"himself, herself, itself, Mt. 8:22; 12:26; 9:21; also used for the first and second persons, Rom. 8:23; Mt. 23:31; also equivalent to ἀλλήλων, Mk. 10:26; Jn. 12:19; ἀφ’ ἑαυτοῦ, ἀφ’ ἑαυτῶν, of himself, themselves, voluntarily, spontaneously, Lk. 12:57; 21:30; of one’s own will mer..."
Definition and meaning
himself, herself, itself, Mt. 8:22; 12:26; 9:21; also used for the first and second persons, Rom. 8:23; Mt. 23:31; also equivalent to ἀλλήλων, Mk. 10:26; Jn. 12:19; ἀφ’ ἑαυτοῦ, ἀφ’ ἑαυτῶν, of himself, themselves, voluntarily, spontaneously, Lk. 12:57; 21:30; of one’s own will merely, Jn. 5:19; δι’ ἑαυτοῦ, of itself, in its own nature, Rom. 14:14; ἐξ ἑαυτῶν, of one’s own self, 2 Cor. 3:5; καθ’ ἑαυτόν, by one’s self, alone, Acts 28:16; Jas. 2:17; παρ’ ἑαυτῷ, with one’s self, at home, 1 Cor. 16:2; πρὸς ἑαυτόν, to one’s self, to one’s home, Lk. 24:12; Jn. 20:10; or, with one’s self, Lk. 18:11
In the original Greek the word is written: ἑαυτοῦ
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 heautou (G1438) across the King James Bible.
And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.
For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
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Common questions
Strong's G1438 (heautou) is a Greek word that means: himself, herself, itself, Mt. 8:22; 12:26; 9:21; also used for the first and second persons, Rom. 8:23; Mt. 23:31; also equivalent to ἀλλήλων, Mk. 10:26; Jn. 12:19; ἀφ’ ἑαυτοῦ, ἀφ’ ἑαυτῶν, of himself,... It appears 307 times in the King James Bible.
The word heautou (G1438) appears 307 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G1438 is heautou, a Greek word defined as: himself, herself, itself, Mt. 8:22; 12:26; 9:21; also used for the first and second persons, Rom. 8:23; Mt. 23:31; also equivalent to ἀλλήλων, Mk. 10:. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
heautou is a Greek word found in the New Testament.