Lexical Summary autos: he, she, it, they, them, himself, herself, itself, themselves, same Original Word: αὐτός Strong's Exhaustive Concordance herself, himself, itself, he, she, it, sameFrom the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of aer through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative heautou) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons -- her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy-)self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which. Compare hautou. see GREEK aer see GREEK heautou see GREEK hautou NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originan intensive pronoun, a prim. word Definition (1) self (emphatic) (2) he, she, it (used for the third pers. pron.) (3) the same NASB Translation accompanied* (2), agree* (1), anyone (1), both* (1), city (2), even (1), here* (1), herself (5), himself (83), itself (7), just (1), lies (1), like (1), like-minded (1), money (1), myself (10), number (1), one (1), one's (2), other (1), ourselves (8), own (2), part (1), people (1), person (1), personally (1), righteousness (1), same (59), same things (4), same way (1), selves (1), sight (1), temple (1), theirs (3), themselves (23), there* (2), these (1), these things (2), this (1), those (2), together* (8), very (17), very one (1), very thing (4), well (1), who (3), whose (2), whose* (1), women (1), yourself (3), yourselves (14), yourselves* (3). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 846: αὐτόςαὐτός, αὐτῇ, αὐτό, pronoun ("derived from the particle αὖ with the added force of a demonstrative pronoun. In itself it signifies nothing more than again, applied to what has either been previously mentioned or, when the whole discourse is looked at, must necessarily be supplied." Klotz ad Devar. ii., p. 219; (see Vanicek, p. 268)). It is used by the Biblical writings both of the O. T. and of the N. T. far more frequently than the other pronouns; and in this very frequent and almost inordinate use of it, they deviate greatly from secular authors; cf. Buttmann, § 127, 9. (On classic usage cf. Hermann, Opuscc. i. 308ff, of which dissertation a summary is given in his edition of Viger, pp. 732-736.) I. self, as used (in all persons, genders, numbers) to distinguish a person or thing from or contrast it with another, or to give him (it) emphatic prominence. 1. When used to express Opposition or Distinction, it is added a. to the subjects implied in the verb, the personal pronouns ἐγώ, ἡμεῖς, σύ, etc., being omitted: Luke 5:37 (αὐτός ἐκχυθήσεται the wine, as opposed to the skins); Luke 22:71 (αὐτοί γάρ ἠκούσαμεν we ourselves, opposed to witnesses whose testimony could have been taken); John 2:25 (αὐτός ἐγίνωσκεν, opposed to testimony he might have called for); John 4:42 (we ourselves, not thou only); John 9:21 (T Tr WH omit); Acts 18:15 (ὄψεσθε αὐτοί); Acts 20:34; Acts 22:19; 1 Thessalonians 1:9, etc.; with a negative added, 'he does not himself do this or that,' i. e. he leaves it to others: Luke 6:42 (αὐτός, viz., thou, οὐ βλέπων); Luke 11:46 (αὐτοί, viz., ye, οὐ προσψαύετε), b. it is added to subjects expressed, whether to pronouns personal or demonstrative, or to nouns proper or common: John 3:28 (αὐτοί ὑμεῖς ye yourselves bear witness, not only have I affirmed); Acts 20:30 (ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν from among your own selves, not only from other quarters); Romans 15:14 (καί αὐτός ἐγώ I of myself also, not only assured by report, cf. c. it is used to distinguish one not only from his companions, disciples, servants — as Mark 2:25 (αὐτός καί οἱ μετ' αὐτοῦ); John 2:12; John 4:53; John 18:1 — but also from things done by him or belonging to him, as John 7:4 (τί ποιεῖ καί ζητεῖ αὐτός (L Tr marginal reading WH marginal