Lexical Summary étó: "Let it be," "allow," "permit" Original Word: ἔτω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance let be. Third person singular imperative of eimi; let him (or it) be -- let... Be. see GREEK eimi NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originimper. of eimi, q.v. Topical Lexicon Form and Grammatical Function ἔτω is a third-person present imperative that may be rendered “let him (her, it) …” or “let … be.” In later Koine it is a contracted form of the more common ἔστω. Although ἔτω itself never appears in the Greek New Testament, recognizing the form aids the reader in understanding every third-person command in Scripture (e.g., σιγάτω, ἀκουέτω, δοκιμαζέτω). Such imperatives call for a decision or state to come into being under divine or delegated authority. Usage in Classical and Post-Classical Greek In classical writers the shorter spelling occurs in poetry and inscriptions as a stylistic alternative to ἔστω. It introduces legal clauses (“let the fine be …”), prayers (“may it be so”), and exhortations. Papyri from Egypt show it in contracts and letters, demonstrating its everyday utility: “ἔτω ἡ ὀφειλή” (“let the debt stand”). This background frames the biblical observation that the language of covenant and command was already familiar to first-century readers. Presence in the Septuagint While ἔτω is relatively rare in the extant LXX, third-person imperatives of the same semantic type permeate the creation account (“γενηθήτω φῶς,” Genesis 1:3) and the legal material (“ἐξαλειφθήτω ὁ ἀνὴρ ἐκεῖνος,” Deuteronomy 29:20). Whenever God says “let … be,” the verb form underlines His sovereign fiat; whenever the Law says “let …,” it underscores covenant responsibility. These patterns prepare the way for New Testament commands that summon a redeemed people to live under the lordship of Christ. Contrast with New Testament Forms Because later manuscripts standardize on ἔστω, the New Testament never records ἔτω, yet the same grammatical force appears in verses such as: Each instance carries forward the covenant dynamic already seen in the Old Testament: God speaks with binding authority, and His people are called to obedient response. Theological Themes 1. Divine Sovereignty. Whether uttered by God (“Let there be…”) or by His apostles (“Let him deny himself,” Mark 8:34), the third-person imperative affirms that the living God has the right to summon reality—and His creatures—into conformity with His will. Ministry Significance • Preaching. Explaining the nuance of the third-person imperative helps congregations feel the weight of divine instruction. When Paul says, “Let God be true,” he is not expressing a wish but insisting on a settled reality that must govern every thought. Related Imperative Forms in the New Testament • Ἀπαρνησάσθω – “let him deny” (Mark 8:34) Conclusion Though absent by spelling from the New Testament, ἔτω represents a vital grammatical tool through which Scripture conveys the decrees of God and the obedience of faith. Grasping its force equips believers to read every biblical command—whether addressed directly to them or to every creature under heaven—with reverence, urgency, and confidence in the unchanging authority of the Word of God. Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance ἡσυχίᾳ — 2 Occ.ἡσυχίαν — 1 Occ. ἡσυχίας — 1 Occ. ἡσύχιον — 1 Occ. ἡσυχίου — 1 Occ. ἤτοι — 1 Occ. ἡσσώθητε — 1 Occ. ἥττηται — 1 Occ. ἡττῶνται — 1 Occ. ἥττημα — 2 Occ. ἠχῶν — 1 Occ. ἤχῳ — 1 Occ. ἦχος — 2 Occ. ἠχοῦς — 1 Occ. Θαδδαῖον — 1 Occ. Θαδδαῖος — 1 Occ. θάλασσα — 6 Occ. θάλασσαν — 43 Occ. θαλάσσῃ — 13 Occ. θαλάσσης — 29 Occ. |
    |