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Galatians 3:19 — Word Study

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N1904Τί οὖν νόμος; τῶν παραβάσεων χάριν προσετέθη ἄχρις οὗ ἔλθῃ τὸ σπέρμα ἐπήγγελται, διαταγεὶς δι᾽ ἀγγέλων ἐν χειρὶ μεσίτου.

BSAWhytis thenoun theho Law?nomos [given to show what wrongdoing really is] <the>ho transgressionsparabasis [violations of God's will] Because ofcharin it was addedprostithēmi [to show its true purpose] untilachri thathos, hē may have comeerchomai [coming, fulfillment] theho seedsperma [offspring, descendant] to whomhos, hē promise has been made,epangellō [divine undertaking, covenant] having been ordaineddiatassō [ordained, directed] throughdia angelsangelos [heavenly messengers] inen [the] handcheir of a mediator.mesitēs [one who stands between, a go-between]

Word
Listen & take awayGalatians 3
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 19 is in this chapter.
Greek ↓ Download MP3 Nestle 1904 — the very text on this page — read by Andy Martin in Erasmian pronunciation.
Say the word Each Greek word carries its transliteration (mesitēs) — no per-word recordings of the Greek exist to link to.
Take it away
Galatians 3:19quick helps
In a sentencePaul asks why the law was given, explaining it was added to reveal transgressions until the coming of the promised seed.
Who is speakingThe Apostle Paul, addressing the Galatian church.
Where we areIn a discussion about the purpose of the law within the context of God's promises.
The hard wordνόμος
Take awayThe law served a temporary purpose until the promise was fulfilled.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectτίς verbπροστίθημι The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the New Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the New Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — , the commonest word in the Greek New Testament, stands 19,867 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Galatians 3:19

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Purpose of the Lawgenerated

18For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God freely granted it to Abraham through a promise.
19Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred. It was administered through angels by a mediator.
20A mediator is unnecessary, however, for only one party; but God is one.
21Is the law, then, opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come from the law.

Galatians 3:19 discusses the role of the law in relation to God's promises. Paul explains that the law was given to highlight transgressions and to guide humanity until the arrival of the promised seed, referring to Jesus Christ. This passage is part of a larger argument about faith versus the law, emphasizing that the law is not contrary to God's promises but serves a specific purpose in God's redemptive plan.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Romans 3:1–2What, then, is the advantage of being a Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?
2Romans 7:7–13What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law. For I would not have been aware of coveting if the law had not said, “Do not covet.”
3Galatians 3:21–24Is the law, then, opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come from the law.
4Deuteronomy 4:8–9And what nation is great enough to have righteous statutes and ordinances like this entire law I set before you today?
5Psalm 147:19–20He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and judgments to Israel.

The Key Word νόμος, nomosgenerated

The word νόμος refers to law and encompasses various meanings, including the Mosaic law and principles of Christian conduct. It is a noun in the nominative case, singular, masculine, indicating it is the subject of the sentence. Here, it signifies the law's role as a guiding principle until the fulfillment of God's promise.

In this context, the law is described as having been added for a specific reason — to reveal transgressions. This highlights its temporary nature in God's plan, which ultimately points to the need for grace through faith in Christ.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The verse is rendered similarly across translations, with the Berean Standard Bible stating, 'Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions...' This is echoed in the KJV and ASV, which also emphasize the law's purpose.

However, some translations differ in wording. The YLT uses 'on account of the transgressions,' while the WEB states 'added because of transgressions.' These variations reflect different approaches to conveying the same underlying meaning.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is προσετέθη, it was added, which governs a series of phrases. The structure includes a question, followed by a reason for the law's addition, and concludes with details about its administration through angels and a mediator.

The sentence is complex, with multiple clauses and phrases that elaborate on the purpose of the law, the coming of the seed, and the means by which the law was given.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

νόμος corresponds to the Hebrew word תּוֹרָה, meaning 'law' or 'instruction.' This connection highlights the continuity between the Old Testament law and its New Testament application.

In the Septuagint, νόμος frequently appears in contexts that discuss God's commandments, underscoring its importance in both the Jewish and Christian traditions.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Galatians 3:19 explains that the law was given to show what sin is until the arrival of the promised seed, which refers to Jesus. The law served a temporary role and was administered through angels by a mediator.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the law was added because of transgressions?

It means that the law was given to reveal and define what sin is, showing humanity their need for grace.

Who is the seed referred to in this verse?

The seed refers to Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham.

What role do angels play in the administration of the law?

Angels are described as intermediaries in the giving of the law, highlighting the divine authority behind it.

Why is a mediator mentioned in relation to the law?

A mediator is necessary to facilitate the relationship between God and humanity, emphasizing the law's role in this dynamic.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How does understanding the purpose of the law help clarify my relationship with God?
  2. In what ways can I recognize the transgressions in my life that the law reveals?
  3. How does the promise of the seed impact my faith journey?
  4. What does it mean for me that the law was administered through angels?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Early church writers referenced this verse to discuss the law's purpose and its relationship to God's promises. Their insights illustrate the theological implications of Paul's teaching.

IrenaeusAgainst Heresies Book III c. 130–202
It was added, until the seed should come to whom the promise was made; . This is the seed of which the apostle says in the Epistle to the Galatians,
Early Church Fathers on Galatians 3 →
Clement of AlexandriaThe Stromata Book 1 c. 150–215
Whence the law was rightly said to have been given by Moses, being a rule of right and wrong; and we may call it with accuracy the divine ordinance, inasmuch as it was given by God through Moses. It accordingly conducts to the divine.
Early Church Fathers on Galatians 3 →
TertullianPseudo-Tertullian Against All Heresies c. 155–220
For he, too, says that the world was originated by those angels; and sets forth Christ as born of the seed of Joseph, contending that He was merely human, without divinity; affirming also that the Law was given by angels;
Early Church Fathers on Galatians 3 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Galatians 3:19 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Wherefore why then serveth the law?.... If this be the case, might an objector say, why was the law given? what ends and purposes are to be served by it? of what use can it be?

Read John Gill on Galatians 3 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Wherefore then serveth the law?

