"from within, from the interior, Mk. 7:21, 23; within, in the internal parts, Mt. 7:15; ὁ, ἡ, τὸ ἔσωθεν, interior, internal, Lk. 11:39, 40; ὁ ἔσωθεν ἄνθρωπος, the mind, soul, 2 Cor. 4:16"
Definition and meaning
from within, from the interior, Mk. 7:21, 23; within, in the internal parts, Mt. 7:15; ὁ, ἡ, τὸ ἔσωθεν, interior, internal, Lk. 11:39, 40; ὁ ἔσωθεν ἄνθρωπος, the mind, soul, 2 Cor. 4:16
In the original Greek the word is written: ἔσωθεν
Historical context
Rome had controlled Judea since 63 BC. Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple into one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient world — and simultaneously murdered members of his own family. The common people paid multiple layers of taxation and were politically powerless. Into that world a carpenter from Galilee began teaching that the kingdom of God had arrived.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of esothen (G2081) across the King James Bible.
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.
Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
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Common questions
Strong's G2081 (esothen) is a Greek word that means: from within, from the interior, Mk. 7:21, 23; within, in the internal parts, Mt. 7:15; ὁ, ἡ, τὸ ἔσωθεν, interior, internal, Lk. 11:39, 40; ὁ ἔσωθεν ἄνθρωπος, the mind, soul, 2 Cor. 4:16 It appears 13 times in the King James Bible.
The word esothen (G2081) appears 13 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G2081 is esothen, a Greek word defined as: from within, from the interior, Mk. 7:21, 23; within, in the internal parts, Mt. 7:15; ὁ, ἡ, τὸ ἔσωθεν, interior, internal, Lk. 11:39, 40; ὁ ἔσωθεν ἄν. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
esothen is a Greek word found in the New Testament.