The term "thou" is an archaic English pronoun that was commonly used in the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible and other older English translations. It is the second person singular pronoun, used to address an individual directly. In contemporary English, "thou" has largely been replaced by the word "you," which now serves as both the singular and plural second person pronoun. However, "thou" remains significant in biblical studies and literature for its historical and linguistic value.

Usage in Scripture

In the Bible, "thou" is used to convey direct address, often in a personal or intimate context. It appears frequently in prayers, commandments, and dialogues between individuals. For example, in the Ten Commandments, God uses "thou" to address the Israelites directly: "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3, KJV). This usage underscores the personal relationship between God and His people, emphasizing individual responsibility and accountability.

Theological Significance

The use of "thou" in Scripture highlights the personal nature of God's communication with humanity. It reflects the intimate and direct relationship that God desires with each person. In prayer, the use of "thou" can signify reverence and closeness, as seen in the Lord's Prayer: "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name" (Matthew 6:9, KJV). This form of address fosters a sense of humility and respect before God.

Linguistic and Cultural Context

In the time of the King James Bible's translation (1611), "thou" was the standard form of address for individuals, while "you" was used for addressing groups or as a formal singular pronoun. The shift from "thou" to "you" in English reflects broader changes in the language and social norms. Despite its decline in everyday use, "thou" remains a powerful linguistic tool in religious and literary contexts, evoking a sense of tradition and solemnity.

Modern Translations

Modern Bible translations, such as the Berean Standard Bible , typically use "you" instead of "thou" to reflect contemporary language usage. This change aims to make the Scriptures more accessible and understandable to today's readers while maintaining the original meaning and intent of the text. For instance, in the BSB, the commandment is rendered as "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3).

Conclusion

While "thou" is no longer commonly used in modern English, its presence in older Bible translations and religious texts continues to hold significance. It serves as a reminder of the personal and direct nature of God's communication with humanity, as well as the rich linguistic heritage of the English Bible.1. (obj.) The second personal pronoun, in the singular number, denoting the person addressed; thyself; the pronoun which is used in addressing persons in the solemn or poetical style.

2. (v. t.) To address as thou, esp. to do so in order to treat with insolent familiarity or contempt.

3. (v. i.) To use the words thou and thee in discourse after the manner of the Friends.

4771. su -- you (early mod. Eng. thou)
... Eng. thou). Part of Speech: Personal Pronoun Transliteration: su Phonetic Spelling:
(soo) Short Definition: you Definition: you. Word Origin second pers. sing. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4771.htm - 6k

4518. sabachthani -- you have forsaken me
... Aramaic Transliterated Word (Indeclinable); Hebrew Transliteration: sabachthani
Phonetic Spelling: (sab-akh-than-ee') Short Definition: thou hast forsaken me ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4518.htm - 6k

2077. esto -- be.
... of eimi, qv. be. Second person singular present imperative of eimi; be thou; also
estosan es'-to-san, third person of the same let them be -- be. see GREEK eimi ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2077.htm - 6k

4671. soi -- you
... Word Origin dat. of su, qv. you Dative case of su; to thee -- thee, thine own, thou,
thy. see GREEK su. (soi) -- 217 Occurrences. 4670, 4671. soi. 4672 . ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4671.htm - 5k

2468. isthi -- agree, give thyself wholly to.
... of eimi, qv. agree, give thyself wholly to. Second person imperative present of
eimi; be thou -- + agree, be, X give thyself wholly to. see GREEK eimi. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2468.htm - 6k

2296. thaumazo -- to marvel, wonder
... to marvel, wonder. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: thaumazo Phonetic Spelling:
(thou-mad'-zo) Short Definition: I wonder, admire Definition: (a) intrans ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2296.htm - 9k

1488. ei -- art, be.
... sing. pres. of eimi, qv. art, be. Second person singular present of eimi; thou art --
art, be. see GREEK eimi. (ei) -- 594 Occurrences. 1487, 1488. ei. 1489 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1488.htm - 5k

4571. se -- you
... sing. of su, qv. you Accusative case singular of su; thee -- thee, thou, X thy house.
see GREEK su. (zosei) -- 1 Occurrence. (se) -- 197 Occurrences. 4570, 4571 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4571.htm - 6k

2258. en -- agree, be, have charge of, hold, use.
... agree, be, have charge of, hold, use. Imperfect of eimi; I (thou, etc.) Was (wast
or were) -- + agree, be, X have (+ charge of), hold, use, was(-t), were. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2258.htm - 6k

4572. seautou -- of (to, for) yourself
... likewise contracted sautou (sow-too'), sautoi (sow-to'), and sauton (sow-ton'),
respectively of (with, to) thyself -- thee, thine own self, (thou) thy(-self). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4572.htm - 7k

607. antah -- you (sing.).
... as for thee, thou (Aramaic) corresponding to 'attah; thou -- as for thee, thou.
see HEBREW 'attah. 606, 607. antah. 608 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/607.htm - 5k

859. attah -- you (masc. sing.)
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition you (masc. sing.) NASB Word Usage
part (1), yours (1), yourself (21). thee, thou, ye, you. ...
/hebrew/859.htm - 6k

