Lexical Summary emautou: myself Original Word: ἐμαυτοῦ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance me, myself. Genitive case compound of emou and autos; of myself so likewise the dative case emautoi em-ow-to', and accusative case emauton em-ow-ton' -- me, mine own (self), myself. see GREEK emou see GREEK autos HELPS Word-studies 1683 emautoú – properly, as pertaining to myself. 1683 /emautoú ("myself") is the reflexive form (first person) which emphatically brings the action back to "myself." NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origingen. reflex. pronoun from emou and autos Definition of myself NASB Translation myself (24), own (2), own initiative (6), own sake (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1683: ἐμαυτοῦἐμαυτοῦ, ἐμαυτης, ἐμαυτοῦ (from ἐμοῦ and αὐτοῦ, reflexive pronoun of 1st person, of myself, used only in the genitive, dative, and accusative singular (cf. Buttmann, 110ff (96ff)): ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ, see ἀπό, II. 2 d. aa.; ὑπ' ἐμαυτόν, under my control, Matthew 8:9; Luke 7:8; ἐμαυτόν, myself, as opposed to Christ, the supposed minister of sin (Luke 7:17), Galatians 2:18; tacitly opposed to an animal offered in sacrifice, John 17:19; negligently for αὐτός ἐμέ, 1 Corinthians 4:3 (yet cf. Meyer at the passage). As in Greek writers (Matthiae, § 148 Anm. 2, i., p. 354; Passow, under the word, p. 883), its force is sometimes so weakened that it scarcely differs from the simple person pronoun of the first person (yet denied by Meyer), as John 12:32; John 14:21; Philemon 1:13. Topical Lexicon Overview of Usage The reflexive pronoun ἐμαυτοῦ and its case forms occur thirty-seven times across the New Testament. In every instance the speaker or writer directs attention back to himself, whether announcing personal resolve, clarifying responsibility, or repudiating self-interest. The breadth of settings—from Jesus’ public teaching to Paul’s private correspondence—reveals a unified biblical portrait of self-awareness shaped by obedience to God and service to others. Jesus’ Self-Disclosure in John’s Gospel John employs ἐμαυτοῦ more than any other writer, using it to preserve Jesus’ own words about His mission. The pronoun underscores (1) the Son’s conscious submission to the Father and (2) the voluntary nature of His saving work. • John 5:30: “I can do nothing of Myself (ἐμαυτοῦ).” Reliance upon the Father is explicit. Through these statements John balances Christ’s full deity with His incarnate submission, guarding Trinitarian harmony and refuting any suggestion of autonomous action detached from the Father. Synoptic Echoes of Authority and Submission Matthew 8:9 and Luke 7:8 record the centurion’s analogy: “I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes.” By saying “I also,” the centurion highlights his own (ἐμαυτὸν) position to demonstrate that Jesus’ authority operates within an ordered hierarchy—implicitly the Father’s commissioning of the Son. Apostolic Self-Awareness in Acts Luke records Paul’s defense speeches where ἐμαυτοῦ marks deliberate personal conviction: • Acts 20:24: “I do not consider my life of any value to myself.” Paul’s reflexive diminishment serves the gospel. Pauline Theology of Self-Examination and Self-Surrender Paul uses the pronoun to advance key pastoral themes: 1. Self-evaluation before God 2. Voluntary servanthood 3. Relinquishing financial burden 4. Honest confession of limitation 5. Refusal of self-commendation Ethical Implications in Pastoral Letters Galatians 2:18 warns against rebuilding legalistic structures: “If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove myself (ἐμαυτὸν) to be a transgressor.” Personal responsibility for doctrinal consistency is emphasized. Philemon 13 records Paul’s desire to keep Onesimus “with me (ἐμαυτὸν)”—a tender note of apostolic affection balanced by respect for Philemon’s rights. Key Theological Motifs • Voluntary Self-Sacrifice: Christ’s repeated use of ἐμαυτοῦ highlights that redemption is not coerced but offered willingly (John 10:18; John 12:32). Pastoral and Homiletical Applications 1. Gospel Workers: Like Paul, servants of Christ willingly “make themselves” whatever is necessary to advance the gospel, avoiding self-interest. Historical Significance Early church fathers cited these passages to defend orthodox Christology against modalism and to exhort monastic self-denial. Reformation commentators highlighted the Pauline instances to uphold justification by faith rather than self-righteous works. Modern missions movements echo Paul’s self-renouncing vocabulary in pledging “no reserves, no retreats, no regrets.” Summary ἐμαυτοῦ expresses more than grammatical reflexivity; it bears the weight of redemptive purpose, willing obedience, and humble service. Whether on the lips of the incarnate Son or in the letters of His apostles, the term crystallizes a biblical vision of the self: surrendered to God, devoted to others, and anchored in the gracious judgment of the Lord. Forms and Transliterations εμαυτή εμαυτον εμαυτόν ἐμαυτόν ἐμαυτὸν εμαυτου εμαυτού ἐμαυτοῦ εμαυτω εμαυτώ ἐμαυτῷ emauto emautō emautôi emautō̂i emauton emautón emautòn emautou emautoûLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 8:9 PPro-AM1SGRK: ἔχων ὑπ' ἐμαυτὸν στρατιώτας καὶ KJV: soldiers under me: and I say INT: having under myself soldiers and Luke 7:7 PPro-AM1S Luke 7:8 PPro-AM1S John 5:30 PPro-GM1S John 5:31 PPro-GM1S John 7:17 PPro-GM1S John 7:28 PPro-GM1S John 8:14 PPro-GM1S John 8:18 PPro-GM1S John 8:28 PPro-GM1S John 8:42 PPro-GM1S John 8:54 PPro-AM1S John 10:18 PPro-GM1S John 12:32 PPro-AM1S John 12:49 PPro-GM1S John 14:3 PPro-AM1S John 14:10 PPro-GM1S John 14:21 PPro-AM1S John 17:19 PPro-AM1S Acts 20:24 PPro-DM1S Acts 24:10 PPro-GM1S Acts 26:2 PPro-AM1S Acts 26:9 PPro-DM1S Romans 11:4 PPro-DM1S 1 Corinthians 4:3 PPro-AM1S Strong's Greek 1683 |
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