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ἐγώ

egṓ

G1473 personal pronoun

SILEX Entry

Definition

The primary pronoun of the first person singular: 'I', marking the speaker or writer themselves. While the subject in Greek is often indicated by verb inflection alone, ἐγώ is employed for emphasis, clarification, or contrast, i.e., to draw particular attention to the subject ('I, as opposed to someone else'). It may also appear in reported speech, rhetorical questions, or narrative shifts. Semantic range includes emphatic 'I', the subject of verbs, and, in select cases, as predicate or in contrast with others ('I... not they').

Semantic Range

I (emphatic or contrastive), myself (in contrast with another), as the explicit first person subject, used for focus or rhetorical effect

Root / Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *egō ('I'). Cognate with Latin ego, Sanskrit aham, Old English ic (modern 'I'). Ancient Greek ἐγώ is the standard nominative singular, from which possessive and oblique forms (ἐμοῦ, ἐμοί, ἐμέ, etc.) are derived.

Historical & Contextual Notes

ἐγώ is attested from the earliest Greek literature (Homer onward), used whenever the speaker is the agent. In Koine Greek, including the New Testament and Septuagint, ἐγώ is typically employed only when contrast or emphasis is intended, as verb forms make the subject clear otherwise. Use of ἐγώ in New Testament dialogues frequently carries rhetorical emphasis or establishes authority (e.g., 'I say to you'). English translations generally map ἐγώ to 'I,' but this can obscure its emphatic nuance as Greek does not require the pronoun for simple subject indication. Unlike related forms (e.g., ἡμεῖς for 'we'), ἐγώ is strictly singular. In Greek literature, pronoun omission versus explicit use often marks discourse style, politeness, authority, or narrative structure.

Translation Consistency

primary "I" 742 occurrences

ἐγώ is the primary first‑person singular pronoun used emphatically or in contrast. 'I' is the natural, standard English equivalent for the speaker/writer and best preserves the emphatic/subjective force; other case forms (me, my, etc.) will be derived from this single base for consistent rendering.

Alternatives (1825 occurrences):
"me" (963x) "us" (733x) "ourselves" (127x) "than" (1x) "my" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primary pronoun of the first person I (only expressed when emphatic):--I, me. For the other cases and the plural see ἐμέ, ἐμοί, ἐμοῦ, ἡμᾶς, ἡμεῖς, ἡμῖν, ἡμῶν, etc.

Root Family

ἐγώ (egō) — self, I (the speaker), personal identity

Root ἐγώ self, I (the one speaking or writing)
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G1699 ἐμός us

Word Forms

11 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1473-11 μου mou PRO.P 1P GEN SG my of me of me 560
G1473-07 ἡμῶν emon PRO.P 1P GEN PL our of us of us 404
G1473-01 ἐγὼ ego PRO.P 1P NOM SG I I I 344
G1473-09 με me PRO.P 1P ACC SG me not me 285
G1473-10 μοι moi PRO.P 1P DAT SG to me to me to I 226
G1473-02 ἡμᾶς emas PRO.P 1P ACC PL us us us 167
G1473-05 ἡμῖν emin PRO.P 1P DAT PL us to us to us 165
G1473-04 ἡμεῖς emeis PRO.P 1P NOM PL we we ourselves we ourselves 127
G1473-08 ἐμοῦ emou PRO.P 1P GEN SG me of me me 111
G1473-03 ἐμὲ eme PRO.P 1P ACC SG me me myself me 93

Occurrences in Scripture

2574 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1473-07 Matthew 1:23 ἡμῶν emon PRO.P 1P GEN PL us of us of us
G1473-11 Matthew 2:6 μου mou PRO.P 1P GEN SG my of me of I
G1473-10 Matthew 2:8 μοι moi PRO.P 1P DAT SG to me to me to I
G1473-11 Matthew 2:15 μου mou PRO.P 1P GEN SG my of me of I
G1473-01 Matthew 3:11 ἐγὼ ego PRO.P 1P NOM SG I I I
G1473-11 Matthew 3:11 μου mou PRO.P 1P GEN SG me of me of I
G1473-11 Matthew 3:11 μού mou-2 PRO.P 1P GEN SG than I of me than me
G1473-01 Matthew 3:14 ἐγὼ ego PRO.P 1P NOM SG I I I
G1473-09 Matthew 3:14 με me PRO.P 1P ACC SG me not me
G1473-05 Matthew 3:15 ἡμῖν emin PRO.P 1P DAT PL for us to us for us
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