Read Robert Jamieson on Galatians 3 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Wherefore then serveth the law? Some might say: To what purpose was the law given? As if there could be no use of it unless it were available to justification. It was added because of transgressions; it was (saith the apostle) given after the promise, not to supply something wanting as to justification, to prescribe some works that must be added; but either to restrain sin, , or to show and discover sin, to make men see that they stood in need of Christ: see . Till the seed should come to whom the promise was made: till Christ the promised Seed should come, who is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth, ; upon whose coming the law contained in ordinances ceased.…

Read Matthew Poole on Galatians 3 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Ver. 19. Because of transgressions] Which are discovered by the law. Sight of misery must go before sense of mercy. Lex, lux, the law is a light (saith Solomon), which lays all open, as 1 Corinthians 14:25, and threateneth destruction to transgressors. And it was ordained, &c.] Therefore it is not to be disrespected, though we cannot attain eternal life by it. In the hand of a mediator] That is, of Moses, who was a mediator of that communication of the law to the people, Exodus 20:19. Christ is the only…

Read John Trapp on Galatians 3 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(19, 20) If such was not the function of the Law—if it had no power to modify the promise—what was its true function? It was a sort of measure of police. Its object was to deal with transgressions. It was also a temporary measure, of force only until it should be superseded by the coming of the Messiah. Unlike the promise, too, it was a contract. It was given by a mediator—that is, a person acting between two parties. Two parties were involved, with rigid conditions binding them both. On the other hand, the promise was given unconditionally by the sole act of God. In stating the true function of the Law, the Apostle brings out its inferiority to the promise in four respects. (1) It dealt…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Galatians 3 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 19. Wherefore then serveth the law?] If the law does not annul the Abrahamic covenant, and cannot confer salvation on its votaries, why did God give it? This was a very natural objection, and must arise in the mind of any Jew who had paid attention to the apostle's reasoning. It was added because of transgressions] It was given that we might know our sinfulness, and the need we stood in of the mercy of God. The law is the right line, the straight edge, that determines the obliquity of our conduct. See Clarke on Romans 4:15; and especially See Clarke on Romans 5:20, where this subject is largely discussed, and the figure explained. Till the seed should come] The law was to be in force…

Read AdamClarke on Galatians 3 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

19–29. The Purpose and Use of the Law in relation to the Justification of the Sinner19. If then the promise is not affected by the law, so that no new condition of justification is imposed by it, the question naturally arises, ‘Why was the law given?’ To this the Apostle has an answer ready. It was not given to limit, much less to supersede the promise. The promise and the law are like two circles, which touch, but do not intersect each other: each perfect of its kind, because both alike Divine in their origin. But in answering the question which he has anticipated, St Paul shews the inferiority of the law in several particulars to the earlier and ‘better covenant’ (Hebrews 8:6). (1) The…

Read Cambridge on Galatians 3 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Wherefore then serveth the law? - This is obviously an objection which might be urged to the reasoning which the apostle had pursued.

Read Albert Barnes on Galatians 3 →

The verse in English, compared — 16 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred. It was administered through angels by a mediator.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Then why is there the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred. It was administered through angels by a mediator.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the descendant to whom the promise had been made. It was administered through angels by an intermediary.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise hath been made; and it was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.

RVARevised Version, American1894

What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise hath been made; and it was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

What purpose then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Wherefore then serueth the Law? It was added because of the transgressions, til the seed came, vnto the which the promise was made: and it was ordeined by Angels in the hande of a Mediatour.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Why then the law? It was added for the sake of transgressions, until the seed came to whom the promise was made, ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Why, then, the law? on account of the transgressions it was added, till the seed might come to which the promise hath been made, having been set in order through messengers in the hand of a mediator —

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Why, then, the Law? It was added on account of the transgressions, until the Seed might come to which the promise has been made, having been set in order through messengers in the hand of a mediator—

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of trespasses, until the descendant of Abraham would come to whom the promise had been made. The law was put into force through angels by a mediator.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Why then was the law? It was set because of transgressions, until the seed should come, to whom he made the promise, being ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

What was the point of the law, then? It was added to show what wrongdoing really is, until the son came to whom the promise had been made. The law was put in place by angels through the hand of a mediator.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

What then is the law? It was an addition made because of sin, till the coming of the seed to whom the undertaking had been given; and it was ordered through angels by the hand of a go-between.

Word by word, the decisions they made

ἔλθῃerchomai may have come G2064 3 different renderings
comeASV DRA KJV LSV NWB RVA ULB WEB YLT
cameDBY FBV GNV
comingBBE
σπέρμαsperma seed G4690 3 different renderings
seedASV BBE BSB DBY DRA GNV KJV LSV MSB NWB RVA YLT
descendantNETB ULB
offspringWEB
διαταγεὶςdiatassō having been ordained G1299 2 different renderings
ordainedASV DBY DRA KJV NWB RVA WEB
orderedBBE
ἀγγέλωνangelos angels G32 2 different renderings
angelsASV BBE BSB DBY DRA FBV GNV KJV MSB NETB NWB RVA ULB WEB
messengersLSV YLT

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the Nestle 1904 treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

clauseοὖνthenclauseadverbialΤίWhynoun phrase · subjecttheνόμοςLawclauseprepositional phrase · adverbialnoun phraseτῶν-παραβάσεωνTransgressionsχάρινon account ofverbπροσετέθηit was addedprepositional phrase · adverbialἄχριςuntilnoun phraseclauseἂνthatclauseverbἔλθῃshould have comenoun phrase · subjectnoun phraseτὸtheσπέρμαseedclauseindirect objectto whomverbἐπήγγελταιpromise has been madeclause · adverbialverbδιαταγεὶςhaving been ordainedprepositional phrase · adverbialδι’throughἀγγέλωνangelsprepositional phrase · adverbialἐνinnoun phraseχειρὶ[the] handμεσίτουof a mediator

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The earliest translations — Latin and Syriac

Every translation is an argument about meaning made by someone who had to commit to one. These two were made while the Greek was still a living language, and they are the oldest opinions we have about what this verse says.

Latin VulgateAD 382–405

Quid igitur lex ? Propter transgressiones posita est donec veniret semen, cui promiserat, ordinata per angelos in manu mediatoris.

Jerome revised the Old Latin against the Greek from AD 382; the Latin west read this text for a thousand years.

Syriac Peshittaby AD 400

ܡܢܐ ܗܟܝܠ ܢܡܘܣܐ ܡܛܠ ܡܣܛܝܢܘܬܐ ܐܬܬܘܣܦ ܥܕܡܐ ܕܢܐܬܐ ܙܪܥܐ ܗܘ ܕܠܗ ܗܘܐ ܫܘܘܕܝܐ ܘܐܬܝܗܒ ܗܘ ܢܡܘܣܐ ܒܝܕ ܡܠܐܟܐ ܒܐܝܕܐ ܕܡܨܥܝܐ

The Bible of the Syriac-speaking church, in the language nearest to the Aramaic Jesus spoke.

Shown verse by verse rather than word by word: aligning a Greek word to its Latin or Syriac counterpart automatically would be guesswork, and a wrong alignment is worse than none.


The Greek editions compared — what the manuscripts actually say

Eight printed editions of the Greek New Testament, side by side. Where they agree the wording is settled; where a word is missing from an edition it is marked, so you can see the difference rather than take it on trust.

Nestle-Aland 28th edition2012 · Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft

Τί οὖν νόμος; τῶν παραβάσεων χάριν προσετέθη ἄχρις οὗ ἔλθῃ τὸ σπέρμα ἐπήγγελται, διαταγεὶς δι᾽ ἀγγέλων ἐν χειρὶ μεσίτου.

The standard critical text of the New Testament.

