Word meanings
Short definition
prep, (the most frequently of all in NT), with dative (= Heb. בְּ, Lat. in, with abl.).
I. Of place, with dative of thing(s), of person(s), in, within, on, at, by, among: ἐν τ. πόλει, Luk.7:37; τ. οφθαλμῷ, Mat.7:3; τ. κοιλίᾳ, Mat.12:40; τ. ὄρει, 2Pe.1:18; τ. θρόνῳ, Rev.3:21; τ. δεξιᾷ τ. θεοῦ, Rom.8:34; ἐν ἡμῖν Abbott-Smith has ὑμῖν., Luk.1:1; of books, ἐν τ. βιβλίῳ, Gal.3:10; τ. νόμῳ, Mat.12:5, al.; ἐν τοῖς τ. Πατρός, in my Father's house (RV; cf. M, Pr., 103), Luk.2:49; trop., of the region of thought or feeling, ἐν τ. καρδίᾳ (-αις), Mat.5:28, 2Co.4:6, al.; τ. συνειδήσεσιν, 2Co.5:11; after verbs of motion, instead of εἰς (constructio praegnans, a usage extended in late Gk. beyond the limits observed in cl.; cf. Bl., §41, 1; M, Th., 12), ἀποστέλλω . . . ἐν, Mat.10:16. δέδωκεν ἐν τ. χειρί (cf. τιθέναι ἐν χερσί, Hom., Il., i, 441, al.), Jhn.3:35; id. after verbs of coming and going (not in cl.), εἰσῆλθε, Luk.9:46; ἐξῆλθεν, Luk.7:17.
II. Of state, condition, form, occupation, etc.: ἐν ζωῇ, Rom.5:10; ἐν τ. θανάτῳ, 1Jn.3:14; ἐν πειρασμοῖς, 1Pe.1:6; ἐν εἰρήνῃ, Mrk.5:25; ἐν δόξῃ, Php.4:19; ἐν πραΰτητι, Jas.3:13; ἐν μυστηρίῳ, 1Co.2:7; ἐν τ. διδαχῇ, Mrk.4:2; of a part as contained in a whole, ἐν τ. ἀμπέλῳ, Jhn.15:4; ἐν ἑνὶ σώματι, Rom.12:4; of accompanying objects or persons (simple dative in cl.), with, ἐν αἵματι, Heb.9:25; ἐν δέκα χιλιάσιν, Luk.14:31 (cf. Ju 14, Act.7:14); similarly (cl.), of clothing, armour, arms, ἐν στολαῖς, Mrk.12:38; ἐν ἐσθῆτι λαμπρᾷ, Jas.2:2; ἐν μαξαίρῃ, Luk.22:49; ἐν ῥάβδῳ, 1Co.4:21 (cf. ἐν τόξοις, Xen., Mem., 3, 9, 2); of manner (cl.), ἐν τάχει (= ταχέως), Luk.18:8 (cf. Bl., §41, 1); of spiritual influence, ἐν πνεύματι, Rom.8:9; ἐν π. ἀκαθάρτῳ, Mrk.1:23; of the mystical relation of the Christian life and the believer himself, to God and Christ (cf. ICC, Ro., 160f.; Mayor on Ju 1; M, Pr., 103): ἐν Χριστῷ, Rom.3:24, 6:11, 1Co.3:1, 4:10, 2Co.12:2, Gal.2:17, Eph.6:21, Col.4:7, 1Th.4:16, al.
III. Of the agent, instrument or means (an extension of cl. ἐν of instr.—see LS, see word Ill—corresponding to similar use of Heb. בְּ), by, with: ἐν ὑμῖν κρίνεται ὁ κόσμος (= cl. παρά, C. dative), 1Co.6:2; ἐν τ. ἄρχοντι τ. δαιμονίων, Mat.9:34; ἐν αἵματι, Heb.9:22; ἐν ὕδατι, Mat.3:11, al.; ἐν μαχαίρᾳ ἀποκτενεῖ (cf. the absol. ἐν μ., ἐν ῥάβδῳ, supr., II, which some would classify here), Rev.13:10 (cf. 6:8). Allied to this usage and distinctly Semitic are the following: ἠγόρασας . . . ἐν τ. αἵματι σου (cf. BDB, see word בְּ, III, 3), Rev.5:9; ὁμολογεῖν ἐν (= Aram. אודי בּ; cf. McNeile on Mt, I.with; M, Pr., 104), Mat.10:32, Luk.12:8; ὀμνύναι ἐν (= cl. accusative, so Jas.5:12), Mat.5:34, al.; also at the rate of, amounting to, Mrk.4:8 (WH; vv. ll., εἰς, ἒν), Act.7:14 (LXX).
