BIBLE GREEK WORD STUDY
Ek (G1537) — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
ἐκ (ek) is a Greek preposition governing the genitive, signaling origin, source, separation, material, cause, or time from which something proceeds.
Meaning of the word
ἐκ is a preposition that takes the genitive case and is spelled ἐξ before a vowel. It expresses motion outward or separation from a place, person, or condition, and is broadly contrasted with εἰς (eis), which marks motion into. The lexical entry groups its uses into place, time, origin, agent, cause, material, and adverbial phrases.
In the category of origin, ἐκ covers lineage and birth (γεννᾶν ἐκ, γεννᾶσθαι ἐκ), the author or source of an action (ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐκ τοῦ πατρός), the agent after passive verbs, and the material out of which something is made. It also marks causal dependence (ἐκ πίστεως, ἐκ τούτου) and partitive selection from a group.
ἐκ can be used adverbially in fixed phrases such as ἐξ ἀνάγκης, ἐκ μέρους, ἐκ μέτρου, and ἐκ συμφώνου. In compound verbs it contributes the sense of out of, removal, unfolding, origin, or completeness, as seen in ἐκβάλλω, ἐκτείνω, ἔκγονος, and ἐκπληρόω.
Usage in Scripture
In Matthew's genealogy, the famous phrase "Abraham begat Isaac" is rendered with ἐγέννησεν rather than ἐκ, but the surrounding context speaks of descent from a particular line. Matthew 1:20 records that the child conceived in Mary is ἐκ (of) the Holy Spirit, while Matthew 2:14 describes Joseph rising ἐξ (out of) Egypt by night. These uses blend the categories of origin and motion outward from a place.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus asks in Matthew 6:27, "which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure of his life?" — the ἐξ functioning as partitive ("which out of you"). Matthew 7:4–5 then uses ἐκ in a metaphorical image of taking the mote "out of" a brother's eye, and Matthew 3:9 warns that God can raise up children for Abraham ἐκ (from) these stones, while Matthew 3:17 records the voice ἐκ (out of) the heavens.
The word in detail
- G1537 ἐκ (ek), before a vowel ἐξ, is a preposition governing the genitive. It expresses outward motion, separation, origin, source, agency after passive verbs, material, cause, or a starting point in time. Surface forms vary by the following sound: ἐκ before consonants and ἐξ before vowels, as in Matthew 1:20 (ἐκ) versus Matthew 6:27 (ἐξ).
Example verses
- Matthew 1:20 Uses ἐκ to attribute the conception of the child to the Holy Spirit. The preposition marks origin or source rather than mere material, indicating that the inception comes from the Spirit.
- Matthew 2:14 Employs ἐξ in the phrase "departed into Egypt," showing ἐκ/ἐξ marking motion outward from a place, here the departure from Egypt by night.
- Matthew 3:9 The phrase "of these stones" uses ἐκ in a partitive sense, showing that the new children come out of an unexpected source rather than from Abraham's line.
- Matthew 7:4 The phrase "out of thine eye" uses ἐκ metaphorically. The mote is pictured as being removed from inside the eye, extending the literal spatial sense of motion outward to a moral image.
Common questions
What is the basic meaning of ἐκ (G1537)?
ἐκ is a preposition that takes the genitive case and means out of, from. It covers motion outward from a place, separation, origin, source, cause, material, and a starting point in time.
Why is the word sometimes written ἐξ instead of ἐκ?
The form ἐξ appears before a vowel for euphony, while ἐκ is used before consonants. Both forms are the same preposition; the spelling simply adapts to the following sound.
Does ἐκ always imply physical motion?
No. The lexical entry groups uses under place, time, origin, source, agent, cause, material, and adverbial phrases. So while it can mark literal motion outward, it also expresses figurative origin (such as being born of the Spirit) or causal source (such as faith).