ἐν G1519
Preposition: into, to, toward; for, in order to; in, among; against; concerning; as
The most common directional preposition in the Greek New Testament, appearing over 1,700 times. At its core, εἰς indicates motion into or toward a destination — entering a city, going to a place, being cast into fire. But Koine Greek expanded its range far beyond classical usage: it marks purpose ('for the forgiveness of sins,' Matt 26:28), substitutes for ἐν in static location ('in the bosom of the Father,' John 1:18), and even expresses hostility ('against me'). This semantic flexibility makes it one of the most theologically significant function words in the New Testament, carrying weight in texts about baptism, faith, and eschatological destiny.
4. hostile: against — Hostile direction: 'against,' marking the target of opposition or offense. Spanish 'contra' and German glosses distinguish this clearly from neutral direction. Jesus teaches about sinning 'against' a brother (Matt 18:15, 21) and blasphemy 'against' the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:29). The hostility is encoded by context rather than morphology. 19×
AR["إِلى","إِلَى","إِلَيَّ","إِلَيْكَ","ضِدَّ","عَلى","عَلَى","لِ-"]·ben["-তে","-বিরুদ্ধে","প্রতি","বিরুদ্ধে"]·DE["in","in-"]·EN["against","against-","toward-"]·FR["en-"]·heb["אֶל-הַ-","בְּ-","כְּלַפֵּי","כְּנֶגֶד","כְּנֶגֶד-","לְ-","נֶגְדְּךָ","נֶגְדִּי","נֶגֶד","עַל"]·HI["-की-ओर","-के-विरुदध","-के-विरुद्ध","आत्मा","के-प्रति","के-विरुद्ध","केविरुद्ध","में"]·ID["ke","melawan","terhadap"]·IT["in-","verso"]·jav["dhateng","dhumateng","marang","nglawan"]·KO["-에-대하여","-에-대해","-에게","~에게","대하여","에-대하여","에게"]·PT["contra","contra-"]·RU["-закону","в-","на","на-","против","против-"]·ES["contra","contra-"]·SW["dhidi-ya","dhidi-ya-","dhidi-yako","dhidi-yangu","kwako","mnamtendea-dhambi","wale"]·TR["-e","-e-karşı","içine-","zayıf"]·urd["-کی","-کے-خلاف","اپنے-خلاف","تیرے-خلاف","خلاف","میرے-خلاف","میں","کے-خلاف"]
Matt 18:15, Matt 18:21, Mark 3:29, Luke 12:10, Luke 12:10, Luke 15:18, Luke 15:21, Luke 17:4, Acts 6:11, Acts 9:1, Acts 23:30, Acts 25:8 (+7 more)
▼ 7 more senses below
Senses
1. direction: into, to, toward — Spatial or directional motion into or toward a destination — the core classical sense. Spanish 'a/en' and French 'en' reflect the directional force. With over a thousand occurrences, this is the default reading: entering a house (Matt 2:11), going into the wilderness, descending into water. The directional sense anchors all metaphorical extensions. 1061×
AR["إِلى","إِلَى","في","فِي"]·ben["-তে","মধ্যে"]·DE["in"]·EN["into","into-","to","to-"]·FR["en-"]·heb["אֶל","אֶל-","לְ-","לְ-תוֹךְ","לִ"]·HI["-मेइन","में"]·ID["ke","ke-dalam"]·IT["verso"]·jav["dhateng"]·KO["-로","-에","~에게로"]·PT["a","ao","em","nas","no","para","por","à"]·RU["в","в-","по-"]·ES["a","en"]·SW["jangwani","juu-ya","katika","katika-","kwa-","kwenda","kwenye-"]·TR["-e"]·urd["-میں","-پر"]
2. purpose: for, in order to — Purpose, goal, or intended outcome: 'for' or 'in order to.' Spanish 'para' captures the telic dimension. Theologically crucial in passages like Matthew 26:28 ('for the forgiveness of sins') and Romans 10:10 ('believes unto righteousness'). The multilingual evidence consistently distinguishes purpose εἰς from directional εἰς through contextual glossing. 561×
