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Philippians 2:6 — Word Study

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N1904ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ,

BSAWhohos, hē inen [the] formmorphē [outward appearance] of Godtheos [the one true deity] existinghuparchō [being in the nature of, having the same form as] notou something to be graspedharpagmos [seized, plundered, a thing to be taken by force] consideredhēgeomai [think, regard] <the>ho to beeimi equalisos [being the same, having equal status] with God,theos [the supreme ruler]

Word
Listen & take awayPhilippians 2
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 6 is in this chapter.
Greek ↓ Download MP3 Nestle 1904 — the very text on this page — read by Andy Martin in Erasmian pronunciation.
Say the word Each Greek word carries its transliteration (theos) — no per-word recordings of the Greek exist to link to.
Take it away
Philippians 2:6quick helps
In a sentencePaul explains that Christ, though divine, did not cling to His equality with God.
Who is speakingThe Apostle Paul, addressing the Philippians about the nature of Christ.
Where we areIn a passage that emphasizes humility and the mindset of Christ.
The hard wordὑπάρχων
Take awayChrist’s humility is a model for believers.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectὅς verbὑπάρχω The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the New Testament

1 of 12 occurs nowhere else in the New Testament — a word chosen on purpose.

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 — Philippians 2:6

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 Mindset of Christgenerated

5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:
6Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross.

Philippians 2:6 is part of a larger passage where Paul instructs the Philippians to adopt the same mindset as Christ. He highlights how Christ, even though He existed in the form of God, did not view His equality with God as something to cling to. This teaching is foundational for understanding humility in the Christian life and sets the stage for the example of Christ’s incarnation and sacrifice that follows in verses 7 and 8.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Isaiah 7:14Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.
2Isaiah 8:8It will pour into Judah, swirling and sweeping over it, reaching up to the neck; its spreading streams will cover your entire land, O Immanuel!
3Isaiah 9:6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
4Jeremiah 23:6In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is His name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.
5Micah 5:2But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel — One whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.

The Key Word ὑπάρχων, huparchōgenerated

The word ὑπάρχων is a present active participle of ὑπάρχω, meaning 'existing' or 'being.' It conveys the idea of something that is already in existence, emphasizing Christ's pre-existence before His incarnation.

The parsing indicates it is in the nominative singular masculine form, which aligns with its subject role in the sentence, referring directly to Christ. This word underscores the reality of Christ's divine nature as He existed in the form of God.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as 'Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.' The KJV uses 'being in the form of God,' while the ASV states 'counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped.'

Translations differ primarily on the rendering of ὑπάρχων — 'existing' (BSB, ASV, WEB) versus 'being' (KJV, YLT). The word ἁρπαγμὸν is translated as 'something to be grasped' in the BSB and WEB, while the KJV uses 'robbery.'


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main clause is governed by the finite verb ἡγήσατο, considered, with a prepositional phrase describing the nature of Christ and two subordinate clauses providing further detail about His equality with God and what He did not grasp.

The structure includes a subject, ὃς, who, and the participle ὑπάρχων, existing, which describes the subject, leading to a complex sentence that conveys multiple layers of meaning regarding Christ's nature and actions.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

θεοῦ appears in the Septuagint as a translation of the Hebrew word for God, אֱלֹהִים (H430), which refers to the one true deity. This connection emphasizes the continuity of the divine nature of Christ with the God of the Old Testament.

The term ἁρπαγμὸν does not have a direct equivalent in the Septuagint, but its implications of seizing or taking can be seen in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, where the act of taking or grasping something is often depicted.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Philippians 2:6 explains that Christ, who was in the form of God, did not see His equality with God as something to hold onto tightly. This verse teaches us about the humility of Christ and sets an example for how we should live.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that Christ existed in the form of God?

It means that Christ had the same nature and essence as God, fully divine and equal to God in His being.

Why did Christ not consider equality with God something to be grasped?

Christ chose humility and did not cling to His divine status, demonstrating that true greatness comes from serving others.

How can we apply this verse to our lives?

We can learn to prioritize humility and service over seeking power or status, following Christ's example.

What is the significance of the term 'something to be grasped'?

It indicates that Christ did not see His equality with God as a prize to be seized or held onto, but rather as something He willingly set aside for the sake of humanity.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I struggle to let go of pride or status?
  2. How can I cultivate a mindset of humility like Christ's in my daily interactions?
  3. What does it mean for me to consider others better than myself, as Paul encourages in the preceding verses?
  4. How can I reflect Christ's attitude of servanthood in my community?

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

Early church fathers such as Tertullian reference this verse to explain the nature of Christ and His humility in relation to God.

TertullianAgainst Marcion Book V c. 155–220
For he says of Christ, that, "being in the form of God, He thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but emptied Himself, and took upon Him the form of a servant," not the reality, "and was made in the likeness of man," not a man,
Early Church Fathers on Philippians 2 →
TertullianOn the Resurrection of the Flesh c. 155–220
And God made man, that is to say, the creature which He moulded and fashioned; after the image of God (in other words, of Christ) did He make him And the Word was God also, who being in the image of God,
Early Church Fathers on Philippians 2 →
TertullianAgainst Praxeas c. 155–220
This for certain is He "who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God." In what form of God? Of course he means in some form, not in none.
Early Church Fathers on Philippians 2 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Philippians 2:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Who being in the form of God,.... The Father; being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.

Read John Gill on Philippians 2 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: Translate, 'Who subsisting [or existing-namely, originally: huparchoon (G5225), not oon (G5607)] in the form of God (God's

Read Robert Jamieson on Philippians 2 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Who, i.e. relative to Christ Jesus, the eternal Son of God by nature, very God extant with his Father before the beginning, 6:14-16 ; the express image and character of his Father’ s person, which implies a peculiar subsistence distinct from the subsistence of his Father, ; concerning whom, every word that follows, by reason of the Socinians, and some Lutherans, is to be well weighed. Being; i.e. subsisting, in opposition to taking or assuming, ; and therefore doth firmly prove Christ pro-existing in another nature to his so doing, namely, his actual existing of himself in the same essence and glory he had from eternity with the Father, ,2 17:5 ,8,11. In the form of God; to understand which…

Read Matthew Poole on Philippians 2 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: Ver. 6. To be equal with God] Gr. Equals, that is, every way equal; not a secondary inferior God, as the Arians would have him. Hold fast this truth; it is of the foundation, it is the rock whereon the Church is built, Matthew 16:18; and all the devils in hell shall not wrest this place from me, for a clear proof of the Divinity of Christ, saith learned Calvin.

Read John Trapp on Philippians 2 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) Being in the form of God.—(1) The word “being” is here the more emphatic of the two words so translated, which lays stress on the reality of existence (as in Acts 16:20; Acts 17:28; 1 Corinthians 11:7; Galatians 2:14). Hence it calls attention to the essential being of Christ, corresponding to the idea embodied in the name Jehovah, and thus implying what is more fully expressed in John 1:1. (2) The word “form” (which, except for a casual use in Mark 16:12, is found only in this passage of the New Testament) is to be carefully distinguished from “fashion.” There can be no doubt that in classical Greek it describes the actual specific character, which (like the structure of a material…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Philippians 2 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 6. Who, being in the form of God] This verse has been the subject of much criticism, and some controversy. Dr. Whitby has, perhaps, on the whole, spoken best on this point; but his arguments are too diffuse to be admitted here. Dr. Macknight has abridged the words of Dr. Whitby, and properly observes that, "As the apostle is speaking of what Christ was before he took the form of a servant, the form of God, of which he divested himself when he became man, cannot be any thing which he possessed during his incarnation or in his divested state; consequently neither the opinion of Erasmus, that the form of God consisted in those sparks of divinity by which Christ, during his incarnation…

Read AdamClarke on Philippians 2 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

6. Who] in His pre-existent glory. We have in this passage a N.T. counterpart to the O.T. revelation of Messiah’s “coming to do the will of His God” (Psalms 40:6-8, interpreted Hebrews 10:5).being] The Greek word slightly indicates that He not only “was,” but “already was,” in a state antecedent to and independent of the action to be described. R.V. margin has “Gr. originally being”; but the American Revisers dissent.in the form of God] The word rendered “form” is morphκ. This word, unlike our “form” in its popular meaning, connotes reality along with appearance, or in other words denotes an appearance which is manifestation. It thus differs from the word (schκma) rendered “fashion” in…

Read Cambridge on Philippians 2 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Who, being in the form of God - There is scarcely any passage in the New Testament which has given rise to more discussion than this.

Read Albert Barnes on Philippians 2 →

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

Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

NETBNew English Translation2006

who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped,

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped,

RVARevised Version, American1894

who, being in the form of God, counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God,

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Who being in ye forme of God, thought it no robberie to be equall with God:

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

who, subsisting in the form of God, did not esteem it an object of rapine to be on an equality with God;

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

who, being in the form of God, thought [it] not robbery to be equal to God,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

who, being in the form of God, thought [it] not something to be seized to be equal to God,

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

He existed in the form of God, but he did not consider his equality with God as something to hold on to.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Though in his nature he was always God, he wasn't concerned to cling onto his equality with God.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

To whom, though himself in the form of God, it did not seem that to take for oneself was to be like God;

Word by word, the decisions they made

θεοῦtheos of God G2316 2 different renderings
of godASV BBE BSB DBY DRA GNV KJV LSV MSB NETB NWB RVA ULB WEB YLT
godFBV
ὑπάρχωνhuparchō existing G5225 3 different renderings
beingDRA GNV KJV LSV NWB RVA YLT
existingASV BSB MSB WEB
wasBBE FBV
ἁρπαγμὸνharpagmos something to be grasped G725 2 different renderings
something to be graspedBSB MSB NETB
seizedLSV
ἡγήσατοhēgeomai considered G2233 2 different renderings
esteemDBY
regardNETB

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.

clauseclauseobjectτοῦτοThisverbφρονεῖτεlet mind beprepositional phrase · adverbialἐνinὑμῖνyouclausesubjectwhichadverbialκαὶalsoprepositional phrase · predicateἐνinnoun phraseΧριστῷChristἸησοῦJesus [was]clauseclausesubjectὃςWhoclause · adverbialprepositional phrase · adverbialἐνinnoun phraseμορφῇ[the] formΘεοῦof Godverbὑπάρχωνexistingadverbialοὐχnotsecond objectἁρπαγμὸνsomething to be graspedverbἡγήσατοconsiderednoun phrase · objectτὸ-clauselinking verbεἶναιto bepredicateἴσαequaladverbialΘεῷwith GodἀλλὰbutclauseobjectἑαυτὸνHimselfverbἐκένωσενemptiedclause · adverbialnoun phrase · objectμορφὴν[the] formδούλουof a servantverbλαβώνhaving takenclause · adverbialprepositional phrase · predicateἐνinnoun phraseὁμοιώματι[the] likenessἀνθρώπωνof menlinking verbγενόμενοςhaving been made

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 in forma Dei esset, non rapinam arbitratus est esse se æqualem Deo :

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

ܗܘ ܕܟܕ ܐܝܬܘܗܝ ܒܕܡܘܬܐ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܠܐ ܗܘܐ ܚܛܘܦܝܐ ܚܫܒܗ ܗܕܐ ܕܐܝܬܘܗܝ ܦܚܡܐ ܕܐܠܗܐ

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

ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ,

The standard critical text of the New Testament.

Nestle-Aland 27th edition1993 · Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft

ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ,

The previous edition, still widely cited.

SBL Greek New Testament2010 · Michael Holmes

ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ,

The Society of Biblical Literature edition, freely licensed.

Westcott–Hort1881 · Westcott and Hort

ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ,

The edition that turned scholarship toward the earliest manuscripts.

Tregelles1857–1879 · Samuel Prideaux Tregelles

ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ,

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

Tyndale House Greek NT2017 · Tyndale House, Cambridge

ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ,

A recent critical edition following documentary evidence closely.

Byzantine majority text2018 · Robinson–Pierpont

ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ,

The reading of the majority of surviving manuscripts.

