What does ἦν (ēn) mean in the Bible?
) was (wast or were)".
Greek · G2258
ἦν
I (thou, etc.) was (wast or were)
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ἦν G2258
Pronunciation ēn
What does ἦν (ēn) mean in the Bible?
ἦν (ēn) is a Greek word meaning "I (thou, etc.) was (wast or were)".
Full entry for ἦν (G2258) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
Evidence Summary
Greek word. I (thou, etc.) was (wast or were)
Source Gloss
I (thou, etc.) was (wast or were)
Extended definition
:--+ agree, be, X have (+ charge of), hold, use, was(-t), were.
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 22 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
imperfect 22
Voice
active 22
Mood
indicative 22
NT Occurrences
Mark 12:20 ἦσαν imperfect active indicative background Mark 15:40 Ἦσαν imperfect active indicative background Luke 2:36 ἦν imperfect active indicative background Luke 5:17 ἦν imperfect active indicative background Luke 5:29 ἦν imperfect active indicative background Luke 20:29 ἦσαν imperfect active indicative background John 3:1 Ἦν imperfect active indicative background John 4:46 ἦν imperfect active indicative background John 5:1 ἦν imperfect active indicative background John 7:39 ἦν imperfect active indicative background John 11:1 Ἦν imperfect active indicative background John 11:6 ἦν imperfect active indicative background 1 Corinthians 16:12 ἦν imperfect active indicative background Hebrews 7:11 ἦν imperfect active indicative background Revelation 1:4 ἦν imperfect active indicative background Revelation 1:8 ἦν imperfect active indicative background Revelation 4:8 ἦν imperfect active indicative background Revelation 11:17 ἦν imperfect active indicative background Revelation 16:5 ἦν imperfect active indicative background Revelation 17:11 ἦν imperfect active indicative background Revelation 17:8 ἦν imperfect active indicative background Revelation 17:8 ἦν imperfect active indicative background
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Word Origins
ἦν is built from this root:
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain