Greek word · G1762

ἔνι

eni

there is

A shortened form of ἔνεστι(ν), "it is in, it is present, there exists". In the NT it appears only with a negative: "there is not / there is no room for" (1 Cor 6:5; Col 3:11; Jas 1:17).

Appears 6 times in 4 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἔνι Ionic form of ἐν (ἐνί), with strengthened accent;

[in LXX: Sirach 37:2, 4Ma.4:22 * ;]

= ἔνεστι,

is in, has place, can be: 1 Corinthians 6:5, Galatians 3:28 (tris) Colossians 3:11, James 1:17 (cf. Lft., Ga.; Hort and Mayor, Ja., ll. with).†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Galatians 3:28

Range of meaning

A shortened form of ἔνεστι(ν), "it is in, it is present, there exists". In the NT it appears only with a negative: "there is not / there is no room for" (1 Cor 6:5; Col 3:11; Jas 1:17).

Against the English

Most English versions say "There is neither...", which can sound like a statement that these categories no longer exist anywhere. YLT's "there is not here" keeps the sense of a location: the denial applies inside a particular space.

How it drifted

Without the "in" idea, readers can take the verse as a claim about the world at large. Paul is describing the realm "in Christ Jesus".

Used elsewhere in the period

Classical and Koine Greek use ἔνι as an impersonal "there is (in it)". Col 3:11 uses the same construction in a parallel list ("where there is not Greek and Jew..."), and there the location is explicit: "where", meaning in the new humanity.

From the study of Colossians 3:11

Range of meaning

A shortened form of ἔνεστι, 'it is in, it is present, it is possible'. In Koine Greek, the everyday Greek of the New Testament era, it is used almost always with a negative: 'there is not', 'there is no room for'.

Against the English

'There is no' (BSB, NIV) is accurate. WEB's 'there can't be' and Lightfoot's 'there is no room for' bring out the sense of impossibility. NASB's 'no distinction between' turns it into a statement about distinguishing, which is an interpretation.

Used elsewhere in the period

Used in the identical formula in Galatians 3:28 (οὐκ ἔνι Ἰουδαῖος οὐδὲ Ἕλλην) and in 1 Corinthians 6:5 ('is there not one wise man among you?') and James 1:17 ('with whom there is no variation'). Lightfoot (1875) argued that ἔνι denies 'not the fact only but the possibility'.

Where it appears

1 Corinthians · 1

  1. 1 Corinthians 6:5 ἔνι is there

    I say this to your shame. Is there really no one among you wise enough to arbitrate between his brothers?

    Here: A short form of ἔνεστιν, 'is present within'. The stress falls on presence: is there not, inside your own community, such a person?

Galatians · 3

  1. Galatians 3:28 ἔνι ἔνι ἔνι there is

    There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

    Here: A short form of ἔνεστιν, "is present in, exists within". With the negative it means "there is no such thing here". The "here" is the sphere named at the end of the verse: in Christ Jesus. YLT's "there is not here" catches this.

Colossians · 1

  1. Colossians 3:11 ἔνι there is

    Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.

    Here: A shortened form of ἔνεστι, 'is in, is present'. With the negative it means 'there is no place for' these labels. It denies them any standing inside the new humanity, which is stronger than just saying they are not mentioned.

James · 1

  1. James 1:17 ἔνι there is

    Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.

    Here: A shortened form of 'is in', meaning 'is found in, is present in'. Together with ouk it says there is not even a trace of change in him.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.