5129. toutó

Lexical Summary

toutó: This, this one, this thing

Original Word: τούτῳ
Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun
Transliteration: toutó
Pronunciation: too'-to
Phonetic Spelling: (too'-to)
KJV: here(-by, -in), him, one, the same, there(-in), this
Word Origin: [dative case singular masculine or neuter of G3778 (οὗτος - this)]

1. to (in, with or by) this (person or thing)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

this; he, she, it

Dative case singular masculine or neuter of houtos; to (in, with or by) this (person or thing) -- here(-by, -in), him, one, the same, there(-in), this.

see GREEK houtos

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
dat. sing. masc. or neut. of houtos,, q.v.

Topical Lexicon

Summary

Strong’s Greek 5129 (τούτῳ) is the dative singular form of the demonstrative pronoun meaning “to/for/by/in this.” Though the specific grammatical tag 5129 is not isolated in most printed Greek New Testaments, the form itself underlies many familiar “by this” or “in this” statements. Its dative force regularly answers the questions “in what?” or “by what means?” and therefore signals grounds, instrument, sphere, or purpose within a sentence.

Grammatical Function

1. Dative of Means – indicating the instrument or vehicle: “By this the love of God is revealed…” (1 John 4:9).
2. Dative of Reference – defining the realm in which a truth is valid: “In this we know that we love the children of God…” (1 John 5:2).
3. Dative of Cause or Reason – giving the basis for an action or judgment: “For by this our fathers were approved…” (a LXX pattern echoed in Hebrews 11).
4. Dative with Prepositions – most often with ἐν (“in/with”) to anchor a statement doctrinally or ethically.

Role in Scriptural Argumentation

The demonstrative is strategic whenever an inspired writer moves from statement to proof. In 1 John, “ἐν τούτῳ” introduces nine tests of genuine faith, each time grounding assurance in observable realities such as obedience, love, or the Spirit’s witness. In the Gospel of John, parallel phrases highlight the public manifestation of Christ’s glory or love (John 13:35; John 15:8). Thus, τούτῳ frequently serves as a hinge between divine revelation and human responsibility.

Relationship to Covenant Language

Old Testament covenants often feature demonstratives that point to a tangible sign (e.g., “This is the sign of the covenant,” Genesis 9:17 LXX). The New Testament writers employ τούτῳ to echo that pattern, pointing to the cross, the Spirit’s indwelling, or mutual love as the covenantal evidence now embraced by believers.

Christological Significance

When Jesus declares, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35), τούτῳ makes sacrificial love the visible badge of union with Him. The pronoun thus welds Christian identity to Christ’s own character, making love both the proof and the proclamation of the gospel.

Pneumatological Insight

“By this we know that He abides in us: by the Spirit He has given us” (1 John 3:24). Here τούτῳ introduces the Spirit as the decisive evidence of indwelling fellowship, safeguarding believers from subjective or purely emotional assurance.

Ecclesiological Application

Within the gathered church, τούτῳ undergirds pastoral exhortation. Elders urge visible obedience and mutual care, not as arbitrary rules, but because Scripture repeatedly says, “in this” the reality of faith is verified. Congregational discipline, discipleship metrics, and communal worship all appeal to objective, demonstrable markers introduced by the term.

Pastoral and Devotional Usage

Because τούτῳ identifies concrete grounds for confidence, it is especially useful in counseling doubtful hearts. Directing a believer to the “in this” statements of 1 John allows objective self-examination that neither ignores sin nor denies grace. Likewise, devotional meditation on each occurrence shapes prayers that move from abstract truth to personal application (“Lord, in this reveal Your love…”).

Historical Usage in Patristic Writings

Early fathers such as Irenaeus and Cyprian often cited Johannine “ἐν τούτῳ” clauses to combat Gnostic subjectivism and schismatic attitudes. By insisting on visible love and doctrinal continuity as the “this” that proves genuine faith, they anchored orthodoxy in apostolic criteria rather than esoteric knowledge.

Implications for Expository Preaching

1. Trace the pronoun: build sermon structure around the inspired “in this” divisions.
2. Highlight the dative nuance: show whether the clause supplies means, sphere, or purpose.
3. Move from indicative to imperative: whenever Scripture states, “By this we know,” the preacher may confidently press the attendant moral or evangelistic appeal.

Related Terms

• ἐν τούτῳ – composite phrase frequently introducing Johannine tests.
• τοῦτο (neuter nominative/accusative, Strong’s 5124) – broader demonstrative “this thing.”
• ὅτι – causal conjunction often explaining the demonstrative (“because”).

Select Illustrative References

John 13:35; John 15:8; 1 John 3:10-24; 1 John 4:9-17; 1 John 5:2-13.

Bibliography

Bauer, Walter—Arndt/Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament.

Robertson, A. T., Grammar of the Greek New Testament.

Trench, R. C., Synonyms of the New Testament.

Englishman's Concordance

τοσοῦτο — 1 Occ.
τοσούτῳ — 3 Occ.
τοσούτων — 1 Occ.
τοσοῦτοι — 1 Occ.
τοσοῦτον — 4 Occ.
τοσοῦτος — 1 Occ.
τοσούτου — 2 Occ.
τοσούτους — 1 Occ.
Τότε — 161 Occ.
τοὐναντίον — 3 Occ.
τράγων — 4 Occ.
τράπεζα — 2 Occ.
τραπέζαις — 1 Occ.
τράπεζαν — 2 Occ.
τραπέζας — 3 Occ.
τραπέζης — 7 Occ.
τραπεζίταις — 1 Occ.
τραύματα — 1 Occ.
τετραυματισμένους — 1 Occ.
τραυματίσαντες — 1 Occ.