Matthew 1:24

את the Self

The Greek word αὐτός (fem. αὐτή, neut. αὐτό) originally bore a sense of "self" or identity, and in certain contexts retains this meaning. While often used simply as a third-person pronoun ("he," "she," "it") in oblique cases, αὐτός can also function emphatically (e.g., ὁ αὐτός = “the very one,” αὐτὸς ὁ βασιλεύς = “the king himself”).

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"), 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 "self" (either neuter or masculine dative)

   • 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)