ἐξουσία (exousia) in Matthew 28:18: Noun Nominative Singular Feminine
ἐξουσία (exousia) in Matthew 28:18
Textual Witness
The witness reads ἐξουσία in Matthew 28:18 with πᾶσα and the passive verb Ἐδόθη.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The nominative noun makes authority the stated subject of the clause and the basis for the commission.
How To Communicate It
Use this form to clarify that the commission rests on Jesus' authority, not on the church's independent power.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- Do not turn grammatical gender into a theological gender claim.
- Do not separate the authority noun from the passive verb and scope phrases.
- Do not reduce authority to mere force when the verse connects it to Jesus' commission.
What Does The Label Mean?
Noun: the form names a person, place, thing, quality, or concept in the clause.
Nominative: the noun stands as the subject of the passive verb Ἐδόθη.
Singular: the noun presents authority as a singular concept in this clause.
Feminine: the feminine form marks grammatical class and agreement with πᾶσα.
What The Form Does In This Verse
πᾶσα
The noun serves as the subject of Ἐδόθη in Jesus' statement.
It names the authority that has been given to Jesus and that grounds the following commission.
It is not a generic claim about human power, and the noun alone does not define every aspect of Jesus' authority.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The noun names the authority that grounds the Great Commission.
Nominative subject of the passive authority claim. names what has been given to Jesus. Attached to πᾶσα. Governed by the passive verb Ἐδόθη. The subject role should be read with the scope phrases in heaven and on earth.
What is the subject of the authority statement? All authority is the subject, and it has been given to Jesus.
Direct: The form directly supports the rendering "authority" as the subject of the clause.
The noun has a broad semantic range, so the immediate context should define its use here.
Authority means any kind of power the reader imagines: The clause defines this authority as Jesus' authority that grounds his mission command.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The witness reads ἐξουσία in Matthew 28:18 with πᾶσα and the passive verb Ἐδόθη.
The lemma ἐξουσία means authority, right, or power, so the noun names the authority claimed by Jesus.
The nominative case marks ἐξουσία as the subject of the clause, while πᾶσα expands the scope as all authority.
Jesus' authority in heaven and on earth grounds the command to make disciples of all nations.
The noun fits Matthew's repeated concern with Jesus' authority in teaching, forgiving, healing, and commanding.
In teaching, connect the noun to the passive verb so readers hear authority as the thing given to Jesus, not merely a trait assumed by the disciples.
Do not use the noun alone to define every category of authority or to detach Jesus' authority from his mission command.