BIBLE GREEK WORD STUDY
Τίς (tis) — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
τίς (G5100) is the Greek indefinite pronoun meaning 'some or any person or object,' used to refer to an unspecified individual or thing within a sentence.
Meaning of the word
τίς is a Greek indefinite pronoun that refers to some unspecified person or thing without identifying who or what. The lexicon defines it simply as 'some or any person or object.' As an indefinite pronoun, it leaves the referent open—any individual of the relevant kind could fill the role described in the sentence.
Unlike the closely related interrogative pronoun τίς (G5101), which asks a question, the indefinite τίς makes a statement about an unspecified subject. It commonly translates into English as 'someone,' 'anyone,' 'a certain one,' or 'anything,' depending on the context of the clause.
Usage in Scripture
In the Gospel of John, τίς appears repeatedly in Jesus's teaching about mutual indwelling and answered prayer. For example, John 14:23 uses τίς in 'If a man love me,' introducing an unspecified individual who responds to Christ. John 15:6 likewise employs τίς in 'If a man abide not in me,' referring to any potential follower. The pronoun also appears in prayer contexts: John 14:13–14 and John 15:16 use the neuter form τί ('whatsoever,' 'anything') to frame unlimited requests made in Jesus's name.
Matthew 5:23 illustrates another common use: 'if there rememberest that thy brother hath aught (τι) against thee,' where τί denotes any grievance that might exist. Acts 2:44 similarly employs τίς in describing the early believers ('all that believed were together'). Across these passages, the indefinite pronoun functions to generalize the subject—the teaching applies not to one specific person but to anyone in the relevant situation.
The word in detail
- G5100 τίς is the Greek indefinite pronoun, glossed in the lexicon as 'some or any person or object.' It should be distinguished from the interrogative pronoun τίς (G5101), which introduces questions; the G5100 form makes statements about unspecified subjects or objects.
Example verses
- Matthew 5:23 Here τί (the neuter form of τίς) renders as 'aught'—'if thy brother hath aught against thee.' The indefinite pronoun generalizes the grievance to any possible cause of offense.
- John 14:23 τίς introduces an unspecified individual: 'If a man love me.' The indefinite pronoun frames a general condition applicable to any potential believer, not a specific person.
- John 15:13 τίς appears in 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.' The pronoun refers to an unspecified person—anyone capable of such self-sacrificial love.
- John 16:30 In 'needest not that any man should ask thee,' τίς (in its accusative form) denotes an unspecified inquirer. The disciples affirm that Jesus already knows all things without anyone needing to question Him.
Common questions
What does G5100 (τίς) mean?
According to the lexicon, τίς (G5100) is the Greek indefinite pronoun meaning 'some or any person or object.' It refers to an unspecified individual or thing, distinct from the interrogative τίς (G5101).
Is G5100 the same as the question word 'who'?
No. G5100 is the indefinite pronoun τίς ('some/any person'), which makes statements about unspecified subjects. The question word 'who?' corresponds to the related but distinct Strong's number G5101, which is not the focus of this entry.
Where does τίς appear in the New Testament?
The provided example verses include Matthew 5:23, several passages in John's Gospel (chapters 1, 3, 14, 15, 16), and Acts 2:44, where τίς generalizes the subject or object to any unspecified person or thing.