John 20:4:15John.20.4.W15TAB
ἦλθεν
êlthen
“He came”
- Transliteration
- ÊL-then
- Extended
- ÊL-then
- IPA
- /ˈeːl.tʰen/
Meaning by language
- English
- He came
Greek · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Eta | i — as in machine | |
| Lambda | l — as in law | |
| Theta | th — as in thin | |
| Epsilon | e — as in met (short) | |
| Nu | n — as in new |
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The word
Word in context
- word
ÊL-then
- clause
KAI ho AL-los ma-thê-TÊS pro-E-dra-men TA-khi-on TOO PE-TROO KAI ÊL-then PRÔ-tos eis to mnê-MEI-on
- sentence
E-tre-khon DE hoi DY-o ho-MOO KAI ho AL-los ma-thê-TÊS pro-E-dra-men TA-khi-on TOO PE-TROO KAI ÊL-then PRÔ-tos eis to mnê-MEI-on
Exegesis
The narrative reaches its climax with the aorist elthen {ἦλθεν | ēl-then} plus the predicate adjective protos {πρῶτος | prō-tos} ‘first’, followed by the prepositional phrase eis to mnemeion {εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον | eis tó mnē-mei-on} ‘to the tomb’, indicating the goal of the running. In translation, the sequence of verbs (imperfect to aorist) is preserved by using progressive “were running” followed by simple past “ran ahead” and “came,” maintaining the contrast between shared action and individual precedence. The word order is slightly smoothed in English while keeping the emphasis on the other disciple’s speed and priority of arrival.
In context — John 20:4
The two were running together, but the other disciple ran ahead of Peter faster and came first to the tomb .
About this coordinate
John 20:4:15 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 15 of John 20:4, so the Greek word ἦλθεν (êlthen) 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.20.4.W15, which extends further down to each syllable (John.20.4.W15.S1) and character.