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Ὡς γέγραπται ἐν τοῖς προφήταις, Ἰδού, ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου, ὃς κατασκευάσει τὴν ὁδόν σου ἔμπροσθέν σου.
RBT Greek Interlinear:
Strongs 2531  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
Kathōs
Καθὼς
Just as
Adv
Strongs 1125  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
gegraptai
γέγραπται
are written/drawn
V-RIM/P-3S
Strongs 1722  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
en
ἐν
within
Prep
Strongs 3588  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus

τῷ
the
Art-DMS
Strongs 2268  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
Ēsaia
Ἠσαΐᾳ
He is Liberator
N-DMS
Strongs 3588  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus

τῷ
the
Art-DMS
Strongs 4396  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
prophētē
προφήτῃ
prophet
N-DMS
Strongs 2400  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
Idou
Ἰδοὺ
Behold
V-AMA-2S
Strongs 649  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
apostellō
ἀποστέλλω
am sending
V-PIA-1S
Strongs 3588  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
ton
τὸν
the
Art-AMS
Strongs 32  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
angelon
ἄγγελόν
angel
N-AMS
Strongs 1473  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
mou
μου
of myself
PPro-G1S
Strongs 4253  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
pro
πρὸ
in front
Prep
Strongs 4383  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
prosōpou
προσώπου
face
N-GNS
Strongs 4771  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
sou
σου
of you
PPro-G2S
Strongs 3739  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
hos
ὃς
which/whichever
RelPro-NMS
Strongs 2680  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
kataskeuasei
κατασκευάσει
construct/arrange
V-FIA-3S
Strongs 3588  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
tēn
τὴν
the
Art-AFS
Strongs 3598  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
hodon
ὁδόν
road
N-AFS
Strongs 4771  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
sou
σου
of you
PPro-G2S
RBT Hebrew Literal:
את The True Self
According to what was written/drawn within the Liberator ("Isaiah"), the Prophet, Behold! I am sending away the Angel of Myself in front of the face of yourself,1a whom will construct the Road of yourself!
Julia Smith Literal 1876 Translation:
As it has been written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.
LITV Translation:
as it has been written in the Prophets, "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You;
ESV Translation:
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way,

Footnotes

1a

αὐτός The True Self

Scholars always knew that the pronoun αὐτός was used "inordinately" throughout the New Testament (as in, way beyond normal usage of classical Greek), but failed to understand why. It is a word that fundamentally denotes one’s true self, often distinguishing the soul from the body (Od. 11.602) or, conversely, the body from the soul (Il. 1.4). It functions reflexively as “self” and, in oblique cases, as a personal pronoun (“him, her, it”).

It emphasizes individual identity in contrast to others, such as a king vs. his subjects (Il. 6.18), Zeus vs. the other gods (Il. 8.4), or a warrior vs. his weapons (Il. 1.47).

With the article (ὁ αὐτός, ἡ αὐτή, τὸ αὐτό), it signifies "the same" or "the very self."

In prose, αὐτός can appear without the article for proper names (αὐτὸς Μένων, X. An. 2.1.5) and is used impersonally in phrases like αὐτὸ δείξει ("the result will show," Cratin. 177). It also expresses volition (“of one’s own accord,” Il. 17.254) or personal presence (“in person,” D. 1.2).

The most frequent noun word used in the NT is not "God" (θεός), found 1,317 times, but rather αὐτός the self, found over 5,600 times. The only words more frequent are "and" (9,000 times) and "the" (20,000 times). Similarly, the most frequent word in the Old Testament Hebrew is את the eternal self, occuring over 11,000 times.

Greek word frequency chart

The Neuter Form

In philosophical or poetic usage, particularly in Homer and Plato, the neuter form αὐτό may denote one’s true self, either the soul (Od. 11.602) or, conversely, the body (Il. 1.4), depending on context. It also appears in abstract references to essence, identity, or the very thing itself (τὸ αὐτό), as in expressions of intrinsic nature or reality (cf. Plato, Republic 362d: αὐτὸ ὃ μάλιστα ἔδει ῥηθῆναι – "the very thing that most needed to be said").

Thus, while αὐτός is not reflexive in the grammatical sense (cf. ἑαυτοῦ, "of oneself/one's own self"), it does, especially in neuter form, preserve and express a conceptual sense of "Self" or "the same being", particularly in metaphysical or emphatic contexts.

in ancient Greek, αὐτό—specifically the neuter singular form of αὐτός—is the only appropriate and attested lexical item to express the metaphysical concept of "the self", especially in Platonic and post-Platonic philosophical discourse.

  1. Philosophical Usage:

    • In Plato and later authors, expressions like τὸ αὐτό ("the selfsame") or αὐτὸ τὸ ὄν ("being itself") represent the essence or pure identity of a thing, distinct from its accidents or manifestations.

    • Notably, in Plato's dialogues, constructions such as:

      • αὐτὸ τὸ ἀγαθόν – “the Good itself”

      • αὐτὸ τὸ καλόν – “the Beautiful itself”
        are paradigmatic examples of Forms or Ideas, i.e., entities existing in themselves and through themselves — the metaphysical “Selves” of their kind.

  2. Semantic Range:

    • While αὐτός generally functions as a third-person pronoun or intensifier, its neuter form, especially when used absolutely or with the definite article, becomes substantive and ontologically loaded:

      • τὸ αὐτό = "the same", "the selfsame", "the self (in essence)"

      • αὐτῷ "to self" (dative neuter is identical to dative masculine)
    • This contrasts with ἑαυτοῦ, which is grammatically reflexive and bound to a subject, not abstract or metaphysical.

  3. Terminological Precedence:

    • Later philosophical traditions (Neoplatonic, Stoic, etc.) frequently use forms of αὐτός to express inner identity, core being, or metaphysical selfhood.

(cf. LSJ αὐτός)