IV. Of time,
(a) in or during a period: ἐν τ. ἡμέρᾳ (νυκτί), Jhn.11:9, al.; ἐν σαββάτῳ, Mat.12:2, al.; ἐν τῷ μεταξύ, meanwhile, Jhn.4:31;
(b) at the time of an event: ἐν τ. παρουσίᾳ, 1Co.15:23; ἐν τ. ἀναστάσει, Mat.22:28;
(with) with art. inf.,
(α) present (so sometimes in cl., but not as in NT = ἕως; V. M, Pr., 215), while: Mat.13:4, Mrk.6:48, Gal.4:18, al.;
(β) aor., when, after: Luk.9:36, al.;
(d) within (cl.): Mat.27:40,
V. In composition: (1) meaning: (a) with adjectives, it signifies usually the possession of a quality, as ἐνάλιος, ἐν́δοξος; (b) with verbs, continuance in (before ἐν) or motion into (before εἰς), as ἐμμένω, ἐμβαίνω. (ii) Assimilation: ἐν becomes ἐμ- before β, μ, π, φ, ψ; ἐγ- before γ, κ, ξ, χ; ἐλ- before λ. But in the older MSS of NT, followed by modern editions, assimilation is sometimes neglected, as in ἐνγράφω, ἐγκαινίζω, etc.
(AS)
Strong's dictionary
a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between εἰς and ἐκ); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:--about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (… sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (public domain)
Full lexicon entry (Liddell-Scott-Jones)
poetry ἐνί, εἰν, εἰνί [Refs 8th c.BC+], forms used by Epic dialect and Lyric Poets as the metre requires, but only as falsa lectio in Trag., εἰν [Refs 5th c.BC+] ἰν [Refs]
PREP. WITH DAT. AND ACC. Radical sense, in, into.
A WITH DAT.
A.I OF PLACE,
A.I.1 in, νήσῳ ἐν ἀμφιρύτῃ [Refs 8th c.BC+]; with names of cities or islands, as ἐν Ἀθήνῃς, ἐν Τροίῃ, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; where ἐν is used, it = in the district of.., ὲν Ἐλευσῖνι [Refs] in my arms, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐν αὑτῷ εἶναι to be in one's senses, be oneself, ἔτ᾽ ἐν σαυτῷ (variant -τοῦ) γενοῦ [Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.I.1.b ἐν τοῖς ἰχθύσιν in the fish-market, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; so ἐν τοῖν δυοῖν ὀβολοῖν ἐθεώρουν ἄν in the two-obol seats, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
A.I.2 elliptic, in such phrases as ἐν Ἀλκινόοιο [NT+8th c.BC+]; ἐν παιδοτρίβου, ἐν κιθαριστοῦ, at the school of.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν γειτόνων (see. γείτων) ἐν αὑτοῦ (αὑτῷ codex Rav.) [Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.I.3 in, within, surrounded by, οὐρανὸς ἐν αἰθέρι καὶ νεφέλῃσι [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐν ὅπλοισι in or under arms, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also of particular kinds of arms, ἐν τόξοις, ἀκοντίοις, etc., equipped with them, uncertain in [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν μεγάλοις φορτίοις βαδίζειν καὶ τρέχειν [Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.I.4 on, at or by, ἐν ποταμῷ [Refs 8th c.BC+]; νευρὴ ἐν τόξῳ the string on the bow, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; κατεκλάσθη ἐνὶ καυλῷ ἔγχος was broken off at or by the shaft,[Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν οἴνῳ at wine, probably in [Refs 3rd c.BC+]
A.I.5 in the number of, amongst, frequently in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; and with Verbs of ruling, ἐν δ᾽ ἄρα τοῖσιν ἦρχ᾽ [Refs 8th c.BC+] —for ἐν τοῖς with _superlative_, V. ὁ.
