ἐστι (estin) in Matthew 1:23: Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative
ἐστι (estin) in Matthew 1:23
Textual Witness
The witness reads ὅ ἐστι μεθερμηνευόμενον, Μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός, so the form appears in an explanatory clause tied to the name Emmanuel.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form helps the verse read as an explanation of Emmanuel, not merely as a standalone statement, and it keeps the focus on meaning in context.
How To Communicate It
In translation and teaching, it should be rendered in a way that clearly links the name to its explanation without forcing extra emphasis.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- Present indicative here helps explain the clause, but it does not by itself determine the full theology of the passage.
- Do not make grammatical gender into a theological gender claim, and do not treat this verb form as changing the meaning of the name.
What Does The Label Mean?
Verb: the form names an action, state, or relation, and here it is the copular verb "to be".
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 verb is marked for third person singular, so it matches a singular subject in the clause.
Not applicable: this verb form does not use grammatical gender to make its point.
What The Form Does In This Verse
It is attached to ὅ and the explanatory participle μεθερμηνευόμενον in the phrase about the name Emmanuel.
It is governed by the relative-clause setting that explains a name, so the verb supplies a straightforward link of identification or explanation.
It functions as the present tense link in the glossing clause, introducing the sense of the name as translated, 'with us God.'
It is not introducing a new event in the story, and it is not the main action of the verse.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The verb links the name explanation to the meaning given in the fulfillment citation.
Present active indicative explanatory copula. connects the named child with the explanatory predicate. Attached to the translated meaning of Emmanuel. Governed by the relative clause explaining the name. The verb supplies the explanatory link; the name, citation, and Gospel context carry the fulfillment claim.
What does this verb connect in the name explanation? It connects Emmanuel with the explanatory meaning, God with us.
Direct: The copula directly supports the explanatory English wording in the name gloss.
The form explains the name within the citation; the broader fulfillment theology comes from Matthew's context, not from the copula alone.
To be verb alone proves every fulfillment conclusion: The verb links the name and its explanation; the cited text and narrative context govern the theological reading.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The witness reads ὅ ἐστι μεθερμηνευόμενον, Μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός, so the form appears in an explanatory clause tied to the name Emmanuel.
The lemma εἰμί is the common Greek verb for being or existing, and in context it often serves as a linking verb.
Here the third person singular present indicative fits a brief present explanation, helping the reader understand the meaning being attached to the name.
The verse presents Emmanuel as a name whose meaning is then stated for the reader: 'with us God.'
Within Matthew's citation style, the form supports an explanatory fulfillment note rather than a separate narrative assertion.
For readers, the form signals that the clause is defining or clarifying the name, so translation should preserve the explanatory flow.
Do not infer from the present tense alone a doctrine of timeless metaphysics or from the singular form anything beyond the clause's local subject-link.