reading αὐτό)); 1 Corinthians 3:15 (τίνος τό ἔργον κατακαήσεται, αὐτός δέ σωθήσεται); Luke 24:15 (αὐτός (ὁ) Ἰησοῦς, Jesus himself in person, opposed to their previous conversation about him). d. self to the exclusion of others, i. e. he etc. alone, by oneself: Mark 6:31 (ὑμεῖς αὐτοί ye alone, unattended by any of the people; cf. Fritzsche at the passage); John 14:11 (διά τά ἔργα αὐτά (WH marginal reading αὐτοῦ)); Romans 7:25 (αὐτός ἐγώ I alone, unaided by the Spirit of Christ; cf. Romans 8:2); 2 Corinthians 12:13 (αὐτός ἐγώ, unlike the other preachers of the gospel); Revelation 19:12; cf. Herm. ad Vig., p. 733 iii.; Matth. § 467, 5; Kühner, § 468 Anm. 2; (Jelf, § 656, 3); with the addition of μόνος (as often in Attic writings): John 6:15. e. self not prompted or influenced by another, i. e. of oneself of one's own accord: John 16:27 (so even Homer, Iliad 17, 254; and among Attic writings especially Xenophon). 2. When it gives Prominence, it answers a. to our emphatic he, she, it: Matthew 1:21 (αὐτός σώσει HE and no other); Matthew 5:4-10 (αὐτοί); b. it points out some one as chief, leader, master of the rest (often so in Greek, as in the well-known phrase of the Pythagoreans, αὐτός ἔφα (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 22, 3, 4 and, p. 150 (142))): of Christ, Matthew 8:24; Mark 4:38; Mark 6:47; Mark 8:29; Luke 5:16; Luke 9:51; Luke 10:38; of God, Luke 6:35; Hebrews 13:5; 1 John 4:19 (not Lachmann). c. it answers to our very, just, exactly (German eben,gerade): Romans 9:3 (αὐτός ἐγώ I myself, the very man who seems to be inimical to the Israelites); 2 Corinthians 10:1 (I myself, who bore myself lowly in your presence, as ye said); αὐτά τά ἔργα, John 5:36; often in Luke ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ἡμέρα or ὥρα, αὐτῷ τῷ καιρῷ, in that very day, hour, season: Luke 2:38; Luke 10:21; Luke 12:12; Luke 13:1, 31; Luke 20:19; Luke 23:12; Luke 24:13, 33; Acts 16:18. In the writings of Paul αὐτό τοῦτο this very thing: Galatians 2:10; 2 Corinthians 7:11; Philippians 1:6; εἰς αὐτό τοῦτο for this very purpose, on this very account: Romans 9:17; Romans 13:6; 2 Corinthians 5:5; Ephesians 6:22; Colossians 4:8; and in the same sense (for this very thing) the simple accusative (as in Attic, cf. Matth. § 470, 7; Kühner, 2:267 Anm. 6; Winer's Grammar, § 21 N. 2) τοῦτο αὐτό, 2 Corinthians 2:3 (but see Meyer at the passage), and αὐτό τοῦτο, 2 Peter 1:5 (Lachmann reads here αὐτοί). d. even, Latinvel,adeo (in Homer; cf. Herm. ad Vig., p. 733 ii.): καί αὐτῇ ἡ κτίσις, Romans 8:21; οὐδέ ἡ φύσις αὐτῇ, 1 Corinthians 11:14; καί (Tr omits; L WH brackets καί) αὐτός ὁ υἱός, 1 Corinthians 15:28; καί αὐτῇ Σάρρα even Sarah herself, although a feeble old woman, Hebrews 11:11 (yet WH marginal reading reads the dative αὐτῇ Σάρρα; see καταβολή, 1). II. αὐτός has the force of a simple personal pronoun of the third person, answering to our unemphatic he, she, it; and that 1. as in classic Greek, in the oblique cases, him, her, it, them, etc.: numberless instances — as in the genitive absolute, e. g. αὐτοῦ ἐλθόντος, λαλήσαντος, etc.; or in the accusative with infinitive, εἰς τό εἶναι αὐτούς ἀναπολογήτους, Romans 1:20; or after prepositions, ἐξ αὐτοῦ, ἐν αὐτῷ, etc.; or where it indicates the possessor, ὁ πατήρ αὐτοῦ; or a person as the (direct or indirect) object of an active verb, as ἐπιδώσει αὐτῷ, Matthew 7:9; ἀσπάσασθε αὐτήν, Matthew 10:12; ἀφείς αὐτούς, Matthew 26:44; ἦν διανεύων αὐτοῖς, Luke 1:22; οὐκ εἴα αὐτά λαλεῖν, Luke 4:41; ἡ σκοτία αὐτό οὐ κατέλαβε, John 1:5. But see αὑτοῦ below. 