Textus Receptus1550/1894 lineage

ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ,

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.

Philippians 2:6ὅςWhoWhoὅςἐνininἐνμορφή[the] form[the] formμορφήθεόςof Godof Godθεόςὑπάρχωexistingexistingὑπάρχωοὐnotnotοὐἁρπαγμόςsomething tsomething to beἁρπαγμόςἡγέομαιconsideredconsideredἡγέομαι<the><the>ειναιto beto beειναιἴσοςequalequalἴσοςθεόςwith God,with God,θεόςArticle thArticle theὑπόPrep. by, Prep. by, underὑπόἁρπάζωv. I seizev. I seize, snaἁρπάζωεἰμίv. I am, ev. I am, existεἰμίοἶδαv. I know,v. I know, remeοἶδαοὗAdv where,Adv where, whitοὗεἰςPrep. intoPrep. into, in,εἰςἐκPrep. fromPrep. from out,ἐκμέροςn.n. a parn.n. a part, poμέροςμήNeg.prt. nNeg.prt. not, lμήἄγωv. I leadv. I leadἄγωεὐχαριστέωv. I thankv. I thank, givεὐχαριστέωβασιλείαn.f. kingsn.f. kingship, βασιλείαἄνDisj.prt. Disj.prt. an unἄνἄχριAdv as farAdv as far as, ἄχρισυναγωγήn.f. an asn.f. an assemblσυναγωγήἔρημοςAdj desertAdj deserted, dἔρημοςἐνPrep. in, Prep. in, on, aἐν
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 Philippians 2:6

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 in [the] form of God existing not something to be grasped considered <the> to be equal with God,
ὃςhos, hē Who G3739 Relative pronoun · nominative · singular · masculine
1,407× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Philippians as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
The word which is a pronoun used to ask for or identify something, as seen in John 5:11. It can also be used to describe a person or thing, such as in Mark 15:23. This word helps to clarify or specify what is being talked about.
Tyndale gloss
which
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

ὅς is a pronoun meaning 'who,' 'which,' 'what,' or 'that.' It serves as both a demonstrative and a relative pronoun, agreeing in gender with its antecedent. The New Testament uses it in various constructions, including phrases like ὃς μὲν... ὃς δέ to indicate contrasting subjects. Notably, it can express purpose or cause in certain contexts.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ὅς, ἥ, ὅ,

the postpositive article (ἄρθρον ὑποτακτικόν).

As demonstr. pron. = οὗτος, ὅδε, this, that, also for αὐτός, chiefly in nom.: ὅς δέ, but he (cf. ἦ δὲ ὅς, freq. in Plat.), Mk 15:23, Jo 5:11; ὃς μὲν . . . ὃς δέ, the one . . . the other, Mt 21:35 22:5 25:15, Lk 23:33, Ac 27:14, Ro 14:5, I Co 11:21, II Co 2:16, Ju 22; neut., ὃ μὲν . . . ὃ δέ, the one . . . the other, some . . . some, Mt 13:8, 23, Read the full entry →

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

ὅς 455 ὅς iii. 5 [RG], 6; Heb. vi. 10; ix. 20; Jas. ii. 5; 1 In. iii. 24; Jude 15; for other exx. see below; ἐν ὥρᾳ 7 οὐ γινώoxet, Mt. xxiv. 50; τῇ παραδύσει 9 παρεδώκατε, Mk. vii. 13 ; add, Lk. ii. 20; v. 9; ix. 435 xii. 46; xxiv. 25; Jn. xvii. 5; Acts ii. 22; xvii. 31; xx. 38; 2 Co. xii. 21; 2Th.i. 4; Rev. xviii. 6; ef. W. § 24,1; [B. as above]. Rarely attraction oceurs where the verb governs the dative [but see below]: thus, κατέναντι οὗ ἐπίστευσε θεοῦ for xarévavre θεοῦ, ᾧ ἐπίστευσε (See κατέναντι). Ro. iv. 17; φωνῆς, ἧς ἔκραξα (for 7 (al. ἥν, οἴ. W. 164 (154 sq.) Β. 287 (217)}7), Acts xxiv. 21, οἵ. Is. vi. 4; (7γετο δὲ καὶ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ τε πιστῶν, οἷς ἥδετο καὶ ὧν ἠπίστει πολλούς, for καὶ πολλοὺς τούτων, οἷς ἠπίστει, Xen. Cyr. ὅ, 4, 39; ὧν ἐγὼ ἐντετύχηκα οὐδείς; for οὐδεὶς τούτων, οἷς ἐντετ. Plato, Gorg. p. 509 ἃ.; Protag. p. 361 6.; derep.7 p.531e.; παρ᾽ ὧν βοηθεῖς, οὐδεμίαν λήψει…

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

ος is found as a demonstrative pronoun in P Ryl II. 14415 (complaint of assault—a.D. 38) ὃς δὲ ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου ἄλογον ἀηδίαν μοι ἐπιχειρήσας παρεχρήσατό μοι πολλὰ καὶ ἄσχημα, ‘“whereupon he opposing me made a brutal and odious attack upon me and subjected me to much shameful mishandling” (Edd.): cf. Mk 15%, Jn 51. For ὃς μέν... ὃς δέ, “the one . . the other,” as in Mt 21° a/., see P Oxy IX. 1189? (c. A.D. 117) ἐπιστολὰς δύο ds ἔγραψα ἣν μὲν σοὶ ἣν δὲ Σαβείνῳ, and for ὃς δέ solétarium see PSI. IV. 313° (iii/iv A.D.) with the editor’s note. Ὃς ἄν (ἐάν) c. conj. = ‘‘ whosoever ” may be illustrated Ly P Par 4622 (B.c. 153) (= Witkowski*, p. 87), περὶ dv ἂν βούληι γράφε, P Grenf I. 30% (B.c. 103) ἐφ} οἷς ἂν οὖν ὑμῶν προσδέωνται, P Oxy IV. 743%% (B.C. 2) ἐν ols ἐὰν σοῦ προσδέηται, °° ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐὰν θέλῃς. For the comparative usage of ὃς ἄν and ὃς ἐάν, see Thackeray Gr. i. p. 68, cited s.v. ἄν.…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ὅς (hos, hē) — which.

ὅς, ἥ, ὅ,

genitive οὗ, ἧς, οὗ, etc.; dative plural οἷς, αἷς, οἷς, etc.: Epic dialect forms, genitive ὅου (probably replacing Οο) in the phrases ὅου κλέος οὔ ποτ᾽ ὀλεῖται [Refs 8th c.BC+]; feminine ἕης [Refs 8th c.BC+]; elsewhere only ἧς [Refs]; dative plural οἷς, οἷσι, ᾗς, ᾗσι (never αἷς or αἷσι in [Refs 8th c.BC+] — _pronoun_ used,

__A as demonstrative by the side of οὗτος, ὅδε, and the Article ὁ, ἡ, τό: in post-Homeric Gr. this use survived only in a few special phrases.

__B as a Relat. by the side of the Article ὅ, ἥ, τό (see. ὁ, ἡ, τό, c):—this demonstrative and Relat. pronoun must not be confounded with the Possess. ὅς, ἥ, ὅν. (With Gr. Relat. ὅς, ἥ, ὅ cf. Sanskrit Relat. yas, yā, yad, Lithuanian jis, ji (he, she), Oslav. i, ja, je (he, she…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ὅς ἥ ὅ

hos

he hay, and neuter

ho ho

probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article 3588); the

relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what,

that:--one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se),

etc. See also 3757.

see GREEK for 3588

see GREEK for 3757

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ὅς, ἥ, ὅ

Rel.pr.

who, which, what, that

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ὅς hos 1x

who, which, what, that, Mt. 1:16, 23, 25; in NT interrog. ἐφ’ ὅ, wherefore, why, Mt. 26:50; in NT ὅς μὲν ... ὅς δέ, for ὁ μὲν ... ὁ δέ, Mt. 21:35; 2 Cor. 2:16

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Rel-NSM — Relative pronoun · nominative · singular · masculine
nominative — the one doing it — the subject.
Agrees with anything else marked singular masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

R-NSM Part of Speech: Relative pronoun Case: Nominative Number: Singular Gender: Masculine

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
25%which
which25% · 356×whom20% · 291×who17% · 238×that14% · 199×what8% · 117×whatever2% · 30×whose2% · 29×other renderings10% · 145×other renderings2% · 25×

1,430 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 60 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
object40%subject29%adverbial26%indirect object3%predicate3%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 1,407 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
ἐν
ἡμέραa dayαὐτόςἵναin order that, s
καίand, even, also, nam
αὐτόςἔχωI have, hold, poυἱόςa son, descenden
αὐτός
λέγωI say, speakἀπόλλυμιI destroy, lose,δοῦλος (II)
διά
ἐκεῖνοςΧριστόςanointed, the Meαὐτός
εἰς
καίand, even, also,ἐγώοἰκίαa house, househo
ὅςWho1407×
what comes after →
εἰμίI am, exist
Article theμεθερμηνεύωI translate, intκαίand, even, also,
οὐNeg
εἰμίI am, existἔξεστι(ν)it is permitted,γινώσκωI come to know,
Article the
θεόςGod, a godυἱόςa son, descendenκύριοςlord, Lord, mast
καίand, even, also, nam
σύποιέωI do, makeαὐτός
δέbut, on the other ha
ἄνDisjἑξήκονταIndecτριάκονταIndec

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

Concordanceὅς · 1,407× in the New Testament
Acts Luke John Matthew Romans Mark Hebrews Revelation 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Colossians Ephesians

22 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
Philo of Alexandria Josephus The Shepherd of Hermas Ignatius of Antioch Clement of Rome
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 33c. AD 40

ἵν’ οὖν μὴ αἰεὶ συμφερόμεναι στασιάζωσι καὶ πόλεμος ἀντ’ εἰρήνης ἐπικρατῇ τὴν ἀκοσμίαν ἐν κόσμῳ τιθείς, οὐ μόνον ἐχώρισε φῶς καὶ σκότος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅρους ἐν μέσοις ἔθετο διαστήμασιν, οἷς ἀνεῖρξε τῶν ἄκρων ἑκάτερον·

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

πῶς τὸ Σοδομιτῶν ἔθνος θεὸς κατεστρέψατο χολωθεὶς αὐτοῖς ἐφ' οἷς ἡμάρτανον.

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. AD 1st c. AD 3rd c. BC 2nd c. BC
P.Grenf. 1 32Pelusion103 BC

θεοῖς. καλῶς ποιήσεις διαλύσας Ἁρκοννῆσιν καὶ Ψενανοῦπιν καὶ … … ελθεῖν ἐπὶ προ … ους καὶ γραψάτωσαν ἡμῖν ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐσπούδασας διὰ τὰς ἡμῶν παρακλήσεις καὶ ση

P.Adl. 15Pathyris (?)101 BC

ἐδάνεισεν Ὧρος Ὥρου Ὥρωι Νεχούτου ὡς ἐτῶν ν μέσος μελίχρως ὑποκλαστὸς ἀναφάλακρος μακροπρόσωπος εὐθύριν οὖς ἀριστερὸν τετρημένον πυροῦ ἀρτάβας τεσσαράκοντα ἓξ κριθῆς ἑξήκοντα ἐννέα , ἴσους ἀτόκους, ὧν ἀπόδοσιν

P.Adl. 17Krokodilopolis (Pathyrites)100 BC

τῆς ἐπιγονῆς τῶν ἐκ Παθύρεως ὡς ἐτῶν ν μέσος μελίχρως τετανὸς ἀναφάλακρος μακροπρόσωπος εὐθύριν οὖς ἀριστερὸν τετρημένον χαλκοῦ ταλάντων πέντε . προπωλητὴς καὶ βεβαιωτὴς τῶν κατὰ τὴν ὠνὴν ταύτην

Who in [the] form of God existing not something to be grasped considered <the> to be equal with God,
ἐνen in G1722 Preposition
2,743× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Philippians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
This word is a preposition that means in, on, or among something. It's used in many places, like Matthew 7:3 and Luke 7:37, to describe a location or relationship. It can also mean by, with, or during.
Tyndale gloss
in/on/among
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The most frequent preposition in the New Testament, 2,752 occurrences. In, on, at, among, within — its force comes almost entirely from the word it is attached to. What it does here is put the events inside a community rather than at a distance: they were fulfilled among us.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ἐν,

prep, (the most freq. of all in NT), c. dat. (= Heb. בְּ, Lat. in, c. abl.).