Nestle-Aland 27th edition1993 · Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft

Τί οὖν νόμος; τῶν παραβάσεων χάριν προσετέθη ἄχρις οὗ ἔλθῃ τὸ σπέρμα ἐπήγγελται, διαταγεὶς δι᾽ ἀγγέλων ἐν χειρὶ μεσίτου.

The previous edition, still widely cited.

SBL Greek New Testament2010 · Michael Holmes

Τί οὖν νόμος; τῶν παραβάσεων χάριν προσετέθη ἄχρις οὗ ἔλθῃ τὸ σπέρμα ἐπήγγελται, διαταγεὶς δι᾽ ἀγγέλων ἐν χειρὶ μεσίτου.

The Society of Biblical Literature edition, freely licensed.

Westcott–Hort1881 · Westcott and Hort

Τί οὖν νόμος; τῶν παραβάσεων χάριν προσετέθη ἄχρις ἔλθῃ τὸ σπέρμα ἐπήγγελται, διαταγεὶς δι᾽ ἀγγέλων ἐν χειρὶ μεσίτου.

The edition that turned scholarship toward the earliest manuscripts.

Tregelles1857–1879 · Samuel Prideaux Tregelles

Τί οὖν νόμος; τῶν παραβάσεων χάριν προσετέθη ἄχρις οὗ ἔλθῃ τὸ σπέρμα ἐπήγγελται, διαταγεὶς δι᾽ ἀγγέλων ἐν χειρὶ μεσίτου.

An independent critical text built from the oldest witnesses then known.

Tyndale House Greek NT2017 · Tyndale House, Cambridge

Τί οὖν νόμος; τῶν παραβάσεων χάριν προσετέθη ἄχρις οὗ ἔλθῃ τὸ σπέρμα ἐπήγγελται, διαταγεὶς δι᾽ ἀγγέλων ἐν χειρὶ μεσίτου.

A recent critical edition following documentary evidence closely.

Byzantine majority text2018 · Robinson–Pierpont

Τί οὖν νόμος; τῶν παραβάσεων χάριν προσετέθη ἄχρις οὗ ἔλθῃ τὸ σπέρμα ἐπήγγελται, διαταγεὶς δι᾽ ἀγγέλων ἐν χειρὶ μεσίτου.

The reading of the majority of surviving manuscripts.

Textus Receptus1550/1894 lineage

Τί οὖν νόμος; τῶν παραβάσεων χάριν προσετέθη ἄχρις οὗ ἔλθῃ τὸ σπέρμα ἐπήγγελται, διαταγεὶς δι᾽ ἀγγέλων ἐν χειρὶ μεσίτου.

The printed tradition behind the King James Version.

Every witness on this verse they differ
Critical editions
Nestle-Aland 28th edition2012Nestle-Aland 27th edition1993SBL Greek New Testament2010Westcott–Hort1881Tregelles1857–1879Tyndale House Greek NT2017
Byzantine / Majority
Byzantine majority text2018
Received Text
Textus Receptus1550/1894

A witness that read differently would show its variant word here, marked.

Word by word, across the editions

WordEditions carrying itMissing from
οὗ thatNA28, NA27, Tyn, SBL, Treg, TR, ByzWH

The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Greek New Testament — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Galatians 3:19τίςWhyWhyτίςοὖνthenthenοὖνthetheνόμοςLaw?Law?νόμος<the><the>παράβασιςtransgressitransgressionsπαράβασιςχάρινBecause ofBecause ofχάρινπροστίθημιit was addeit was addedπροστίθημιἄχριuntiluntilἄχριὅςthatthatὅςἔρχομαιmay have comay have comeἔρχομαιthetheσπέρμαseedseedσπέρμαὅςto whomto whomὅςἐπαγγέλλομαιpromise haspromise has beeἐπαγγέλλομαιδιατάσσωhaving beenhaving been ordδιατάσσωδιάthroughthroughδιάἄγγελοςangelsangelsἄγγελοςἐνininἐνχείρ[the] hand[the] handχείρμεσίτηςof a mediatof a mediator.μεσίτηςπαραβαίνωv. I transv. I transgressπαραβαίνωπρόςPrep. to, Prep. to, towarπρόςArticle thArticle theοὗAdv where,Adv where, whitοὗσπείρωv. I sow, v. I sow, spreaσπείρωἐπίPrep. on, Prep. on, to, aἐπίδιάPrep. throPrep. through, διάἄγωv. I leadv. I leadἄγωμέσοςAdj middleAdj middle, in μέσοςτὶςIndef.pr. Indef.pr. any oτὶςχάριςn.f. gracen.f. grace, favχάριςἄκρονn.n. the en.n. the end, eἄκρονμέχριAdv as farAdv as far as, μέχριεἰςPrep. intoPrep. into, in,εἰςἐκPrep. fromPrep. from out,ἐκχειμώνn.m. a temn.m. a tempest,χειμώνχάσμαn.n. a gapn.n. a gap, gulχάσμαἄνDisj.prt. Disj.prt. an unἄν
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Galatians 3:19

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Greek lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. Imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, the full Liddell-Scott-Jones, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate LSJ, Robinson and Packard on the Greek, Webster and Cawdrey on the English the translators were using. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

Why then the Law? <the> transgressions Because of it was added until that may have come the seed to whom promise has been made, having been ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.
Τίtis Why G5101 Interrogative pronoun · nominative · singular · neuter
562× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
rarer in Galatians than elsewhere in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
This interrogative pronoun is used to ask questions like who, which, or what, as seen in Matthew 3:7 and Mark 11:28. It seeks information about a person or thing. This term is essential in direct and indirect questions.
Tyndale gloss
which?
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

τίς is an interrogative pronoun meaning 'who,' 'which,' or 'what,' used in both direct and indirect questions. It can function as a substantive, adjective, or adverb, appearing in various contexts throughout the New Testament, such as in Matthew 3:7 and John 18:23. The neuter form τί also means 'what' or 'which.' There are instances where τίς may be used interchangeably with other pronouns like ποῖος.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

τίς, neut., τί, gen., τίνος, interrog. pron., [in LXX for מָה ,מִי ;] in masc. and fem.,

who, which, what?; in neut., which, what?, used both in direct and in indirect questions.