2. Contrary to Greek usage, in the N. T. even in the nominative it is put for a simple personal pronoun of the third person, where the Greeks say οὗτος or ὁ δέ, or use no pronoun at all. This has been convincingly shown by Buttmann, 107ff (93ff); and yet some of the examples adduced by him are not decisive, but either must be or can be referred to the usage illustrated under I. 1; — those in which αὐτός is used of Christ, apparently to I. 1 b. But, in my opinion, the question is settled even by the following: αὐτός, Matthew 14:2; Mark 14:15; Luke 1:22; Luke 15:14; so too in the Sept. (cf. Thiersch, De Pentat. vers. Alex., p. 98); Sir. 49:7; Tobit 6:11; αὐτοί, Mark 2:8 (οὕτως αὐτοί διαλογίζονται in Griesbach); Luke 9:36; Luke 14:1; Luke 22:23; αὐτό, Luke 11:14 (Tr marginal reading WH omits; Tr text brackets). Whether αὐτῇ and αὐταί also are so used, is doubtful; cf. Buttmann, 109 (95). 3. Sometimes in the oblique cases the pronoun is omitted, being evident from the context: Mark 6:5 (ἐπιθείς, namely, αὐτοῖς); John 3:34 (δίδωσι, namely, αὐτῷ); John 10:29 (δέδωκέ μοι, namely, αὐτούς); Acts 13:3 (ἀπέλυσαν, namely, αὐτούς); Revelation 18:21 (ἔβαλεν, namely, αὐτόν), etc. 4. Not infrequently αὐτός in the oblique cases is added to the verb, although the case belonging to this very verb has preceded: Matthew 8:1 (Καταβάντι δέ αὐτῷ (L Tr WH genitive absolutely) ἀπό τόν ὄρους ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ); Matthew 4:16; Matthew 5:40; Matthew 8:23, 28 (R G); 5. By a Hebraism αὐτός is used redundantly in relative sentences: ἧς εἴχετο θυγάτριον αὐτῆς, Mark 7:25; οὗ τῷ μώλωπι αὐτοῦ, 1 Peter 2:24 (R G T, but Tr marginal reading brackets αὐτοῦ); especially in the Apocalypse: ἥν οὐδείς δύναται κλεῖσαι αὐτήν, Revelation 3:8 (according to the true text); οἷς ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς, Revelation 7:2; add Revelation 7:9; Revelation 13:12; Revelation 17:9; far more often in the Sept.; rare in Greek writings (from Callimachus ( 6. Very often αὐτός is used rather laxly, where the subject or the object to which it must be referred is not expressly indicated, but must be gathered especially from some preceding name of a province or city, or from the context: Matthew 4:23 (περιῆγεν τήν Γαλιλαίαν διδάσκων ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς αὐτῶν, i. e. of the Galilaeans); Acts 8:5 (Σαμαρείας ἐκήρυσσεν αὐτοῖς, i. e. τοῖς Σαμαρείταις); Acts 20:2 (αὐτούς, i. e. the inhabitants τῶν μερῶν ἐκείνων); 2 Corinthians 2:13 (αὐτοῖς, i. e. the Christians of Troas); Matthew 19:2 (ὄχλοι πολλοί καί ἐθεράπευσεν αὐτούς, i. e. their sick); 1 Peter 3:14 (φόβον αὐτῶν, i. e. of those who may be able κακῶσαι you, 1 Peter 3:13); Luke 23:51 (τῇ βουλή αὐτῶν, i. e. of those with whom he had been a βουλευτής); Hebrews 8:8 (αὐτοῖς (L T WH Tr marginal reading αὐτούς; see μέμφομαι) i. e. τοῖς ἔχουσι τήν διαθήκην τήν προωτην); Luke 2:22 (τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ αὐτῶν. of the purification prescribed by the law of Moses to women in child-bed); John 8:44 (ψεύστης ἐστιν καί ὁ πατήρ αὐτοῦ, i. e. of the liar; cf. Baumg.-Crusius and Meyer at the passage). By this rather careless use of the pronoun it camo about that at length αὐτοί alone might be used for ἄνθρωποι: Matthew 8:4; Mark 1:44; Luke 5:14, 17 (here T WH Tr marginal reading αὐτόν); cf. Winers Grammar, § 22, 3; Buttmann, § 127, 8. 7. Sometimes, in relative sentences consisting of several members, the second member is not joined to the first by the relative ὅς, but by a loose connection proceeds with καί αὐτός; as, Luke 17:31; Acts 3:13 (By ὅν ὑμεῖς παρεδώκατε καί ἠρνήσασθε αὐτόν (L T WH omit; Tr brackets αὐτόν)); 1 Corinthians 8:6 (ἐξ οὗ τά πάντα καί ἡμεῖς εἰς αὐτόν, for καί εἰς ὅν ἡμεῖς); 2 Peter 2:3. This is the usage likewise of Greek as well as of Hebrew; cf. Winers Grammar, 149 (141); (Buttmann, 283 (243)); Bernhardy (1829), p. 304. III. ὁ αὐτός, ἡ αὐτῇ, τό αὐτό, with the article, the same; 1. without a noun: ὁ αὐτός, immutable, Hebrews 