Of place, c. dat. rei, pers., in, within, on, at, by, among: ἐν τ. πόλει, Lk 7:37; τ. οφθαλμῷ, Mt 7:3; τ. κοιλίᾳ, Mt 12:40; τ. ὄρει, II Pe 1:18; τ. θρόνῳ, Re 3:21; τ. δεξιᾷ τ. θεοῦ, Ro 8:34; ἐν ἡμῖν , Lk 1:1; of books, ἐν τ. βιβλίῳ, Ga 3:10; τ. νόμῳ, Mt 12:5, al.; ἐν τοῖς τ. Πατρός, in my Father's house (RV; cf. M, Pr., 103)…

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

ἐν Χριστῷ, ἐν Χριστῷ ᾿Ιησοῦ, ἐν κυρίῳ, (οἴ. Fritzsche, Com. on Rom. vol. ii. p. 82 544.; W. 389 (364); Weiss, Bibl. Theol. des N. T. §§ 84 b., 149 c.), ingrafied as it were in Christ, in fellowship and union with Christ, with the Lord: Ro. iii. 24; vi. 11, 23; viii. 39; 1Co.i.4; 2 Co. iii. 14; Gal. ii. 4; iii. 14, 26, 28; v. 6; Eph.i. 3 [Rec. om. ἐν]; ii. 6 sq. 10,13; 1 Tim.i.14; 2 Tim.i. 1,13; ii-1; 1 Pet. iii. 16; v.10; στήκειν ἐν κυρίῳ, Phil. iv. 1; iva εὑρεθῶ ἐν αὐτῷ, that I may be found (by God and Christ) most intimately united to him, Phil. iii. 9; εἶναι ἐν Χριστῷ "Inc. 1 Co. i. 30; οἱ ἐν Xp. "Ina. Ro. viii. 1; 1 Pet. v. 14; κοιμᾶσθαι ἐν Χριστῷ, θνήσκειν ἐν κυρίῳ, to fall asleep, to die, mindful of relationship to Christ and confiding in it [W. u.s.], 1 Co. xv. 18; Rey. xiv. 13. Since such union with Christ is the basis on which actions and virtues rest, the expression is…

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

ἐν 210 contract—time of Augustus) ἱμάτια γυναικεῖα ἐν apyv(plov) δραχμαῖς ἑκατόν, P Oxy IV. 7247 (A.D. 155) ἐξ ὧν ἔσχες τὴν πρώτην δόσιν ἐν δραχμαῖς τεσσαράκοντα, 70. I. 565 (A.D. 211) δανειζομένη. .. ἀργύριον ἔντοκον ἐν δραχμαῖς ἑξακισχειλίαις, and P Grenf II. 778 (iii/iv a.p.) (=Selections, Pp. 120) το]ὺς μισθοὺς. . ὄντας ἐν δραχμαῖς τριακοσίαις τεσσαράκοντα. Similar are P Oxy IV. 7084 (a.p. 188) yopou . . ἐν (1vpod)(apraBats) ’B, BGU 1. 724 (a.p. 191) ἐξέκοψαν πλεῖστον τόπον ἐν ἀρούραις πέντε: with which may be compared Eph 2!° τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασιν, “consisting in.” In P Lond 9215 (ii/iii a.p.) (ΞΞ 111. P- 134) γεγονέναι ἐν ἀμπέλῳ = ‘to be planted with vines.” A predicative use of ἐν is seen in P Hib I. 421° (B.c. 262) δώσομεν Λευκίωι ἐν ὀφειλήματι, ‘asa debt,” P Petr I. 1215 (cf. II. p. 22) ὅσα δὲ ᾿Αξιοθέα προσενήνεγκται ἐμ φερνῆι, “ἐᾷς dowry,” and P Tebt I. 120 135…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ἐν (en) — in/on/among.

ἐν,

poetry ἐνί, εἰν, εἰνί [Refs 8th c.BC+], forms used by Epic dialect and Lyric Poets as the metre requires, but only as falsa lectio in Trag., εἰν [Refs 5th c.BC+] ἰν [Refs]

__PREP. WITH DAT. AND ACC. Radical sense, in, into.

__A WITH DAT.

__A.I OF PLACE,

__A.I.1 in, νήσῳ ἐν ἀμφιρύτῃ [Refs 8th c.BC+]; with names of cities or islands, as ἐν Ἀθήνῃς, ἐν Τροίῃ, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; where ἐν is used, it = in the district of.., ὲν Ἐλευσῖνι [Refs] in my arms, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐν αὑτῷ εἶναι to be in one's senses, be oneself, ἔτ᾽ ἐν σαυτῷ (variant -τοῦ) γενοῦ [Refs 5th c.BC+]

__A.I.1.b ἐν τοῖς ἰχθύσιν in the fish-market, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; so ἐν τοῖν δυοῖν ὀβολοῖν ἐθεώρουν ἄν in the two-obol seats, [Refs 4th…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ἐν

en

a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or

state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or

constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519

and 1537); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:--about, after, against, +

almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+

all means), for (... sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to,

-wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly,

one, X quickly,

X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on),

through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while,

with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same

import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate

direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different)

preposition.

see GREEK for 1519

see GREEK for 1537

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ἐν

Prep.

in, on, among

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ἐν en 2x

followed by the dat., in, Mt. 8:6; Mk. 12:26; Rev. 6:6,; upon, Lk. 8:32; among, Mt. 11:11; before, in the presence of, Mk. 8:38; in the sight, estimation of, 1 Cor. 14:11; before, judicially, 1 Cor. 6:2; in, of state, occupation, habit, Mt. 21:22; Lk. 7:25; Rom. 4:10; in the case of, Read the full entry →

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ἐν

e)nprepe)ni/prep ei)nprep ei)ni/prep in, among. c. dat.

Lat. in.

PREP. WITH DAT.:

OF PLACE

in, ἐν νήσῳ, ἐν Τροίῃ, etc., Hom., etc.:—elliptic, ἐν Ἀλκινόοιο (sc. οἴκῳ) Od.; εἰν Ἀΐδαο Il.; ἐν παιδοτρίβου at the school of the training master, Ar.

in, upon, ἐν οὔρεσι Hom., etc.

in the number of, amongst, ἐν Δαναοῖς, etc., Hom.; and with Verbs of ruling, ἄρχειν, ἀνάσσειν ἐν πολλοῖς to be first or lord among many, i. e. over them, id. Hom.; cf. ὁ, τό B. III. 3.

in one's hands, within one's reach or power, Lat. penes, Hom., etc.; ἐν σοὶ γάρ ἐσμεν Soph.; ἐν τῷ θεῷ τὸ τέλος ἦν Dem.

in respect of, ἐν γήρᾳ in point of age, Soph.

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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

A principal thing to notice about this preposition, which in the King James Version represents about 16 Hebrew and as many Greek words and prepositions, is that, in hundreds of cases (especially in the Old Testament, but frequently also in the New Testament) in the Revised Version (British and American) the rendering is changed to more exact forms ("to," "unto," "by," "upon," "at," "with," "among," "for," "throughout," etc.; compare e.g. Ge 6:16; 13:8; 17:7,9,12; 18:1; Ex 8:17; Le 1:9, etc.); while, nearly as often, "in" is substituted for divergent forms of the King James Version (e.g. Ge 2:14; 17:11; 31:54; 40:7; 49:17; Ex…

Across the New Testament27 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
Who in [the] form of God existing not something to be grasped considered <the> to be equal with God,
μορφῇmorphē [the] form G3444 Noun · dative · singular · feminine
3× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Philippians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
The shape or form of something, like its outward appearance. In Philippians 2:6-7, it refers to Jesus' human form.
Amplified meaning
outward appearance
Tyndale gloss
form
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

μορφή (morphē) refers to form, shape, or outward appearance. It encompasses the essential character or nature of something, distinguishing between internal and external attributes. The term appears in the New Testament in contexts such as Mark 16:12 and Philippians 2:6-7, where it highlights the concept of Jesus taking on the form of a servant. Lexicons note its philosophical implications and usage in classical literature.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

μορφή, -ῆς, ἡ,

[in LXX: Jg 8:18 A (תֹּאַר), Jb 4:16 (תְּמוּנָה), Is 44:13 (תַּבְנִית), Da LXX 3:19 (צְלֵם), Da TH 4:33 5:6, 9, 10 7:28 (זִיו), To 1:13, Wi 18:1, IV Mac 15:4*;]

form, shape, appearance (Hom., Eur., Æsch., al.); in philos. lang. the specific character or essential form (Arist., v. Gifford, Inc., 26 ff.): Mk 16:[12], Phl 2:6, 7.†

SYN.: μόρφωσις, the outline, delineation, semblance of the μορφή, as distinct from the μ. itself (Lft., Notes, 262); σχῆμα, shape, fashion, disting. from μορφή as the outward and accidental from the inward and essential (cf. Tr., Syn., § LXX; Lft., Phl., 125 ff.; Gifford., Inc., 126 ff.).

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

μορφή, -ῆς, 7, [fr. root signifying ‘to lay hold of’, ‘ seize” (cf. Germ. Fassung); Fick, Pt.i.p.174; Vanicek p. 719], fr. Hom. down, the form by which a person or thing strikes the vision ; the external appearance: children are said to reflect ψυχῆς τε καὶ μορφῆς ὁμοιότητα (of their parents), 4 Mace. xv. 3 (4); ἐφανερώθη ἐν ἑτέρᾳ μορφῇ. Mk. xvi. 12; ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, Phil. ii. 6; μορφὴν δούλου λαβών, ibid. 7;— this whole passage (as I have shown more fully in the Zeitschr. f. wissensch. Theol. for 1873, p. 33 sqq-, with which compare the different view given by Holsten in the Jahrbb. f. protest. Theol. for 1875, p. 449 sqq-) is to be explained as follows: who, although (formerly when he was λόγος ἄσαρκος) he bore the form (in which he appeared to the inhabitants of heaven) of God (the sovereign, opp. to pop. SovAov), yet did not think that this equality with God was to be eagerly…

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

μορφή, μονόφθαλμος is an Ionic compound (Herod. iii. 116 a/.) condemned by the Atticists (Lob. Phryn. p. 136), but revived in the later vernacular (cf. Mt 18%, Mk 987). According to Ammonius it is to be distinguished from ἑτερόφθαλμος : ἑτερόφθαλμος μὲν γὰρ ὁ κατὰ περίπτωσιν πηρωθεὶς τὸν ἕτερον τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν, μονόφθαλμος δὲ ὁ ἕνα μόνον ὀφθαλμὸν ἔχων ὡς ὁ Κύκλωψ (cited by Rutherford WP, Ρ- 209 f.).

Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

μορφή (morphē) — form.

