 1 Peter

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

Across the New Testament27 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 1,637 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 Ignatius of Antioch Clement of Rome
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 7c. AD 40

Τινὲς γὰρ τὸν κόσμον μᾶλλον ἢ τὸν κοσμοποιὸν θαυμάσαντες τὸν μὲν ἀγένητόν τε καὶ ἀίδιον ἀπεφήναντο, τοῦ δὲ θεοῦ πολλὴν ἀπραξίαν ἀνάγνως κατεψεύσαντο, δέον ἔμπαλιν τοῦ μὲν τὰς δυνάμεις ὡς ποιητοῦ καὶ πατρὸς καταπλαγῆναι, τὸν δὲ μὴ πλέον ἀποσεμνῦναι…

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

ὡς πύργος, ὃν οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ ἐφ' ὕβρει τοῦ θεοῦ ᾠκοδόμησαν, καὶ ὡς τὰς φωνὰς αὐτῶν μετέβαλε καὶ ὁ τόπος, ἐν ᾧ τοῦτο γέγονε, Βαβυλὼν ἐκλήθη.

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
6th c. AD 2nd c. AD 7th c. AD 3rd c. AD 4th c. AD
P.Grenf. 2 33Pathyris101 BC

αὐτῷ μέρος ἧς ἐμισθώσατο σὺν Πακοίβι Σχώτου καὶ τοῖς μετόχοις γῆς σιτοφόρου λεγομένης Νεχθαραῦτι θεοῦ μεγάλου παρὰ τῶν ἱερέων ἐτῶν δέκα εἰς τὰ ἐνλιπόντα αὐτῷ ἑτέρων , τεσσάρων εἰς

P.Adl. 20Poinkoris (Diopolites)99 BC

1 βασιλευόντων Πτολεμαίου τοῦ καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου θεοῦ Φιλομήτορος καὶ Βερενίκης τῆς ἀδελφῆς θεᾶς Φιλαδέλφου ἔτους ἑκκαιδεκάτου ἐφʼ ἱερέων καὶ ἱερειῶν καὶ

Chrest.Wilck. 12Pathyris89 BC

ἡμῖν Φιλόξενος ὁ ἀδελφὸς διʼ ὧν κεκόμικεν ἡμῖν Ὄρσης γραμμάτων περὶ τοῦ τὸν μέγιστον Θεὸν Σωτῆρα βασιλέα ἐπιβεβληκέναι εἰς Μέμφιν, Ἱέρακα δὲ προκεχειρίσθαι μετὰ δυνάμεων μυρίων ἐπὶ καταστολὴν τῆς

[It is] a fearful thing <the> to fall into [the] hands of God [the] living.
ζῶντος.¶zaō [the] living. G2198 Verb · present · active · participle · genitive · singular · masculine
140× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Hebrews than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
To live means to have life, either physically or spiritually, as seen in Acts 20:12 and Romans 7:1-3. It can also refer to being alive with Christ, like in Philippians 1:21.
Amplified meaning
who is all-powerful, having life
Tyndale gloss
to live
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word ζάω (transliterated as zao) means 'to live' and is used in various contexts, including both literal and figurative senses. It encompasses the idea of being alive, functioning in life, and can refer to both animals and plants. In the New Testament, it appears in discussions of spiritual life and vitality, often in relation to Christ and God, highlighting a deeper, metaphorical meaning of existence.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ζάω, -ῶ,

[in LXX chiefly for חיה (most freq. ptcp., ζῶν, inf., ζῆν, for חַי);]

prop., to live, be alive (v. Syn., s.v. βίος; in cl. usually of animal life, but sometimes of plants, as Arist., Eth. N, i, 7, 12): Ac 20:12, Ro 7:1-3, I Co 7:39, Re 19:20, al.; ἐν αὐτῷ ζῶμεν, Ac 17:28; ἐμοὶ τὸ ζῆν Χριστός, Phl 1:21; διὰ παντὸς τοῦ ζῆν (M, Pr., 215, 249), He 2:15; ὃ δὲ νῦν ζῶ ἐν σαρκί, Ga 2:20; ζῇ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός, Ga 2:20; (ὁ) ζῶν, of God (אֵל חַי…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ζάω (zaō) — to live.