1:12; Hebrews 13:8 (Thucydides 2, 61); τό αὐτό: — ποιεῖν, Matthew 5:46 (R G T WH text, 47 L T Tr WH); Luke 6:33; λέγειν, to profess the same opinion, 1 Corinthians 1:10; ὀνειδίζειν, not in the same manner but reproached him with the same, cast on him the same reproach, Matthew 27:44 (ὀνειδίζειν τοιαῦτα, Sophocles Oed. Col. 1002). τά αὐτά: Acts 15:27; Romans 2:1; Ephesians 6:9. ἐπί τό αὐτό (Rec.st passim ἐπιτοαυτό) (Hesychius ὁμοῦ, ἐπί τόν αὐτόν τόπον), to the same place, in the same place: Matthew 22:34; Acts 1:15; Acts 2:1; 1 Corinthians 11:20; 1 Corinthians 14:23 (Psalm 2:2; 2 Samuel 2:13; 3Macc. 3:1; Susanna 14); together: Luke 17:35; Acts 3:1 (L T Tr WH join it to Acts 2; 1 Corinthians 7:5); κατά τό αὐτό (Vulg.simul), together: Acts 14:1 (for יַחַד, Exodus 26:24; 1 Kings 3:18; examples from Greek writings are given by Kypke, Observations, ii., p. 69ff). Like adjective of equality ὁ αὐτός is followed by the dative: ἕν καί τό αὐτό τῇ ἐξυρημένῃ, 1 Corinthians 11:5 (Wis. 18:11; 4 Macc. 8:5; 10:2, 13; and often in Greek writings, cf. Winer's Grammar, 150 (141)). 2. With a noun added: Matthew 26:44; Mark 14:39 (τόν αὐτόν λόγον); Luke 6:38 (R G L marginal reading) (τῷ αὐτῷ μέτρῳ); Philippians 1:30; 1 Corinthians 1:10 (ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ νοι<); 1 Corinthians 12:4 (τό δέ αὐτό πνεῦμα), etc. τά αὐτά (with the force of a substantive: the same kind) τῶν παθημάτων, 1 Peter 5:9. (Cf. ταῦτα.) Appearing more than five thousand times, αὐτός supplies the connective tissue of New Testament discourse. It points, clarifies, intensifies, and exalts the subject in view, allowing the writers to keep the spotlight on persons and realities central to divine revelation. Pronoun of Identity and Personhood αὐτός identifies specific persons in the flow of narrative or argument, preserving individual identity amid crowded scenes. In Matthew 3:16, “Jesus was baptized; and at once He (αὐτός) went up out of the water,” the pronoun protects the focus on Christ despite the presence of John, the Spirit, and the Father’s voice. Similar precision occurs in Acts 10:18 as Cornelius’ messengers call for “Simon who is also called Peter—he is lodging here.” Emphatic Contrast and Focus Placed in predicate position or combined with ὁ αὐτός, the term sharpens contrast: “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). The emphasis heightens the substitutionary atonement. In Galatians 2:20 Paul declares, “the life I now live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” The reflexive nuance underscores the voluntary nature of Christ’s sacrifice. Self-Reference of Jesus Christ The Evangelists repeatedly use αὐτός to highlight the personal initiative of the Lord: Such wording guards the uniqueness of His actions and decisions, reinforcing His sovereignty throughout His earthly ministry. Divine Titles and Yahweh Identification When the New Testament cites Old Testament texts that apply the covenant name to Jesus, αὐτός becomes part of the bridge. Matthew 1:23 applies Isaiah 7:14: “They will call Him Immanuel,” yet the next verse clarifies, “He (αὐτός) will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). The writers deliberately echo the Septuagint’s use of αὐτός to refer to the LORD, affirming Christ’s deity. Trinitarian Contexts αὐτός enables clear differentiation and mutuality within the Godhead. Romans 8:26 states, “the Spirit Himself intercedes for us,” while verse 34 affirms, “Christ Jesus… is at the right hand of God and is interceding for us.” Distinct persons act in concert, yet each is presented with personal agency. Similarly, John 1:18 distinguishes the Father and the “one and only Son—He Himself is at the Father’s side.” Christological Confessions Key confessions rely on αὐτός for