AR["إِلى","إِلَى","عَلى","لِ","لِ-","لِـ","لِـ-","لِكَيْ","لِل"]·ben["-জন্য","-তে","জন্য","জন্য-","প্রতি","মধ্যে"]·DE["in","in-"]·EN["for","for-"]·FR["en-"]·heb["אֶל","כְּדֵי-","לְ","לְ-","לְ-זֹאת","לִ-","לַ-"]·HI["-के-लिए","-के-लिये","अद्भुत-कार्य","आज्ञा-दी","इसी-के-लिये","के-लिए","केलिए","को","में","लिए"]·ID["bagi","dan","sebagai","untuk"]·IT["in-","verso"]·jav["dhateng","kangge","kanggo","kanggé","namung","ngantos","tumrap"]·KO["-에","-위한","-하도록","~으로","~을-위하여","~을-위한","로","에","위-해","으로","을-위해","치유-로","해야-하나","향-해","향하여"]·PT["para","para-"]·RU["в","в-","во","для","для-","до-","к","на","на-","ни-на","чтобы"]·ES["en","para","para-"]·SW["-","ili","kuwa","kwa","kwa-","kwa-ajili-ya-hili","kwa-nini"]·TR["-e","-için","için","şifaya"]·urd["-کے-لیے","برائے","بپتسمہ","لیے","لیے-","میں","میں-","کے-لِیے","کے-لیے"]
Matt 3:11, Matt 5:13, Matt 6:34, Matt 8:4, Matt 8:34, Matt 10:10, Matt 10:18, Matt 20:18, Matt 20:19, Matt 26:2, Matt 27:7, Mark 1:38 (+38 more)
3. locative: in, among, at — Static location 'in' or 'among,' reflecting the well-documented Koine merger of εἰς and ἐν. Spanish 'en' serves both senses without distinction. John 1:18 ('in the bosom of the Father') and Mark 9:42 illustrate this post-classical development where motion-into has bleached into simple location, a shift visible across all target languages. 98×
AR["إِلَى","بِ","بِـ","بِي","عَلَيْ","فِي"]·ben["-তে","-মধ্যে","উপর","ওপর","মধ্যে"]·DE["in","in-"]·EN["in","in-","on-"]·FR["en-"]·heb["אֶל","בְּ-","בִּ-","בִּ-י","בּ-","בּ-וֹ","בּוֹ"]·HI["-पर","-मेइन","पर","में"]·ID["di","kepada"]·IT["in-","verso"]·jav["dhateng","ing"]·KO["-로","-를","-에","-에게","-을","~에게","~을","를"]·PT["em","nele","no"]·RU["в","в-","на-"]·ES["en"]·SW["juu-yake","katika","kwangu"]·TR["-","-e","-içinde","-içine"]·urd["-پر","اُس-پر","جس-پر","مجھ-پر","میں-","پر","پر-"]
5. contact: at, on, upon — Contact or arrival at a surface or point: 'at,' 'on,' 'upon.' Spanish 'a/al' captures the arrival-at-destination sense. Used for coming 'onto' a mountain (Matt 28:16), the Spirit descending 'upon' Jesus (Mark 1:10), or dust clinging 'to' feet (Luke 10:11). Distinct from entry, emphasizing surface contact or arrival rather than penetration. 16×
AR["إِلى","إِلَى","إِلَيْ","بِـ","عَلى","عَلَى","عَلَيْهِ"]·ben["-উপর","-তে","-দিকে","-বিরুদ্ধে","উপরে","কাছে","দিকে","নিকটে","প্রতি","বিরুদ্ধে"]·DE["in","in-"]·EN["against","at","on","onto","to","to-","upon"]·FR["en-"]·heb["אֶל","אֶל-","לְ-","עַל","עָלָיו"]·HI["-पर","उसके-विरुद्ध","केलिए","पर","में"]·ID["Ke","di","karena","ke","kepada","pada","terhadap"]·IT["in-","verso"]·jav["dhateng","ing","tumrap"]·KO["-으로","-을","~에게로","~으로","에","에게","으로"]·PT["aos","em","na","no","sobre-"]·RU["в","к","на","на-","от","против-"]·ES["a","a-","al","en","hacia","por","sobre-"]·SW["juu-ya-","juu-yake","kwa","kwa-","kwenda-","kwenye","ndani-ya"]·TR["-de","-e"]·urd["-پر","-کی-طرف","میں","پر","پر-","کی-طرف","کے-خلاف-"]
Matt 12:41, Matt 28:16, Mark 1:10, Luke 10:11, Luke 11:32, Luke 21:37, Luke 22:33, Luke 22:39, Luke 22:65, John 11:31, John 11:38, Acts 13:9 (+4 more)