μορφ-ή, ἡ,

form, shape, twice in [Refs 8th c.BC+] thou hast comeliness of words, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; so probably ἄλλος μὲν.. εἶδος ἀκιδνότερος πέλει ἀνήρ, ἀλλὰ θεὸς μορφὴν ἔπεσι στέφει God adds a crown of shapeliness to his words, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; μορφῆς μέτρα shape and size, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μορφῆς σχῆμα, τύπωμα, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὀνειράτων ἀλίγκιοι μορφαῖσιν[Refs 5th c.BC+]; of plants, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; especially with reference to beauty of form, ὑπέρφατον μορφᾷ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οἷς ποτιστάξῃ χάρις εὐκλέα μ.[Refs 5th c.BC+]

2. generally, form, fashion, appearance, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; outward form, opposed to εἶδος, ἑκατέρω τῶ εἴδεος πολλαὶ μ. [NT+5th c.BC+]; κατά τε…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

μορφή

morphe

perhaps from the base of 3313 (through the idea of adjustment of

parts); shape; figuratively, nature:--form.

see GREEK for 3313

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

μορφή, ῆς, ἡ

n.f.

form, shape, outward appearance

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

μορφή morphē 3x

form, outward appearance, Mk. 16:12; Phil. 2:6, 7*

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

μορφή μορφη, ἡ, form, shape, Lat. forma, σοὶ δ᾽ ἐπὶ μὲν μορφὴ ἐπέων thou hast power to give shape to words, i. e. to give a colour of truth to lies, Od.; θεὸς μορφὴν ἔπεσι στέφει God adds a crown of shapeliness to his words, id. Od.

form, shape, figure, esp. like Lat. forma, a fine or beautiful form, Pind., Trag.

generally, form, fashion, appearance, Soph., Xen.

a form, kind, sort, Eur., Plat.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Noun-DSF — Noun · dative · singular · feminine
dative — to, for, with — the one it is done to or by.
Agrees with anything else marked singular feminine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

N-DSF Part of Speech: Noun Case: Dative Number: Singular Gender: Feminine

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

form (yatsar, to'ar; morphe):

(1) To form is "to fashion," "create," "produce." In the Old Testament it is for the most part the translation of yatsar, "to form," "to fashion" (Ge 2:7, etc., "Yahweh God formed man of the dust of the ground," etc.); also of chul and chil, "to be twisted" "turned round" "to bring forth (in pain)" (compare Isa 13:8; Mic 4:10; De 32:18 the King James Version, "God that formed thee"; Job 26:13 the King James Version; Ps 90:2, "or ever thou hadst formed the earth" etc.; Pr 26:10 the King…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ IN RELIGIOUS SERVICE 1Ch 15:13,14; 2Ch 29:34

→ IRREGULARITIES IN 2Ch 30:2-5,17-20; Mt 12:3,4

See CHURCH AND STATE

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
100%form
form100% · 3×

3 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 1 different way. 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
adverbial67%object33%

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
ἕτεροςanother, different
ἐν
ἐν
ὅς
κενόωI empty, deprive of
ἑαυτοῦ
μορφή[the] form
what comes after →
πορεύομαιI travel, journey, g
εἰς
θεόςGod, a god
ὑπάρχωI am, exist, am
δοῦλος (II)
λαμβάνωI receive, take

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

Concordanceμορφή · 3× in the New Testament
Philippians Mark
Across the New Testament2 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
Philo of Alexandria Josephus The Shepherd of Hermas Clement of Rome
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 76c. AD 40

πάνυ δὲ καλῶς τὸ γένος ἄνθρωπον εἰπὼν διέκρινε τὰ εἴδη φήσας ἄρρεν τε καὶ θῆλυ δεδημιουργῆσθαι, μήπω τῶν ἐν μέρει μορφὴν λαβόντων, ἐπειδὴ τὰ προσεχέστατα τῶν εἰδῶν ἐνυπάρχει τῷ γένει καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν κατόπτρῳ διαφαίνεται τοῖς ὀξὺ καθορᾶν δυναμένοις.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 3.137c. AD 75–95

τῷ δὲ ἐπιθέματι αὐτῆς ἦσαν πρόστυποι δύο, Χερουβεῖς μὲν αὐτοὺς Ἑβραῖοι καλοῦσι, ζῷα δέ ἐστι πετεινὰ μορφὴν δʼ οὐδενὶ τῶν ὑπʼ ἀνθρώπων ἑωραμένων παραπλήσια, Μωυσῆς δέ φησι τῷ θρόνῳ τοῦ θεοῦ προστυπεῖς ἑωρακέναι.

Clement of RomeFirst Clement 39.3c. AD 96

γέγραπται γάρ: Οὐκ ἦν μορφὴ πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν μου, ἀλλ̓ ἢ αὔραν καὶ φωνὴν ἤκουον:

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

τοῦ πένθους ἐφειλκυσμένην σύνταξιν ἄρτους δ. σοὶ δὲ ὁ Σάραπις ἀνταποδῷ σοι χάριν καὶ μορφὴν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα. εὐτύχει.

APF 41 (1995), p. 56Karanis (Arsinoites)201 BC–2 BC

σοι δοῦναι καὶ εὐημερίαν καὶ εὐπραξίαν ἀεὶ μείζονα παρὰ τοῖς βασιλεῦσι. δοίησάν σοι χάριν μορφὴν εὐπραξίαν καὶ ἡ Βούβαστις δοίη ὑγίειαν

BGU 20 2845Phys (Herakleopolites)52 BC–50 BC

τοῖς θεοῖς ὑπὲρ σοῦ καὶ τῶν τέκνων, οἷς καὶ εὐχόμενος διατελῶ διδόναι σοι χάριτας μορφὴν πλοῦτον ὄλβον εὐτεκνίαν εὐπραξίαν, ὅπως διευτυχῇς εἰς τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον, παρὰ τὴν σὴν εὐσέβειαν

Who in [the] form of God existing not something to be grasped considered <the> to be equal with God,
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 Philippians 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
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

Who in [the] form of God existing not something to be grasped considered <the> to be equal with God,
ὑπάρχωνhuparchō existing G5225 Verb · present · active · participle · nominative · singular · masculine
60× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Philippians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
To be already in existence, like something or someone that was present from the start. It appears in Acts 19:40 and 27:12, describing things that were already happening. It can also mean to be ready or at hand.
Amplified meaning
being in the nature of, having the same form as
Tyndale gloss
be already
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word ὑπάρχω (*hyparcho*) is built from the roots meaning 'under' and 'begin.' It encompasses meanings such as 'to begin,' 'to exist,' and 'to belong to.' In the New Testament, it appears in various contexts, including Acts 19:40 and 28:18, where it conveys existence or possession. Notably, the lexicons do not present significant disagreement regarding its meanings.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ὑπάρχω

[in LXX for הָיָה, יֵשׁ, לוּן, etc.; τ. ὑπάρχοντα for מִקְנֶה, רְכוּשׁ, etc. ;]

to begin, make a beginning (Hom., Hdt., al.).

to be in existence, be ready, be at hand (Hdt., Thuc., al.): Ac 19:40 27:12, 21; seq. ἐν, Ac 28:18.

to be, prop, expressing continuance of an antecedent state or condition (cf. Gifford, Incarnation, 11 ff.; MM, xxv): c. nom. pred., Lk 8:41 9:48, Ac 4:34 7:55 8:16 16:3 19:36 21:20, I Co 7:26 12:22, Ja 2:15, II Pe 3:11; ptcp. c. pred., Lk…

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

ὑπάρχω: impf. ὑπῆρχον; 1. prop. to begin below, to make a beginning; univ. to begin; (Hom., Aeschyl., Hat., sqq-). 2. to come forth, hence to be there, be ready, be at hand, (Aeschyl., Hdt., Pind., sqq.): univ. and simply, Acts xix. 40 [cf. B. § 151, 29 note]; xxvii. 12, 21; ἔν rem, to be found in one, Acts xxviii. 18; with a dat. of the pers. ὑπάρχει μοί τι, something is mine, I have something: Acts iii. 6; iv. 37; xxviii. 7; 2 Pet. i. 8 (where Lehm. παρόντα; Sir. xx. 16; Prov. xvii. 17; Job ii. 4, ete.) ; τὰ ὑπάρχοντά τινι, one’s substance, one’s property, Lk. viii. 3; xii. 15 Ltxt. T Tr WH; Acts iv. 32, (Gen. xxxi. 18; Tob. iv. 8; Dio C. 38,40); also τὰ ὑπ. τινος, Mt. xix. 21; xxiv.47; xxv. 14; Lk. xi. 21; xii. 15 RG Lmrg., 33, 44 [here L mrg. Tr mrg. the dat.]; xiv. 33; xvi. 1; xix. 8; 1 Co. xiii. 3; Heb. x. 34, (often in Sept. for 1391, Wi39, 0°DD3; Sir. xli.1; Tob. i. 20, ete.; τὰ…

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

ὑπάρχω. The idea of falling back upon a ‘‘basis,’’ and hence of continuity with a previous state, which originally belonged this verb (cf. Hort ad Jas 215), seems gradually to have faded in later Greek, as the following exx. show—P Petr III. 64(4.)!* (iii/B.c.) τοῦτο (sc. τὸ ὀψώνιον) ὑπάρξει 7 τιμὴ τῶν εὑρεθέντων] παρὰ Τασύθει, ‘this will be made up by the price of the articles discovered in the possession of Tasuthis” (Edd.), P Hib I. γ218 (B.c. 241) τὴμ μὲν σφραγῖδα ὡμολόγουν ὑπάρχειν ἐν τῶι ἀδύτωι, ‘confessed that the seal was in the sanctuary”’ (Edd.), P Oxy IX. 11Sgl® (c. A.D. 117) περὶ γραφῆς τῶν τοῖς [᾿1Ι]ουδαίοις ὑπαρξάντων, ‘about ἃ list of property which belonged to the Jews”.(Ed.), 7. VI. 93317 (late ii/a.D.) πάντα αὐτῇ ὑπῆρκται, “everything was provided for her” (Edd.), 2d. 90518 (a.p. [2 ὑπείκω 170) (= Selections, p. 87) a marriage contract, where the giver of the bride has…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ὑπάρχω (huparchō) — be already.

ὑπάρχω,

future

__A -ξω[Refs 5th c.BC+]aorist ὑπῆρξα (see. below [Refs]:—passive, future ὑπαρχθήσομαι [Refs 3rd c.AD+]perfect ὕπηργμαι, Ionic dialect -αργμαι[Refs 5th c.BC+]:—begin, take the initiative:—Constr.:

__A.1 absolutely, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὁ ὑπάρξας the beginner (in a quarrel), [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—middle, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

__A.2 with genitive, take the initiative in, begin, ἀδίκων ἔργων, ἀδικίης, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

__A.3 with participle, take the initiative in doing, ἐμὲ ὑπῆρξαν ἄδικα ποιεῦντες [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὑπάρχει εὖ (or κακῶς) ποιῶν τινα [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἀμύνεσθαι οἷσπερ καὶ οἱ Λκεδαιμόνιοι ὑπῆρξαν retaliating by the means which the L. had used first, [Refs 5th…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ὑπάρχω

huparcho

from 5259 and 756; to begin under (quietly), i.e. come into existence

(be present or at hand); expletively, to exist (as copula or

subordinate to an adjective, participle, adverb or preposition, or as

an auxiliary to a principal (verb):--after, behave, live.

see GREEK for 5259

see GREEK for 756

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ὑπάρχω

v.

