2. Pronouns
Words used in place of a proper or common
noun. A pronoun generally has an antecedent – a
specific noun named earlier in the discourse for
which the pronoun is “standing in.”
3. Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns have “person,” “number,” and
“case.”
Singular (nominative): I (1st) , you (2nd) , he,
she, it (3rd)
Plural (nominative): we (1st) , you (2nd) , they
(3rd)
Singular (objective): me, you, him, her, it
Plural (objective): us, you, them
4. Personal Pronouns
And I began to weep bitterly because no one was
found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.
Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep.
See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of
David, has conquered, so that he can open the
scroll and its seven seals."
5. Personal Pronouns
And I began to weep bitterly because no one was
found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.
Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep.
See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of
David, has conquered, so that he can open the
scroll and its seven seals."
6. Possessive Pronouns
Singular: mine, yours, his, hers, its
Plural: ours, yours, theirs
“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for
ours [= our sins] only but also for the sins of the
whole world.” (1 John 2:2)
“My beloved is mine and I am his.” (Song 2:16)
7. Possessive Pronouns
vs. Possessive Adjectives
Pronouns: stand in for nouns – “he atoned not
only for their sins, but ours.” “Ours” stands in for
the noun “sins.”
Adjectives: describe nouns – “he atoned for our
sins.” “Our” describes a noun in the sentence.
8. Intensive and Reflexive Pronouns
Singular: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself
Plural: ourselves, yourselves, themselves
Intensive: “He himself was not the light, but he
came to testify to the light.” (John 1:8)
Reflexive: "Is he going to kill himself? Is that
what he means by saying, 'Where I am
going, you cannot come'?“ (John 8:22)
9. Definite Relative Pronouns
Introduce subordinate clauses that, as a
whole, function as adjectives (supplying
additional information about some noun or
pronoun). As with most pronouns, the definite
relative pronoun points back to some
antecedent (some noun to which it is referring)
Who, whom (objective case of “who”), whose
(possessive case of “who”), which/that
10. Relative Clauses
The relative pronoun introduces a relative
clause with a verb and, often, objects,
modifiers, and prepositional phrases. The
entire clause modifies some noun or pronoun in
the main sentence (the antecedent of the
relative pronoun).
A relative clause generally could have been
written as a separate sentence:
You love Lazarus.
Lazarus is sick.
“He [Lazarus] whom you love is sick.” (John 11:3)
11. Relative Pronouns (and relative
clauses)
“He went and took the scroll from the right hand
of the one who was seated on the throne.”
“This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah
spoke.” (Matt 3:3)
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but
one who is more powerful than I is coming after
me, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.”
(Matt 3:11)
12. Indefinitive relative pronouns
The relative pronoun can also be used where
there is no antecedent, sometimes generalized
(“whoever, whatever”)
“Whoever denies me before others, I also will
deny before my Father in heaven.” (Matt 10:33)
“Remember then what you received and heard”
(Rev 3:3)
13. Interrogative Pronouns
Used to ask questions; no antecedent
Who? What? Which?
“Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its
seals?” (Rev 5:2)
14. Demonstrative Pronouns
Used to “point out” particular objects.
This, these; that, those
Nearer demonstratives: this, these
Farther demonstratives: that, those
15. Demonstrative Pronouns
“This [= “this person”] is the one of whom the
prophet Isaiah spoke.” (Matt 3:3)
Then one of the elders addressed
me, saying, "Who are these [=“these
people”], robed in white, and where have they
come from?“ (Rev 7:13)
“Blessed are those [=“those people”] who
mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matt 5:4)
16. Indefinite Pronouns
These pronouns do not refer to specific persons
or things, but rather to general types or classes.
Anyone, anybody, anything;
someone, somebody, something;
everyone, everybody, everything;
none, nobody, nothing;
all, few, many, several, etc.
17. Indefinite Pronouns
“Blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”
(Matt 11:6)
“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to
someone who sowed good seed in his field.”
(Matt 13:24)
“For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matt
22:14)
18. Reciprocal Pronouns
Pronouns indicating that the individual members
of a collective subject act back on other members
of the group.
One another, each other
“I give you a new commandment, that you love
one another.” (John 13:34)
“What are you discussing with each other while
you walk along?” (Luke 24:17)
19. Appositives
Nouns or pronouns can be used simply to
rename another noun or pronoun in the
sentence. The second noun or pronoun is said
to stand in “apposition” to the first, and is like a
parenthetical comment.
“A Savior, Christ, the Lord, is born for you today in
David’s city” (Luke 2:11)
“Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the
saints….” (Phil 1:1)
“Ananias came down with some elders and an
attorney, a certain Tertullus, and they reported their case
against Paul.” (Acts 24:1)
