Bible Dictionary

IN

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In is a preposition expressing location, time, condition, association, means, or other relationships. Biblical translations sometimes render the underlying Hebrew or Greek expressions with words such as “by,” “among,” “upon,” or “through.”

Definition

In is a preposition expressing relationships of place, time, condition, association, means, and other circumstances. In English biblical versions it represents many Hebrew and Greek words and may correspond to “to,” “by,” “upon,” “at,” “with,” “among,” “for,” or “throughout.”

Biblical Usage

The preposition occurs throughout Scripture in varied contexts. The Revised Version often changes “in” to a more exact expression and sometimes substitutes “in” for a divergent King James rendering. The Greek preposition en is frequently retained as “in,” though it may also be translated “with” or “among.”

Historical Background

The King James Version uses “in” for about sixteen Hebrew and sixteen Greek words and prepositions. Differences among versions therefore reflect the range of the underlying languages rather than one fixed meaning.

Historical Bible Dictionaries

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)

<p>A principal thing to notice about this preposition, which in the King James Version represents about 16 Hebrew and as many Greek words and prepositions, is that, in hundreds of cases (especially in the Old Testament, but frequently also in the New Testament) in the Revised Version (British and American) the rendering is changed to more exact forms ("to," "unto," "by," "upon," "at," "with," "among," "for," "throughout," etc.; compare e.g. Ge 6:16; 13:8; 17:7,9,12; 18:1; Ex 8:17; Le 1:9, etc.); while, nearly as often, "in" is substituted for divergent forms of the King James Version (e.g. Ge 2:14; 17:11; 31:54; 40:7; 49:17; Ex 8:14,24; Le 3:17; 4:2, etc.). The chief Greek preposition en, is frequently adhered to as "in" in the Revised Version (British and American) where the King James Version has other forms ("with," "among," etc.; compare "in" for "with" in John's baptism, Mt 3:11, and parallel; "in the tombs" for "among the tombs," Mr 5:3). In 2Th 2:2, "shaken in mind" in the King James Version is more correctly rendered in the Revised Version (British and American) "shaken from (apo) your mind." There are numerous such instructive changes.</p><p>James Orr</p>

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