theological weight: The pronoun crystallizes recognition of Jesus’ messianic identity. Salvation Narrative αὐτός frequently marks the agent of redemption: By reserving the pronoun for decisive moments, the writers accent that salvation is God’s work from beginning to end. Ecclesiology In Church life αὐτός underscores Christ’s headship and the Spirit’s gifting: The prominence of αὐτός guards against human self-promotion and anchors authority in the risen Lord. Missional and Evangelistic Motivation The Great Commission closes with an αὐτός-marked promise: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). The personal pledge of the living Christ fuels mission in Acts, where αὐτός punctuates divine guidance: “Then He (αὐτός) told them, ‘You will be My witnesses…’” (Acts 1:8). Sanctification and Discipleship αὐτός highlights the intimate, ongoing ministry of Christ and the Spirit in the believer: The pronoun assures Christians that sanctification is not a self-improvement project but a divine operation. Pastoral Comfort and Assurance New Testament writers employ αὐτός to offer personal consolation from God: Such usage secures confidence in seasons of trial. Eschatological Expectation αὐτός anchors the certainty of the Second Coming: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Revelation consistently distinguishes the glorified Christ with αὐτός, as in Revelation 1:18, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever.” Patterns of Distribution across the Canon • Gospels and Acts: storytelling prominence, pointing to Jesus’ deeds and words. Historical Reception in the Early Church Church Fathers cited αὐτός to defend orthodox Christology against adoptionism and Arianism. Athanasius appealed to Hebrews 1:3, insisting that the One who “Himself” purged sins possesses divine nature. Augustine’s Trinitarian formulations drew on texts like John 14:26 where Jesus says, “the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things,” noting the personal pronoun for the Spirit. Implications for Expository Preaching 1. Trace αὐτός-marked clauses to highlight divine agency in salvation history. Key Texts for Study John 1:27; John 2:24; John 12:24 Ephesians 2:14; Ephesians 4:11 1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Intertextual Echoes with the Septuagint New Testament writers mirror Septuagint patterns in passages like Isaiah 40:10, “Behold, the Lord Lord comes with strength, and His arm rules for Him.” Revelation 22:12 adapts the wording, “Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me,” retaining the emphatic pronoun to signal continuity between covenants. Summary αὐτός is more than a grammatical device; it is a theological spotlight. Whether identifying the Savior who dies and rises, the Spirit who indwells, or the Father who sends and sanctifies, the pronoun secures the Scriptural testimony that God Himself accomplishes redemption, sustains His church, and will consummate all things in glory. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 1:2 PPro-GM3SGRK: τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ KJV: Judas and his brethren; INT: the brothers of him Matthew 1:11 PPro-GM3S Matthew 1:18 PPro-GM3S Matthew 1:18 PPro-AM3P Matthew 1:19 PPro-GF3S Matthew 1:19 PPro-AF3S Matthew 1:19 PPro-AF3S Matthew 1:20 PPro-GM3S Matthew 1:20 PPro-DM3S Matthew 1:20 PPro-DF3S Matthew 1:21 PPro-GM3S Matthew 1:21 PPro-NM3S Matthew 1:21 PPro-GM3S Matthew 1:21 PPro-GM3P Matthew 1:23 PPro-GM3S Matthew 1:24 PPro-DM3S Matthew 1:24 PPro-GM3S Matthew 1:25 PPro-AF3S Matthew 1:25 PPro-GM3S Matthew 2:2 PPro-GM3S Matthew 2:2 PPro-DM3S Matthew 2:3 PPro-GM3S Matthew 2:4 PPro-GM3P Matthew 2:5 PPro-DM3S Matthew 2:7 PPro-GM3P Strong's Greek 846 |
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