Mark 16:4:8Mark.16.4.W8TAB
ἦν
ên
“was”
- Transliteration
- ÊN
- Extended
- EEN
- IPA
- /ˈɛːn/
Meaning by language
- English
- was
Alphabet Analysis
| Eta | i — as in machine | |
| Nu | n — as in new |
Tap any key to hear its pronunciation
Now you try — trace the word:
The word
Word in context
- word
ÊN
- sentence
KAI a-na-BLE-psa-sai the-ō-ROU-sin HO-ti a-po-ke-KY-lis-tai ho LI-thos ÊN gar ME-gas SPHO-dra
Exegesis
The clause en gar megas sphodra {ἦν γὰρ μέγας σφόδρα | ēn gár mégas sphódra} is introduced by the postpositive gar, providing the reason or explanation (“for/because”) for the narrative surprise: the stone was in fact extraordinarily large.
The imperfect en {ἦν | ēn} presents this largeness as a continuing state in the past, while megas {μέγας | mégas} is intensified by sphodra {σφόδρα | sphódra}, an adverb meaning “exceedingly,” together underscoring the human impossibility of moving such a stone. In English, the temporal participle is rendered with a finite verb in both reconstructions for clarity, while the perfect passive is expressed with “had been rolled away” to preserve the idea of a completed action with a present result, and the causal clause retains “for” or “because” to preserve the explanatory nuance.
Root and etymology
Magdalamu–alpha–gamma–delta–alpha–lambda–alpha
“woman from Magdala”
In context — Mark 16:4
And having looked up, they see that the stone had been rolled away, for it was extremely great .
About this coordinate
Mark 16:4:8 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 8 of Mark 16:4, so the Greek word ἦν (ên) 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 Mark.16.4.W8, which extends further down to each syllable (Mark.16.4.W8.S1) and character.