I am, exist, am in possession

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ὑπάρχω hyparchō 60x

to begin; to come into existence; to exist; to be, subsist, Acts 19:40; 28:18; to be in possession, to belong, Acts 3:6; 4:37; goods, possessions, property, Mt. 19:21; Lk. 8:3; to be, Lk. 7:25; 8:41

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ὑπάρχω fut. ξω aor1 ὑπῆρξα Pass., perf. ὕπηργμαι ionic -αργμαι to begin, make a beginning, absol., Od., Eur., etc.

c. gen. to make a beginning of, ἀδικίης Hdt.; πολλῶν κακῶν Eur., etc.

c. part to begin doing, ὑπῆρξαν ἄδικα ποιεῦντες Hdt.; ὑπάρχει εὖ ποιῶν τινα Xen.

c. acc., ὑπ. εὐεργεσίας εἴς τινα or τινι to begin [doing] kindnesses to one, Dem., Aeschin.:—Pass. to be begun, τὰ ἔκ τινος ὑπαργμένα (ionic for ὑπηργ-) Hdt.:—impers., ὑπῆρκτο αὐτοῦ a beginning of it had been made, Thuc.

to begin to be, come into being, arise, spring up, Aesch., etc.

to be in existence, to be there, to be ready, Hdt., attic;—c. gen., ὑπάρχει τῶνδε there is store of these things, Aesch.:—oft. in part., ἡ ὑπάρχουσα οὐσία the existing property…

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-PAP-NSM — Verb · present · active · participle · nominative · singular · masculine
nominative — the one doing it — the subject.
Agrees with anything else marked singular masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

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

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
38%being
being38% · 23×possessions23% · 14×were5% · 3×be5% · 3×was3% · 2×existing3% · 2×other renderings13% · 8×other renderings10% · 6×

61 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
linking verb58%verb38%object3%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 60 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
πᾶςall, the whole, ἐκσύ
σύ
πᾶςall, the whole, ἐνγάρfor
αὐτός
ὀφθαλμόςthe eyeμήτηρa motherπατήρfather, Father,
οὖνtherefore, then
προφήτηςa prophet, poetγένοςoffspring, famil
ἸουδαῖοςJewish
πόλιςa cityσύ
ὑπάρχωexisting60×
what comes after →
καίand, even, also, nam
δίδωμιI offer, giveπίπτωI fall, fall undἐκμυκτηρίζωI deride, scoff
αὐτός
καθίστημιI set, establishλέγωI say, speakἀγρόςa field, the cou
Article the
θεόςGod, a godγυνήa woman, wife, mπατρικόςpaternal, ancest
ἐν
Article theβάσανοςtorture, tormentἐγώ
σύ
καίand, even, also,μετάἐν

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

Concordanceὑπάρχω · 60× in the New Testament
Acts Luke 1 Corinthians 2 Peter Matthew 2 Corinthians Galatians Philippians Hebrews James Romans
Across the New Testament11 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 47 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 The Epistle of Barnabas
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 150c. AD 40

ἀκράτου γὰρ ἔτι τῆς λογικῆς φύσεως ὑπαρχούσης ἐν ψυχῇ καὶ μηδενὸς ἀρρωστήματος ἢ νοσήματος ἢ πάθους παρεισεληλυθότος, τὰς φαντασίας τῶν σωμάτων καὶ πραγμάτων ἀκραιφνεστάτας λαμβάνων εὐθυβόλους ἐποιεῖτο τὰς κλήσεις, εὖ μάλα στοχαζόμενος τῶν…

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.259c. AD 75–95

Λιμοῦ δὲ τὴν γῆν καταλαβόντος Ἴσακος, δόξαν αὐτῷ χωρεῖν εἰς Αἴγυπτον τῆς χώρας ἀγαθῆς ὑπαρχούσης, ἐπὶ Γεράρων ἀπῄει τοῦ θεοῦ κελεύσαντος.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 5.10c. AD 100

εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἦλθεν ἐν σαρκί, οὐδ̓ ἄν πως οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἐσώθησαν βλέποντες αὐτόν, ὅτε τὸν μέλλοντα μὴ εἶναι ἥλιον, ἔργου τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ ὑπάρχοντα, ἐμβλέποντες οὐκ ἰσχύουσιν εἰς τὰς ἀκτῖνας αὐτοῦ ἀντοφθαλμῆσαι:

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 2nd c. BC 6th c. AD
P.Grenf. 2 35Pathyris99 BC

αὐτῶν ἱερέων ὡς ἐτῶν ν μέσος ἢ ἐλασσων μελίχρως μακροπρόσωπος εὐθύριν ὑπόσκνιφος, ἀπὸ τοῦ ὑπάρχοντος αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς παστοφορίου ὠκοδομημένου καὶ δεδοκωμένου καὶ τεθυρωμένου ἐν τῷ ἀπὸ νότου

BGU 3 1000Pathyris99 BC

Πέρσης τῆς ἐπιγονῆς ὡς ἐτῶν ξ μέσος μελίχρως τετανὸς ἀναφάλακρος μακροπρόσωπος εὐθύριν ἀπὸ τῆς ὑπαρχούσης αὐτῷ καὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς γῆς ἠπείρου σιτοφόρου ἀδιαιρέτου ἐν τῷ ἀπὸ βορρᾶ πεδίωι Παθύρεως

P.Adl. 19Pathyris99 BC

ἡμέρας ἑκάστης· ἡ δὲ πρᾶξις ἔστω Ὥρωι ἔκ τε αὐτοῦ Γαλάτου καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῷ πάντων πράσσοντι καθάπερ ἐκ δίκης. Ἑρμίας ὁ παρὰ Πανίσκου κεχρημάτικα.

Who in [the] form of God existing not something to be grasped considered <the> to be equal with God,
οὐχou not G3756 Particle · negative
1,622× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Philippians as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
This is a strong 'no', used to deny something completely. It appears in the New Testament, such as in Matthew 13:29 and John 1:21. It is a negative answer to a question.
Tyndale gloss
no
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word οὐ (transliterated as ou) is a primary negative particle meaning 'not' or 'no.' It is used to negate verbs or statements, often appearing in various forms depending on the following sound. In the New Testament, it frequently serves to deny facts and is distinct from another negative particle, μή (transliterated as ), which is used for prohibitions or wishes.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

οὐ, before a vowel with smooth breathing οὐκ, before one with rough breathing οὐχ (but improperly οὐχ ἰδού, Ac 2:7, WH, mg.; cf. WH, Intr., § 409; M, Pr., 44, 244),

[in LXX for לֹא, אַיִן, אֵין;]

neg. particle,

not, no, used generally c. indic. and for a denial of fact (cf . μή);

absol. (accented), οὔ, no: Mt 13:29, Jo 1:21 21:5; οὒ οὔ, Mt 5:37, Ja 5:12.

Most freq. negativing a verb or other word, Mt 1:25 10:26, 38, Mk 3:25 9:37, Jo 8:29, Ac 7:5, Ro 1:16, Phl 3:3, al.; in…

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

οὐ before a consonant, οὐκ before a vowel with a smooth breathing, and ody before an aspirated vowel ; but sometimes in the best codd. οὐχ occurs even before a smooth breathing; accordingly LT WH mrg. have adopted οὐχ ἰδού, Acts ii. 7; LT οὐχ ᾿Ιουδαϊκῶς, Gal. ii. 14 (see WH. Introd. § 409); L οὐχ ὀλίγος, Acts xix. 23; οὐχ ἠγάπησαν, Rev. xii. 11; and contrariwise οὐκ before an aspirate, as οὐκ ἕστηκεν, Jn. viii. 44 T; [οὐκ ἕνεκεν, 2 Co. vii. 12 T]; (οὐκ εὗρον, Lk. xxiv. 3; [οὐκ ὑπάρχει, Acts iii. 6] in cod. x [alsoC*; ef. cod. Alex. in 1 ἔβαν. iv. 2,12; Job xix. 16; xxxviiil. 11, 26]); cf. W. $5, 14d. 14; Β. τ; [A. v. Schiitz, Hist. Alphab. Att., Berol. 1875, pp: 54-58 ; Sophocles, Hist. of Grk. Alphab., 1st ed. 1848, p- 64 sq. (on the breathing); Tdf Sept., ed. 4, Proleg. pp: Xxxiii. xxxiv.; Scrivener, Collation ete., 2d ed., p. lv. no. 9; id. cod. Bezae p. xlvii. no. 11 (ef. p. xlii.…

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

ου to make the voyage” (Edd.), and P Amh II. 78?! (a.p. 184) τοιαύτης ο[ὖ]ν αὐθαδίας ἐν αὐτῷ οὔσης οὐ δυνάμενος [ἐν]καρτερεῖν ἐπιδίδωμι, ‘“ his audacity having reached this pitch I can endure no longer and present this petition.” See further Proleg. p. 231 f. In support of the translation ‘‘ I determined not to know” in 1 Cor 2, we may cite P Par 2657 (B.c. 163) (= UPZi. Ρ-. 248) οὐκ ἐκρίναμεν καταχωρῆσαι, ‘we determined not to record,” P Tebt I. 124° (c. B.c. 118) οὐκ (ἐκδρίναμεν ἐξαρ[ιθ]μεῖ[σθαι, “we determined not to be counted,” and the classical formula in P Hamb I. 27° (B.c. 250 (249)) οὐκ ἔφη εἰδέναι, ‘he said that he did not know.” The origin of the double negative οὐ μή is fully discussed by Moulton Pro/eg. p. 187 ff. When we pass to its actual occurrences in the NT, we find that these for the most part are found in passages derived from the OT and in the Sayings of our Lord…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

οὐ (ou) — no.

οὐ,

the negative of fact and statement, as μή of will and thought; οὐ denies, μή rejects; οὐ is absolute, μή relative; οὐ objective, μή subjective. —The same differences hold for all compounds of οὐ and μή, and some examples of οὐδέ and οὐδείς are included below.—As to the Form, see infr. G. USAG[Refs 5th c.BC+]

I. as the negative of single words,

II. as the negative of the sentence.

I. οὐ adhering to single words so as to form a quasi-compound with them:—with Verbs: οὐ δίδωμι withhold, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὐκ εἰῶ prevent, [Refs]; οὐκ ἐθέλω refuse, [Refs]; οὔ φημι deny, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; but sometimes οὐ is retained, εἰ δ᾽ ἂν.. οὐκ ἐθέλωσιν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐάντε.. οὐ (variant{μή}) φῆτε ἐάντε φῆτε [Refs 8th c.BC+] —On the use of οὐ in contrasts, see below [Refs 5th…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

οὐ

ou

ouk ook, and (before an aspirate)

ouch ookh

a primary word; the absolute negative (compare 3361) adverb; no or

not:--+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, +

nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but. See also

3364, 3372.

see GREEK for 3361

see GREEK for 3364

see GREEK for 3372

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

οὐ

Neg.prt.

no, not

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

οὐ ou 1x

negative adverb, originally the gen. of ὅς, spelled οὐκ if followed by a word beginning with a vowel and a smooth breathing, οὐχ if followed by a vowel and rough breathing, not, no, Mt. 5:37; 12:43; 23:37; for the peculiarities of its usage (especially as distinct from μή) consult a grammar

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Particle-N — Particle · negative
particle — a small word colouring the clause; it does not decline.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

PRT-N PaRTicle, disjunctive particle Negative

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
82%not
not82% · 1383×certainly6% · 96×surely4% · 70×no longer3% · 50×no2% · 39×other renderings3% · 51×

1,689 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 17 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
adverbial82%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 1,622 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
εἰμίI am, existἐγώαὐτός
ὅς
ἐγώθερίζωI reap, gatherδέbut, on the othe
ὅτιthat, since, because
σύαὐτόςἐγώ
αὐτός
λέγωI say, speakἐνἐπί
σύ
λέγωI say, speakγάρforὅς
οὐnot1622×
what comes after →
εἰμίI am, exist
ἐκArticle theἐγώ
μήNeg
παρέρχομαιI pass byεἰσέρχομαιI go in, come inπίνωI drink, imbibe
οἶδαI know, remember
ὅτιthat, since, becArticle theτίςIrg
γάρfor
εἰμίI am, existθέλωI will, wish, deArticle the
δύναμαιI am powerful, am ab
ἔρχομαιI come, goσῴζωI save, healArticle 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

Concordanceοὐ · 1,622× in the New Testament
John Matthew Luke 1 Corinthians Romans Mark Acts 2 Corinthians Revelation Hebrews 1 John Galatians

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

Across the New Testament26 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
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 6c. AD 40

ὡς γὰρ τῶν κολοσσιαίων μεγεθῶν τὰς ἐμφάσεις καὶ ἡ βραχυτάτη σφραγὶς τυπωθεῖσα δέχεται, οὕτως τάχα που καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀναγραφείσης ἐν τοῖς νόμοις κοσμοποιίας ὑπερβάλλοντα κάλλη καὶ ταῖς μαρμαρυγαῖς τὰς τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων ψυχὰς ἐπισκιάζοντα βραχυτέροις…

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.11c. AD 75–95

ὁ δὲ τῶν παρʼ ἡμῖν ἀρχιερέων οὐδενὸς ἀρετῇ δεύτερος Ἐλεάζαρος τῷ προειρημένῳ βασιλεῖ ταύτης ἀπολαῦσαι τῆς ὠφελείας οὐκ ἐφθόνησε πάντως ἀντειπὼν ἄν, εἰ μὴ πάτριον ἦν ἡμῖν τὸ μηδὲν ἔχειν τῶν καλῶν ἀπόρρητον.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 1.8c. AD 100

ἐγὼ δὲ οὐχ ὡς διδάσκαλος, ἀλλ̓ ὧς εἰς ἐξ ὑμῶν ὑποδείξω ὀλίγα, δἰ ὧν ἐν τοῖς παροῦσιν εὐφρανθήσεσθε.

