Σὺ (Su) in John 1:42: P-2NS
Σὺ (Su) in John 1:42
Textual Witness
The witnessed text reads, 'Σὺ εἶ Σίμων ... σὺ κληθήσῃ Κηφᾶς,' so the repeated pronoun clearly belongs to Jesus' direct speech.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form sharpens the personal address and makes the saying sound pointed and intentional in context.
How To Communicate It
It helps translators and readers see that Jesus is speaking directly and emphatically to one person.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- Nominative case here supports direct address, but it does not by itself determine the whole sense of the verse.
- Do not turn grammatical gender into a theological gender claim.
What Does The Label Mean?
Pronoun: the form points to a person already identified in the speech context, rather than naming that person directly.
Nominative: the form usually serves as the subject of a clause or as an emphatic standalone reference in direct speech.
Singular: the form is grammatically singular here and refers to one addressed person in this exchange.
Feminine: not applicable here, because this pronoun form is not marked feminine in this occurrence and does not by itself make a theological claim.
What The Form Does In This Verse
It stands before εἶ in Jesus' direct address, and also matches the later σὺ in the same saying.
The surrounding speech frame and the verb εἶ show that the form identifies the one Jesus is addressing, not an object of another verb.
It functions as an emphatic subject in direct address, highlighting the person being spoken to as Simon.
It is not a new name, not a predicate noun, and not the grammatical object of the sentence.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The repeated pronoun frames Jesus' direct naming of Simon and the future name Cephas.
Second-person singular nominative pronoun in direct speech. marks Simon as the addressed person in the naming scene. Attached to Jesus' statement to Simon about who he is and what he will be called. Governed by the direct speech verbs and predicate naming clauses. The pronoun makes the address pointed; the naming content comes from the surrounding nouns and future verb.
Who is Jesus addressing and naming? Jesus is addressing Simon directly.
Direct: The form directly supports "you" in Jesus' address.
The pronoun highlights personal address, but the naming theology rests on the whole saying.
Pronoun creates doctrine: Do not make the pronoun itself carry the theology of naming; it identifies the addressee in the clause.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The witnessed text reads, 'Σὺ εἶ Σίμων ... σὺ κληθήσῃ Κηφᾶς,' so the repeated pronoun clearly belongs to Jesus' direct speech.
The lemma σύ is the second person singular pronoun, so the form refers to the one being addressed rather than introducing a different lexical idea.
The nominative form fits an emphatic subject in direct speech and supports the force of Jesus' statement to Simon, while the repeated later form reinforces the address.
The grammar contributes to a personal and direct identification: Jesus speaks to Simon himself and names what he is and what he will be called.
Within the Gospel context, this direct address helps present Jesus as the one who knows and names his hearers, but the form alone does not carry the full theological claim.
For readers and teachers, the form can be used to show how Greek can signal emphasis in direct speech without changing the basic content of the sentence.
Do not derive a separate doctrine from the case form alone, and do not treat the pronoun as if it changes the meaning of the surrounding name or verb.