ἤμην
ḗmēn
G2252
SILEX Entry
Definition
First person singular imperfect active indicative form of εἰμί (to be); expresses continuous or habitual past existence or state, translated as 'I was' or 'I used to be.' The core sense is the assertion of being, existence, or presence in a past timeframe. In some narrative contexts, it marks the continuation or background of an action or condition in the past.
Semantic Range
I was, I existed, I used to be, I was present, I was in a state, background of an action
Root / Etymology
Prolonged, poetic, or Attic/Ionic form of the first person singular imperfect active indicative of εἰμί (to be). The standard Koine form is ἦν for the third person; ἤμην reflects the first person. Greek εἰμί is of Indo-European origin, from the root *es- (to be).
Historical & Contextual Notes
ἤμην appears in literary and narrative Greek as the first person singular imperfect of εἰμί, often when describing circumstances, backgrounds, or ongoing states in the past. While the active imperfect forms (like ἤμην) were maintained in classical and Koine Greek, syncope and simplification sometimes led to their omission or replacement by periphrastic constructions in later phases. In the New Testament and Septuagint, ἤμην is typically used for narrative past, sometimes with a nuanced sense of continued action or state (e.g., John 1:1). English translations generally render it as 'I was,' but the nuance of continuous, durative, or habitual past may be lost. Unlike participles or periphrastic forms, ἤμην is a simple imperfect verb marking the subject’s existence or ongoing state. The Greek imperfect tense does not distinguish aspect as in English; contextual factors—such as accompanying adverbs or narrative structure—clarify whether the action is simply past or ongoing/past habitual.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a prolonged form of ἦν; I was:--be, was. (Sometimes unexpressed).
Word Forms
0 distinct forms
No word forms found for this Strong's number.
Occurrences in Scripture
0 occurrences
No occurrences found.