Demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because
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Hoti is a high-frequency conjunction that commonly marks content, cause, explanation, quotation, or a clause introduced by that, because, for, or since. Its importance is usually grammatical rather than lexical: it helps readers see how one statement is related to another.
Reader summary
Full entry for ὅτι (G3754) · Open the biblical lexicon
Hoti is a high-frequency conjunction that commonly marks content, cause, explanation, quotation, or a clause introduced by that, because, for, or since. Its importance is usually grammatical rather than lexical: it helps readers see how one statement is related to another.
The BSB source-word alignment has 1,305 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include that (511), - (348), because (198), for (156), since (8).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 2:16. Its strongest book concentrations include John (274), Luke (175), Matthew (141), Acts (123).
Hoti is a high-frequency conjunction that commonly marks content, cause, explanation, quotation, or a clause introduced by that, because, for, or since. Its importance is usually grammatical rather than lexical: it helps readers see how one statement is related to another. Beatitudes give reasons, Gospel purpose statements name what must be believed, Paul introduces confessed gospel content, and John writes so believers may know that they have eternal life.
Hoti should not be treated as if it carries doctrine by itself. It is a connective tool that helps the interpreter follow the text's logic, especially where Scripture states a reason, explains a claim, or introduces content that must be received.
Hoti serves the New Testament's sentence logic by marking reasons, content, explanations, and confession clauses that must be read in context.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
In the Beatitude, hoti introduces the reason the poor in spirit are blessed: the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.
John uses hoti inside the Gospel's purpose statement to name the content of faith: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.
Paul uses hoti to state what believers know about the old self being crucified with Christ.
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
Paul introduces gospel content of first importance with hoti: Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.
And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The confession clause declares that Jesus Christ is Lord, directing the confession to the glory of God the Father.
I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
John uses hoti in a knowledge statement so believers may know that they have eternal life.
‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”
The reason no death, mourning, crying, or pain remains is that the former things have passed away.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Greek word. demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 1,291 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
that, since, because
Read versethat, since, because
Read versethat, since, because
Read versethat, since, because
Read versethat, since, because
Read versethat, since, because
Read versethat, since, because
Read versethat, since, because
Read versethat, since, because
Read versethat, since, because
Read versethat, since, because
Read versethat, since, because
Read versethat, since, because
Read versethat, since, because
Read versethat, since, because
Read versethat, since, because
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 2 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
ὅτι is built from this root:
The core insight of hoti is that small connectors often carry the weight of argument flow without carrying the theology by themselves. In Matthew 5, hoti gives reasons for blessing. In John 20, it introduces the content of saving faith. In Romans 6, it marks what believers know about union with Christ. In 1 Corinthians 15, it introduces gospel content Paul received and delivered.
In Philippians 2, it helps state the universal confession that Jesus Christ is Lord. In 1 John 5, it serves assurance by naming what believers may know. Hoti therefore teaches readers to honor sentence logic: reasons matter, content matters, and claims must stay connected to the argument that gives them force.
John.20.31
Hoti is a conjunction. It can introduce content, cause, reason, explanation, or direct discourse, and its translation depends on syntax and context rather than one fixed English word.
Biblical interpretation often turns on reasons and content clauses. Hoti in the New Testament continues that need for careful attention to why a statement is made and what exactly is being asserted.