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εἰ (ei)

ei

if

G1487 · Greek · New Testament · 478 verses

Quick Reference

Language
Koine Greek
Testament
New Testament
Occurrences
478 verses
Root
—

Word Overview

The Greek conjunction ei functions primarily as a marker of condition, translating most commonly to "if." It introduces clauses that set up assumptions for what follows, appearing frequently in the Gospels and epistles such as Matthew and 1 Corinthians. The sources indicate it operates in two main modes: stating a general condition or introducing indirect questions where the meaning shifts toward "whether."

A notable nuance arises when ei is used not to express uncertainty but to assert a certainty, effectively meaning "since" or "seeing that." This occurs in passages like John 7:4 and Romans 5:17, where the condition is treated as an established fact. In these instances, the word bridges the gap between hypothetical scenarios and logical consequence, reinforcing the reality of the statement rather than questioning it.

Its versatility extends to oaths and expressions of wonder, often carrying a suppressed apodosis or implied conclusion. Translators must carefully distinguish between simple conditional usage and these rhetorical applications. The word’s frequent pairing with other particles allows for complex logical structures, enabling Scripture to explore both possibilities and certainties within the same narrative flow.

Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).

What This Word Means for Your Faith

The word ei introduces a condition, often translated as "if." It creates a space where possibilities meet reality. In Scripture, this simple conjunction helps us understand how our choices connect to God’s promises. When Jesus uses it, He is not always speaking of uncertainty. Sometimes He highlights a truth that is already settled.

Consider Matthew 7:11. Jesus points out that even flawed parents know how to give good gifts to their children. Here, the "if" does not question God’s nature; it confirms it. It invites you to trust in a Father who gives good things to those who ask. This word reminds us that our relationship with God rests on His faithfulness, not just our performance.

When life feels uncertain, these conditional statements offer stability. They show that God’s character is the constant ground beneath every scenario. You can rely on His goodness because it does not depend on perfect circumstances, but on who He is. This assurance brings peace to a restless heart.

How it's translated

How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 478 verses where it appears, by frequency.

  • If212×
  • if172×
  • only89×
  • lest14×
  • whether12×
  • if indeed6×
  • except3×
  • Whether2×
  • What if2×
  • that [a]1×
  • that1×
  • if [would]1×

Forms in the text

The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.

  • εἰ419×
  • εἴ72×
  • Εἰ20×
  • Εἴ7×
  • εἴπερ6×

Key Verses

  • Matthew 7:11
    If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

    This verse uses the condition to confirm God's generous nature rather than to express doubt about it.

  • Matthew 5:13
    “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.

    Here the word sets up a warning about losing spiritual influence, showing what happens when faith becomes ineffective.

  • Matthew 12:28
    But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then God’s Kingdom has come upon you.

    This occurrence links the casting out of demons directly to the arrival of God's Kingdom, establishing a clear theological consequence.

  • Matthew 4:3
    The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

    The tempter uses this word to challenge Jesus' identity, creating a hypothetical scenario meant to undermine trust in God's provision.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Greek word ei mean?

It is a conjunction that typically translates to "if." It introduces conditions or assumptions in a sentence. In most cases, it sets up a scenario for what follows.

Does ei always mean uncertainty?

No. While it often marks a condition, it can also state a known fact. For example, in Matthew 7:11, it confirms God's goodness rather than questioning it. The context determines whether the condition is real or hypothetical.

How is ei used in the Gospels?

Jesus frequently uses it to teach moral lessons or reveal spiritual truths. It helps listeners see the consequences of their actions or the nature of God's kingdom. It appears often in parables and direct teachings.

Every Occurrence (478 verses across 25 books)

Matthew 57 verses
Matthew 4:3

The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

Matthew 4:6

and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels…

Matthew 5:13

“You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for…

Matthew 5:29

If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you…

Matthew 5:30

If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you…

Matthew 6:1

“Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from…

Matthew 6:23

But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness,…

Matthew 6:30

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much…

Matthew 7:11

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven…

Matthew 8:31

The demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of pigs.”

Matthew 9:17

Neither do people put new wine into old wineskins, or else the skins would burst, and the wine be spilled, and the…

Matthew 10:25

It is enough for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the…

Matthew 11:14

If you are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, who is to come.

Matthew 11:21

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done…

Matthew 11:23

You, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, you will go down to Hades. For if the mighty works had been done in Sodom…

Matthew 11:27

All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know…

Matthew 12:4

how he entered into God’s house and ate the show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were…

Matthew 12:7

But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you wouldn’t have condemned the guiltless.

Matthew 12:10

And behold, there was a man with a withered hand. They asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?” so that…

Matthew 12:24

But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This man does not cast out demons except by Beelzebul, the prince of the…

Matthew 12:26

If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

Matthew 12:27

If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.

Matthew 12:28

But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then God’s Kingdom has come upon you.

Matthew 12:39

But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given to it but the…

Matthew 13:57

They were offended by him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country and in…

Matthew 14:17

They told him, “We only have here five loaves and two fish.”

Matthew 14:28

Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters.”

Matthew 15:24

But he answered, “I wasn’t sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Matthew 16:4

An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there will be no sign given to it, except the sign of the…

Matthew 16:24

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and…

Matthew 17:4

Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, let’s make three tents here: one…

Matthew 17:8

Lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus alone.

Matthew 17:21

But this kind doesn’t go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Matthew 18:8

If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into…

Matthew 18:9

If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one…

Matthew 18:28

“But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him…

Matthew 19:3

Pharisees came to him, testing him and saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?”

Matthew 19:9

I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and he…

Matthew 19:10

His disciples said to him, “If this is the case of the man with his wife, it is not expedient to marry.”

Matthew 19:17

He said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but one, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life,…

Matthew 19:21

Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure…

Matthew 21:19

Seeing a fig tree by the road, he came to it and found nothing on it but leaves. He said to it, “Let there be no fruit…

Matthew 22:45

“If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?”

Matthew 23:30

and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have been partakers with them in the blood of the…

Matthew 24:22

Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days…

Matthew 24:24

For false christs and false prophets will arise, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if…

Matthew 24:36

“But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Matthew 24:43

But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have…

Matthew 26:24

The Son of Man goes even as it is written of him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would…

Matthew 26:33

But Peter answered him, “Even if all will be made to stumble because of you, I will never be made to stumble.”

Matthew 26:39

He went forward a little, fell on his face, and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away…

Matthew 26:42

Again, a second time he went away and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cup can’t pass away from me unless I drink…

Matthew 26:63

But Jesus stayed silent. The high priest answered him, “I adjure you by the living God that you tell us whether you are…

Matthew 27:40

and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down…

Matthew 27:42

“He saved others, but he can’t save himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him come down from the cross now, and we…

Matthew 27:43

He trusts in God. Let God deliver him now, if he wants him; for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

Matthew 27:49

The rest said, “Let him be. Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”

Mark 35 verses
Luke 54 verses
John 47 verses
Acts 36 verses
Romans 41 verses
I Corinthians 58 verses
II Corinthians 30 verses
Galatians 20 verses
Ephesians 4 verses
Philippians 9 verses
Colossians 4 verses
I Thessalonians 1 verse
II Thessalonians 3 verses
I Timothy 9 verses
II Timothy 3 verses
Titus 1 verse
Philemon 2 verses
Hebrews 16 verses
James 10 verses
I Peter 13 verses
II Peter 2 verses
I John 7 verses
II John 1 verse
Revelation of John 15 verses