A.I.5.b in the presence of, ἐν πᾶσι [Refs 8th c.BC+]; λέγειν ἐν ἀνδράσιν (of a woman) [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of a trial, διαγωνίζεσθαι, διαδικάζεσθαι ἔν τισι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.I.6 in one's hands, within one's reach or power, νίκης πείρατ᾽ ἔχονται ἐν ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσι [Refs 8th c.BC+], with infinitive, it depends on him to.., rests with him to.., ἔστιν ἐν σοὶ ἢ.. ἤ.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also ἐν τούτῳ εἰσὶν πᾶσαι αἱ ἀποδείξεις depend on this, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἔν γ᾽ ἐμοί so far as rests with me, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also ἐν ἐμοί in my judgement, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν θεοῖς καλά in the eyes of the gods, [Refs]
A.I.7 in respect of, ἐν πάντεσσ᾽ ἔργοισι δαήμονα φῶτα [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐν γήρᾳ σύμμετρός τινι in point of age.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν ἐμοὶ θρασύς in my case, towards me, [Refs]; ἡ ἐν τοῖς ὅπλοις μάθησις [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also οὐδὲν δεινὸν μὴ ἐν ἐμοὶ στῇ stop with me, [Refs]
A.I.8 in a pregnant construction with Verbs of motion, into; implying both motion to and subsequent position in a place, ἐν κονίῃσι χαμαὶ πέσεν fell [to the dust and lay] in it, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐν στήθεσσι μένος βαλεῖν[Refs 8th c.BC+]: in Trag. and Attic dialect, ἐν ποίμναις πίτνων [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν χωρίῳ ἐμπεπτωκώς [Refs 5th c.BC+]; later, with Verbs of coming and going, διαβάντες ἐν τῇ Σάμῳ [LXX+2nd c.AD+] is falsa lectio in [Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.I.9 πίνειν ἐν ποτηρίῳ to drink from a cup, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
A.I.10 ἄργυρος ἐν ἐκπώμασι silver in the form of plate, [Refs 1st c.AD+]; ἐμ φέρνῃ, ἐν θέματι, as a dowry, pledge, [Refs 1st c.BC+]
A.I.11 in citations, ἐν τοῦ σκήπτρου τῇ παραδόσει in the passage of the [Refs 8th c.BC+]
A.II OF STATE, CONDITION or POSITION:
A.II.1 of outward circumstances, ἐν πολέμῳ [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐν γένει εἶναί τινι to be related to.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of occupations, pursuits, ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ εἶναι to be engaged in philosophy, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οἱ ἐν ποιήσι γενόμενοι poets, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οἱ ἐν τοῖς πράγμασι ministers of state, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οἱ ἐν τέλει the magistrates, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὁ μάντις ἦν ἐν τῇ τέχνῃ in the practice of it, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.II.2 of inward states, of feeling, etc., ἐν φιλότητι, ἐν δοιῇ, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐν ὀργῇ ἔχειν τινά to make him the object of one's anger, [Refs 5th c.BC+] to blame him, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν αἰτίᾳ εἶναι to have the blame, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.II.3 frequently with neuter adjective, ἐν βραχεῖ, ={βραχέως}, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν τάχει, ={ταχέως}, [Refs]; ἐν καλῷ ἐστί, ={καλῶς ἔχει}, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ [ἐστί] [Refs]; ἐν εὐμαρεῖ [ἐστί] [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν ἴσῳ, ={ἴσως, ἐν ὁμοίῳ}, ={ὁμοίως}, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν κενοῖς, ={κενῶς}, [Refs] substantive, ἐν δίκᾳ, ={δικαίως}, opposed to παρὰ δίκαν[Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.III OF THE INSTRUMENT, MEANS or MANNER, ἐν πυρὶ πρήσαντες [Refs 8th c.BC+]; but in most cases the originally sense may be traced, to put in the fire and burn, infetters and bind, etc.; so ἐν πόνοις δαμέντα [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἔζευξα πρῶτος ἐν ζυγοῖσι κνώδαλα[Refs]; also ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν or ἐν ὄμμασιν ὁρᾶσθαι, ἰδέσθαι, to see with or before one's eyes, i.e. have the object in one's eye, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; also ἐν λιταῖς by prayers, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν δόλῳ by deceit, [Refs]; ἐν λόγοις by words, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; especially with Verbs of showing, σημαίνειν ἐν ἱεροῖς καὶ οἰωνοῖς [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὰ πραχθέντα.. ἐν.. ἐπιστολαῖς ἴστε ye know by letters, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.III.2 of a personal instrument, ἐν τῷ ἄρχοντι τῶν δαιμονίων ἐκβάλλει τὰ δαιμόνια [NT]
A.IV OF TIME, ὥρῃ ἐν εἰαρινῇ [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐν τούτῳ (i.e. τῷ χρόνῶ) in this space of time, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν ᾧ (i.e. χρόνῳ) during the time that, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν ταῖς σπονδαῖς in the time of the truce, [Refs 5th c.BC+] in the course of the mysteries, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τραγῳδοῖς at the performance of.., [Refs 4th c.BC+]
A.IV.b ἐν ἄρχοντι Μητροδώρῳ during the archonship of M., [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
A.IV.2 in, within, ἐν ἡμέρῃ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μυρίαις ἐν ἁμέραις in, i.e. after, countless days, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.V OF NUMBERS generally, ἐν δυσὶ σταδίοις within two stadia, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