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 6th c. AD

δὲ γενόμεναι κατὰ τὸ ἀναγκαῖον κληρονομήσασαι ταξάμεναι τὰ καθήκοντα τέλη θεᾶι Βερενίκηι κυριεύομεν. ὅθεν οὐκ ἀποδιδόντων τὰ ἡμέτερα ἐπεδώκαμεν ἐν τῶι λ ἔτει προσανγελίαν Ἡρακλείδει γενομένωι ἀρχιφυλακίτηι τοῦ Παθυρίτου

C.Erbstreit16Diospolis Magna (Theben)135 BC

ι ἀρουρῶν πρόκτησιν … ένου αὐτὸν ἐν συνεδρίωι καὶ συγχώρησιν … ειν, ἐν ἧι οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ὁ πατήρ. ὅθεν καταβεβραβευμένοι … ήρου συνεριου ἀξιοῦμεν, ἐὰν φαίνηται, συντάξαι γράψαι, οἷς

P.Adl. 2Pathyris125 BC

ὠνῆς ἐν πίστει διὰ τῶν περὶ τὸν Πανεβχοῦνιν ἐκτελειωθεῖσαν τῶι … ἔτει ἀντὶ ὀφειλημάτων, οὐκ ἐπελευσομένους τὸν Πανερέα καὶ τὴν Σενενοῦπιν περὶ ὀφειλημάτων μηδὲ περὶ ἄλλου μηδενός. ταῦτα δὲ

Who in [the] form of God existing not something to be grasped considered <the> to be equal with God,
ἁρπαγμὸνharpagmos something to be grasped G725 Noun · accusative · singular · masculine
1× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Philippians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
Plunder or a thing seized, as in Philippians 2:6, refers to something taken by force or robbery. It can also mean a prize or a reward, but often implies something taken unfairly.
Amplified meaning
seized, plundered, a thing to be taken by force
Tyndale gloss
something to grasp
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word ἁρπαγμός (*harpagmos*) is derived from the verb ἁρπάζω (*harpazo*), meaning to seize. It can refer to both the act of seizing or robbery and to something that is seized, like a prize. In the New Testament, it appears in Philippians 2:6, where its interpretation as a prize or something to be eagerly grasped is debated among scholars.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

*† ἁρπαγμός, οῦ, ὁ

(< ἁρπάζω);

prop., acc., to the rule of its formation (Bl., § 27, 2), actively, the act of seizing, robbery (Plut., de Puer. Educ., p. 12A), Phl 2:6, AV (Waterland, Works, II, 108; Cremer, 649 f.; Meyer, in l.; cf. also JThS, July, 1909, April, 1911; MM, s.v.).

Passively = ἅρπαγμα (Ez 22:25, of a lion's prey, טֶרֶף), a thing seized, hence, a prize: Phl 2:6, RV (Lft., Ellic., ICC, in l.; Donaldson, NCrat., 450 ff.; and esp. Gifford, The Incarnation, 59-71, and reff. in DB, ii, 835 B). The lexical data favour the active meaning, but as they also admit the possibility of the alternative, most modern expositors have accepted the latter as seeming to suit the logic of the passage better. The lexical difficulty, however, remains (MM, s.v., esp. the last ref.). As to the usage of St. Paul, he seems…

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

ἁρπαγμός, -od, 6, (ἁρπάζων ; 1. the act of seizing, robbery, (so Plut. de lib. edue.c. 15 (al. 14, 37), vol. ii. 12 a. the only instance of its use noted in prof. auth.). 2 a thing seized or to be seized, booty: ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγεῖσθαί τι to deem anything a prize,—a thing to be seized upon or to be held fast, retained, Phil. ii. 6; on the meaning of this pass. see poppy; (ἡγεῖσθαι or ποιεῖσθαί τι ἅρπαγμα, Euseb. h. e. 8, 12, 2; vit. Const. 2, 31; [Comm. in Lue. vi., ef. Mai, Nov. Bibl. Patr. iv. p. 165]; Heliod. 7, 11 and 20; 8, 7; [Plut. de Alex. virt. 1,8 p. 330 d.]; ut omnium bona praedam tuam duceres, Cic. Verr. ii. 5, 15, 39 ; {see Bp. Lehtft. on Phil. p. 133 sq. (cf. p. 111) ; Wetstein ad loc.; Cremer 4te Aufl. p. 153 sq.]).

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

ἁρπαγμός occurs in the MS. of Vettius Valens, p. 1221, ἐὰν "Ἄρης κληρώσηται τὸν δαίμονα, Σελήνη δὲ τὸν γαμοστόλον, ἁρπαγpos ὁ γάμος ἔσται. Kroll says “‘nempe ἁρπάγιμος,᾽" but why not render ‘‘the marriage will be one of force,” or perhaps ‘‘will be a great catch”? The closely parallel ἅρπαγμα, which modern commentators generally regard as a practical synonym of the rare ἁρπαγμός in Phil 25, may be cited from a magical text. The leaden tablet from AdruBeni metum, printed with a commentary by Deissmann, BS pp. 274-300, and with slightly amended text by Wiinsch 47 no. 5, has in 1. 3, δι’ ὃν ὁ λείων ἀφείησιν τὸ ἅρπασμα, the noun denoting the lion’s ‘*‘ prey” as in LXX of Ezek 2235, One apt though not exact literary parallel seems to have escaped Lightfoot’s net: Pindar Pyth 855 ἁρπαλέαν δόσιν “‘a gift to be eagerly seized” (Gildersleeve, who compares Phil ἃ c.), ‘the keen-sought prize”…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ἁρπαγμός (harpagmos) — something to grasp.

ἁρπαγ-μός, ὁ,

robbery, rape, [Refs 1st c.AD+]

2. concrete, prize to be grasped, [NT]

Strong's Greek Dictionary

ἁρπαγμός

harpagmos

from 726; plunder (properly concrete):--robbery.

see GREEK for 726

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ἁρπαγμός, οῦ, ὁ

n.m.

spoil, an object of eager desire, a prize

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ἁρπαγμός harpagmos 1x

eager seizure; in NT, a thing retained with an eager grasp, or eagerly claimed and conspicuously exercised, Phil. 2:6*

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ἁρπαγμός ἁρπάζω a seizing, booty, a prize, NTest.

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

N-ASM Part of Speech: Noun Case: Accusative Number: Singular Gender: Masculine

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
100%something to be grasped
something to be grasped100% · 1×

1 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 1 different way. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

Concordanceἁρπαγμός · 1× in the New Testament
Philippians
Across the New Testament1 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
Who in [the] form of God existing not something to be grasped considered <the> to be equal with God,
ἡγήσατοhēgeomai considered G2233 Verb · aorist · middle deponent · indicative · third person · singular
28× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Philippians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
To govern or lead is the meaning of this word, which involves guiding or ruling with authority. It is used in Matthew 2:6 and Acts 7:10 to describe leaders and rulers, and also in Acts 26:2 to mean thinking or supposing something.
Amplified meaning
think, regard
Tyndale gloss
to govern
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word ἡγέομαι (i.e., *hēgeomai*) is a deponent verb meaning 'to lead' or 'to guide.' It can also mean 'to think' or 'to consider.' In the New Testament, it appears in contexts related to leadership and authority, such as in Matthew 2:6 and Acts 14:12. Lexicons note its use for both physical leadership and mental consideration, but they do not significantly disagree on its meanings.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ἡγέομαι, -οῦμαι depon. mid.,

[in LXX (chiefly pres. ptcp.) for נָגִיד, רֹאשׁ, שַׂר, etc.;]

to lead;

to guide, go before;

to rule, be leader: pres. ptcp., ἡγούενος, a ruler, leader (MM, Exp., xiv), Mt 2:6(LXX), Lk 22:26, Ac 7:10 14:12 15:22, He 13:7, 17, 13:24.

to suppose, believe, consider, think (Hdt., Soph., al.; cf. Lat. duco): c. dupl. acc., Ac 26:2, Phl 2:3, 6 3:7, I Ti 1:12 6:1, He 10:29 11:11, 26, II Pe 1:13 2:13 3:9, 15…

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

ἡγέομαι, -ovpar; pf. ἥγημαι; 1 aor. ἡγησάμην ; (fr. ἄγω [ef. Curtius p. 688]); dep. mid.; fr. Hom. down; al. to lead, i.e. 8. to go before; Ὅ. to be a leader; to rule, command; to have authority over: in the N. T. so only in the pres. ptep. ἡγούμενος, a prince, of regal power (Ezek. xliii. 7 for 7975 Sir. xvii. 17), Mt. ii. 6; @ (royal) governor, viceroy, Acts vii. 10; chief, Lk. xxii. 26 (opp. to ὁ διακονῶν) ; leading as respects influence, controlling in counsel, ἔν τισι, among any, Acts xv. 22; with gen. of the pers. over whom one rules, so of the overseers or leaders of Christian churches: Heb. xiii. 7, 17, 24, (οἴκου, 2 Chr. xxxi. 13; τῶν πατριῶν, 1 Esdr. v. 65 (66), 67 (68); τῆς πόλεως, Judg. ix. 51 Alex.; a military leader, 1 Mace. ix. 30; 2 Mace. xiv. 16; used also in Grk. writ. of any kind of a leader, chief, commander, Soph. Phil. 386; often in Polyb.; Diod. 1, 4 and 72…

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

ἡγέομαι. Apart from the use of the participle as a noun (see below) this verb in general is not very common, but the following may serve as exx. of its use—P Ryl 11. €58 (B.c. 67?) παρ᾽ οὐδὲν ἡγησαμένους τὰ Siwpic[péva, “taking no heed whatever of the fixed rules” (Edd.), 2d. 1198° (A.D. 54-67) ἐν οὐδενὶ ἡγήσατο καθὸ ὑπερισχύων ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τῶν τόπων, ‘*(reports which) he scorned in virtue of his superior local power” (Edd.), P Giss I. 4839 (A.p. 202-3) (= Ολγεςί. I. Ῥ- 2037) ἐν πραξίμ[οις] ἡγηθῆναι, ‘es soll unter die gleich einzutreibenden Posten gerechnet werden” (Ed.). For ἀναγκαῖον Hy. followed by an inf., as in 2 Cor 9°, see BGU IIL. 8244 (A.D. 55-6) πρὸ μὲν πάντων dvaykalw[v] (/. —atov) ἡγησάμην διὰ ἐπιστολῆς σε ἀσπάσασθαι, P Kyl 11. 2354 (ii/A.D.) ἀναγκαῖον ἡγησάμην ἀσπάσασθαί σε καὶ πάντας τοὺς φιλοῦντάς σε, and cf. P Lond go8* (a.p. 139) (= III. P: 133) δεὸν ἡγοῦμαι συντάξαι, and…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ἡγέομαι (hēgeomai) — to govern.

