εἷς G1520
One; the cardinal numeral denoting a single entity, also used for 'first,' distributive 'each,' and correlative 'the other'
Among the most foundational words in the New Testament, εἷς (heis) carries more nuance than a bare numeral. While its primary function is simply 'one,' the Gospels deploy it with ordinal force in the memorable phrase μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων — 'on the first day of the week' — at the resurrection accounts (Matt 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). Spanish renders the ordinal use as 'primer/primero,' revealing how translators feel the shift from counting to sequencing. In rarer constructions it takes distributive force ('each one,' Luke 4:40) or correlative force ('the other,' 1 Thess 5:11), where Spanish notably renders it 'otro' rather than 'uno.'
1. cardinal number one — The cardinal numeral 'one,' marking a single entity, quantity, or instance. With 339 occurrences this is overwhelmingly the dominant use. All major languages translate straightforwardly — English 'one,' Spanish 'un/una/uno,' French 'un,' German 'ein' — confirming a stable cross-linguistic core. Jesus uses it emphatically: 'not one jot' (Matt 5:18), 'one of these least commandments' (Matt 5:19), underscoring singularity and totality simultaneously. 339×
AR["-","شَعْرَةً-وَاحِدَةً","نُقْطَةٌ-وَاحِدَةٌ","واحِدًا","واحِدٌ","واحِدَ","واحِدَةٍ","وَاحِدًا","وَاحِدٌ","وَاحِدٌ-مِنْ","وَاحِدَةً","وَاحِدَةً-مِنْ"]·ben["এক","এক,","এক?","একজন","একজনকে","একটা","একটি"]·DE["ein"]·EN["one"]·FR["un"]·heb["אֶחָד","אַחַד","אַחַת"]·HI["एक","एक-को","एक-से"]·ID["salah-satu","satu","sehelai","seorang"]·IT["uno"]·jav["satunggal","satunggal,","satunggal.","satunggaling","setunggal"]·KO["하나","하나?","하나도","하나를","하나의","한"]·PT["um","uma"]·RU["один","одна","одно","одного","одну"]·ES["un","una","uno"]·SW["kimoja","mmoja","mmoja,","moja","mwandishi"]·TR["bir","biri","birinden","birini"]·urd["ایک"]
Matt 5:18, Matt 5:18, Matt 5:19, Matt 5:29, Matt 5:30, Matt 5:36, Matt 5:41, Matt 6:24, Matt 6:27, Matt 6:29, Matt 8:19, Matt 9:18 (+38 more)
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
2. ordinal first — An ordinal use meaning 'first,' especially in the fixed temporal expression μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων, 'on the first day of the week.' All four Gospels employ this construction in their resurrection narratives (Matt 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). Spanish translations shift from 'uno' to 'primer/primero,' and German from 'ein' to 'eins,' signaling that translators recognize an ordinal rather than cardinal function. This Semitic idiom (cf. Hebrew אֶחָד for 'first') entered Greek usage through the Septuagint. 8×
AR["أَوَّلِ","الأَوَّلُ","الْأَوَّلِ"]·ben["প্রথম"]·DE["ein","eins"]·EN["first","one"]·FR["un"]·heb["אֶחָד"]·HI["पहली","पहले"]·ID["hari-pertama","pertama"]·IT["uno"]·jav["-setunggal","sapisan","satunggal","sepisan","setunggal"]·KO["첫-날에","첫째","첫째-날에","하나","하나가"]·PT["primeiro"]·RU["одно","первого","первому","первый"]·ES["primer","primero","uno"]·SW["kwanza","moja","wa-kwanza","ya-kwanza"]·TR["birinci","ilk"]·urd["ایک","پہلی","پہلے"]
3. distributive each or every — A distributive sense meaning 'each one' or 'one by one,' expressing individual attention within a group. In Luke 4:40 Jesus lays hands on each sick person εἷς ἕκαστος, and in Acts 21:19 Paul recounts what God did 'one by one' among the Gentiles. Several languages struggle with this nuance — English resorts to 'on-each,' Spanish to 'a-uno' or 'por-una' — showing it stretches beyond the word's basic numerical meaning. 2×
AR["فَوَاحِدَةً","واحِدًا"]·ben["এক","একেক-জনকে"]·DE["ein"]·EN["-","on-each"]·FR["un"]·heb["אֶחָד","עַל־כָּל"]·HI["एक"]·ID["per","satu-per-satu"]·IT["uno"]·jav["satunggal","setunggal"]·KO["하나","하나-하나"]·PT["uma"]·RU["одному"]·ES["a-uno","por-una"]·SW["kila","kila-kimoja"]·TR["bir"]·urd["-ایک","ایک"]
4. the other one correlative — A correlative use meaning 'the other one' in paired constructions. At 1 Thessalonians 5:11, εἷς τὸν ἕνα sets up a reciprocal relationship: 'one another.' Spanish renders this as 'otro' (other) rather than 'uno,' revealing that the numerical sense has entirely yielded to a pronominal, relational function — a development also attested in classical Greek. 1×
AR["الآخَرَ"]·ben["অন্যকে"]·DE["eins"]·EN["one"]·FR["un"]·heb["אַחֵר"]·HI["एक"]·ID["yang-lain"]·IT["uno"]·jav["satunggal,"]·KO["하나를"]·PT["outro"]·RU["другого"]·ES["otro"]·SW["mwingine"]·TR["diğerini"]·urd["ایک"]
Related Senses
H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)H0259 1. one (cardinal numeral) (940×)H8147 1. cardinal number two (666×)G3956 1. all (collective plural) (616×)H3967 1. cardinal numeral hundred (550×)H1419a 1. great, large (general quality) (486×)H7969 1. cardinal number three (431×)H0505 1. cardinal number thousand (427×)H7651 1. seven (cardinal number) (393×)H6240 1. ten (cardinal number) (334×)H6242 1. twenty (cardinal number) (315×)H2568 1. cardinal number five (309×)H0702 1. four (cardinal number) (277×)G3956 2. every, each (distributive) (227×)H8337 1. six (cardinal number) (215×)G3956 3. all things, everything (substantive) (211×)G3956 4. (187×)H6235 1. ten (177×)G3173 1. great in size or extent (176×)H7970 1. thirty (cardinal number) (168×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
εἷς, μίᾰ, ἕν (μίη only in late Ionic dialect Prose): genitive ἑνός, μιᾶς, ἑνός:—Epic dialect ἕεις Refs 8th c.BC+:—Doric dialect ἧς Refs 3rd c.BC+:—Epic dialect, Aeolic dialect, and Ionic dialect feminine ἴᾰ Refs 8th c.BC+: neuter dative (ἰῷ κίον ἤματι) Refs 5th c.BC+ (Orig. ἕνς, assim. ἔν (δ) probably in Refs Indo-European sem-(compare ὁμός); μία from sm-ί; ἴα is not related to μία, but probably…