Understanding ἕκαστος (hekastos) Strong’s G1538: The Divine Principle of Individual Accountability Before God

Pronunciation Guide: hek’-as-tos (accent on first syllable)

Basic Definition

Strong’s G1538: ἕκαστος (hekastos) refers to “each one” or “every single person” with an emphasis on individuality and particularity. It conveys the concept of specific, personal consideration as opposed to collective or general treatment. This term underscores the biblical principle that God deals with each person individually, knowing and addressing them by name rather than merely as part of a group.

Etymology and Morphology

• Part of Speech: Adjective (used substantively as a pronoun)
• Origin: Ancient Greek
• Root: From an obsolete ἕκας (hekas) meaning “separate” or “at a distance”
• Primary Usage: Found across various New Testament literary genres including narrative, epistolary, and apocalyptic texts
• Frequency: Appears 82 times in the New Testament
• Distribution: Most frequently used in Pauline epistles and Revelation

ἕκαστος Morphology:

• ἕκαστος (nominative masculine singular) – each man, each one
• ἑκάστου (genitive masculine singular) – of each one
• ἑκάστῳ (dative masculine singular) – to/for each one
• ἕκαστον (accusative masculine singular) – each one (direct object)
• ἑκάστη (nominative feminine singular) – each woman, each one (feminine)
• ἕκαστα (nominative/accusative neuter plural) – each thing, each matter

Origin & History

The term ἕκαστος has ancient roots in classical Greek literature, where it functioned as a distributive adjective or pronoun emphasizing individuality. In Homeric literature (8th century BCE), it appears frequently to distinguish individual warriors or citizens from larger groups. Herodotus employs it in his “Histories” to emphasize individual responsibility within collective actions.

In the Septuagint (LXX), ἕκαστος translates the Hebrew אִישׁ (ish) or אֶחָד (echad) when emphasizing individual persons or things, particularly when describing individual accountability before God. This usage creates a significant theological foundation for understanding personal responsibility within covenant relationships. In the writings of Philo of Alexandria (1st century CE), the term took on philosophical dimensions, used to discuss the individual’s relationship to divine law and personal accountability.

Expanded Definitions & Translation Options

• Individual particularity – emphasizing that each person is separately and distinctly considered
• Distributive individuality – allocating something to each member of a group severally
• Personal responsibility – highlighting individual accountability rather than collective identity
• Sequential consideration – addressing each person or item one by one
• Comprehensive inclusion – ensuring that no individual is overlooked within a collective whole

ἕκαστος Translation Options:

• “Each one” – captures the distributive nature and individuality (most common translation)
• “Every single person” – emphasizes the comprehensive inclusion of all individuals
• “Each person severally” – highlights the separate consideration given to each individual
• “Every one particularly” – stresses both the inclusive and particularized aspects
• “Each separately” – focuses on the distinct treatment of individuals apart from the group

Biblical Usage

The first appearance of ἕκαστος in the New Testament occurs in Matthew 16:27, where Yeshua (Jesus) declares that He “will repay each person [ἕκαστος] according to what they have done.” This inaugurates a significant New Testament theme: divine judgment considers each person individually rather than merely as part of a collective group. The concept reflects the deeply personal nature of God’s relationship with humanity—He sees, knows, and judges each person distinctly.

Throughout the epistles, Paul employs ἕκαστος to emphasize individual responsibility within the community of believers. In his discussion of spiritual gifts, church unity, and ethical conduct, he consistently reminds his readers that each believer has personal accountability for their service, choices, and spiritual development. Similarly, in Revelation, ἕκαστος appears in contexts of divine judgment and reward, reinforcing that God’s eschatological evaluation will be personally tailored to each individual’s life and deeds.

• “For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person [ἕκαστος] according to what they have done.” Matthew 16:27
• “So then each of us [ἕκαστος] will give an account of himself to God.” Romans 14:12
• “Let each one [ἕκαστος] of you speak the truth with his neighbor.” Ephesians 4:25
• “Each one [ἕκαστος] must give as he has decided in his heart.” 2 Corinthians 9:7
• “Let each one [ἕκαστος] test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.” Galatians 6:4
• “And I will give to each one [ἕκαστος] of you according to your deeds.” Revelation 2:23
• “The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind [ἕκαστος] of jewel.” Revelation 21:18-19

Cultural Insights

In ancient Hebrew culture, the concept of individual accountability existed in tension with communal identity. While Israelites understood themselves primarily as part of the covenant community, the Torah also emphasized personal responsibility. The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) rituals required each person to examine their own heart and deeds. This balance between communal and individual identity provides essential context for understanding how ἕκαστος functions in New Testament thought.

