John 1:49:11John.1.49.W11TAB
σὺ
sy
“you”
- Transliteration
- SY
- Extended
- SY
- IPA
- /ˈsy/
Meaning by language
- English
- you
Alphabet Analysis
| Sigma | s — as in sit | |
| Upsilon | i — as in machine |
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The word
Word in context
- word
SY
- sentence
a-pe-KRI-thê au-TÔ na-tha-na-ÊL rhab-BÍ SY EI ho hy-OS TOU the-OO SY ba-si-LEUS EI TOU is-ra-ÊL
Exegesis
The core of the verse is a pair of parallel equative clauses: sy ei ho huios tou theou {σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ | sý eî ho huiòs tou theoû} ‘You are the Son of God’ and sy basileus ei tou Israel {σὺ βασιλεὺς εἶ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ | sý basileús eî tou Israēl} ‘You are the King of Israel’.
In both clauses, the explicit pronoun sy {σὺ | sý} precedes the verb, creating emphasis on “You” and highlighting Nathanael’s focused confession about Jesus. The predicate nominatives ho huios tou theou and basileus tou Israel each carry definite force, marking them as specific titles rather than generic descriptions. The repetition of sy and ei establishes rhetorical parallelism, presenting two closely related Christological titles in balanced structure. The English renderings preserve this parallel “You are X; You are Y” pattern and maintain the two titles as distinct but complementary affirmations of Jesus’ identity.
Root and etymology
sykesigma–upsilon–kappa–eta
“fig tree”
In context — John 1:49
Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi , You are the Son of God ; You are the King of Israel .”
About this coordinate
John 1:49:11 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 11 of John 1:49, so the Greek word σὺ (sy) can be cited, linked and studied at exactly this position rather than somewhere in the verse. In the Biblical Knowledge Coordinate System the same position is written John.1.49.W11, which extends further down to each syllable (John.1.49.W11.S1) and character.