A.V.2 with genitive of price, ἐν δύο ταλάντων [LXX]
A.V.3 amounting to, προῖκα ἐν δραχμαῖς ἐννακοσίαις [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
B WITH Acc., into, on, for, [Refs 4th c.AD+]; also poetry, ἐν πάντα νόμον [Refs 5th c.BC+]
C WITHOUT CASE, AS adverb, in the phrase ἐν δέ..,
C.1 and therein, [Refs 8th c.BC+]
C.2 and among them, [Refs 8th c.BC+]
C.3 and besides, moreover (not in Attic dialect Prose), [Refs 8th c.BC+]
C.4 ἔνι, ={ἔνεστι, ἔνεισι}, [Refs 8th c.BC+]
D POSITION: ἐν frequently stands between its substantive and the adjective agreeing therewith, [Refs 8th c.BC+]: without an adjective, τῷ δ᾽ ἐν ἐρινεός ἐστι μέγας [Refs 8th c.BC+] between substantive and genitive, χόρτοις ἐν λέοντος [Refs]--One or more independent words sometimes come between the preposition and its dative, as in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; also in Prose, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
E IN COMPOSITION (joined with other words),
E.I with Verbs, the preposition mostly retains its sense of being in or at a place, etc., with dative, or followed by εἰς.., or ἐν..: in such forms as ἐνορᾶν τινί τι, in translating, we resolve the compound, to remark a thing in one.
E.I.b also, at a person, ἐγγελᾶν, ἐνυβρίζειν τινί.
E.I.2 with adjectives, it expresses
E.I.2.a a modified degree, as in ἔμπηλος, ἔμπικρος, ἔνσιμος, rather...
E.I.2.b the possession of a quality, as in ἔναιμος with blood in it, ἐνάκανθος thorny: ἔμφωνος with a voice: ἔννομος in accordance with law, etc.
E.II ἐν becomes ἐμ- before the labials β μ π φ ; ἐγ- before the gutturals γ κ ξ ; ἐλ- before ; ἐρ- before ; rarely ἐσ- before ; but Inscrr. and Papyri often preserve ἐν- in all these cases.
Every occurrence
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Acts 2:41 ἐν en · Small word: on
They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls.
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Acts 2:46 ἐν en · Small word: in
And day by day, continuing stedfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart,
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Acts 2:46 ἐν en · Small word: with
And day by day, continuing stedfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart,
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Acts 3:6 ἐν en · Small word: In
But Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but what I have, that give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.
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Acts 3:25 ἐν en · Small word: in
Ye are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
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Acts 3:26 ἐν en · Small word: in
Unto you first God, having raised up his Servant, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.
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Acts 4:2 ἐν en · Small word: in
being sore troubled because they taught the people, and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
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Acts 4:6 ἐν en · Small word
and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest.
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Acts 4:7 ἐν en · Small word: in
And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, By what power, or in what name, have ye done this?
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Acts 4:7 ἐν en · Small word: In
And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, By what power, or in what name, have ye done this?
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Acts 4:7 ἐν en · Small word: in
And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, By what power, or in what name, have ye done this?
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Acts 4:9 ἐν en · Small word: by
if we this day are examined concerning a good deed done to an impotent man, by what means this man is made whole;
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Acts 4:10 ἐν en · Small word: in
be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even in him doth this man stand here before you whole.
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Acts 4:10 ἐν en · Small word: in
be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even in him doth this man stand here before you whole.
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Acts 4:12 ἐν en · Small word: in
And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved.
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Acts 4:12 ἐν en · Small word: among
And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved.
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Acts 4:12 ἐν en · Small word: by
And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved.
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Acts 4:24 ἐν en · Small word: in
And they, when they heard it, lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, O Lord, thou that didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is:
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Acts 4:27 ἐν en · Small word: in
for of a truth in this city against thy holy Servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together,
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Acts 4:30 ἐν en · Small word: in
while thy stretchest forth thy hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of thy holy Servant Jesus.
American Standard Version (1901). Public domain.

