ἢ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 ἢ

   Ê

   or
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 ἢ ἕνα τῶν προφητῶν.

   Ê HE-na TÔN pro-phê-TÔN

   or one of the prophets
3. clause🔊 Οἱ μὲν Ἰωάννην τὸν βαπτιστήν, ἄλλοι δὲ Ἠλίαν, ἕτεροι δὲ Ἰερεμίαν, ἢ ἕνα τῶν προφητῶν.

   HOI MEN i-ô-AN-nên TON bap-ti-STÊN AL-loi DE ê-LI-an HE-te-roi DE i-e-re-MI-an Ê HE-na TÔN pro-phê-TÔN

   Some {indeed} John the Baptist others and Elijah others and Jeremiah or one of the prophets
4. sentence🔊 οἱ δὲ εἶπαν· Οἱ μὲν Ἰωάννην τὸν βαπτιστήν, ἄλλοι δὲ Ἠλίαν, ἕτεροι δὲ Ἰερεμίαν, ἢ ἕνα τῶν προφητῶν.

   HOI DE EI-pan HOI MEN i-ô-AN-nên TON bap-ti-STÊN AL-loi DE ê-LI-an HE-te-roi DE i-e-re-MI-an Ê HE-na TÔN pro-phê-TÔN

   And they {they} said Some {indeed} John the Baptist others and Elijah others and Jeremiah or one of the prophets

Exegesis

The accusative names (John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah) function as implied predicates of “say,” and the final disjunction ē {ἢ | ē} plus the partitive genitive tōn prophētōn {τῶν προφητῶν | tôn prophētôn} introduces a broader category of prophets. The formal uses “Some…others…and yet others” to mirror the Greek contrast, while the dynamic employs “Some people think you are” to clarify the conversational context.

Root and etymology

baptizō🔊 βαπτίζωbeta–alpha–pi–tau–iota–zeta–omega

“to immerse”

• 🔊 βάπτισμαbáptis-maritual immersionMark 1:4
• 🔊 βαπτίζωbap-tí-zōto baptizeActs 2:38