ἡμεῖς (emeis) in John 1:16: P-1NP
ἡμεῖς (emeis) in John 1:16
Textual Witness
The witness reads ἡμεῖς in John 1:16, within the textus receptus tradition of Scrivener 1894.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The pronoun makes the reception explicit as shared and first-person, but the verse's meaning comes from the whole clause, not from the pronoun by itself.
How To Communicate It
In translation and teaching, it should be rendered in a way that clearly shows the included group and preserves the flow of the sentence.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- Plural pronoun form identifies participants, but it does not by itself settle theology, scope, or emphasis.
- Do not turn grammatical gender or person marking into claims beyond what the verse and clause actually say.
What Does The Label Mean?
Pronoun: the form points to a person or group already known in the discourse, rather than naming them with a noun.
Nominative: the form usually marks the subject of the clause, and here it identifies who is said to have received.
Plural: the form is grammatically plural in this occurrence, so it refers to more than one participant.
Common person reference: the masculine-looking plural form belongs to the pronoun system and by itself does not make a theological gender claim.
What The Form Does In This Verse
πάντες ἐλάβομεν
The form stands with the subject idea of the clause and is reinforced by the plural verb, so it identifies the group that received.
It functions as the speaker's included first-person plural subject, locating the action as shared by the speaking group.
It is not a noun, not an object, and not a separate theological label; the form only marks the participants in the action.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The nominative plural pronoun identifies the receiving group in a major statement about grace from Christ's fullness.
First-person plural nominative subject. identifies the included group that has received. Attached to the verb about receiving from his fullness. Governed by the clause's subject and plural verb agreement. The pronoun marks the subject group, while context defines who is included in that confession.
Who is said to have received from his fullness? The speaker includes a plural group, 'we all.'
Direct: The nominative plural form directly supports the subject wording 'we.'
The plural pronoun should be interpreted with the surrounding Johannine context and should not be expanded beyond the text's scope.
Plural pronoun automatically includes every possible person: The pronoun marks a plural group, but context determines the intended scope.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The witness reads ἡμεῖς in John 1:16, within the textus receptus tradition of Scrivener 1894.
The lemma is ἐγώ, whose plural forms supply the first-person group reference here.
Nominative plural grammar fits the subject position of ἐλάβομεν and supports the inclusive sense, but the surrounding wording carries the main meaning.
The verse says that the speakers, together with all included in the statement, have received from his fullness and have received grace upon grace.
Across Scripture, first-person plural forms can mark shared witness or shared participation without needing special force beyond the context.
For readers, the form helps identify who is included in the receiving, which matters for translating the sentence naturally and clearly.
Do not derive a hidden subject, a special doctrinal office, or extra emphasis from the form alone.