1498. eién
Lexical Summary
eién: might be, would be

Original Word: εἴην
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: eién
Pronunciation: ay-EN
Phonetic Spelling: (i'-ane)
KJV: mean, + perish, should be, was, were
Word Origin: [optative (i.e. English subjunctive) present of G1510 (εἰμί - am) (including the other person)]

1. might (could, would, or should) be

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
should be, was, were.

Optative (i.e. English subjunctive) present of eimi (including the other person); might (could, would, or should) be -- mean, + perish, should be, was, were.

see GREEK eimi

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
optative (like English subjunctive) pres. of eimi, q.v.

Topical Lexicon
Overview

εἴην is the first-person optative form of the Greek verb “to be.” Although the specific form never appears in the extant text of the Greek New Testament, it illuminates the biblical vocabulary of desire, possibility, and prayerful yearning. The optative mood communicates what someone hopes or wishes might come to pass, distinguishing it from the certainty of the indicative and the command of the imperative. Its presence in wider Koine literature and the Septuagint supplies context for understanding the biblical writers’ nuanced expressions of longing and dependence on God’s sovereign will.

The Optative Mood and the Language of Holy Aspiration

1. The optative often frames petitions directed toward God, expressing humble submission rather than presumption.
2. It conveys sanctified desire—“may it be so,” “would that it were”—capturing the heart posture of faith that submits every wish to divine purpose (cf. Psalm 37:4).
3. Where the New Testament chooses closely related optative forms (for example, εἴη in 1 Peter 4:11, “To Him be the glory and the power forever and ever,”), the sense is the same: an earnest, reverent longing that God’s will and glory might prevail.

Canonical Witness: Absence that Speaks

• No manuscript of the Greek New Testament contains εἴην. This absence is not an accident of transmission but a reminder that Scripture employs the grammatical tools it needs without waste. When first-person desire is voiced in the New Testament, writers prefer direct statements (“I wish,” Romans 9:3) or prayers (“may…,” Ephesians 3:16-19) rather than this particular optative form.
• The silence therefore underscores rather than diminishes the value of εἴην. It invites the student of Scripture to consider why the Spirit inspired other constructions to convey the same dependence and longing, thereby sharpening our appreciation of every chosen word.

Septuagint and Early Christian Usage

• In the Greek Old Testament the form appears in prayers and laments, e.g., Job 3:16 LXX, where Job cries out that he “might have been” miscarried—an anguished optative expressing deep sorrow.
• Patristic writers adopt εἴην in doxological formulas: “εἴην μοι μίμησις Χριστοῦ” (“may I be an imitator of Christ,” Ignatius, Letter to the Romans 6.3). Such usage shows how early believers echoed biblical patterns of reverent yearning.

Theological Significance

1. Being and Becoming: Scripture teaches that true “being” is grounded in God’s self-existence (Exodus 3:14). Any wish concerning our own state (“that I might be…”) must be anchored in His immutable nature (James 4:13-15).
2. Prayerful Submission: The optative mood models the heart of Christ in Gethsemane—“not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42)—even when expressed with different vocabulary.
3. Eschatological Hope: Believers long to “be” with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). Though εἴην is absent, the concept of longing to attain a future condition pervades apostolic teaching.

Practical and Ministry Reflections

• Preaching: Highlight the contrast between worldly self-assertion (“I will be”) and biblical humility (“may I be” as God wills).
• Counseling: Encourage believers to frame desires in optative-style prayers—“Father, may I be faithful in this trial”—which fosters trust and surrender.
• Worship: Doxologies that employ optative ideas (“To Him be glory,” 1 Peter 5:11) train congregations to locate every aspiration within God’s supremacy.

Related Forms Worth Studying

• εἴη (third-person optative) – regularly appears in New Testament doxologies.
• γένοιτο (optative of γίνομαι) – translated “May it never be!” (Romans 3:4), showing the emphatic rejection of sin or falsehood.
• εἴθε + indicative – a classical wish formula echoed in LXX laments.

Summary

Though εἴην is textually absent from the New Testament, its optative essence permeates Scripture’s prayers, hopes, and doxologies. It embodies the believer’s posture of yearning submission, aligning personal desire with the unchanging will and glory of God. Understanding this form deepens appreciation for the Spirit’s precision in inspiring every word of Scripture and equips the Church to voice its longings in a manner that honors the Lord of all being.

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