As subst.,

masc., fem.: τίς; who, what?, Mt 3:7 26:68; Mk 11:28, Lk 9:9, al. mult.; c. gen. partit., Ac 7:52, He 1:5, al; seq. ἐκ (= gen. partit.), Mt 6:27, Lk 14:28, Jo 8:46; = ποῖος, Mk 4:41 6:2, Lk 19:3,

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

τὶς, τὶ. ἘΣ what follows, εἰ καί lays less emphasis upon it; although it is evident that εἰ καί can often be substituted for καὶ ei.” Cf. Herm. Vig. p. 829 sq.; W. 444 (413); Ellic. on Phil. ii. 17; Schmalfeld, Griech. Syntax, § 41; Paley, Grk. Particles, p. 31]. 8. εἰ μή, a. in a conditional protasis, with the same sequence of moods and tenses as the simple εἰ, see 1. above, if not, unless, except, [W. 477 (444) sqq.; B. 345 (297)]: Mt. xxiv. 22; Jn. ix. 33; | xv. 22, 24; Ro. vii. 7, ete. b. it serves, with the entire. following sentence, to limit or correct what has just been said, only, save that, (Lat. nisi quod), [B. 359 (308) ]: Mk. vi. 5; 1 Co. vii. 17 (where Paul by the addition εἰ μὴ ἑκάστῳ κτλ. strives to prevent any one in applying what had been said a little while before, viz. οὐ δεδούλωται . . ἐν τοιούτοις to his own case, from going too far) ; in ironical answers, unless…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

τις (indef. pron.), ‘* someone, something’’: P Vat ΑἸ (B.c. 168) (= UPZi. p. 303) πᾶς τις πειρᾶται. . ., P Lond 421° (B.C. 168) (= Selections, p. 10) εἰς πᾶν τι ἐληλυθυῖα διὰ, τὴν τοῦ σίτου τιμήν, ‘having come to the last extremity because of the high price of corn,’’ P Oxy IV. 7421° (B.c. 2) ἐάν τι δύνῃ... δὸς ἐργασίαν, “if you can, give your attention to it’’ (Edd.), 2d. I. 120% (iv/a.D.) τινα ὁρῶντα αἱαυτὸν (/. ἑαυτὸν) ἐν δυστυχίᾳ, ““α man finding himself in adversity,’ 13 ἀποστῖλόν pot τινα ἢ Γοῦνθον ἢ ᾿Αμμώνιον, “send someone to me, either Gunthus or Ammonius” (Edd.). P Oxy VI. 937°" (ili/A.D.) γ]ράψον ἐκεῖ TO kat’ εἶδος ὅτι τι kal τι εἴληφας is translated by the editors ‘* write the list there, that you have received so and so.” They 3) ες remark that it is simpler to take τι καί τι as analogous to τὸ καὶ τό than ‘‘to take τί kal τί as an indirect interrogative, ὅτι being…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

τίς (tis) — which?.

τίς

__B Interrog. pronoun τίς, Elean and Laconian dialect τίρ (which see), τί:—genitive Epic dialect and Ionic dialect τέο [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Trag. and Attic dialect τοῦ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Ionic dialect, Trag., and Attic dialect τίνος [Refs 5th c.BC+]; dative Ionic dialect τέῳ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; no dative in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Trag. and Attic dialect τῷ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Aeolic dialect τίῳ [Refs 7th c.BC+]; τίνι first in [NT+8th c.BC+]; genitive Epic dialect τέων [Refs 8th c.BC+], and as monosyllable [Refs]; Trag. and Attic dialect τίνων [Refs 5th c.BC+]; dative τίσι first in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Ionic dialect τέοισι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Aeolic dialect τίοισι [Refs 7th c.BC+]; Boeotian dialect τά [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Megarian dialect σά [Refs 5th c.BC+]: of the plural [Refs 8th c.BC+] with genitive τέω; ποῖος (what? which?) is sometimes preferred (especially in neuter…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

τίς

tis

probably emphatic of 5100; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or

what (in direct or indirect questions):--every man, how (much), +

no(-ne, thing), what (manner, thing), where (-by, -fore, -of, -unto, -

with, -withal), whether, which, who(-m, -se), why.

see GREEK for 5100

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

τίς, τί

Irg.pr.

who, which, what

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

Τίτιος Titios 1x

Titius, pr. name, Acts 18:7*

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

τίς in direct questions, who? which? neut. what? which? Lat. quis, quae, quid?, Hom., etc.: relating to other words in the same case, τίς δ᾽ οὗτος ἔρχεαι; who art thou that comest? Il.; τίν᾽ ὄψιν σὴν προσδέρκομαι; what face is this I see of thine? Eur.:— τίς ἄν or κεν, with the opt., expresses doubt, who could, who would do so? Hom.: —in double questions, τί λαβόντα τί δεῖ ποιεῖν; what has one received and what must one do? Dem.; so, τίς πόθεν εἶς ἀνδρῶν; who and whence art thou? Od.

τίς with Particles: τίς γάρ; Lat. quisnam? why who? who possibly? Il., etc.; τίς δή; who then? Theogn.; τίς δῆτα; Soph.; τίς ποτε; who in the world? who ever? Xen.

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Interrog-NSN — Interrogative pronoun · nominative · singular · neuter
nominative — the one doing it — the subject.
Agrees with anything else marked singular neuter.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

I-NSN Part of Speech: Interrogative pronoun Case: Nominative Number: Singular Gender: Neuter

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
48%what
what48% · 273×who21% · 117×why18% · 101×which5% · 29×whom5% · 29×other renderings3% · 19×

568 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 17 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
object30%adverbial25%predicate24%subject21%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 561 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
αὐτός
λέγωI say, speakπρόςἐπερωτάωI interrogate, q
λέγωI say, speak
αὐτόςἸησοῦςJesusκαίand, even, also,
καίand, even, also, nam
εἰμίI am, existοὗτοςθεόςGod, a god
διά
αὐτόςλέγωI say, speakεἶπονI say, speak
Disj
ἐσθίωI eatπῶςποιέωI do, make
τίςWhy562×
what comes after →
εἰμίI am, exist
Article theοὗτοςκύριοςlord, Lord, mast
Article the
πνεῦμαwind, breath, spσημεῖονa sign, miracle,μαθητήςa learner, disci
ἐγώ
καίand, even, also,λέγωI say, speakδιώκωI pursue, persec
ποιέωI do, make
Article theἵναin order that, sὅτιthat, since, bec
οὖνtherefore, then
εἶπονI say, speakποιέωI do, makeεἰμίI am, exist

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceτίς · 562× in the New Testament
Luke Matthew John Mark Acts Romans 1 Corinthians Revelation 2 Corinthians Hebrews Ephesians Galatians

Every reference is on the Strong's page.

