Brief Overview of σοί (Strong’s G4671: soi)

Strong’s G4671: Personal pronoun meaning “to you” or “for you” in the dative singular form. From Proto-Indo-European *toi. In NT usage, frequently appears in direct address to God in prayer and in intimate personal communication, emphasizing relationship and personal interaction.

U- Unveiling the Word

σοί represents the personal, intimate nature of communication in Greek, particularly in its dative case usage meaning “to/for you.” In the New Testament, it appears frequently in prayer contexts, highlighting the personal nature of relationship with God. It also appears in Jesus’s conversations, emphasizing the direct, personal nature of His ministry. Early church fathers noted how this pronoun’s usage in prayer and worship texts emphasized intimate communion with God. Today, it reminds us of the personal nature of our relationship with God and each other in Christ.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: σοί, soi, /soy/
• Detailed pronunciation: ‘soy’ as in “soy sauce”
• Part of Speech: Personal Pronoun (Second Person Singular Dative)

Etymology:

• From Proto-Indo-European *toi
• Basic pronominal stem
• Related to Sanskrit तव (tava)
• Fundamental Indo-European pronoun form

D – Defining Meanings

• To you
• For you
• In your case
• With reference to you

For compound words: Not a compound word but a basic pronoun

Translation Options:

• “To you” – Most common translation
• “For you” – Alternative dative meaning
• “In your case” – Contextual translation

E – Exploring Similar Words

• σύ (sy) /soo/ – you (nominative) See G4771
• σέ (se) /seh/ – you (accusative) See G4571
• σοῦ (sou) /soo/ – of you (genitive) See G4675

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

As a personal pronoun:

• Case: Dative only
• Number: Singular only
• Person: Second person
• Gender: Not marked for gender

Examples in context:

• δίδωμί σοι – I give to you
• λέγω σοι – I say to you
• ἔσται σοι – it will be for you

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes its frequent use in direct address. Thayer’s notes its importance in prayer language. LSJ traces its development from Indo-European. Vine’s highlights its personal nature. Strong’s connects it to fundamental pronoun patterns. Moulton and Milligan document its common usage in letters. LEH notes its frequent appearance in Septuagint dialogue.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
“And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee [σοί] word” Matthew 2:13

Additional References:
Matthew 5:26
Mark 5:41
Luke 1:13
John 3:3
Acts 10:33

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

σοί beautifully illustrates the personal, intimate nature of divine-human and human-human relationships in Scripture. It promotes the Gospel by highlighting how God relates to us personally and directly through Christ, emphasizing the intimate nature of salvation and discipleship.

D – Did You Know?

1. The dative σοί often appears in ancient prayer formulas.
2. It’s one of the most frequent pronouns in Jesus’s recorded sayings.
3. Early Christian letters often used σοί to emphasize personal pastoral care.

Strong’s G4671: Second person singular personal pronoun in the dative case, meaning “to/for you.” Used extensively in NT for personal address, particularly in prayer and direct communication. Emphasizes the intimate, personal nature of divine-human interaction.

Part of speech: Personal Pronoun (Dative)

Tags: pronoun, personal-address, prayer, communication, dative-case, relationship, divine-human-interaction, greek-grammar, biblical-greek, new-testament, personal-relationship​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​