Personal pronouns in New Testament Greek serve to indicate the speaker, the addressee, or the person being spoken about. While Greek verbs typically encode the subject within their endings, personal pronouns are still used for emphasis, contrast, or clarity. This article outlines the forms and functions of Greek personal pronouns, focusing on subject (nominative) and object (accusative, dative, and genitive) cases.
1. Overview of Personal Pronouns
Greek personal pronouns vary in form according to person (1st, 2nd, 3rd), number (singular, plural), gender (in the 3rd person), and case (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative).
- 1st person: speaker (I, we)
- 2nd person: addressee (you)
- 3rd person: person/thing spoken about (he, she, it, they)
While subject pronouns (nominative) are often omitted because verb endings indicate person and number, object pronouns (accusative/dative/genitive) are required when acting as verbal complements or modifiers.
2. Full Paradigm of Personal Pronouns
| Person | Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Person | Nominative | ἐγώ – I | ἡμεῖς – we |
| Genitive | ἐμοῦ / μου – of me | ἡμῶν – of us | |
| Dative | ἐμοί / μοι – to me | ἡμῖν – to us | |
| Accusative | ἐμέ / με – me | ἡμᾶς – us | |
| 2nd Person | Nominative | σύ – you | ὑμεῖς – you (plural) |
| Genitive | σοῦ / σου – of you | ὑμῶν – of you (pl.) | |
| Dative | σοί / σοι – to you | ὑμῖν – to you (pl.) | |
| Accusative | σέ / σε – you | ὑμᾶς – you (pl.) | |
| 3rd Person | Nominative | Singular: αὐτός (he), αὐτή (she), αὐτό (it) Plural: αὐτοί (they, masc.), αὐταί (they, fem.), αὐτά (they, neut.) |
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| Genitive | Singular: αὐτοῦ (of him/it), αὐτῆς (of her) Plural: αὐτῶν (of them – all genders) |
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| Dative | Singular: αὐτῷ (to him/it), αὐτῇ (to her) Plural: αὐτοῖς (to them, masc./neut.), αὐταῖς (to them, fem.) |
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| Accusative | Singular: αὐτόν (him), αὐτήν (her), αὐτό (it) Plural: αὐτούς (them, masc.), αὐτάς (them, fem.), αὐτά (them, neut.) |
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3. Subject Pronouns: Usage and Omission
In Koine Greek, subject pronouns in the nominative case (ἐγώ, σύ, etc.) are typically implied by the verb ending. They are only stated explicitly when:
- Emphasizing contrast or identity (e.g., “I, not he”).
- Clarifying the subject when ambiguity exists.
- Providing poetic or rhetorical emphasis.
Example: Galatians 2:20
ζῶ δὲ οὐκέτι ἐγώ, ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός.
“And it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
Here, ἐγώ is used explicitly to emphasize personal contrast with Christ.
4. Object Pronouns: Required and Flexible
Unlike subjects, object pronouns (accusative, dative, genitive) are required in syntax. They may appear in full or enclitic (shortened) forms depending on their position:
- Full forms (e.g., ἐμέ, ἐμοῦ) are emphatic or used when fronted for contrast.
- Enclitic forms (e.g., με, μου) are unstressed and used in normal word order.
Example: Matthew 16:24
Ὅστις θέλει ὀπίσω μου ἐλθεῖν…
“If anyone desires to come after me…”
Here, μου (genitive of ἐγώ) is used in an enclitic, unemphasized position.
5. Pronoun Emphasis and Word Order
Greek word order is flexible. Pronouns may be placed before or after the verb depending on emphasis:
- Emphatic position: Often before the verb or at the start of the clause.
- Enclitic position: After the verb in non-emphatic contexts.
Understanding placement can reveal interpretive nuance or highlight the rhetorical flow of a passage.
6. Small Words, Big Impact
Although small in form, personal pronouns carry significant interpretive weight in New Testament Greek. Whether omitted for elegance, fronted for emphasis, or selected in full vs. short form, their use is a window into the speaker’s rhetorical and theological intention. Mastery of Greek pronouns not only strengthens translation skills but deepens the reader’s sensitivity to the rhythm, argumentation, and personal voice of the biblical text.
