Thou
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Sy is the Greek second-person pronoun, appearing in singular and plural forms that address you, your, yourselves, or you all according to the form and context. Its pastoral importance is not that the pronoun has a hidden theological meaning, but that Scripture addresses real hearers: individuals, disciples, churches, opponents, nations, and covenant communities.
Reader summary
Full entry for σύ (G4771) · Open the biblical lexicon
Sy is the Greek second-person pronoun, appearing in singular and plural forms that address you, your, yourselves, or you all according to the form and context. Its pastoral importance is not that the pronoun has a hidden theological meaning, but that Scripture addresses real hearers: individuals, disciples, churches, opponents, nations, and covenant.
The BSB source-word alignment has 2,907 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include you (1,442), your (647), to you (200), . . . (141), - (68).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 1:20. Its strongest book concentrations include Matthew (457), Luke (447), John (411), Acts (263).
This entry includes 18 verse guides that explain exact original-language forms in context.
Sy is the Greek second-person pronoun, appearing in singular and plural forms that address you, your, yourselves, or you all according to the form and context. Its pastoral importance is not that the pronoun has a hidden theological meaning, but that Scripture addresses real hearers: individuals, disciples, churches, opponents, nations, and covenant communities.
A teacher must ask who is being addressed, whether the form is singular or plural, and what responsibility or promise belongs to that audience. The word guards against vague reading. Sometimes Jesus speaks directly to one person, as with Peter. Sometimes a whole people are named, as in 1 Peter 2:9. Responsible application honors the original address before extending the text to present readers.
Sy and its forms mark direct address across Gospel command, apostolic promise, personal restoration, and church identity. The form helps readers distinguish singular address from plural address and immediate audience from later application.
‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of My people Israel.’”
The citation addresses Bethlehem directly, showing how second-person language can personify and locate a place within prophetic expectation.
I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
John addresses the crowds with you language as he distinguishes his baptism from the stronger One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.
And teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Jesus gives the disciples commands and promise with plural you language, tying mission obedience to His abiding presence.
But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
Jesus addresses Simon personally, praying for his faith and commanding him to strengthen his brothers after turning back.
I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.
Jesus addresses the disciples as branches, showing that the you of discipleship is corporate and dependent on remaining in Him.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Peter addresses the church with plural identity language, naming who they are so they may proclaim the virtues of the One who called them.
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.
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Greek word. Nominative form emphasizes identity or creates contrast; elsewhere often renders Hebrew covenant formulas
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 2,978 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
you
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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 8 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.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 2,894 lexical occurrence verses.
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
The core insight of sy is that biblical truth is not delivered into the air. God addresses people. Jesus speaks to crowds, disciples, opponents, Peter, churches, and servants. Apostolic letters speak to gathered believers as a people. The pronoun does not create doctrine by itself, but it keeps doctrine embodied in address and response. When a preacher notices whether you is singular or plural, application becomes more careful.
A rebuke aimed at one person should not be carelessly loaded onto everyone. A plural identity given to the church should not be reduced to private spirituality. Sy trains readers to hear the text as spoken, received, and obeyed by the audience the passage names.
1Pet.2.9
Greek second-person pronouns show case, number, and sometimes emphasis in ways English you often hides. A plural form can address a whole community, while a singular form may press a command or promise onto one named person.
Scripture often addresses God's people directly: Israel hears you shall, prophets confront you, and the New Testament addresses disciples and churches. The movement is not a special theology of the pronoun itself, but the canonical pattern of God summoning real hearers to faith, repentance, identity, obedience, and witness.