The Greek philosophical tradition that influenced the Hellenistic world of the New Testament era placed significant emphasis on individual ethical responsibility. Stoic philosophers like Epictetus taught that each person must take responsibility for their own moral choices regardless of external circumstances. When the apostles employed ἕκαστος, they were engaging with this cultural conversation but transforming it through the lens of covenant relationship with Yahweh. Unlike Greek philosophical individualism, biblical individualism as expressed through ἕκαστος always situates the person within community while maintaining personal accountability before God.

Theological Significance

The concept of ἕκαστος reveals profound truths about God’s character and His relationship with humanity. It demonstrates that Yahweh is not merely concerned with nations or groups but intimately engaged with each person He has created. This reflects His infinite capacity for personal relationship—He is not limited to dealing with humanity in the aggregate but knows and relates to each individual distinctly. In this, we glimpse both God’s transcendent greatness (His ability to simultaneously engage with billions of individual lives) and His immanent nearness (His intimate concern for each person).

The use of ἕκαστος in contexts of divine judgment reveals God’s perfect justice and righteousness. Unlike human judicial systems that may sometimes treat cases with broad strokes or generalizations, God’s judgment is perfectly calibrated to each life, accounting for every circumstance, opportunity, and choice. This emphasizes both the terrifying thoroughness of divine justice and its merciful precision—no one will be judged for another’s actions or condemned without perfect consideration of their unique situation. This truth should inspire both reverent fear and profound gratitude in believers, knowing that God’s evaluation of their lives will be neither carelessly lenient nor unjustly harsh, but perfectly tailored to who they truly are.

Personal Application

Understanding ἕκαστος should transform how we view our relationship with God and our spiritual journey. Rather than hiding in the anonymity of group identity or comparing ourselves to others, we must embrace the reality that God relates to us personally and individually. This should inspire both comfort and responsibility—comfort in knowing we are specifically known and loved, and responsibility in recognizing that we cannot deflect personal accountability onto our community, family, or circumstances.

In practical terms, embracing the truth of ἕκαστος means approaching Scripture not merely as general principles for humanity but as God’s word to you specifically. It means receiving both the Bible’s promises and its commands as personally addressed. When you read “each one must give as he has decided in his heart,” recognize that God is inviting you—not just the church collectively—into generous stewardship. When you encounter “each one will give an account,” allow that truth to inspire careful examination of your own life rather than criticism of others. Living in light of ἕκαστος means walking before God with the awareness that He sees, knows, and engages with you as a distinct individual whom He created for relationship with Himself.

Related Words

• πᾶς (pas, pronounced “pass”) – “all, every” focuses on totality or universality but can sometimes function similarly to ἕκαστος when emphasizing comprehensive inclusion. Unlike ἕκαστος, it doesn’t necessarily emphasize individualization. See G3956
• ἴδιος (idios, pronounced “id’-ee-os”) – “one’s own, particular to oneself” emphasizes personal ownership or distinctive quality rather than distributive individuality. Where ἕκαστος focuses on “each person,” ἴδιος focuses on “that which belongs distinctly to a person.” See G2398
• τὶς (tis, pronounced “tis”) – “someone, anyone, a certain one” is less specific than ἕκαστος, referring to an indefinite individual rather than emphasizing distributive individuality across a group. See G5100
• ἄλλος (allos, pronounced “al’-los”) – “another, other” distinguishes one individual from another, where ἕκαστος considers each individual separately. See G243
• ἑαυτοῦ (heautou, pronounced “heh-ow-too'”) – “of himself, herself, itself” is a reflexive pronoun that emphasizes action returned to the subject, whereas ἕκαστος emphasizes distributive individuality. See G1438

Did You Know?

• In ancient Greek legal traditions, particularly in Athenian democracy, there was a concept called “idiōtēs” (from which we get our word “idiot”), which originally simply meant “private individual.” The relationship between this concept and ἕκαστος reflects how Greek culture viewed the tension between individual and communal identity, a tension that New Testament writers addressed through their use of ἕκαστος to emphasize personal responsibility within covenant community.
• The concept embedded in ἕκαστος finds a parallel in Jewish mystical tradition, particularly in the Kabbalistic teaching that each letter of the Torah contains infinite meaning and that each person who studies Torah will find truths uniquely addressed to them. This reflects the deeply Jewish understanding that while Torah is given to the entire community, each individual encounters God’s word in a personal and distinctive way.
• Modern psychological research on individuation (the process of developing a distinct identity) resonates with the biblical concept of ἕκαστος. Carl Jung and other psychologists have recognized that healthy spiritual development requires both community connection and individual differentiation—precisely the balance that New Testament writers struck when employing ἕκαστος to emphasize personal accountability within the context of covenant community.

Remember This

ἕκαστος reminds us that in God’s economy, no one is lost in the crowd—you are seen, known, and held accountable as the unique individual He created you to be.