ζῶ

(contraction from ζώω: ζάω only in Grammars, [Refs 4th c.AD+]; imperative ζῆ [Refs 5th c.BC+] see at {ζῆ}; optative ζῴη; infinitive ζῆν: imperfect ἔζων [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἔζην in most codices of [Refs 4th c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. plural ἔζων [Refs 5th c.BC+]: future ζήσω [Refs 5th c.BC+]: aorist 1 ἔζησα [Refs 5th c.BC+]: perfect ἔζηκα [Refs 4th c.BC+]aorist and perfect are mostly supplied from βιόω.- Exc. participle ζῶντος, [Refs 8th c.BC+] always uses the Epic dialect Ionic dialect Lyric poetry present ζώω (also in [Refs 5th c.BC+]; subjunctive ζώῃ [Refs 5th c.BC+], contraction ζῷ [Refs]; Cretan dialect δώω [Refs]; infinitive ζωέμεναι, -έμεν, [Refs 8th c.BC+]: imperfect ἔζωον [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Ionic dialect ζώεσκον [Refs 8th c.BC+]aorist 1 ἔζωσα (ἐπ-) [Refs 5th c.BC+]; infinitive ζῶσαι [Refs]: perfect participle ἐζωκότα [Refs]; infinitive ζόειν [Refs 7th c.BC+]…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ζάω

zao

a primary verb; to live (literally or figuratively):--life(-time),

(a-)live(-ly), quick.

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ζάω

v.

I live

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ζάω zaō 140x

to live, to be possessed of vitality, to exercise the functions of life, Mt. 27:63; Acts 17:28; τὸ ζῆν, life, Heb. 2:15; to have means of subsistence, 1 Cor. 9:14; to live, to pass existence in a specific manner, Lk. 2:36; 15:13; to be instinct with life and vigor; hence, ζῶν, living, an epithet of God, in a sense peculiar to Himself; ἐλπὶς ζῶσα, a living hope vigor and constancy, 1 Pet. 1:3; ὕδωρ ζῶν, living water in respect of a full and unfailing flow, Jn. 4:10, 11; to be alive with cheered and…

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Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ζάω to live, Hom., etc.; ἐλέγχιστε ζωόντων vilest of living men, Od.; ζώειν καὶ ὁρᾶν φάος ἠελίοιο Il.; ῥεῖα ζώοντες living at ease, of the gods, id. Il.; ζῶν κατακαυθῆναι to be burnt alive, Hdt.:—also, ζῆν ἀπό τινος to live off or on a thing, Theogn., Hdt., etc.:— τὸ ζῆν ῀ ζωή, Aesch., etc.: —in a quasi-trans. sense, ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων ὧν ἔζης ( = ἃ ἐν τῶι βίωι ἔπραττες) from the other acts of your life, Dem.

metaph. to be in full life and strength, to be fresh, be strong, ἄτης θύελλαι ζῶσι Aesch.; ἀεὶ ζῆι ταῦτα [νόμιμα] Soph.; ζῶσα φλόξ living fire, Eur.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-PAP-GSM — Verb · present · active · participle · genitive · singular · masculine
genitive — of, from, belonging to.
Agrees with anything else marked singular masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-PAP-GSM Part of Speech: Verb Tense: Present Voice: Active Mood: Participle Case: Genitive Number: Singular Gender: Masculine

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
42%living
living42% · 60×live10% · 14×will live8% · 11×we live4% · 5×lives4% · 5×alive3% · 4×we may live3% · 4×he lives2% · 3×other renderings26% · 37×

143 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 37 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
verb73%adverbial11%predicate6%object5%second object3%

