ESTUDIO DE LA PALABRA GRIEGA
Houtos — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
Houtos (G3778) is the Greek demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this' or 'these,' used as a substantive ('this one, he') or as an adjective ('this') to point to what is present or just mentioned.
Significado de la palabra
Houtos is the primary Greek demonstrative pronoun, contrasted with ἐκεῖνος (the more distant 'that'). It functions like English 'this' and 'these,' pointing to something relatively near or already present in the context. As a substantive it can mean 'this one,' 'he,' or 'she'; as an adjective it modifies a noun with the sense of 'this' or 'these.'
With a noun it may stand before or after the article (e.g., the article and the demonstrative together often convey emphasis), and it can also modify an anarthrous noun with predicative force, where the speaker identifies or characterizes the person or thing rather than simply pointing to it.
The pronoun has rich idiomatic uses. Phrases such as εἰς τοῦτο ('for this purpose,' Mk 1:38; Rom 14:9) and μετὰ τοῦτο/ταῦτα ('after this/these things,' Jn 2:12; 11:7) are set expressions. Other idioms include καὶ τοῦτο ('and that too,' Rom 13:11; 1 Cor 2:2; Heb 11:12) and τοῦτ᾽ ἐστιν ('that is,' Mt 27:46). It can also be proleptic, pointing forward to a ἵνα or ὅτι clause.
Uso en las Escrituras
Houtos is extraordinarily frequent in the New Testament. In the Gospels and Acts it often identifies a person on stage — 'This is my beloved Son' (Mt 3:17), 'This is he that was spoken of through Isaiah' (Mt 3:3) — where the demonstrative singles out the one being referred to in the immediate scene.
In Matthew's infancy and temptation narratives (Mt 1:20, 1:22, 4:3, 4:8) the neuter plural and singular forms highlight concrete matters or events: 'these things' Joseph was turning over, 'all this is come to pass' to fulfill Scripture, 'these stones.' The same pattern recurs in the Sermon on the Mount, where τοῦτο and ταῦτα point to specific teachings and objects (Mt 5:19; 6:25, 29, 32, 33).
Beyond the Gospels, houtos carries idiomatic weight in Pauline and epistolary argument (e.g., εἰς τοῦτο, Rom 14:9; καὶ τοῦτο, Rom 13:11), tying doctrinal discussion to specific prior or upcoming statements.
La palabra en detalle
- G3778 Houtos is the near demonstrative ('this/these'), set over against the remote ἐκεῖνος ('that/those'). It is inflected for all three genders (masc. οὗτος, fem. αὕτη, neut. τοῦτο) and for case, with the neuter plural ταῦτα supplying the very common phrase 'these things.'
Versículos de ejemplo
- Matthew 3:17 The neuter/absolutive use in the divine declaration 'This is my beloved Son' shows houtos identifying a specific present person at the center of the scene.
- Matthew 5:19 Here τούτων ('of these,' referring to 'these least commandments') takes the form of the genitive plural modifying a noun — the demonstrative after the noun, a regular placement in NT usage.
- Matthew 6:25 The anarthrous neuter τοῦτο introduces Jesus' direct teaching: 'be not anxious… for this' (i.e., for your life/what to eat), demonstrating houtos pointing to the matter at hand.
- Matthew 1:22 The capitalized 'Τοῦτο' of Matthew 1:22 ('Now all this is come to pass') uses houtos in its classic epanaleptic role, summing up the whole preceding narrative under a single demonstrative before the fulfillment quotation.
Preguntas frecuentes
What is the difference between houtos and ekeinos?
Houtos is the near demonstrative ('this/these'), pointing to something close or currently in view; ekeinos is the remote demonstrative ('that/those'), pointing to something more distant in space, time, or thought.
Can houtos be translated as 'he' or 'she'?
Yes. When houtos stands as a substantive (without a noun), it takes the gender of the person referred to and can be rendered 'this one,' 'he,' or 'she' — for example, 'This is my beloved Son' (Mt 3:17).
What is the idiom εἰς τοῦτο?
It is the set phrase 'for this purpose,' built on the neuter singular τοῦτο. It expresses the goal or intent of an action, as in Mk 1:38 and Rom 14:9.