εἴ τις
eí tis
G1536
SILEX Entry
Definition
Compound indefinite conditional phrase combining 'if' (εἰ) and 'anyone' or 'anything' (τις), meaning 'if anyone,' 'if anything,' 'if a certain one,' or 'if a certain thing.' Used to introduce a hypothetical or unspecified subject or object within a conditional clause, often marking an open condition involving some person or thing that is undefined or not previously specified; can refer to people, things, or actions in an open-ended way.
Semantic Range
if anyone, if someone, if any person, if anything, if any, if a certain one, if a certain thing
Root / Etymology
Formed from the conditional particle εἰ ('if') and the indefinite pronoun τις ('anyone,' 'someone,' 'anything'). The combination is syntactical, not a single lexeme, and so is a grammatical phrase created by juxtaposition of existing words.
Historical & Contextual Notes
εἴ τις is a frequently occurring formula in Koine Greek, especially in conditional (protasis) clauses. Its usage is well attested from classical times through the Hellenistic and Roman periods, with particular abundance in the Septuagint and New Testament writings. It functions to open a conditional statement whose subject or object is nonspecific. In English translation, it is often rendered as 'if anyone,' 'if a person,' or 'if someone,' but may also refer to objects: 'if anything.' The construction has no specific theological significance and simply reflects normal Greek idiom for stating open conditions involving indefinite entities. Because it is a phrase, not a single word, meaning and nuance depend on context. Translations that read 'if any man' in older English Bibles reflect a default masculine interpretation, but the Greek is gender-indefinite unless context supplies gender. The construction εἴ τι similarly means 'if anything.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from εἰ and τὶς; if any:--he that, if a(-ny) man('s thing, from any, ought), whether any, whosoever.
Word Forms
0 distinct forms
No word forms found for this Strong's number.
Occurrences in Scripture
0 occurrences
No occurrences found.