ἐστιν (estin) in Matthew 1:20: Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
ἐστιν (estin) in Matthew 1:20
Textual Witness
The witness reads γεννηθὲν ἐκ Πνεύματός ἐστιν Ἁγίου, so the verb stands in the core explanation of the conception.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form helps the verse read as a direct declaration of origin and reality, not as a speculative or merely descriptive aside.
How To Communicate It
In translation and teaching, this form supports a simple 'is' statement that conveys the angel's explanation clearly and firmly.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- Do not make verbal tense, voice, or mood bear more meaning than the clause and verse context support.
- Do not turn grammatical gender or number into theological claims about persons or nature.
What Does The Label Mean?
Verb: the form states existence or relation, here functioning with a present indicative sense in the clause.
Present: often views the action as in progress, customary, or presently in view. Context decides the exact force.
Active: presents the subject as doing or carrying the action.
Indicative: presents the verbal idea as an assertion or statement in the clause.
Third person: the form speaks about someone or something rather than directly as I/we or you.
Not applicable: this verb form is not using noun case to mark its sentence role.
Singular: the form is grammatically singular and matches a single implied subject in this sentence.
Not applicable: this verb form does not use grammatical gender to make its point.
What The Form Does In This Verse
γεννηθὲν ἐκ Πνεύματός
The verb links the neuter participial clause to the source phrase that follows, stating what is true about the thing conceived.
It serves as the clause's assertive link, presenting the source claim as a present reality in the angel's message.
It does not by itself identify a new subject, add a separate action, or override the participle's referential force.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The verb links what has been conceived to the source phrase in the angelic explanation.
Present active indicative copula. links the subject matter to its stated source. Attached to the conceived child clause and the source phrase from the Holy Spirit. Governed by the angelic explanation to Joseph. The verb makes the link, while the participle, source phrase, and angelic context carry the miraculous claim.
What does the verb say about what has been conceived? It links the conceived child to the stated source, from the Holy Spirit.
Direct: The present copula directly supports English wording such as "is of" or "is from."
The copula does not explain the whole doctrine of the conception by itself; the surrounding angelic statement supplies the claim.
Present tense proves the whole theological claim by itself: The present form links subject and predicate; the clause and passage identify the source and significance.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The witness reads γεννηθὲν ἐκ Πνεύματός ἐστιν Ἁγίου, so the verb stands in the core explanation of the conception.
The lemma εἰμί regularly serves as the verb 'to be' or 'to exist', and here it carries that ordinary linking force.
In this context, the singular present indicative simply affirms the stated relation between what was born and its source from Holy Spirit.
The sentence communicates that the conception in Mary is from Holy Spirit, not from human initiative, and the verb ties that claim together.
This use fits the broader biblical pattern of εἰμί as a straightforward copular or existential verb without requiring special emphasis here.
For readers, the grammar supports a clear declarative statement about origin, helping the message sound direct and certain.
Do not derive extra theology from the present tense, singular number, or verb form beyond the sentence's stated claim.