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
Article the
ἐγώθεόςGod, a godπᾶςall, the whole,
καίand, even, also, nam
αὐτόςνεκρόςdead, a corpseσῴζωI save, heal
θεόςGod, a god
ἐπίυἱόςa son, descendenπνεῦμαwind, breath, sp
αὐτός
οὐσίαproperty, wealthγάρforλέγωI say, speak
ἀλλάbut, except
νεκρόςdead, a corpseἀσθένειαwant of strengthαὐτός
ζάω[the] living.140×
what comes after →
καίand, even, also, nam
νεκρόςdead, a corpseπιστεύωI believe, have θεάομαιI see, behold, c
Article the
ἄνθρωποςa man, one of thἀνήρa male human beiπεριλείπομαιI leave behind
εἰς
Article theθάνατοςdeath
ἐν
αὐτόςσάρξflesh, bodyκόσμοςthe world, unive
διά
Article theἐγώἀνάστασιςa rising again,

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

Concordanceζάω · 140× in the New Testament
Romans John Revelation Acts Hebrews 2 Corinthians Galatians Luke 1 Peter Matthew 1 Thessalonians 1 Corinthians

Every reference is on the Strong's page.

Across the New Testament20 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 250 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 Ignatius of Antioch Clement of Rome
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 77c. AD 40

λέγουσιν οὖν οἱ τοῖς νόμοις ἐπὶ πλέον ἐμβαθύναντες καὶ τὰ κατ’ αὐτοὺς ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα μετὰ πάσης ἐξετάσεως ἀκριβοῦντες, ὅτι τῆς αὑτοῦ συγγενείας μεταδοὺς ὁ θεὸς ἀνθρώπῳ τῆς λογικῆς, ἥτις ἀρίστη δωρεῶν ἦν, οὐδὲ τῶν ἄλλων ἐφθόνησεν, ἀλλ’ ὡς οἰκειοτάτῳ…

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.66c. AD 75–95

ἔτι δὲ ζῶντος Ἀδάμου Κάιος τοὺς ἐγγόνους πονηροτάτους συνέβη γενέσθαι κατὰ διαδοχὴν καὶ μίμησιν ἄλλον ἄλλου χείρονα τελευτῶντα·

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 6.3c. AD 100

Καὶ ὃς ἐλπίσει ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ζήσεται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 2nd c. BC 4th c. AD 1st c. AD 3rd c. BC
P.Lond. 2 p. 163-165 no. 354Soknopaiu Nesos (Arsinoites8 BC–5 BC

Κόρδῳ τῶι ἐπιστατήσαντι τῶν φυλακιτῶν … … τας φάσκοντες τὸν πατέρα αὐτῶν ἐκ τοῦ ζῆν μεθεστακέναι πρὸς … λο … κατὰ φυλακὴν. καταστάντες δὲ καὶ ἀπολογησάμενοι ἐφάνημεν τῶι Κόρδωι

P.Mich. 5 228Areos Kome (Arsinoites)AD 47

ὥστε παρʼ αὐτῇ ἐκτέτρωται τὸ βρέφος νεκρὸν ὥστε αὐτὴν κατακλινῆ εἶναι καὶ κινδυνεύειν τοῦ ζῆν. διὸ ἀξιῶ γράψαι τοῖς τῆς Ὠξυρύνχων πρεσβυτέροις ἐκπέμψαι τὸν ἐνκαλούμενον ἐπὶ σὲ πρὸς τὴν

P.Lond. 3 p. 131 no. 846Soknopaiu Nesos (ArsinoitesAD 140

μου τὸ ὄνομα εἰς πρεσβυτερείαν τῆς κώμης ἀπόρου μου ὄντος καὶ μισθοῦ πορίζοντος τὸ ζῆν ἀπὸ τῆς γερδιακῆς διὸ ἀξιῶ σε τὸν κύριον βοηθῆσαί μοι, ἵνα τύχω τῆς ἀπὸ

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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