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ἐκ

ek

G1537 preposition

SILEX Entry

Definition

A preposition used to indicate motion or origin from within, emphasizing emergence or separation from a place, position, or source. In its primary sense, ἐκ describes the movement out from the interior of something, but it is also used figuratively for origin, source, cause, or separation. It can mark: (1) spatial origin ('from within, out of'), (2) point of departure or source (with persons or things), (3) means or cause, (4) temporal starting point, and (5) figurative or metaphorical senses of origin or basis (e.g., 'from faith', 'of/from the heart').

Semantic Range

out of (denoting motion from within), from (denoting origin, source, or point of departure), from among (indicating separation from a group), because of (of cause or reason), by means of, from the basis of (figurative), starting from (temporal), out from under (indicating removal or separation), after, among, exceedingly (in compounds), with (origin or material)

Root / Etymology

Rooted in the preposition ἐκ (earlier form: ἐξ before vowels). Cognate with Latin ex and English 'ex-' prefix. Derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *eǵs, meaning 'out'. The preposition has no known derivation from another Greek word, being a primary root.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ἐκ and its variant ἐξ (used before words starting with a vowel or rough breathing) consistently indicate the idea of movement from the inside outward, in both concrete and abstract senses. In the Septuagint, ἐκ often translates Hebrew מִן (min), and is used for both spatial and causal meanings. In the New Testament and other Koine texts, ἐκ retains its core spatial sense but is frequently used in broader, more abstract ways—such as source of action, cause, or basis ('out of love', 'from faith', 'by reason of'). English translations often obscure the distinctness between ἐκ ('out of, from within') and ἀπό (apo, 'away from, from'); ἐκ always stresses emergence from the inside or a clearly defined source, while ἀπό is broader, often without that sense of interiority or emergence. In Hellenistic Greek, ἐκ also regularly appears in compounds, intensifying the sense of movement away or separation. Its semantic overlap with ἀπό increased in later Greek, but classical and Koine authors typically preserve the distinction. The full semantic range is not captured by a single English preposition; context determines whether 'from', 'out of', 'of', or a more figurative rendering is appropriate.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote):--after, among, X are, at, betwixt(-yond), by (the means of), exceedingly, (+ abundantly above), for(- th), from (among, forth, up), + grudgingly, + heartily, X heavenly, X hereby, + very highly, in, …ly, (because, by reason) of, off (from), on, out among (from, of), over, since, X thenceforth, through, X unto, X vehemently, with(-out). Often used in composition, with the same general import; often of completion.

Root Family

ἐκ (ek) — out of, from within, from as source, from among

Root ἐκ- out (of), from (within), out of, from, as source
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G1803 ἕξ out of

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1537-01 ἐκ ek PREP GEN from out of out of 679
G1537-02 ἐξ ex PREP GEN from out of out of 235

Occurrences in Scripture

914 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1537-01 Matthew 1:3 ἐκ ek PREP GEN of out of out of
G1537-01 Matthew 1:5 ἐκ ek PREP GEN of out of out of
G1537-01 Matthew 1:5 ἐκ ek-2 PREP GEN of out of out of
G1537-01 Matthew 1:6 ἐκ ek PREP GEN of out of from
G1537-02 Matthew 1:16 ἐξ ex PREP GEN of out of out of
G1537-01 Matthew 1:18 ἐκ ek PREP GEN by out of out of
G1537-01 Matthew 1:20 ἐκ ek PREP GEN of out of out of
G1537-01 Matthew 2:6 ἐκ ek PREP GEN out of out of out of
G1537-02 Matthew 2:15 ἐξ ex PREP GEN out of out of out of
G1537-01 Matthew 3:9 ἐκ ek PREP GEN from out of out of
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