ἡγέομαι,

Doric dialect ἁγ- (irregular present participle ἁγώμενος [Refs]imperfect ἡγούμην[Refs], Ionic dialect -εύμην[Refs 5th c.BC+]: future ἡγήσομαι [Refs 8th c.BC+]: aorist 1 ἡγησάμην [Refs 8th c.BC+]aorist 1 ἡγήθην[Refs 3rd c.AD+]: perfect ἥγημαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—go before, lead the way, ὣς εἰπὼν ἡγεῖθ᾽, ἡ δ᾽ ἕσπετο Παλλὰς 'Αθήνη [Refs 8th c.BC+]: Astron., precede in the daily movement, [Refs 4th c.BC+]

__b with dative person, Τρωσὶ ποτὶ πτόλιν ἡγήσασθαι [Refs 8th c.BC+]

__c with ὁδόν added, ὁδὸν ἡγήσασθαι to go before on the way, [Refs 8th c.BC+]

__d with accusative loci, ἥ οἱ.. πόλιν ἡγήσαιτο who might guide him to the city, [Refs 8th c.BC+]

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ἡγέομαι

hegeomai

middle voice of a (presumed) strengthened form of 71; to lead, i.e.

command (with official authority); figuratively, to deem, i.e.

consider:--account, (be) chief, count, esteem, governor, judge, have

the rule over, suppose, think.

see GREEK for 71

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ἡγέομαι

v.

I lead, think

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ἡγέομαι hēgeomai 28x

to lead the way; to take the lead, Acts 14:12; to be chief, to preside, govern, rule, Mt. 2:6; Acts 7:10; ἡγούμενος, a chief officer in the church, Heb. 13:7, 17, 24; also, to think, consider, count, esteem, regard, Acts 26:2; 2 Cor. 9:5

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ἡγέομαι ἄγω Dep. to go before, lead the way, Hom., etc.:—c. dat. pers. to lead the way for him, guide, conduct, id. Hom.:—also, ὁδὸν ἡγήσασθαι to go before on the way, Lat. praeire viam, Od.

c. dat. pers. et gen. rei, to be one's leader in a thing, ἀοιδὸς ἡμῖν ἡγείσθω ὀρχηθμοῖο id. Od.; ἡγ. τινι σοφίας, ὠιδῆς Pind., etc.:—and c. gen. rei only, ἡγ. νόμων to lead the song, id. Pind., etc.

c. acc. rei, to lead, conduct, τὰς πομπάς Dem., etc.

to lead an army or fleet, c. dat., Hom., etc.:—c. gen. to be the leader or commander of, id. Hom.

absol., οἱ ἡγούμενοι the rulers, Soph.; ἡγούμενοι ἐν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς leading men, NTest.

to suppose, believe, hold, Lat. ducere, Hdt., etc.; ἡγ. τι εἶναι id. Hdt.

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

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

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
25%leading
leading25% · 7×esteem11% · 3×do esteem11% · 3×i have esteemed7% · 2×i esteemed7% · 2×having esteemed7% · 2×ruler4% · 1×be esteeming4% · 1×other renderings25% · 7×

28 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 15 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%object11%subject4%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 28 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,εἰμίI am, existμνημονεύωI remember, make
καίand, even, also, nam
γέDisjζημιόωI inflict loss u
δέbut, on the other ha
ἀναγκαῖοςnecessary, essenδίκαιοςjust, righteous,
ἐξέρχομαιI go out, come out
γάρfor
αὐτός
καθίστημιI set, establish
ἡγέομαιconsidered28×
what comes after →
Article the
λόγοςa word, speech, εἰμίI am, existἐπαγγέλλομαιI promise, profe
σύ
καίand, even, also,ὅστις
ἐπί
ΑἴγυπτοςEgyptὅσος
ἐν
Article theὅς
ἀλλάbut, except
νουθετέωI admonish, warnμακροθυμέωI suffer long, h

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

Concordanceἡγέομαι · 28× in the New Testament
Hebrews Philippians 2 Peter Acts 1 Timothy 1 Thessalonians 2 Corinthians 2 Thessalonians James Luke Matthew
Across the New Testament11 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 66 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 The Shepherd of Hermas
Philo of AlexandriaAllegorical Interpretation of Genesis 1.51c. AD 40

δεῖ γὰρ ἡγεῖσθαι καὶ ἄποιον αὐτὸν καὶ ἕνα καὶ ἄφθαρτον καὶ ἄτρεπτον·

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.19c. AD 75–95

ἰστέον οὖν, ὅτι πάντων ἐκεῖνος ἀναγκαιότατον ἡγήσατο τῷ καὶ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ μέλλοντι βίον οἰκονομήσειν καλῶς καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις νομοθετεῖν θεοῦ πρῶτον φύσιν κατανοῆσαι καὶ τῶν ἔργων τῶν ἐκείνου θεατὴν τῷ νῷ γενόμενον οὕτως παράδειγμα τὸ πάντων ἄριστον…

Clement of RomeFirst Clement 5.7c. AD 96

δικαιοσύνην διδάξας ὅλον τὸν κόσμον, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ τέρμα τῆς δύσεως ἐλθὼν καὶ μαρτυρήσας ἐπὶ τῶν ἡγουμένων, οὕτως ἀπηλλάγη τοῦ κόσμου καὶ εἰς τὸν ἅγιον τόπον ἀνελήμφθη, ὑπομονῆς γενόμενος μέγιστος ὑπογραμμός.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
1st c. AD 2nd c. AD 1st c. BC 3rd c. AD 6th c. AD
P.Fouad 1 18Oxyrhyncha (Arsinoites)AD 54

Ἡρακλείδης Ἁρμιύσιος ἡγούμενος ἐτῶν λε οὐλὴ ἀντικνημίῳ ἀριστερῷ Πετσῖρις πρεσβύτερος Θευώνιος ἐτῶν με οὐλὴ δακτύλῳ μικρῷ χειρὸς

P.Fouad 1 19Areos Kome (Arsinoites)AD 54

Πανεστικοῦς Πετεῆτος ἡγούμενος καὶ Ἡρακλῆς Ἡρακλήου καὶ Ἁρπαῆσις Πανούριος καὶ Πετεσοῦχος Ὀννώφριος καὶ Πανοῦρις Πανούριος οἱ πέντε

P.Lond. 2 p. 65-66 no. 281Soknopaiu Nesos (Arsinoites)AD 66–AD 67

Ἀπύγχι Ἀπύγχεως καὶ Στοτοῆτι Ἀπύγχεως ἡγουμένοις ἱερέων Σοκονοπαίου Νήσου παρὰ Πανεφρέμμιος τοῦ Ὥρου τοῦ Ἁρπαγάθου μητρὸς Τανεφρέμμιος τῆς Ἁρπαγάθου ἱερέως

Who in [the] form of God existing not something to be grasped considered <the> to be equal with God,
τὸho <the> G3588 Article · accusative · singular · neuter
19,783× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Philippians 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-ASN — Article · accusative · singular · neuter
accusative — the one it is done to — the object.
Agrees with anything else marked singular neuter.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

T-ASN Part of Speech: definite arTicle Case: Accusative 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

Who in [the] form of God existing not something to be grasped considered <the> to be equal with God,
εἶναιeimi to be G1511 Verb · present · active · infinitive
2,123× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
In plain English
Tyndale gloss
to be
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

εἰμί,

with various uses and significations, like the English verb to be.

As substantive verb.

Of persons and things, to be, exist: Ac 17:28, Jo 1:1 8:58 17:5, al; ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν (for past ptcp.), Re 1:4, 8 4:8 11:17 16:5 (v. Swete, Ap., 5; M, Pr., 228); τὰ (μὴ) ὄντα, Ro 4:17, I Co 1:28.

Of times, events, etc., to be, happen, take place: Mt 24:3, Mk 14:2 15:42, Lk 21:23, Jo 4:6, 23 5:10, al.

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

εἰμί (fr. ἔω, whence ἐμέ in inscriptions [7]; Aeol. ἐμμὲ (Curtius (yet ἔμμε, so G. Meyer) 8 564; Veitch p. 2287), impv. ἴσθι, ἔστω, less usual ἤτω, 1 Co. xvi. 22; Jas. v.12; Clem. Rom. 1 Cor. 48,5; [1 Mace. x. 31; Ps. ciii. (civ.) 31]; Plat. rep. 2 p. 361 ¢. [here it has given place to ἔστω (or ἴτω), see Stallb. ad loc.; Veitch p. 200 sq.; 3 pers. plur. ἔστωσαν, Lk. xii. 35; 1 Tim. iii. 12], inf. εἶναι ; impf. —ace. to the more ancient and elegant form, ἦν, 2 pers. ἦσθα (Mt. xxvi. 69; Mk. xiv. 67), rarer form ἧς (Mt. RKV. 1235 dn ΧΙ: 9]. 92); xxI LS. Reyna 15 G@ ΕΣ Tr WH), 3 pers. ἦν, 1 pers. plur. jer, — ace. to the mid. form, com. in later Grk. [ef. Veitch p. 226], ἤμην (Mt. xxv. 35sq.; [on Acts xi. 11 ef. WH. Intr. § 404]; Gal.i.10, etc.), plur. ἤμεθα (Mt. xxiii. 30 G L T Tr WH; Acts xxvii. 37 L T Tr WH; [Gal. iv. 3 TWH Tr mrg.; Eph. ii. 3 T Tr WH; Bar. i. 19]); cf. Lob. ad Phryn.…

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

εἰμί. Middle forms in the flexion of εἰμί other than the present tense (cf. however MGr εἶμαι, -σαι, etc.) begin to appear very early in the dialects and are well established in the papyri. Thus the Ist sing. impf. ἤμην, which always takes the place of the class. ἢ in the NT (but see Ac 2018 D) may be illustrated from PSI IV. 36274 (B.c. 251-0) ἤμην δὲ πρὸς τῶι λαμβάνειν τὸν χαλκόν, P Magd 65 (B.c. 221) ἤμην γυμνός, P Par 57 (B.c. 129) ὧν ἤμην δι᾽ αὐτῶν [π]αραμε[μετ]ρηκ[υῖα, P Oxy IIT. 526% (ii/A.p.) οὐκ ἤμην ἀπαθὴς ἀλόγως σε καταλείπιν. For ist plur. ἤμεθα see P Petr IT. 4 (7)° (B.C. 255-4) τεθλιμμένοι ἤμεθα : cf. Ac 2737, Eph 23, as contrasted with the act. ἦμεν in Ac 111 (NB), 1612, Rom 7° a/.: the two forms are found together in Gal 4% (SDFG). The non-classical ἧς (Lob. Phryx. p. 149) is found sefzes in the NT as compared with ἦσθα (from an old perf. form ἤησθα), which is confined…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

εἶναι (einai) — to exist.

