ἔξεστι G1832
it is lawful, it is permitted — impersonal verb expressing legal or moral permissibility under Torah or custom
Exesti is an impersonal verb (from exeimi, 'it is possible') that appears 32 times in the New Testament, nearly always in debates over what the Torah allows. The Pharisees challenge Jesus with exestin questions — 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?' (Matt 12:10), 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?' (Matt 19:3) — and Jesus consistently reframes the question by appeal to deeper scriptural principles. His disciples pluck grain on the Sabbath (Matt 12:2-4), and he himself heals, each time asserting that mercy and human need outrank ritual restriction. Paul uses the word differently in 1 Corinthians 6:12 and 10:23 — 'All things are lawful for me' — to set up his freedom-versus-edification argument. Spanish 'es licito' and German 'ist erlaubt' capture the legal-permission sense with precision.
Senses
1. it is lawful, it is permitted — An impersonal verb indicating that an action is legally or morally permissible, typically within the framework of Torah or established custom. Dominates Sabbath controversies — healing (Matt 12:10; Luke 14:3), plucking grain (Matt 12:2; Mark 2:24), doing good (Mark 3:4) — and also governs questions of divorce (Matt 19:3), taxation (Matt 22:17), and priestly prerogatives (Matt 12:4). Paul adapts it as a maxim of Christian liberty: 'all things are lawful' but not all edify (1 Cor 6:12; 10:23). 32×
AR["أَيَجوزُ", "جَائِزٌ", "يَجوزُ", "يَجُوزُ", "يَحِلُّ"]·ben["অনুমতি-আছে", "অনুমোদিত,", "বিধেয়", "বৈধ", "বৈধ?", "সম্ভব"]·DE["erlaubt-sein", "ist-erlaubt"]·EN["are-permitted", "is-it-lawful", "is-lawful", "it-is-lawful", "lawful"]·FR["il-est-permis"]·heb["מֻתָּר"]·HI["उचित", "उचित-है", "वैध", "वैध-है", "स्त्री", "है", "हो-सकता-है"]·ID["boleh", "bolehkah", "diizinkan", "diperbolehkan", "diperbolehkan,", "diperbolehkan?", "halal"]·IT["e-lecito", "essere-lecito"]·jav["dipun-idini", "kalilan", "kawenangaken,", "kepareng", "kepareng?", "kénging.", "pareng"]·KO["옮지", "합당하냐", "합당하니라", "합당하지", "합법적이냐", "합법한", "합법한가", "허락되다", "허락된다"]·PT["lícito", "são-lícitas", "É-lícito", "é-lícito", "é-lícito?"]·RU["Позволено-ли", "Позволительно", "есть", "можно", "позволено", "позволительно", "позволительно,"]·ES["es-lícito", "es-permitido", "lícito", "me-es-lícito", "son-lícitas"]·SW["hairuhusiwi", "halali", "halali?", "haruhusiwi", "inajuzu", "inaruhusiwa", "kutoa", "kwangu", "linaloruhusiwa", "ni-halali", "yananiruhusu,"]·TR["caiz", "caiz-değildi", "caiz-değildir", "caiz-midir", "caiz?", "caizdir", "değil", "serbesttir"]·urd["جائز", "جائز-ہے", "سبت", "میں", "کاہنوں-کو", "ہے"]
Matt 12:2, Matt 12:4, Matt 12:10, Matt 12:12, Matt 14:4, Matt 19:3, Matt 20:15, Matt 22:17, Matt 27:6, Mark 2:24, Mark 2:26, Mark 3:4 (+20 more)
Related Senses
H4941 1. justice, righteousness (134×)H4941 2. judgment, judicial decision (119×)H4941 3. ordinances, statutes (plural) (110×)H8199 1. to judge, adjudicate (98×)G2919 1. judge, pass judgment (76×)H8199 2. judge (person, office-holder) (61×)G2920 1. judgment / condemnation (48×)H7378 1. Qal: quarrel, contend, strive (42×)H4941 4. prescribed ordinance, regulation (34×)G2917 1. judgment, condemnation (27×)G2919 2. be judged, stand trial (27×)H5360 1. vengeance, retribution (27×)H7378 2. Qal: plead, defend, litigate (22×)G2723 1. accuse, bring charges against (20×)G2923 1. judge (one who judges/decides) (19×)G2632 1. condemn, pass judgment against (18×)H1777 1. judge, adjudicate (18×)H1576 1. recompense, retribution (17×)H5359 1. vengeance, retribution (17×)H7561 1. condemn, declare guilty (Hifil) (17×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἔξεστι, imperative ἐξέστω, subjunctive ἐξῇ, infinitive ἐξεῖναι, participle ἐξόν: imperfect ἐξῆν: future ἐξέσται, optative ἐξέσοιτο Refs 5th c.BC+participle ἐξεσόμενον (see. below): impersonal (see. ἔξειμι B):—it is allowed, is possible, with infinitive, Refs 5th c.BC+: with dative person et infinitive,Refs 5th c.BC+'licet esse beatis', Refs 4th c.BC+: with accusative instead of second dative, ἔ.…