Across the New Testament20 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 601 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Philo of Alexandria Josephus The Shepherd of Hermas Clement of Rome Ignatius of Antioch
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 4c. AD 40

καὶ γὰρ λόγον καὶ ἀκοὴν ὑπερβάλλει μείζω καὶ σεμνότερα ὄντα ἢ ὡς θνητοῦ τινος ὀργάνοις ἐναρμοσθῆναι.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.argc. AD 75–95

ὅτι λιμοῦ τὴν Χαναναίαν καταλαβόντος εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἀπῆρε καὶ διατρίψας ἐν αὐτῇ τινα χρόνον ὑπέστρεψεν ὀπίσω.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 2.5c. AD 100

πλήρης εἰμὶ ὁλοκαυτωμάτων, καὶ στέαρ ἀρνῶν καὶ αἷμα ταύρων καὶ τράγων οὐ βούλομαι, οὐδ̓ ἂν ἔρχησθε ὀφθῆναί μοι, τίς γὰρ ἐξεζήτησεν ταῦτα ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ὑμῶν;

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. BC 3rd c. AD 4th c. AD 6th c. AD

ἂν ὦσι γείτονες πάντοθεν· μὴ ἐξέστω δὲ τῷ καθόλου ἐπὶ τὴν διαθήκην ταύτην ἄλλῳ τινὶ ἐπέρχεσθαι, εἰ δὲ μὴ ἄκυρον ἔστω καὶ προσαποτεισάτω ὁ ἐπιφέρων ὕστερον … ἄλλον τῆς

P.Cair. Cat. 10364 descr.Pathyris126 BC–102 BC

προγεγραμμένου ἵππου, καὶ μὴ ἐπελεύσεσθαί σοι ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ. ἐὰν δὲ ἐπέλθωμεν ἢ ἄλλος τις ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἥ τʼ ἔφοδος ἄκυρος ἔσται καὶ προσαποτείσομέν σοι χαλκοῦ τάλαντα πέντε.

BGU 6 1260Pathyris102 BC

σημαινομένης ἀρούρης μιᾶς , καὶ μὴ ἐπελεύσασθαι Νεχθανοῦπιν καὶ τοὺς τούτου υἱοὺς μηδʼ ἄλλον τινὰ τῶν παρʼ αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὸν Πετεαρσεμθεία μηδʼ ἐπʼ ἄλλον τινὰ τῶν παρʼ αὐτοῦ περὶ

Why then the Law? <the> transgressions Because of it was added until that may have come the seed to whom promise has been made, having been ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.
οὖνoun then G3767 Conjunction
496× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Galatians as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
This word means therefore or then, showing a consequence. It appears in Matthew 3:10 and Romans 5:9 to connect ideas and events.
Tyndale gloss
therefore/then
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word οὖν (oun) is a particle used to express consequence, sequence, or to resume a narrative. It translates to 'therefore,' 'then,' or 'accordingly,' and appears frequently in the New Testament, such as in Matthew 3:10 and Romans 5:9. It can also serve in exhortations and questions, indicating what follows logically from previous statements.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

οὖν,

particle expressing consequence or simple sequence (never standing first in a sentence),

wherefore, therefore, then: Mt 3:10, Lk 3:9, Jo 8:38, Ac 1:21, Ro 5:9, al.; in exhortations, Mt 3:8, Lk 11:35, Ac 3:19, Ro 6:12, al.; in questions, Mt 13:28, Mk 15:12, Jo 8:[5], Ro 6:1, al.; continuing a…

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

οὖν ἃ conj. indicating that something follows from another necessarily; [al. regard the primary force of the particle as confirmatory or continuative, rather than illative; cf. Passow, or L.andS.s. v.; Kiihner § 508, 1 ii. p- 707 sqq.; Biiumlein p. 173 sqq.; Kriiger § 69, 52; Donaldson p. 571; Rost in a program “ Ueber Ableitung ” u.s.w. p.2; Klotz p. 717; Hartung ii. 4]. Hence it is used in drawing a conclusion and in connecting sentences together logically, then, therefore, accordingly, consequently, these things being so, [ (Klotz, Rost, al., have wished to derive the word fr. the neut. ptep. ὄν (cf. ὄντως) ; but see Baumlein or Kiihner u.s.); ef. W. § 53, 8]: Mt. iii. 10; x. 32 (since persecutions are not to be dreaded, and consequently furnish no excuse for denying me [οἵ. W. 455 (424)]); Mt. xviii. 4; Lk. iii.9; xvi. 27; In. viii. 38 (καὶ ὑμεῖς οὖν, and ye accordingly, i. e.…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

οὖν. This common particle, which occurs in the NT nearly 500 times, is used in our sources in a variety of connexions, the exact shade of meaning being determined by the context. (1) For the causal meaning ‘‘therefore” we may cite BGU II. 423" (ii/aA.p.) (= Sevectzons, p. 91) Kal καλῶς pol ἐστιν. ἐρωτῶ ce οὖν, κύριέ pou πατήρ, γράψον μοι ἐπιστόλιον πρῶτον μὲν περὶ τῆς σωτηρίας σου... , “it is well with me. I beg you, therefore, my lord father, write me a letter, first regarding your health ... ,” and P Oxy XIV. 16651 (iii/A.D.), where a son in urgent need of oil writes to his father—dvayxalws οὖν, ἐὰν ἔτι παρὰ σεαυτῷ χρ[ἴ]ον ἔχῃς, δήλωσον ἢ τῷ vie σου ἢ ᾧ ἐὰν σὺ βούλῃ τούτους μοι ἐν τάχει παρα[σ]χεῖν, ‘perforce, therefore, if you have still with you any unguent, instruct your son or any one else you wish to supply me with them speedily ” (Edd.). (2) Οὖν is very common in a looser…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

οὖν (oun) — therefore/then.

οὖν,

Ionic dialect and Doric dialect ὦν (the latter in [Refs 8th c.BC+], adverb certainly, in fact, confirming something, frequently in contrast with something which is not confirmed, in [Refs 8th c.BC+] only in combination with γε (see. γοῦν), γάρ, οὔτε or μήτε, ὡς, ἐπεί, μέν, etc.:

1. really, φημὶ γὰρ οὖν κατανεῦσαι.. Κρονίωνα for I declare that Zeus did really promise.., [Refs 8th c.BC+]; τόφρα γὰρ οὖν ἑπόμεσθα.., ὄφρ᾽ for we followed them up to the very point, where.., [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐλέχθησαν λόγοι ἄπιστοι μὲν ἐνίοισι Ἑλλήνων, ἐλέχθησαν δ᾽ ὦν but they really were spoken, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Θηβαῖοι μὲν ταῦτα λέγουσι.., Πλαταιῆς δ᾽ οὐχ ὁμολογοῦσι.., ἐκ δ᾽ οὖν τῆς γῆς ἀνεχώρησαν at all events they did return, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; so δ᾽ οὖν after a parenthesis; εἰ δή τις ὑμῶν οὕτως ἔχει,—οὐκ ἀξιῶ μὲν γὰρ ἔγωγε,—εἰ…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

οὖν

oun

apparently a primary word; (adverbially) certainly, or

(conjunctionally) accordingly:--and (so, truly), but, now (then), so

(likewise then), then, therefore, verily, wherefore.

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

οὖν

Cj.

therefore, then

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

οὖν oun 499x

then, now then, Mt. 13:18; Jn. 19:29; then, thereupon, Lk. 15:28; Jn. 6:14; therefore, consequently, Mt. 5:48: Mk. 10:9; it also serves to mark the resumption of discourse after an interruption by a parenthesis, 1 Cor. 8:4. Sometimes it is not translated.

