Strong's Greek: 2258. ἦν (én) -- was, were

◄ 2258. én ►

Lexical Summary

én: was, were

Original Word: ἦν
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: én
Pronunciation: ān
Phonetic Spelling: (ane)
KJV: + agree, be, X have (+ charge of), hold, use, was(-t), were
Word Origin: [imperfect of G1510 (εἰμί - am)]

1. I (thou, etc.) was (wast or were)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

agree, be, have charge of, hold, use.

Imperfect of eimi; I (thou, etc.) Was (wast or were) -- + agree, be, X have (+ charge of), hold, use, was(-t), were.

see GREEK eimi

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
imperf. of eimi, q.v.

Topical Lexicon

Overview

The form ἦν expresses a state of being that stretches into the past and, by implication, carries weight for the present. Whenever Scripture uses this word it is not simply reporting that something “used to be,” but often highlighting enduring reality, character, or condition.

Continuing Existence in Scripture

1. Persons and places are regularly introduced with ἦν to assert their real, historical presence: “There was also a prophetess named Anna” (Luke 2:36). The wording quietly affirms that the events unfolded in verifiable time and space.
2. Conditions that shaped an individual’s life are likewise described: “This man was blind from birth” (John 9:1). The imperfect tense indicates an ongoing condition until Christ intervened, accentuating both the permanence of the problem and the power of the miracle.
3. Community life is portrayed with the same term: “There were no needy persons among them” (Acts 4:34). The use of ἦν underscores a settled, not momentary, culture of generosity in the early church.

Foundation for Christological Pre-Existence

John’s prologue piles up ἦν to present the Son’s timeless reality:
• “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).
• “He was with God in the beginning” (John 1:2).
• “He was in the world” (John 1:10).

Instead of a mere chronological past, the language points to the Word’s continual, unoriginated existence. John anchors the deity of Christ in a verb that refuses to confine Him to time.

Link with the Divine Name

Exodus 3:14 in the Septuagint records God’s self-revelation as ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν (“I am the One who is”). When the New Testament repeatedly speaks of what Christ “was,” it echoes the Old Testament disclosure of the ever-living God. The constancy implied by ἦν helps readers grasp the unchanging nature of the Lord who spans both covenants.

Narrative and Historical Usage

Gospel writers employ ἦν to establish settings (“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree” – Luke 2:1), to report angelic appearances (“Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host” – Luke 2:13), and to trace lineage (“Jesus Himself was about thirty years old when He began His ministry” – Luke 3:23). The steady rhythm of ἦν grounds theology in history; redemptive events are not myth but record.

Doctrinal Implications

1. Immutability of God: By attributing an abiding past existence to Father, Son, and Spirit, Scripture reinforces the doctrine that God “does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).
2. Incarnation: ἦν shows the eternal Son stepping into time without ceasing to be who He eternally was.
3. Soteriology: When Paul declares, “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8), the imperfect situates human sinfulness as a long-standing reality answered decisively by the cross.

Ministry and Pastoral Application

• Preaching: The pastor can invite listeners to trust a Savior whose existence does not begin with Bethlehem but precedes the foundation of the world.
• Counseling: Believers battling doubt may rest in the God who “was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 1:8).
• Discipleship: The imperfect tense reminds followers that transformation is a process; what one “was” can be changed by grace (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:11).

Worship and Praise Context

Hymns that proclaim “Christ was, is, and forever shall be” echo the biblical ἦν. Congregational worship draws strength from celebrating the Lord whose past faithfulness guarantees present help and future glory.

Summary

Though ἦν is a small word, its theological reach is vast. It carries the weight of divine eternity, anchors gospel events in real history, and assures believers that the God who once acted still reigns and will forever be faithful.

Forms and Transliterations

ην ἦν ηνίαι ηνίας ησαν ἦσαν en ên ēn ē̂n esan êsan ēsan ē̂san

Links

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