ἑαυτοῦ G1438
Reflexive pronoun: himself, herself, itself, themselves; also possessive (his own) and reciprocal (one another)
The third-person reflexive pronoun heautou is one of Greek's essential grammatical tools, directing the action of a verb back upon its subject. In the New Testament it appears across all persons and numbers — 'deny himself' (Matt 16:24), 'humble himself' (Matt 18:4) — sometimes extending to possessive force ('his own dead,' Matt 8:22) and occasionally taking on reciprocal meaning ('among themselves,' Matt 27:35). Arabic parallels this flexibility with nafsahu for reflexive and ba'dukum al-ba'da for reciprocal uses, while Korean employs the dedicated reflexive jasin alongside the reciprocal seo-ro.
Senses
1. reflexive pronoun (direct/indirect) — The core reflexive use where the subject acts upon or directs action toward itself as direct or indirect object: 'let him deny himself' (Matt 16:24), 'whoever humbles himself' (Matt 23:12). This covers all persons — himself, herself, themselves, ourselves, yourselves — unified by the grammatical function of co-reference with the subject. Spanish a sí mismo and German sich selbst parallel the construction precisely, while languages like Korean use jasin as a dedicated reflexive marker. 239×
AR["نَفسَ-هُ", "نَفسَهُ", "نَفسِهِ", "نَفْسَ-هُ", "نَفْسَهُ"]·ben["নিজেকে", "ἑαυτόν-নিজেকে"]·DE["sich-selbst"]·EN["himself", "oneself"]·FR["soi-même"]·heb["אֶת-עַצְמוֹ", "אֶת־נַפְשׁ-ו", "אֶת־עַצְמוֹ", "עַצְמוֹ"]·HI["अपने-अअप-को", "अपने-आप", "अपने-आप-का", "अपने-आप-को", "अपने-आप-से", "अपने-आपको", "पत्थरों-से"]·ID["diri-Nya", "diri-Nya-sendiri", "diri-sendiri", "dirinya", "dirinya-sendiri"]·IT["sé-stessi"]·jav["Panjenenganipun-piyambak", "Piyambakipun", "Piyambakipun-piyambak,", "awaknipun-piyambak", "awaké-dhéwé", "piyambak,", "piyambakipun", "piyambakipun,", "piyambakipun-piyambak"]·KO["자기-를", "자기-자신-을", "자기-자신을", "자기-자신이", "자기를", "자신-을"]·PT["a-si-mesmo", "com-pedras."]·RU["Себя", "Себя-Самого", "себя"]·ES["-a-sí-mismo", "a-sí-mismo"]·SW["atakwezwa", "atashushwa", "mwenyewe", "nafsi-yako", "yeye", "yeye-mwenyewe"]·TR["kendini", "kendini,", "kendisi", "kendisini"]·urd["اپنے-آپ-سے", "اپنے-آپ-کا", "اپنے-آپ-کو", "بناتے-ہوئے", "خود", "خُد-کو"]
Matt 16:24, Matt 18:4, Matt 23:12, Matt 23:12, Matt 27:42, Mark 5:5, Mark 8:34, Mark 12:33, Mark 15:31, Luke 9:23, Luke 9:25, Luke 10:29 (+38 more)
2. possessive reflexive (of oneself) — Genitive or possessive reflexive indicating ownership or belonging relative to the subject: 'his own dead' (Matt 8:22), 'their own garments' (Matt 21:8), 'their own lamps' (Matt 25:1). The emphasis falls on the possessor's identity with the subject. Arabic uses possessive suffixes or al-khassa ('own') to convey this sense, while Korean employs the possessive particle jasin-ui. French distinguishes this with son propre or de lui-même. 68×
AR["-", "-هُ", "خاصَّتِهِ", "ـهُ", "لِنَفسِ-هِ", "مَدِينَتِهِ", "نَفْسِهَا", "نَفْسِهِ", "ها", "هُ"]·ben["তাঁর-নিজের", "নিজের"]·DE["sich-selbst"]·EN["his-own", "of-her", "of-herself", "of-himself", "of-his-own"]·FR["lui-même", "soi-même"]·heb["שֶׁל-עַצְמָהּ", "שֶׁל-עַצְמוֹ", "שֶׁלְעַצְמָהּ", "שֶׁלּוֹ", "שֶׁלוֹ"]·HI["अपन", "अपना", "अपनी", "अपने", "अपने।"]·ID["-nya", "milik-Nya", "milik-Nya-sendiri", "milik-sendiri", "miliknya", "sendiri"]·IT["se-stesso", "sé-stessi"]·jav["Panjenenganipun-piyambak", "Piyambakipun", "kagungananipun,", "piyambak", "piyambak,", "piyambakipun", "piyambakipun-piyambak", "piyambakipun-piyambak,", "piyambakipun-piyambak."]·KO["자기-의", "자기의", "자신-의", "자신의"]·PT["de-si-mesmo", "própria", "próprio", "próprios", "seu", "seu-próprio", "seus", "seus-próprios", "sua-própria"]·RU["-любовь", "Своё", "плоти", "своего", "своему", "своих", "свой", "свою", "своё", "себе"]·ES["de-sí-misma", "de-sí-mismo", "de-él"]·SW["lake", "mwili", "ufalme", "wake", "watoto", "yake", "yake-mwenyewe"]·TR["kendi", "kendisinin"]·urd["اپنا", "اپنی", "اپنے"]