εἰμί

(sum), Aeolic dialect ἔμμι [Refs 7th c.BC+]; Cretan dialect ἠμί [Refs]; 2nd pers. singular εἶ, Epic dialect and Ionic dialect εἰς [Refs 8th c.BC+], Epic dialect and Doric dialect ἐσσί [Refs 8th c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. singular ἐστί, Doric dialect ἐντί [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. dual ἐστόν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; 1st pers. plural ἐσμέν, Epic dialect and Ionic dialect εἰμέν (also in [Refs 5th c.BC+], Doric dialect εἰμές [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. plural εἰσί (-ίν), Epic dialect and Ionic dialect ἔασι (-ιν) [Refs 8th c.BC+], Doric dialect ἐντί [Refs 5th c.BC+], Epic dialect and Lyric poetry also in middle form ἔσσο [Refs 8th c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. singular ἔστω (ἤτω [LXX+5th c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. plural ἔστωσαν, but ἔστων [Refs 8th c.BC+], and early Attic dialect Inscrr., [Refs 2nd c.BC+]subjunctive ὦ, ᾖς, ᾖ, Epic dialect ἔω [Refs 8th c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. singular ἔῃ…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

εἰμί ἐιμί

einai

present infinitive from 1510; to exist:--am, was. come, is, X lust

after, X please well, there is, to be, was.

see GREEK for 1510

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

εἰμί eimi 2x

to be, to exist, Jn. 1:1; 17:5; Mt. 6:30; Lk. 4:25, freq.; ἐστί[ν], it is possible, proper, Heb. 9:5; a simple linking verb (“copula”) to the subject and predicate, and therefore in itself affecting the force of the sentence only by its tense, mood, etc., Jn. 1:1; 15:1, freq.; it also forms a frequent circumlocution with the participles of the present and perfect of other verbs, Mt. 19:22; Mk. 2:6

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-PAN — Verb · present · active · infinitive
present active infinitive — an action in progress.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-PAN Part of Speech: Verb Tense: Present Voice: Active Mood: iNfinitive TVM equivalent: G5721

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
75%be
be75% · 95×being12% · 15×be?6% · 8×other renderings6% · 7×other renderings2% · 2×

127 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 11 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

Who in [the] form of God existing not something to be grasped considered <the> to be equal with God,
ἴσαisos equal G2470 Adjective · accusative · plural · neuter
8× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Philippians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
Means equal or similar in amount and kind, like the same gift in Acts 11:17 or equal testimonies in Mark 14:56. It's about being the same in size, number, or quality.
Amplified meaning
being the same, having equal status
Tyndale gloss
equal
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word ἴσος (i.e., *isos*) means 'equal' or 'the same' in various contexts, such as size, quality, or rights. It appears in the New Testament in verses like Acts 11:17 and Matthew 20:12. The word can also be used adverbially, as seen in Revelation 21:16. Some lexicons note a distinction between the forms ἴσος and ἶσος, but this is not universally agreed upon.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ἴσος

(epic ἶσος, so sometimes Rec.), -η, -ον,

[in LXX for כְּ׳, Jb 5:14 Jb 10:10, al.; אֶחָד, Ez 40:5 ff.; II Mac 9:15, IV Mac 13:20, 21, al.;]

equal, the same in size, number, quality, etc.: δωρεά, Ac 11:17; μαρτυρίαι, Mk 14:56, 59; ἴ. ποιεῖν, c. acc. et dat., Mt 20:12; ἑαυτὸν τ. θεῷ, Jo 5:18; τὰ ἴ. ἀπολαβεῖν, Lk 6:34, n. pl., ἴσα, adverbially, Re 21:16; τ. θεῷ, Phl 2:6.†

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

ἴσος (not ἶσος [yet often so R*°' G Tr], which is Epic; ef. Bornemann, Scholia in Lue. p. 4; Géttling, Lehre vom Accent p. 305; [Chandler § 406]; ZLipsius, Grammat. Untersuch. p. 24; [L. and S.s. v. fin.; W.52]),-n, τον, equal, in quality or in quantity: ἡ ton δωρεά, the same gift, Acts xi. 17; ἴσαι μαρτυρίαι, agreeing testimonies, Mk. xiv. 56,59; ἴσον ποιεῖν τινά Tu, to make one equal to another, in the payment of wages, Mt. xx. 12; ἑαυτὸν τῷ θεῷ, to claim for one’s self the nature, rank, authority, which belong to God, Jn. v. 18; τὰ ἴσα ἀπολαβεῖν, Lk. vi. 34. The neuters ἴσον and ἴσα are often used adverbially fr. Hom. down (cf. Passow s. ν. p. 1505"; [L. and S.s. v.IV.1]; W.-§ 27, 3 fin.): ἴσα εἶναι (B. § 129, 11), of measurement, Rey. xxi. 16; of state and condition, τῷ θεῷ, Phil. ii. 6 (on which see in…

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

ἴσος. In BGU II. 6465 (a.D. 193) ἵνα πάντες ἰδιῆτα[ι] (1. εἰδῆτε) καὶ ταῖς ἴσαις ‘Apfeats ἑορτάση[τα]ι (1. ἑορτάσητε) Wilcken (Chrest. Τ. p. 570) understands the reference to be not to the same eae days, but to the same length of time, viz. 15 days as stated later in the document. “equal cain? quality, cf. P Strass I. 32: (a. D. 261) ζυγὸν δὲ ἐνάγων παρά σοι τὸν ἐπιτηδειότερον αὐτῷ παράσχες, τὸν ἴσον σεαυτῷ ποιήσας εἰς τὰ παρά σοι ἔργα. The neut. is common 85 ἃ subst. = “ΠΟΡΥ,᾿ e.g. P Lond 1222 (A.D. 138) (=III. p. 126), a letter enclosing a copy of a rescript, and | requesting that another Eapy should be given to a certain woman—rd ἴσον δι ὑπηρέτου μεταδοθῆναι t[q] διά [σου δηλ[ουμέϊνῃ Θερμουθαρίωι, and similarly P Tebt II. 3015: (A.D. 190) ἔσχον τούτου [τὸ ἴ]σον ἄχρι ἐξετάσεως, “1 have received a copy of this [a notice of death] for investigation.” For τὰ ἴσα, as in Lk 65", cf. P Ryl…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ἴσος (isos) — equal.

ἴσος, η, ον,

Epic dialect ἶσος and ἔϊσος (see. below); Cretan dialect, [Refs 4th c.AD+] ϝίσϝος [Refs 5th c.AD+]; later ἵσος [Refs 4th c.BC+]:— equal in size, strength, or number, with dative, κύματα ἶσα ὄρεσσιν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; frequently of appearance, like, ἶσος ἀναύδῳ [Refs 7th c.BC+]; ἴσος θεοῖσιν Ead.2.1: frequently absolutely, ἴσην.. βίην καὶ κῦδος [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἶσον θυμὸν ἔχειν to be of like mind, [Refs] adverb, ἶσον ἐμοὶ φρονέουσα [Refs], etc.; ἴσος τινὶ τὸ μέγαθος, ὕψος, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ μῆκος, τὸ πλάτος, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἴσα τὸν ἀ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ποτὴν ἴσον equal in flight of song, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; ἴσον, τό, copy of a document, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; τοῖσδ᾽ ἴσας ναῦς (i.e. ταῖς τῶνδε) [Refs 5th c.BC+] the same to me as to you, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὰ ἴσα ὅσαπερ.. Legal cited in [Refs 5th…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ἴσος

isos

probably from 1492 (through the idea of seeming); similar (in amount

and kind):--+ agree, as much, equal, like.

see GREEK for 1492

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ἴσος, η, ον

Adj

equal, identical

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ἴσος isos 8x

equal, like, Mt. 20:12; Lk. 6:34; on an equality, Phil. 2:6; met. correspondent, consistent, Mk. 14:56, 59

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ἴσος ἴσος, η, ον equal to, the same as, c. dat., or absol. equal, like, Hom., etc.:— ἴσα πρὸς ἴσα "measure for measure, " Hdt.; of the mixture of wine with water, ἴσος οἶνος ἴσῳ ὕδατι κεκραμένος Comici; metaph., μηδὲν ἴσον ἴσῳ φέρων not mixing half and half, i. e. not giving tit for tat, Ar.

equally divided, equal, Hom., Soph.:— τὰ ἴσα an equal share, fair measure, Hdt., Soph.:— ἴσαι (sc. ψῆφοι) votes equally divided, Ar.

at Athens, of the equal division of all civic rights, Thuc., etc.:— τὰ ἴσα equal rights, equality, Dem.:—also, ἡ ἴση καὶ ὁμοία (sc. δίκη) Thuc., etc.; ἐπ᾽ ἴσῃ τε καὶ ὁμοίῃ on fair and equal terms, Hdt.

of persons, fair, impartial, Soph., Plat., etc.

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

A-APN Part of Speech: Adjective Case: Accusative Number: Plural Gender: Neuter

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

e'-kwal isos:

In Eze 18:25; 29; 33:17,20, "The way of the Lord is not equal" translates Hebrew yittakhen for takhan, "to weigh," and means "is not adjusted to any fixed standard," "arbitrary," "fitful," and, therefore, "not equitable, fair, or impartial" Septuagint ("is not set straight"). Compare same Hebrew word in 1Sa 2:3, where the Lord is said to `weigh actions.' "Equal," therefore, is what will bear the closest investigation and strictest judgment. In Mt 20:12, "made them equal" means "put them upon the same footing," i.e. regarded their brief service as though it were the very same as our long hours of toil. In Lu 20:36 the context restricts the equality to a…

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
50%equal
equal50% · 4×alike25% · 2×same13% · 1×same amount13% · 1×

8 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 4 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
predicate50%second object25%object25%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 8 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
ποιέωI do, makeαὐτός
Article the
ἀπολαμβάνωI get back, receοὖνtherefore, then
οὕτωthus, so, in this ma
οὐδέNeg
θεόςGod, a god
Article the
εἰμίI am, exist
Article the
ἴσοςequal
what comes after →
εἰμίI am, exist
Article the
αὐτός
ἐγώ
Article the
μαρτυρίαwitness, evidenc
ἑαυτοῦ
ποιέωI do, make
δωρεάa free gift
δίδωμιI offer, give

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

Concordanceἴσος · 8× in the New Testament
Mark Acts John Luke Matthew Philippians Revelation
Across the New Testament7 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 23 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 Clement of Rome The Epistle of Barnabas
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 27c. AD 40

εἰ δ’ ἀρχὴ μὴ παραλαμβάνεται τανῦν ἡ κατὰ χρόνον, εἰκὸς ἂν εἴη μηνύεσθαι τὴν κατ’ ἀριθμόν, ὡς τὸ „ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν" ἴσον εἶναι τῷ πρῶτον ἐποίησε τὸν οὐρανόν·

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 2.27c. AD 75–95

ἥ τε αἰτία τῆς ἀναιρέσεως πολὺ χείρω τὴν πρᾶξιν αὐτοῖς τίθησι, διὰ φθόνον τῶν ἐσομένων ἀγαθῶν αὐτῷ τοῦ ζῆν ἐξαγαγεῖν διεγνωκότων, ὧν τὸ ἴσον ἀπολαύσουσι κοινωνοῦντες αὐτῷ τῆς μετουσίας οὐκ ἀλλοτρίων ὄντων ἀλλʼ οἰκείων·

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 7.10c. AD 100

εἰς τοῦτο ὁμοίους τοὺς τράγους, καλούς, ἴσους, ἵνα, ὅταν ἴδωσιν αὐτὸν τότε ἐρχόμενον, ἐκπλαγῶσιν ἐπὶ τῇ ὁμοιότητι τοῦ τράγου.

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 4th c. AD 6th c. AD 1st c. AD
ZPE 14 (1974), p. 146-151Ptolemais Euergetis (Arsinoites)11 BC

ἐπίτιμον χαλκοῦ τάλαντα δέκα καὶ τὰ βλάβη ὄντ … καὶ εἰς τὸ δημόσιον τὸ ἴσον, τῆς πράξεως οὔσης τῶι Γαίωι ἔκ τε τῶν μεμισθωμένων καὶ ἐξ ἑνὸς καὶ ἐξ

P.Berl.Leihg. 1 10ArsinoitesAD 120

τοι Βουκόλου τοῦ ἱερέως καὶ ἀρχιδικαστοῦ χρηματισμοῦ τὸ ἀντίγραφον ὑπόκειται, καὶ ἐρωτῶ τούτου τὸ ἴσον μεταδοθῆναι τῶι τῆς Τηρεντίας Γεμέλλης νομίμωι ἐπιτρόπωι Ἰγνατίωι Νίγερι διʼ ὑπηρέτου, ἵνʼ εἰδῇ ἀφιστάμενον

P.Berl.Möller 5Psei (Arsinoites)AD 145

Καίσαρος τοῦ κυρίου περὶ τοῦ μηδὲν περιγεγονέναι ἀπὸ τῆς προκειμένης ἐπιτηρήσεως καὶ ἔσχον τὴν ἴσην ἀποχήν. Μηνίκιος Σαραπίων ἐπιδέδωκα, καθὼς πρόκειται. ἔτους η Ἀντωνείνου Καίσαρος τοῦ κυρίου, Φαμενὼθ λ.

Who in [the] form of God existing not something to be grasped considered <the> to be equal with God,
θεῷ,theos with God, G2316 Noun · dative · singular · masculine
1,311× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Philippians 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 supreme ruler
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-DSM — Noun · dative · singular · masculine
dative — to, for, with — the one it is done to or by.
Agrees with anything else marked singular masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

N-DSM Part of Speech: Noun Case: Dative 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
θεόςwith God,1311×
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

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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