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

οὖν really, at all events, used like γοῦν to dismiss a perplexing subject, οὔτ᾽ οὖν ἀγγελίῃς ἔτι πείθομαι, οὔτε θεοπροπίης ἐμπάζομαι Od.; ἐλέχθησαν λόγοι ἄπιστοι μὲν ἐνίοισι Ἑλλήνων, ἐλέχθησαν δ᾽ ὦν but they really were spoken, Hdt.; εἴτ᾽ οὖν, εἴτε μὴ γενήσεται whether it shall be really so, or no, Eur.; εἴτ᾽ οὖν ἀληθὲς εἴτ᾽ οὖν ψεῦδος Plat.; εἰ δ᾽ ἔστιν, ὥσπερ οὖν ἔστι, θεός if he is, as he surely is, a god, id. Plat.

added to indef. Pronouns and Advs., like Lat. cunque, ὅστις whoever, ὁστισοῦν whosoever; ὅπως how, ὁπωσοῦν howsoever; ἄλλος ὁστισοὖν another, be he who he may; so, ὁποιοσοῦν, ὁποσοσοῦν, ὁπωσοῦν, ὁποθενοῦν…

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj — Conjunction
conjunction — it joins clauses, and never changes form.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

CONJ CONJunction or conjunctive particle

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
79%therefore
therefore79% · 428×then19% · 104×other renderings1% · 7×

539 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 5 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 496 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
λέγωI say, speak
διακονέωI wait at table,ἔχωI have, hold, poΣατανᾶςan adversary, Sa
μένDisj
Article theεἰCondπολύςmuch, many, ofte
τίςIrg
αὐτόςλέγωI say, speakδιά
Article the
ἸακώβPropὕδωρwater
σύ
καίand, even, also,δεῖit is necessary,ἐρωτάωI ask, question,
οὖνthen496×
what comes after →
Article the
ἸησοῦςJesusἸουδαῖοςJewishμαθητήςa learner, disci
αὐτός
Article theτίςIrgἸησοῦςJesus
καίand, even, also, nam
νίπτωI washἕτεροςanother, differeὁράωI see, look upon
εἰμίI am, exist
Article theσύοὗτος
σύ
πονηρόςevil, bad, wickeτέλειοςperfect, full-grἨλίαςElijah

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceοὖν · 496× in the New Testament
John Acts Matthew Romans Luke 1 Corinthians Hebrews 2 Corinthians Ephesians 1 Peter Galatians Philippians

Every reference is on the Strong's page.

Across the New Testament23 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 110 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Philo of Alexandria Josephus The Shepherd of Hermas Clement of Rome The Epistle of Barnabas
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 4c. AD 40

τὸ μὲν οὖν κάλλος τῶν νοημάτων τῆς κοσμοποιίας οὐδεὶς οὔτε ποιητὴς οὔτε λογογράφος ἀξίως ἂν ὑμνῆσαι δύναιτο·

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.6c. AD 75–95

ἤδη μὲν οὖν καὶ πρότερον διενοήθην, ὅτε τὸν πόλεμον συνέγραφον, δηλῶσαι τίνες ὄντες ἐξ ἀρχῆς Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ τίσι χρησάμενοι τύχαις ὑφʼ οἵῳ τε παιδευθέντες νομοθέτῃ τὰ πρὸς εὐσέβειαν καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἄσκησιν ἀρετῆς πόσους τε πολέμους ἐν μακροῖς…

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 1.4c. AD 100

πεπεισμένος οὖν τοῦτο καὶ συνειδὼς ἐμαυτῷ, ὅτι ἐν ὑμῖν λαλήσας πολλὰ ἐπίσταμαι, ὅτι ἐμοὶ συνώδευσεν ἐν ὁδῷ δικαιοσύνης κύριος, καὶ πάντως ἀναγκάζομαι κἀγὼ εἰς τοῦτο, ἀγαπᾶν ὑμᾶς ὑπὲρ τὴν ψυχήν μου, ὅτι μεγάλη πίστις καὶ ἀγάπη ἐγκατοικεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν ἐπ’…

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
3rd c. BC 2nd c. AD 3rd c. AD 4th c. AD 2nd c. BC
P.Grenf. 2 23Latopolites109 BC

χαίρειν. τοῦ παρʼ Ἑρμώνακτος τῶν ὁμοτίμων τοῖς συγγενέσι καὶ ὑποδιοικητοῦ χρηματισμοῦ ἀντίγραφον ὑπόκειται. κατακολουθήσας οὖν τοῖς διʼ αὐτοῦ σημαινομένοις χρημάτισον ἀπὸ τῆς ἐν Παθύρει τραπέζης, συνυπογράφοντος Φίβιος τοῦ…

P.Grenf. 1 30Pathyris104 BC

δὲ καὶ αὐτοί. μεταλαβόντες τοὺς συντετελεσμένους πρὸς τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς Ἑρμωνθίτας ἀγῶνας μεγάλως ἐχάρημεν. ἐπεὶ οὖν προκεχειρίκαμεν προστάτην τοῦ μεγίστου θεοῦ Νεχθφαραῦτος βεα … ρων … δια … στρατιωτῶν

Chrest.Wilck. 12Pathyris89 BC

ἐπιβεβληκέναι εἰς Μέμφιν, Ἱέρακα δὲ προκεχειρίσθαι μετὰ δυνάμεων μυρίων ἐπὶ καταστολὴν τῆς Θηβαίδος. ὅπως οὖν εἰδότες εὐθαρσεῖς ὑπάρχητε ἐκρίναμεν σημῆναι. ἔρρωσθε ἔτους λ Φαῶφι ιθ

Why then the Law? <the> transgressions Because of it was added until that may have come the seed to whom promise has been made, having been ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.
ho the G3588 Article · nominative · singular · masculine
19,783× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Galatians as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
The Greek word for 'the' or 'this', used to point out a specific person or thing, like in Acts 17:28. It can also mean 'he', 'she', or 'it'.
Tyndale gloss
the/this/who
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The definite article — the commonest word in the Greek New Testament at 19,867 occurrences. Greek uses it more freely than English does and can drop it deliberately, so its presence and its absence both carry weight for a translator; but no single occurrence carries a message of its own. Here it simply gathers “the things” into one definite bundle.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ὁ, ἡ, τό,

the prepositive article (ἄρθρον προτακτικόν), originally a demonstr. pron. (so usually in Hom.), in general corresponding to the Eng. definite article.

As demonstr. pron.

As freq. in Hom., absol., he (she, it), his (etc.): Ac 17:28 (quoted from the poet Aratus).

Distributive, ὁ μὲν . . . ὁ δέ, the one . . . the other: I Co 7:7, Ga 4:22; pl., Ac 14:4, 17:32, Phl 1:16, al.; οἱ μὲν . . . ἄλλοι δέ, Mt 16:14, Jo 7:12; οἱ μεν̀ . . . ὁ δέ, He 7:21, 23.