6. reference: concerning, about — Reference or respect: 'concerning,' 'with regard to,' 'about.' Spanish 'por' and French 'pour' mark the topical sense. Concentrated in the Pauline epistles, as in Ephesians 3:16 and 2 Corinthians 6:18. This abstract extension treats the governed noun as the domain of relevance rather than a spatial target. 15×
amh["ወደ"]·AR["إلى","كَـ"]·ben["-চিরকালের-জন্য","-জন্য","জন্যে-"]·ces["na"]·dan["til-"]·DE["in","in-"]·ell["εις"]·EN["all","at","concerning","into","into-","to","unto"]·FR["en-","pour"]·guj["-માટે"]·hat["pou"]·hau["har"]·heb["אֵלָיו","אֶל-","ל-","לְ-","לַ-","עַל-"]·HI["के-बअरे-मेइन","में","मेइन"]·hun["-ba"]·ID["di","ke","kepada","mengenai","menjadi","sampai"]·IT["in-","per","verso"]·jav["babagan","dhateng","kangge","kanggé","ngantos","salami"]·JA["-へ"]·KO["-로","-에게","-으로","-을-향하여","으로"]·mar["साठी-"]·mya["-သို့"]·nld["tot"]·nor["til"]·pnb["لئی"]·pol["na"]·PT["a","até","com-respeito-a","nele","no","pelos","por","à","às"]·ron["în"]·RU["в-","во-","на-","о-"]·ES["a","en","por","respecto-a"]·SW["hadi","juu","katika","kuhusu","kuwa","kuwa-","kwa"]·swe["in-i"]·tam["-க்கு"]·tel["-లో"]·tgl["sa"]·TH["ตลอด"]·TR["-e","-e-","için-"]·ukr["на"]·urd["بے-طور","میں"]·VI["cho"]·yor["sí"]·yue["直到"]·ZH["直到"]
7. manner or role: as, by — Manner, role, or instrumental means: 'as' or 'by.' A rare usage where the preposition indicates the capacity in which something functions. In Matthew 5:35, the earth serves 'as' God's footstool; in Acts 7:53, the law was received 'by' the disposition of angels. The Spanish 'en/por' and multilingual glosses show this sense is consistently marked by context. 2×
AR["-","إِلَى"]·ben["-তে","-রূপে"]·DE["in"]·EN["as","by-"]·FR["en-"]·heb["בִּ","עַל"]·HI["-में","की-ओर"]·ID["demi","melalui"]·IT["in-","verso"]·jav["dhumateng","kanthi"]·KO["-로","-에"]·PT["por"]·RU["-","через-"]·ES["en","por"]·SW["kama","katika"]·TR["-e","-üzerine"]·urd["-پر","میں"]
8. presence: before, in the presence of — Presence before someone: 'before,' 'in the presence of,' equivalent to ἐνώπιον. Spanish 'ante' (before) clearly distinguishes this from directional senses. Acts 22:30 uses it for being brought 'before' the council, and 2 Corinthians 8:24 for demonstrating love 'before' the churches. A specialized extension treating the governed noun as an audience or witness. 2×
AR["أَمامَ","أَمَامَ"]·ben["-মধ্যে","জন্যে-"]·DE["in","in-"]·EN["before","to"]·FR["en-"]·heb["לְ-","לִפְנֵי"]·HI["के","में"]·ID["di-hadapan"]·IT["in-"]·jav["dhateng","ing"]·KO["-앞에","에-게"]·PT["diante-da"]·RU["перед-"]·ES["ante"]·SW["mbele-ya","mbele-yao"]·TR["-e","onlara"]·urd["-میں","سامنے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐν εἰς or ἐς, PREP. WITH ACC. ONLY:—both forms are found in Refs 8th c.BC+, Ionic dialect poets, and early metrical Inscrr.; ἐς is best attested in Refs 5th c.BC+, and is found in nearly all early Ionic dialect Inscrr. (except Refs 5th c.BC+; and usually in Attic dialect Prose (except Refs 5th c.BC+ is used before vowels for the sake of meter; ἐς was retained in the phrases ἐς κόρακας (whence the…