ESTUDIO DE LA PALABRA GRIEGA
Tis (G5100) — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
τίς (G5100) is the Greek indefinite pronoun meaning 'some one,' 'a certain one,' 'any,' or 'anyone,' used both as a substantive and as an adjective.
Significado de la palabra
τίς functions as an indefinite pronoun, related to the interrogative τίς but signaling an unspecified or unspecified-feeling referent. Its base sense is 'some one' or 'some thing,' covering 'a certain one,' 'someone,' 'anyone,' and 'anything.' The lexicon entry groups its uses under two main branches: substantive ('one,' 'someone,' 'anyone') and adjectival ('a certain,' 'some'), each with singular and plural forms such as τινές ('certain ones, some').
Form-wise, τίς appears as τι (neuter), τινός (genitive), τινά (accusative), and similar declined forms across genders. With a partitive genitive it can mean 'some of,' and when used as an adjective it modifies a noun to render expressions like 'a certain man,' 'some person,' or 'certain scribes.' Its breadth is reflected in the KJV usage list, which spans 'a kind of,' 'any,' 'certain,' 'some,' 'ought,' and even 'whomsoever' contexts.
Uso en las Escrituras
The Matthew examples illustrate the pronoun's range. In Matthew 5:23 and Matthew 20:20 the neuter singular τι expresses an indefinite 'something' — a gift issue at the altar, a 'certain thing' being asked. Matthew 9:3, 12:38, and 16:28 use the plural τινες to identify a subgroup ('certain of the scribes,' 'some of them that stand here'). Matthew 11:27 and 12:29 show τις in conditions and questions translated 'any one' and 'one (anyone)' respectively.
In the same chapter, Matthew 12:19 ('neither shall any one hear his voice') and 12:47 ('And one said unto him') cast τις as an open-ended 'anyone' or unnamed speaker, while Matthew 8:28 and 16:24 use the accusative forms τινά and τις to mean 'someone / any man.' Together these verses show the word moving easily between 'certain,' 'some,' and 'any,' functioning both as a substantive and as an adjective without strong changes in meaning.
La palabra en detalle
- G5100 τίς (G5100) is the Greek indefinite pronoun meaning 'some one, a certain one, any, anyone.' It stands beside the interrogative τίς but signals an unspecified referent. The Thayer entry lists substantive uses ('one,' 'someone,' 'anyone') alongside adjectival uses ('a certain,' 'some'), with forms like τι, τινός, τινές covering singular and plural across genders.
Versículos de ejemplo
- Matthew 12:29 Here τις functions substantively in a proverbial condition: 'How can one (anyone) enter the strong man's house…?' The indefinite pronoun keeps the question general rather than pointed at a specific person.
- Matthew 9:3 The plural τινες introduces an unnamed subgroup within the scribes: 'certain of the scribes said within themselves…' The plural indefinite pronoun marks a limited but unidentified party of speakers.
- Matthew 16:24 Here τις sits inside an open condition: 'If any man would come after me…' The Greek indefinite pronoun matches the broad call to any potential disciple, not a named individual.
- Matthew 5:23 The neuter singular τι refers to an unspecified matter: '…rememberest that thy brother hath aught (any thing) against thee.' The pronoun keeps the issue vague, leaving the substance of the grievance unspecified.
Preguntas frecuentes
What does τίς (G5100) mean in English?
It is an indefinite pronoun meaning 'some one,' 'a certain one,' 'someone,' 'anyone,' or 'anything,' depending on the context. The same root serves both as a substantive on its own and as an adjective modifying a following noun.
How is τίς different from the interrogative τίς?
They share the same root letters but serve opposite functions: the interrogative form asks 'who? what?' expecting an answer, while the indefinite (G5100) presents 'someone / something' without identifying them, leaving the referent open or generic.
Does τίς always translate as 'certain'?
No. The KJV usage list shows that English renderings range from 'a kind of,' 'any,' 'some,' and 'ought,' to relative forms like 'whomsoever.' The Greek word stays broad; the surrounding syntax and the noun it modifies decide which sense fits.