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

ὁ 435 ὁ tives of quantity, ὅλος, πᾶς, πολύς, see each in its own place. d. What has been said concerning adjectives holds true also of all other limitations added to substantives, as ἡ κατ᾽ ἐκλογὴν πρόθεσις, Ro. ix. 11; ἡ παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ διαθήκη, Ro. xi. 27; 6 λόγος 6 τοῦ σταυροῦ, 1 Co. i. 18; ἡ εἰς Χριστὸν πίστις, Col. ii. 5; on the other hand, ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν ἡ πρὸς τὸν θεόν, 1 Th. i. 8; τῆς διακονίας τῆς εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους, 2 Co. viii. 4; see many other exx. of each usage in W. 131 (124) sqq.; [B. 91 (80) sqq.]. e. The noun has the article before it when a demonstrative pronoun (υὗτος, ἐκεῖνος) belonging to it either precedes or follows [W. § 18, 4; B. § 127, 29-31]; as, ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος, Jn. ix. 24 [οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρ. 1, Tr mrg. WH); Acts vi. 13; xxii. 26; ὁ λαὸς οὗτος, Mt. xv. 8; 6 vids σου οὗτος, Lk. xv. 30; plur. Lk. xxiv. 17, and numberless other exx.; οὗτος 6 ἄνθρωπος, Lk. xiv. 30; οὗτος ὁ…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

ὃ, ἡ τό. (1) Apart from connexion with μέν or δέ (see below) the demonstrative use of the art. in the NT is confined to a poetical quotation Ac 1778, but it is not uncommon in the papyri, e.g. P Par 45® (B.C. 153) (= Witkowski®, p. 85) τὰ (for ἃ) πράσεις (Δ πράσσεις), P Oxy VIII. 1160! (iii/iv A.D.) Ta (for ἃ) σεσύλληχα (for συνείληχα) δὲ κέρμα {ταν τηρῶ αὐτὰ εἰς τὴν δίκην, “1 am keeping for the trial the money that I have collected” (Ed.). For the distributive Opéev.. - 6 8€, as in 1 Cor7’, cf. P Lond 535 (B.c. 161) (=I. p. 19, U.P.Z. i. p. 239) kal τὰ μὲν ἡμῶν ἐληφότων εἰς τὴν γινομένην ἡμῖν συντάξειν, τὰ δ᾽ ἔτι διὰ τὴν τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων {(.. ... > παρελκομένων. (2) The use of the art. as a relative, of which there is no trace in the NT, may again be illustrated by the following papyrus citations from ¢c. A.D. 346—P Lond 414® (= II. Ῥ. 292) γεινῴσκιν oe θέλω περὶ τοῦ βρεουίου…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ὁ (ho) — the/this/who.

ὁ,

ἡ, τό, is, when thus written,

__A demonstrative Pronoun.

__B in Attic dialect, definite or prepositive Article.

__C in Epic dialect, the so-called postpositive Article, = relative Pronoun, ὅς, ἥ, ὅ.—The nominative masculine and feminine singular and plural, ὁ, ἡ, οἱ, αἱ, have no accent in codices and most printed books, except when used as the relative; but ὁ, ἡ, οἱ, αἱ differ only in writing from ὃ, ἣ, οἳ, α; the nominative forms of the article are said by Hdn.Gr.1.474 to be oxytone, and by [Refs 2nd c.AD+] in Aeolic dialect accusative to [Refs 8th c.BC+] genitive and dative dual τοῖιν [Refs 8th c.BC+]— In Doric dialect and all other dialects except Attic dialect and Ionic dialect the feminine forms preserve the old ᾱ instead of changing it to η, hence Doric dialect etc. ἁ, τάν, τᾶ; the genitive plural τάων contracts in many dialects to τᾶ; the genitive…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ὁ ἡ τό

ho

he hay, and the neuter

to to

in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be

supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one,

he, she, it, etc.

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ὁ, ἡ, τό

Article

the

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ὁ ho 19x

the prepositive article, answering, to a considerable extent, to the English definite article; but, for the principle and facts of its usage, consult a grammar; ὁ μὲν ... ὁ δέ, the one ... the other, Phil. 1:16, 17; Heb. 7:5, 6, 20, 21, 23, 24; pl. some ... others, Mt. 13:23; 22:5, 6; ὁ δέ, but he, Mt. 4:4; 12:48; οἱ δέ, but others, Mt. 28:17; used, in a poetic quotation, for a personal pronoun, Acts 17:28

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ὁ the, that

ὁ, ἡ, τό, is

demonstr. Pronoun.

the definite Article.

in epic, the relative Pronoun, when it is written with the accent ὅ, ἥ, τό ῀ ὅς, ἥ, ὅ. Besides the common forms, note epic gen. sg. τοῖο for τοῦ; pl. nom. τοί, ταί; gen. fem. τάων [α^], dat. τοῖσι, τῇς and τῇσι; dual gen, and dat. τοῖιν:— in Trag. we find τοὶ μέν . . , τοὶ δέ . . , for οἱ μέν . . , οἱ δέ . . ; dat. pl. also τοῖσι, ταῖσι: the dual has commonly but one gender, τώ for τά, τοῖν for ταῖν.

DEMONSTR. PRONOUN:

joined with a Subst., not as the Art., but like Lat. ille, ὁ Τυδείδης Tydeus's famous son, Il.; Νέστωρ ὁ γέρων Nestor— that aged man, id. Il.; τιμῆς τῆς Πριάμου for honour, namely that of Priam, id. Il.

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art-NSM — Article · nominative · singular · masculine
nominative — the one doing it — the subject.
Agrees with anything else marked singular masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

T-NSM Part of Speech: definite arTicle Case: Nominative Number: Singular Gender: Masculine

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

THE, an adjective or definitive adjective.

1. This adjective is used as a definitive, that is, before nouns which are specific or understood; or it is used to limit their signification to a specific thing or things, or to describe them; as the laws of the twelve tables. the independent tribunals of justice in our country, are the security or private rights, and the best bulwark against arbitrary power. the sun is the source of light and heat.

This he calls the preaching of the cross.

2. the is also used rhetorically before a noun in the singular number, to denote a species by way of distinction; a single thing representing the whole. the fig tree putteth forth her green figs; the almond tree shall flourish; the grasshopper shall be a burden.

3. In poetry, the sometimes loses the final vowel before another vowel.

Th' adorning thee with so much art,

Is but a barb'rous skill.