7876. shayah -- to forget
... A primitive root; to keep in memory -- be unmindful. (Render Deuteronomy 32:18,
"A Rock bore thee, thou must recollect; and (yet) thou hast forgotten," etc.). ...
/hebrew/7876.htm - 6k

383. ithay -- there is, are
... residing (1), there (6). art thou, can, do ye, have, it be, there is are, we
will not. (Aramaic) corresponding to yesh; properly, entity ...
/hebrew/383.htm - 6k

3426. yesh -- being, substance, existence, is
... or any other form of the verb to be, as may suit the connection) -- (there) are,
(he, it, shall, there, there may, there shall, there should) be, thou do, had ...
/hebrew/3426.htm - 6k

516. al-tashcheth -- "destroy not," a phrase in Psalm titles.
... Al-taschith From 'al and shachath; Thou must not destroy; probably the opening words
to a popular song -- Al-taschith. see HEBREW 'al. see HEBREW shachath. ...
/hebrew/516.htm - 6k

3027. yad -- hand
... presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, +
swear, terror, X thee, X by them, X themselves, X thine own, X thou, through, X ...
/hebrew/3027.htm - 8k

Be Thou Contented.
... Songs of the Cross and Consolation. BE THOU CONTENTED. Be thou contented! aye
relying On thy ... setteth never. Be thou contented! He lightens ...
/.../gerhardt/paul gerhardts spiritual songs/be thou contented.htm

As Thou Wilt.
... AS THOU WILT. AS THOU WILT. 9,9,9,9,9,11. "The will of the Lord be done.""Acts
21:14. ... transl., Jane Borthwick, 1858. As Thou wilt, my God! I ever say; ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/borthwick/hymns from the land of luther/as thou wilt.htm

Be for Thou Art'
... VOLUME I: PSALMS I to XLIX BE FOR THOU ART'. 'Be Thou to me a strong Rock,
an house of defence to save me.3. For Thou art my Rock ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/be for thou art.htm

Be Thou My Friend.
... BE THOU MY FRIEND. BE THOU MY FRIEND. 10,6,10,6,7,6,7,6. ... transl., Sarah Findlater,
1858. Be Thou my Friend, and look upon my heart,. Lord Jesus, Son of man! ...
/.../borthwick/hymns from the land of luther/be thou my friend.htm

What Doest Thou Here?
... THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL WHAT DOEST THOU HERE? ... 'The word of the Lord came to him,
and He said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?'"1 Kings 19:9. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/what doest thou here.htm

'See Thou to That!'
... Litt. D.; ST. MATTHEW Chaps. XVIII to XXVIII 'SEE THOU TO THAT!'. 'I ... blood.
And they said, What is that to us? See thou to that.24. I ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/see thou to that.htm

Thou Art but Man!
... THOU ART BUT MAN! Thou art but man, to thee 'tis known, Why dost thou then endeavour
To do what God should do alone, Or can accomplish ever? ...
/.../gerhardt/paul gerhardts spiritual songs/thou art but man.htm

What Doest Thou Here?
... VI. WHAT DOEST THOU HERE? "And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, and
he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?""1 Kings 19:9. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/percival/sermons at rugby/vi what doest thou here.htm

Art Thou a King?
... ART THOU A KING? ... Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called
Jesus, and said unto Him, Art Thou the King of the Jews? ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture st john chaps xv to xxi/art thou a king.htm

November 5. "I in Them, and Thou in Me" (John xvii. 23).
... NOVEMBER 5. "I in them, and Thou in Me" (John xvii. 23). "I in them,
and Thou in Me" (John 17:23). If we would be enlarged to ...
/.../simpson/days of heaven upon earth /november 5 i in them.htm

Thou (33002 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To address as thou, esp. ... 3. (vi) To use the words thou and thee in discourse
after the manner of the Friends. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/t/thou.htm - 7k

Sittest (15 Occurrences)
... Acts 23:3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest
thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary ...
/s/sittest.htm - 10k

Sendest (15 Occurrences)
... Sendest (15 Occurrences). Genesis 38:17 And he said, I will send thee a kid from
the flock: and she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou sendest it? ...
/s/sendest.htm - 11k

Sawest (20 Occurrences)
... Revelation 1:19 Write therefore the things which thou sawest, and the things which
are, and the things which shall come to pass hereafter; (ASV). ...
/s/sawest.htm - 12k

Settest (13 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 23:20 Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother
thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all ...
/s/settest.htm - 10k

Knewest (11 Occurrences)
... Matthew 25:26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant,
thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not ...
/k/knewest.htm - 10k

Speakest (30 Occurrences)
... Speakest (30 Occurrences). Matthew 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him,
Why speakest thou unto them in parables? ... or, Why speakest thou with her? ...
/s/speakest.htm - 15k

Spakest (12 Occurrences)
... Judges 13:11 And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and
said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? ...
/s/spakest.htm - 10k

Seekest (12 Occurrences)
... John 4:27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the
woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? ...
/s/seekest.htm - 10k

Sowest (7 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Sowest (7 Occurrences). 1 Corinthians 15:36 Thou fool,
that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: (KJV ASV DBY WBS). ...
/s/sowest.htm - 8k

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