ESTUDIO DE LA PALABRA GRIEGA
Ekeinos (G1565) — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
ἐκεῖνος is a Greek demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' (person or thing), used to point to someone or something remote from the speaker, often contrasted with οὗτος ('this').
Significado de la palabra
ἐκεῖνος (pronounced ekeînos) is a Greek demonstrative pronoun derived from the adverb ἐκεῖ ('there'). It points to a person or thing that is distant in space, time, or discourse from the speaker, and is best rendered 'that' or 'that one.' Unlike οὗτος, which signals proximity, ἐκεῖνος signals remoteness — whether literal (a place or person far away) or rhetorical (something previously mentioned or set apart).
The pronoun can stand alone (Mt 7:22: 'in that day'; Lk 18:14, contrasted with οὗτος) or attach to an articular noun as an adjective (Mt 7:25: 'that house'; Mk 3:24). It also refers back to a person or idea previously introduced (Mk 16:10, 13, 20; Jn 2:21; Rom 14:14), and occasionally carries contemptuous force when the referent is unnamed or absent (Jn 7:11; 9:28).
In time references, ἐκεῖνος frequently points to a moment distinct from the speaker's present — past eras ('in those days,' Mt 3:1; Mk 1:9) or a future decisive moment, especially the day of the Parousia (Mt 7:22; Lk 6:23; 2 Th 1:10; 2 Ti 1:12). The form ἐκεινής can also function adverbially meaning 'that way' (Lk 19:4).
Uso en las Escrituras
Throughout the Gospels, ἐκεῖνος is most often an inconspicuous but essential deictic anchor — it ties Jesus's words to a particular house, city, land, day, or season. Matthew 7:22 ('in that day'), 7:25 and 7:27 ('that house'), 8:28 ('that way'), 9:26 and 9:31 ('that land'), 10:14–15 ('that house or city'), and 11:25; 12:1 ('at that season') all show the pronoun functioning to mark a definite, often memorable, moment or place in the narrative.
In the example set, several passages highlight time-defining force: 'in those days' (Mt 3:1) frames the opening of John's ministry; 'at that season' (Mt 11:25; 12:1) marks when Jesus spoke or acted; and 'that day' (Mt 7:22) is a recurring eschatological phrase. Other uses are simpler anaphoric pointers — 'that house,' 'that city,' 'that land' — that pick out a referent already introduced and keep the reader oriented.
Because ἐκεῖνος contrasts with οὗτος, translators must sometimes preserve the 'that…this' opposition to convey the writer's emphasis (e.g., Lk 18:14; Jn 3:30). Readers should pay attention to whether the pronoun signals physical/distant reference, temporal reference (especially eschatological 'that day'), or backward reference to a previously named person, since the same Greek word covers all three.
La palabra en detalle
- G1565 ἐκεῖνος (ekeînos) — demonstrative pronoun from ἐκεῖ ('there'), meaning 'that one' / 'that thing,' signaling remoteness in contrast with οὗτος ('this'); 201 occurrences across 196 verses in the NT.
Versículos de ejemplo
- Matthew 7:22 'That day' (ἐκείν� ἡμέρᾳ) — an eschatological use pointing to the day of judgment/Parousia, not the calendar day of Jesus's ministry.
- Matthew 3:1 'In those days' (ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις) — frames the beginning of John the Baptist's ministry as a distinct, marked-off era.
- Matthew 7:25 'That house' (ἐκείνῃ τῇ ο�κίᾳ) — ἐκεῖνος functioning as an adjective with the article, picking out the specific house built on the rock.
- Matthew 8:28 'That way' (ἐκείνης τῆς ὁδοῦ) — ἐκεῖνος as genitive with a road expression, marking the route where the demon-possessed men met Jesus.
Preguntas frecuentes
How is ἐκεῖνος different from οὗτος?
οὗτος ('this') signals proximity to the speaker; ἐκεῖνος ('that') signals remoteness. Translators should usually preserve this contrast (e.g., Lk 18:14; Jn 3:30) since the writer often uses the opposition for emphasis.
Does ἐκεῖνος always mean 'far away' in space?
No. The 'remoteness' can be spatial, temporal, or rhetorical. So 'that day' (Mt 7:22) and 'those days' (Mt 3:1) are temporal, and 'that man' referring to someone unnamed in the narrative (Jn 7:11; 9:28) is rhetorical, sometimes with a slight dismissive tone.
Is 'that day' (ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ) in Matthew 7:22 a literal day?
In Matthew 7:22 and similar verses (Lk 6:23; 2 Th 1:10; 2 Ti 1:12), 'that day' is an eschatological expression referring to the day of judgment or the Parousia, not an ordinary calendar day.