Matt 8:22, Matt 15:30, Matt 18:31, Matt 21:8, Matt 25:1, Matt 25:3, Matt 25:4, Matt 25:7, Luke 2:3, Luke 2:39, Luke 9:60, Luke 11:21 (+38 more)
3. reciprocal (one another) — Reciprocal use where the reflexive pronoun functions equivalently to allelon ('one another'), indicating mutual action among group members. In Luke 22:17 Jesus says 'divide it among yourselves,' and in Matt 27:35 soldiers cast lots 'among themselves.' Arabic ba'dukum al-ba'da ('some of you...some') and Korean seo-ro both signal this reciprocal shift. The context — always plural subjects acting mutually — distinguishes this from simple reflexivity. 12×
AR["-كُمْ", "أنفُسِكُم", "أنْفُسِكُمْ", "أَنْفُسِكُمْ", "بَعضُكُم-بَعضًا", "بَعضِكُم-البَعضَ", "بَيْنَكُمْ", "لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ"]·ben["তোমাদের", "নিজেদের", "নিজেদের,", "নিজেদের-জন্য"]·DE["sich-selbst"]·EN["among-themselves", "for-themselves", "to-yourselves", "yourselves"]·FR["lui-même", "soi-même"]·heb["-", "בֵינֵיכֶם", "לְ-עַצְמְכֶם", "לְעַצְמְכֶם", "לָ-הֶם", "לָהֶם", "עַצְמְכֶם"]·HI["अअपस-मेइन", "अपने", "अपने-अअप-को", "अपने-आप-के", "अपने-आप-को", "अपने-बीच", "अपने-बेएच", "आपस-में", "आपसमें", "एक-दूसरे"]·ID["di-antara-mereka", "diri-sendiri", "dirimu-sendiri", "dirimu-sendiri,", "kamu", "kamu-sendiri", "satu-sama-lain", "satu-sama-lain,", "untuk-diri-sendiri"]·IT["sé-stessi"]·jav["kanggé-piyambak-piyambak,", "panjenengan-piyambak", "panjenengan-piyambak,", "panjenengan-piyambak.", "panjenengan-sedaya-piyambak;", "panjenengan-sedaya.", "piyambak", "piyambakipun,", "piyambakipun-sadaya"]·KO["너희-끼리", "너희-사이에.", "너희-자신과", "너희-자신들", "너희-자신들과", "서로-에게", "서로를", "서로를,", "자기들-끼리", "자신들-안에서,"]·PT["-", "convosco", "entre-si", "uns-aos-outros", "uns-aos-outros,", "vós-mesmos"]·RU["-", "друг-друга,", "друг-другу", "себе", "себе,", "себе-самих,", "собой", "собою"]·ES["entre-sí", "entre-vosotros", "para-sí-mismos", "unos-a-otros", "vosotros-mismos"]·SW["mwenu", "ninyi-kwa-ninyi", "ninyi-wenyewe", "pia", "wao-wenyewe", "wenyewe", "wenzake"]·TR["aralarında", "aranızda", "birbirinize", "birbirinizi", "kendi-aralarında", "kendiniz", "kendinizle", "sizinle"]·urd["آپس", "اپنے", "اپنے لیے", "اپنے-درمیان٬", "اپنے-لِیے", "ایک-دوسرے", "ایک-دوسرے-سے", "ایک-دوسرے-کی"]
4. sense 4 — An intensive or comparative reflexive use in contexts where the pronoun emphasizes degree or comparison: 'worse than itself' (Matt 12:45, Luke 11:26). Both occurrences describe an unclean spirit returning with seven others more evil 'than itself,' using the genitive reflexive in a comparative construction. The English 'than itself' and Spanish que sí mismo capture this emphatic comparative nuance. 2×
AR["مِنهُ", "مِنْ-هِ"]·ben["নিজের-চেয়ে"]·DE["sich-selbst"]·EN["than-itself"]·FR["soi-même"]·heb["מִמֶּנָּה", "מִמֶּנּוּ"]·HI["अपने-से"]·ID["dari-dirinya-sendiri", "dirinya-sendiri"]·IT["sé-stessi"]·jav["piyambakipun-piyambak", "tinimbang-piyambakipun,"]·KO["자기-자신보다", "자기보다"]·RU["себя"]·ES["que-sí-mismo"]·SW["kuliko-yeye", "kuliko-yeye,"]·TR["kendinden", "kendisinden"]·urd["اپنے-سے"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἑαυτοῦ, ῆς, οῦ, ἑαυτῷ, ῇ, ῷ, ἑαυτόν, ήν, ό, plural ἑαυτῶν, ἑαυτοῖς, ἑαυτούς άς, ά: Ionic dialect ἑωυτοῦ Refs 5th c.BC+; also ωὑτῆς Refs 3rd c.BC+ in Papyrus and Inscrr., as Refs 1st c.BC+: Attic dialect contraction αὑτοῦ, etc., which is the usual form in Trag., though ἑαυτοῦ, etc., are used (though rarely) when the metre requires, Refs 4th c.BC+; Cretan dialect ϝιαυτοῦ Kohler-Ziebarth Stadtrecht…