ESTUDIO DE LA PALABRA GRIEGA
Heîs (εἷς) — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
εἷς (heîs) is the Greek cardinal numeral "one," expressing unity, singularity, distribution, and oneness in identity across 243 New Testament verses.
Significado de la palabra
εἷς is the cardinal numeral "one," standing in contrast to many (Matthew 25:15; Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 10:8). It can function as a noun ("one [person]"), as in Romans 5:15 and Ephesians 2:14, and frequently takes a partitive genitive ("one of…," Matthew 5:19) or appears before ἐκ/ἐξ to pick out a single member from a group (Mark 14:18; John 6:8). The lexicon also notes an emphatic negative use with οὐ or μή, where εἷς … οὐ means "not even one, none" (Matthew 5:18; 10:29; Luke 12:6).
Beyond simple counting, εἷς carries an emphatic force of "single" or "alone." It marks exclusivity (Matthew 21:24; Mark 8:14) and can appear alone without an article (1 Corinthians 9:24). Combined with the definite article or a possessive pronoun it becomes a substantival "the one" (Mark 2:7; 10:18; Luke 18:19), and in constructions like "the one… the other" it picks out paired parties (Matthew 6:24; Luke 7:41; Revelation 17:10). It also denotes numerical or identity unity, as in John 10:30 and 17:11 ("I and the Father are one"), Romans 12:4–5, and Philippians 1:27.
In later Greek, εἷς weakens to function like the indefinite article or τις ("a certain one"), seen in Matthew 8:19, 19:6, and Revelation 8:13, and in the compound εἷς τις ("a certain one," Luke 22:50; John 11:49). Distributively, εἷς ἕκαστος means "each one" (Luke 4:40; Acts 2:6), καθ᾽ ἕνα means "one by one" (Mark 14:19; Romans 12:5), and εἷς τὸν ἕνα serves as a reciprocal ("one another," 1 Thessalonians 5:11). Like Hebrew אֶחָד, εἷς can also substitute for the ordinal πρῶτος, "first" (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2).
Uso en las Escrituras
In the Gospels εἷς occurs constantly in numerical sayings of Jesus: the one lost sheep (Matthew 12:11), the one cup of cold water given to "one of these little ones" (Matthew 10:42), one cubit added to the span of life (Matthew 6:27), the impossibility of serving two masters and holding to one (Matthew 6:24), and one scribe who pledges to follow Jesus wherever He goes (Matthew 8:19). These usages show εἷς at its most everyday: a count, a member of a group, an exclusive attachment.
In the Epistles and Revelation εἷς takes on theological weight. It marks the unity of the Father and the Son (John 10:30; 17:11), the oneness of believers as one body with diverse gifts (Romans 12:4–5), and the singular way of salvation through "the one mediator" alongside the oneness of God (Ephesians 2:14–18 context; 1 Timothy 2:5). It is also pressed into ordinal use for "the first day" of the week (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2), and into distributive or reciprocal phrases ("one by one," "one another") that shape the community language of the New Testament (Romans 12:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:11).
La palabra en detalle
- G1520 Cardinal numeral "one," with senses ranging from simple counting to emphatic singularity, identity unity, weakened indefinite use (= τις), distributive use (εἷς ἕκαστος, καθ᾽ ἕνα), and ordinal use for πρῶτος. Declined ἕν (neuter), μίαν (feminine accusative), ἑνός (genitive), etc.; appears in 243 New Testament verses.
Versículos de ejemplo
- John 10:30 εἷς marks identity unity: Jesus and the Father are not merely one in purpose as two individuals, but share a single essential oneness.
- Romans 12:5 εἷς καθ᾽ εἷς distributes believers one by one; each member belongs to the same single body, the source of Paul's ethic of mutual care.
- Matthew 6:24 εἷς appears twice in the contrast "the one … the other," highlighting exclusive loyalty: one master is served only by holding fast to the one and despising the other.
- Matthew 28:1 εἷς is used ordinally for πρῶτος, "the first [day]" of the week, a Septuagintal idiom matching Hebrew אֶחָד.
Preguntas frecuentes
Is εἷς only a number, or does it have theological meaning?
It is fundamentally the cardinal numeral "one," but it is pressed into statements of unity and exclusivity such as John 10:30 ("I and the Father are one") and Ephesians 2:14. Theological weight comes from the context, not from the word itself.
How does εἷς differ from οὐδείς ("no one")?
εἷς is a positive numeral "one." With a negative particle it can express "not even one, none" (Matthew 5:18; 10:29), but this construction is more emphatic than the simple negative pronoun οὐδείς.
What is the difference between εἷς ἕκαστος and καθ᾽ ἕνα?
Both mean "each one / one by one," but εἷς ἕκαστος is a more classical distributive formula (Luke 4:40; Acts 2:6), while καθ᾽ ἕνα stresses sequential, individual enumeration (Mark 14:19; Romans 12:5).