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G5607 · Greek · New Testament
ὤν
ōn
Participle of εἰμί
being; the one who is; existing

Definition

The present active participle of eimi (to be) — nominative masculine singular. Ōn means being, the one who is, existing. Theologically crucial in Revelation 1:4, 8 where it forms part of the divine self-description: 'who is (ho ōn) and who was and who is to come.'

Usage & Theological Significance

The participial form ho ōn — 'the one who IS' — is the NT Greek rendering of the divine name revealed in Exodus 3:14: 'I AM WHO I AM' (ehyeh asher ehyeh). The LXX renders this as ego eimi ho ōn — 'I am the being one, the ever-existing.' Revelation 1:4 weaves this into the trinitarian greeting with startling grammar: 'from him who is (ho ōn) and who was (ho ēn) and who is to come (ho erchomenos).' The grammar is deliberately ungrammatical — Greek nouns would normally decline, but ho ōn is left in the nominative regardless of its grammatical position. This is a theological grammatical protest: the divine being cannot be made subject to human grammatical rules. God does not decline; He simply IS. John 1:1 uses a related construction: 'In the beginning was (ēn) the Word' — the imperfect tense expressing continuous, unbounded existence. The ōn of God is the foundation of all created onta (beings) — all other existence is contingent, derived, bounded; His is absolute, self-existent, eternal.

Key Bible Verses

Revelation 1:4 Grace and peace to you from him who is (ho ōn) and who was and who is to come.
Revelation 1:8 'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.'
Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, 'I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I am has sent me to you.'
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

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