Strong’s G5209: The accusative plural form of the second person personal pronoun (you/you all). Used extensively in the New Testament to emphasize direct address and personal involvement in God’s redemptive work. Shows the collective yet personal nature of divine communication.

U- Unveiling the Word

The pronoun ὑμᾶς carries significant weight in New Testament discourse, as it emphasizes the direct, personal nature of God’s communication with His people. As an accusative plural form, it often appears when believers are the direct objects of divine action – being loved, chosen, called, or commissioned. In early church writings, this grammatical form helped emphasize the corporate nature of Christian faith while maintaining personal application. Today, this pronoun continues to remind us that God’s messages and actions in Scripture are not distant historical events but directly involve us as His people.

N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: ὑμᾶς, hymas, /hoo-MASS/
• Detailed pronunciation: hoo (as in “who”) – MASS (as in “moss”)
• Part of Speech: Personal Pronoun (Second Person Plural Accusative)

Etymology:

• From Proto-Indo-European *yū- (you)
• Related to Latin “vos” and Sanskrit “yūyam”
• Basic pronominal stem
• No prefixes or suffixes – fundamental grammatical element

D – Defining Meanings

• Primary meanings:

1. You (plural, direct object)
2. You all (accusative case)
3. To/for you (as group)
4. You people

For compound words: Not applicable as this is a basic pronoun

Translation Options:

1. “You” – standard but misses plural aspect
2. “You all” – captures plurality
3. “All of you” – emphasizes collective nature

E – Exploring Similar Words

• ὑμεῖς (hymeis) /hoo-MACE/ – you (nominative plural) See G5210
• ὑμῶν (hymon) /hoo-MONE/ – of you (genitive plural) See G5216
• ὑμῖν (hymin) /hoo-MIN/ – to you (dative plural) See G5213

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Pronoun Features:

• Person: Second
• Number: Plural
• Case: Accusative
• Gender: Common (no gender distinction)

Used as direct object in sentences:
“I love you (ὑμᾶς)”
“He teaches you (ὑμᾶς)”
“God chose you (ὑμᾶς)”

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG notes the frequent use of ὑμᾶς in direct address contexts, particularly in epistolary literature. Thayer’s emphasizes its role in marking recipients of divine action. LSJ documents its consistent usage pattern from classical through Koine Greek. Vine’s notes its importance in apostolic addresses to churches. Moulton and Milligan show its common usage in personal letters of the period. The lexicons highlight how this pronoun serves to create immediate connection between speaker and audience, particularly important in New Testament discourse.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
Matthew 3:11: “I indeed baptize [ὑμᾶς] you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I.”

Additional References:
Matthew 5:44
John 15:15
Romans 1:7
1 Corinthians 1:10
Galatians 1:6

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

The frequent use of ὑμᾶς in the New Testament highlights the personal and collective nature of God’s interaction with His people. Every command, promise, and teaching is directed not just to ancient audiences but to all believers collectively. The good news is that when the Messiah says “I love you” or “I chose you,” He speaks to us as His church, making each believer a personal recipient of His grace while emphasizing our unity in Him.

D – Did You Know?

1. This form appears over 470 times in the New Testament
2. It’s especially frequent in Paul’s letters to churches
3. Ancient Greek letters often used this form in their opening greetings

Strong’s G5209: The accusative plural form of the second person personal pronoun (you/you all). Used extensively in the New Testament to emphasize direct address and personal involvement in God’s redemptive work. Shows the collective yet personal nature of divine communication.

Part of speech: Personal Pronoun (Second Person Plural Accusative)

Tags: pronouns, direct address, you all, plurality, community, church, epistles, communication, grammar, collective, personal, relationship, divine address, apostolic letters, unity​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​