2075. este

Lexical Summary

este: you are

Original Word: ἐστέ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: este
Pronunciation: es-teh
Phonetic Spelling: (es-teh')
KJV: be, have been, belong
Word Origin: [second person plural present indicative of G1510 (εἰμί - am)]

1. ye are

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

be, have been, belong.

Second person plural present indicative of eimi; ye are -- be, have been, belong.

see GREEK eimi

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
second pers. pl. pres. ind. of eimi, q.v.

Topical Lexicon

Grammatical Function and Scope

ἐστέ is the second-person plural, present indicative of εἰμί, supplying the basic verb of “being” when the speaker addresses a group (“you are”). Although Strong’s 2075 is not itemized in conventional verse lists, the form underlies many New Testament statements where Jesus, the prophets, or the apostles declare what their hearers already are in God’s sight or ought to be in practice.

Identity Bestowed by Divine Declaration

1. Covenant people. From the Sinai promise (“you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests”) through apostolic teaching, God repeatedly establishes His people’s status by declaring what they are rather than what they must achieve. This grammar of grace precedes and grounds every command.
2. New-creation reality. Believers are told they have already passed from death to life, have been justified, and have become heirs with Christ. The verb form underscores present, communal reality.
3. Corporate solidarity. ἐστέ binds individuals into one body: “you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27). The second-person plural prevents privatized faith.

Ethical and Missional Implications

1. Holiness that matches identity. Because Christians already “are light in the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8), they must therefore “walk as children of light.” The ethical imperative flows from the ontological indicative conveyed by ἐστέ.
2. Salt and witness. Jesus affirms, “You are the salt of the earth … You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-14). The Church’s mission is sustained by what Christ says the disciples presently are, not by what they hope one day to become.
3. Assurance in persecution. Declarative sentences such as “you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26) steady believers under trial, reminding them that their status rests on God’s pronouncement, not fluctuating circumstances.

Christological Emphasis

1. Contrast with unbelief. Jesus often juxtaposes “you are” addressed to hostile audiences (“You are of your father the devil,” John 8:44) with “I am” statements about Himself, highlighting the decisive line between rejection and faith.
2. Discipleship formation. Repeated use of ἐστέ in the Gospels trains followers to locate their identity in Christ’s word. Before sending them, He tells them what they already are—friends, branches, witnesses—so their mission grows out of assurance.

Ecclesial and Pastoral Usage

1. Liturgical confession. Early Christian worship absorbed Scriptures that state, “We are the people of His pasture” (Psalm 95:7), fostering collective humility and trust.
2. Catechesis. New converts learned first who they now are—redeemed, forgiven, indwelt—before being taught Christian conduct.
3. Church discipline. Apostolic letters correct behavior by appealing to identity: “you are unleavened” (1 Corinthians 5:7). The indicative provides the moral leverage for purging sin.

Historical Theological Reflection

Patristic writers accented ἐστέ to guard against both legalism (pursuing status) and antinomianism (ignoring conduct). Reformation preaching likewise stressed that believers already “are” righteous in Christ, while exhorting them to live accordingly.

Practical Ministry Applications Today

• Preaching: Begin imperatives with God’s indicatives—remind congregations who they are in Christ before calling for obedience.
• Counseling: Anchor assurance not in feelings but in the unchanging divine declaration conveyed by ἐστέ-shaped texts.
• Missions: Evangelize by proclaiming the new identity offered in Christ, then disciple by rehearsing what converts already are.

Summary

Though unglamorous as a simple verb of being, ἐστέ serves as a theological linchpin. It carries God’s authoritative verdict into the present community, grounds ethics in grace, fuels mission with identity, and steadies the saints with unassailable assurance.

Forms and Transliterations

εστε ἐστε este

Englishman's Concordance

ἐσθίοντες — 4 Occ.
ἐσθίοντι — 1 Occ.
ἐσθιόντων — 4 Occ.
ἐσθίουσιν — 8 Occ.
Ἑσλὶ — 1 Occ.
ἐσόπτρῳ — 1 Occ.
ἐσόπτρου — 1 Occ.
ἑσπέρα — 1 Occ.
ἑσπέραν — 1 Occ.
ἑσπέρας — 1 Occ.
ἔσχατα — 4 Occ.
ἐσχάταις — 3 Occ.
ἐσχάτας — 1 Occ.
ἐσχάτη — 11 Occ.
ἐσχάτῳ — 2 Occ.
ἐσχάτων — 3 Occ.
ἔσχατοι — 9 Occ.
ἔσχατον — 7 Occ.
ἔσχατος — 7 Occ.
ἐσχάτου — 5 Occ.