BIBLE GREEK WORD STUDY
Dunamai (G1410) — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
δύναμαι (dunamai) is a common Greek verb meaning 'to be able' or 'to be possible,' used throughout the New Testament to express human capability, divine possibility, and impossibility.
Meaning of the word
δύναμαι is a deponent verb that fundamentally expresses ability or capacity. It answers the question 'Is it possible?' or 'Can one do something?' The basic range covers both physical capability (as in Matthew 6:27, where worry cannot add to one's lifespan) and moral or spiritual possibility (as in Matthew 7:18, where a good tree cannot produce evil fruit).
When used with a negative such as οὐ or μή, δύναμαι frequently marks impossibility rather than mere inability. Statements like 'you cannot serve God and mammon' (Matthew 6:24) or 'unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God' (John 3:5) point to realities that transcend human effort — moral incompatibilities or divine requirements that no human power can overcome on its own.
The verb also conveys positive possibility, often in the mouths of those who acknowledge God's power. In John 3:2 Nicodemus reasons that 'no one can do these signs… unless God is with him,' showing that δύναμαι is not only about what is within human reach but about what becomes possible through divine presence.
Usage in Scripture
In the Gospels, δύναμαι appears in teaching contexts where Jesus draws sharp lines between what is and is not possible for human beings. Matthew 6:24 and 6:27 use the verb to expose the foolishness of divided loyalty and anxious worry — things a person simply cannot do. Matthew 7:18 extends the pattern to moral outcomes: a tree's nature determines what it can produce.
In John's Gospel, δύναμαι is densely concentrated in the conversation with Nicodemus (John 3:2, 3:3, 3:4, 3:5, 3:9), where the word repeatedly frames the necessity of being born again. The exchange moves from questions of natural possibility ('How can a man be born when he is old?') to declarations of spiritual impossibility apart from the Spirit. Outside this dialogue, John 3:27 uses δύναμαι to affirm that no one can receive anything unless it is given from heaven, locating all true ability in God's gift.
The verb therefore functions as a theological marker in the New Testament: it traces the boundary between human limitation and divine enablement. Whether it sets a moral constraint (you cannot serve two masters), expresses a spiritual necessity (you cannot see the kingdom without rebirth), or acknowledges divine sourcing (no one can do these signs without God), δύναμαι repeatedly directs attention away from self-sufficiency and toward God's power.
The word in detail
- G1410 δύναμαι (dunamai) is a deponent verb used approximately 210 times in the New Testament. Its core meaning is 'to be able' or 'to be possible,' and it is the verbal root from which the familiar noun δύναμις (dynamis, 'power') is derived. The verb covers a wide semantic range — from natural ability to moral impossibility — and frequently appears in contexts that contrast human limitation with divine enablement. In John's Gospel it is notably concentrated in John 3, where it frames the entire conversation about spiritual rebirth.
Example verses
- Matthew 6:24 Jesus uses δύναμαι in a negative construction to declare that no one can serve two masters. The impossibility is moral, not merely practical — divided loyalty is a contradiction in terms.
- Matthew 7:18 Here δύναμαι marks a moral impossibility grounded in nature: a good tree cannot produce evil fruit. The verb underscores that outcome follows essence.
- John 3:5 Jesus uses δύναμαι to establish a spiritual necessity: without being born of water and the Spirit, one cannot enter the kingdom of God. Human ability alone is insufficient.
- John 3:27 John the Baptist affirms that a man can receive nothing unless it has been given from heaven. δύναμαι here locates all true capacity in divine gift rather than human effort.
Common questions
What does δύναμαι (G1410) mean?
δύναμαι is a common Greek verb meaning 'to be able' or 'to be possible.' It covers ability, capacity, and possibility — and in negative constructions, impossibility. It is the verb form related to the noun δύναμις (power).
Is δύναμαι the same as δύναμις?
They share the same root but play different grammatical roles. δύναμαι is the verb ('to be able'), while δύναμις is the related noun ('power' or 'miracle'). The verb expresses whether an action is possible; the noun refers to the power itself.
Why does δύναμαι appear so often in John 3?
John 3 uses δύναμαι repeatedly to frame the conversation about being born again. The verb exposes the limits of natural ability — Nicodemus wonders how a man can be born when old (3:4) — and then shifts to spiritual necessity: without the Spirit, no one can enter the kingdom (3:5). It is the key verb for the chapter's theology of human inability and divine initiative.