BBG Chapter 12 — αὐτός

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Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar, Mounce, 4th Edition

1. Introduction — Three Uses of αὐτός

αὐτός, αὐτή, αὐτό is one of the most versatile and frequently occurring words in the GNT (~5,600 occurrences). It has three distinct uses, each determined by its position relative to the definite article and a noun:

Key diagnostic: Position determines use. The article is the key.

• No noun needed, any case → personal pronoun (3rd person)
• Predicate position → intensive ("himself/herself")
• Attributive position → identical ("the same")

2. Full αὐτός Paradigm

Singular

Plural

Note: αὐτός follows the standard 2-1-2 declension pattern (masculine and neuter 2nd declension, feminine 1st declension), exactly like the adjective ἀγαθός. The neuter nominative/accusative singular αὐτό lacks the final -ν (contrast αὐτόν masc.).

3. Use 1 — Personal Pronoun (3rd Person)

In its oblique cases (genitive, dative, accusative), αὐτός functions as the 3rd person personal pronoun: "him," "her," "it," "them." The nominative is not used as a simple personal pronoun; the nominative is reserved for intensive or identical use.

Note: This is by far the most common use of αὐτός in the GNT. When you encounter αὐτόν, αὐτήν, αὐτῷ, αὐτοῖς, αὐτῶν, etc. — simply translate as the appropriate personal pronoun.

4. Use 2 — Intensive Adjective (Predicate Position)

When αὐτός appears in the predicate position — that is, without the article directly before it, but next to an article-noun phrase — it serves as an intensive adjective: "himself," "herself," "themselves," or "the ___ himself."

Intensive = predicate position (no article directly before αὐτός)

αὐτὸς ὁ βασιλεύς — "the king himself"
ὁ βασιλεύς αὐτός — "the king himself" (same meaning; αὐτός after noun)
αὐτὴ ἡ γυνή — "the woman herself"
αὐτοὶ οἱ μαθηταί — "the disciples themselves"

GNT example:

αὐτὸς γὰρ Δαυὶδ εἶπεν — "For David himself said…" (Mark 12:36)
αὐτὸς Ἰησοῦς οὐκ ἐβάπτιζεν — "Jesus himself was not baptizing" (John 4:2)

Note: The intensive αὐτός in the nominative often adds emphasis to the subject: "he/she himself/herself." In English, this overlaps with the reflexive pronoun, but in Greek it is not reflexive (a reflexive pronoun would use ἑαυτόν).

5. Use 3 — Identical Adjective (Attributive Position)

When αὐτός appears in the attributive position — with the article directly before αὐτός — it serves as an identical adjective: "the same."

Identical = attributive position (article directly before αὐτός)

ὁ αὐτὸς βασιλεύς — "the same king"
ἡ αὐτὴ ἡμέρα — "the same day"
τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα — "the same spirit"

GNT example:

ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ καιρῷ — "at the same time"
τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖτε — "think the same thing" (Phil 2:2; 4:2)

6. Distinguishing the Three Uses — Decision Tree

Is αὐτός in an oblique case (Gen/Dat/Acc) with no article before it and no noun it modifies?
  → YES → Personal Pronoun: "him/her/it/them"

Is αὐτός next to an article-noun phrase, but WITHOUT the article directly before αὐτός?
  → YES → Intensive Adjective: "himself/herself/themselves"

Does αὐτός have the article DIRECTLY before it (article–αὐτός–noun or article–αὐτός alone)?
  → YES → Identical Adjective: "the same"

7. GNT Examples of All Three Uses

Use 1 — Personal Pronoun

John 1:12 — ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν
"He gave them authority…"
→ αὐτοῖς = Dative Plural; oblique case; no modifying noun → personal pronoun "them."

John 3:16 — δέδωκεν τὸν υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν
"…that everyone who believes in him…"
→ αὐτόν = Accusative Singular Masculine; personal pronoun "him."

Use 2 — Intensive Adjective

Mark 12:36 — αὐτὸς Δαυὶδ εἶπεν
"David himself said…"
→ αὐτός in predicate position (no article before αὐτός, David is the noun) → intensive.

John 4:2 — αὐτὸς Ἰησοῦς οὐκ ἐβάπτιζεν
"Jesus himself was not baptizing…"
→ αὐτός in predicate position, clarifies/emphasizes the subject → intensive.

Use 3 — Identical Adjective

Phil 2:2 — τὸ αὐτὸ φρονῆτε
"Think the same thing."
→ Article directly before αὐτό (τὸ αὐτό) → identical adjective "the same."

Phil 4:2 — τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν ἐν κυρίῳ
"To think the same thing in the Lord."
→ Same construction; identical adjective.