πάντες (pantes) in John 1:7: Adjective Nominative Plural Masculine
πάντες (pantes) in John 1:7
Textual Witness
The witness reads πάντες in John 1:7 within the clause ἵνα πάντες πιστεύσωσι δι᾽ αὐτοῦ.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form broadens the verse's reach in a general way, emphasizing inclusive response rather than narrowing the sentence to a limited set.
How To Communicate It
Use the form to explain that the testimony of John aims at a wide audience and that the believing described is meant to be broadly available in the clause.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- Plural form indicates breadth of reference, but the verse still controls how broad that reference is.
- Masculine grammatical gender here is a syntax marker, not a theological gender statement.
What Does The Label Mean?
Adjective: the word qualifies a noun or stands substantively, and here it functions as a broad inclusive modifier.
Nominative: the form usually marks the subject or a predicate/complement role in the clause, and here it fits the clause's subject-side sense.
Plural: the form is grammatically plural in this occurrence, pointing to a collective or multiple persons in context.
Masculine: the form belongs to the masculine grammatical class, which helps match the surrounding syntax but does not by itself make a theological claim.
What The Form Does In This Verse
πιστεύσωσι
It stands in the purpose clause introduced by ἵνα and is read with the plural verb that follows, so it helps identify who is in view for believing.
It functions as an inclusive subject-like qualifier, meaning all who are envisioned in the context are called to believe through him.
It is not best read as a separate predicate or as a standalone theological category that detaches from the clause's flow.
How Much The Form Matters Here
Moderate: The nominative plural adjective broadens the intended believing response in the purpose clause.
Substantive adjective as subject of the purpose clause. identifies the broad group envisioned as believing through the witness. Attached to the plural verb of believing. Governed by the purpose clause introduced by hina. The form supports breadth, but the verse and context determine how that breadth is understood.
Who is envisioned as believing through the witness? The plural adjective points broadly to all in view in the purpose clause.
Direct: The form directly supports rendering the subject of the purpose clause as "all."
The scope of all should be read from the witness mission in context, not from the adjective alone.
All settles the full theological scope by itself: The grammar shows breadth in this clause; broader doctrinal conclusions require the context and canon.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The witness reads πάντες in John 1:7 within the clause ἵνα πάντες πιστεύσωσι δι᾽ αὐτοῦ.
The lemma πᾶς regularly carries the sense of all, every, or whole, and here that inclusive sense is the point of the form.
Its nominative plural shape fits the following plural subjunctive and signals a wide group as the intended participants in the purpose clause.
John 1:7 presents John's witness as aiming toward a broad response, namely that all may believe through him.
This wording fits the Gospel's recurring concern to bear witness so that people may believe, while leaving the scope governed by the verse itself.
In translation and teaching, the form supports a clear inclusive reading such as all may believe, without forcing the sentence beyond its context.
Do not derive a claim about every person without exception, nor treat grammatical number alone as settling the extent of the group.