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
64%the
the64% · 13160×<the>28% · 5846×those3% · 597×other renderings4% · 788×other renderings1% · 294×

20,685 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 83 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
subject34%adverbial32%object24%predicate5%indirect object4%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 19,783 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
καίand, even, also, nam
αὐτόςεἰμίI am, existἐγώ
ἐν
καίand, even, also,αὐτόςArticle the
εἰς
αὐτόςεἰσέρχομαιI go in, come inἔρχομαιI come, go
αὐτός
λέγωI say, speakδέbut, on the otheπρός
εἰμίI am, exist
οὗτοςσύἐγώ
the19783×
what comes after →
θεόςGod, a god
Article theκαίand, even, also,ἐγώ
δέbut, on the other ha
λέγωI say, speakἸησοῦςJesusἀποκρίνομαιI answer, reply
ἸησοῦςJesus
λέγωI say, speakκαίand, even, also,Article the
κύριοςlord, Lord, master,
ἐγώἸησοῦςJesusArticle the
πατήρfather, Father, ance
ἐγώσύαὐτός

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordance · 19,783× in the New Testament
Matthew Acts Luke John Revelation Mark Romans 1 Corinthians Hebrews 2 Corinthians Ephesians 1 John

40 inflected forms — one of the commonest words in the New Testament. Full distribution →

Across the New Testament27 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Josephus Philo of Alexandria The Shepherd of Hermas Clement of Rome The Epistle of Barnabas
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 1c. AD 40

Τῶν ἄλλων νομοθετῶν οἱ μὲν ἀκαλλώπιστα καὶ γυμνὰ τὰ νομισθέντα παρ’ αὐτοῖς εἶναι δίκαια διετάξαντο, οἱ δὲ πολὺν ὄγκον τοῖς νοήμασι προσπεριβαλόντες ἐξετύφωσαν τὰ πλήθη μυθικοῖς πλάσμασι τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπικρύψαντες.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.argc. AD 75–95

τοῦ κόσμου σύστασις καὶ διάταξις τῶν στοιχείων.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 1.1c. AD 100

Χαίρετε, υἱοὶ καὶ θυγατέρες, ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντος ἡμᾶς, ἐν εἰρήνῃ.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. AD 1st c. AD 3rd c. BC 6th c. AD
P.Stras. 2 89Pathyris100 BC

r βασιλεύοντος Πτολεμαίου τοῦ ἐπικαλουμένου Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ Βερενίκης τῆς ἀδελφῆς θεῶν Φιλομητόρων ἔτους ιε, ἐφʼ ἱερέων καὶ ἱερειῶν

P.Adl. 11Pathyris99 BC

ιζ Θῶυθ κη ἀπέδοτο Πετεσοῦχος Φίβιος καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ τὸ ὕπαρχον αὐτοῖς ἥμισυ περιστερῶνος τοῦ ὄντος ἐν τῶι ἀπὸ βορρᾶ μέρει Παθύρεως χαλκοῦ Γ. ἐπρίατο Ὧρος Νεχούτου.

P.Grenf. 2 35Pathyris99 BC

βασιλευόντων Πτολεμαίου τοῦ ἐπικαλουμένου Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ Βερενίκης τῆς ἀδελφῆς θεῶν φιλομητόρων ἔτους ιϛ, ἐφʼ ἱερέων καὶ ἱερειῶν

Why then the Law? <the> transgressions Because of it was added until that may have come the seed to whom promise has been made, having been ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.
νόμος;nomos Law? G3551 Noun · nominative · singular · masculine
194× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Galatians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
The Greek word for law, referring to a set of rules or regulations, such as Moses' law or the law of Christ in Galatians 6:2.
Amplified meaning
given to show what wrongdoing really is
Tyndale gloss
law
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

νόμος refers to a law or custom, derived from the idea of distribution. It encompasses various meanings, including general law, the Mosaic law, and Christian teachings. In the New Testament, it appears in contexts such as the law of Moses and principles of Christian conduct. Notably, it is used in verses like Romans 3:27 and Galatians 6:2.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

νόμος, -ου, ὁ

(< νέμω, to deal out, distribute),

[in LXX chiefly for תּוֹרָה, also for חֻקָּה, etc.;]

that which is assigned, hence, usage, custom, then law; in NT (only in Mt, Jo, Ja, and the Lucan and Pauline bks.);

of law in general: Ro 3:27 5:13b; pl., of divine laws, He 8:10 10:16; ὁ ν. τ. Χριστοῦ, Ga 6:2; (τ.) ἐλευθερίας, Ja 1:25 2:12; βασιλικιός (Hort., in l.; Deiss., LAE, 3673), Ja 2:8.

Of a force or influence impelling to action: Ro 7:21, 23a, 25 8:2.

Of the Mosaic law: Mt 5:18, Lk 2:27, Jo 1:17,

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

νόμος, -ov, 6, (νέμω to divide, distribute, apportion), in prof. auth. fr. Hes. down, anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, usage, law; in Sept. very often for ΓΙ ΓΙ, also for 7p, ΠῚ, ete. In the N. T. a command, law; and 1. of any law whatsoever: διὰ ποίου νόμου; Ro. iii. 27; νόμος δικαιοσύνης, a law or rule producing a state approved of God, i. e. by the observance of which we are approved of God, Ro. ix. 31, ef. Meyer [see ed. Weiss], Fritzsche, Philippi ad loe.; α precept or injunction: κατὰ νόμον ἐντολῆς σαρκ. Heb. vii. 16; plur. of the things prescribed by the divine will, Heb. viii. 10; x. 16; νόμος τοῦ νοός, the rule of action prescribed by reason, Ro. vii. 23; the mention of the divine law causes those things even which in opposition to this law impel to action, and therefore seem to have the force of a law, to be designated by the term νόμος, as ἕτερος…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

νόμος (nomos) — law.

νόμος, ὁ,

(νέμω) that which is in habitual practice, use or possession, not in [Refs 8th c.BC+]

I. usage, custom, [Μοῦσαι] μέλπονται πάντων τε νόμους καὶ ἤθεα κεδνά [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἔνθα ν. (i.e. ἐστί) with infinitive, where it is the custom.., [Refs 7th c.BC+]; ν. πάντων βασιλεύς custom is lord of all, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: hence, law, ordinance, τόνδε.. ν. διέταξε Κρονίων.. θηρσὶ.. ἐσθέμεν ἀλλήλους [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ν. κοινός, ={ὀρθὸς λόγος}, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

I. b in VT, of the law of God, ἐν τῷ νόμῳ Κυρίου τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ [LXX]; νόμον ὃν ἐνετείλατο ὑμῖν Μωϋσῆς[LXX]; so in NT, ὁ ν. Μωϋσέως [NT]; ὁ ν. τοῦ Πνεύματος τῆς ζωῆς, opposed to ὁ ν. τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ τοῦ θανάτου…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

νόμος

nomos

from a primary nemo (to parcel out, especially food or grazing to

animals); law (through the idea of prescriptive usage), genitive case

(regulation), specially, (of Moses (including the volume); also of the

Gospel), or figuratively (a principle):--law.

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

νόμος, ου, ὁ

n.m.

a law, the Mosaic Law

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

νόμος nomos 194x

a law, Rom. 4:15; 1 Tim. 1:9; the Mosaic law, Mt. 5:17, et al. freq.; the Old Testament Scripture, Jn. 10:34; a legal tie, Rom. 7:2, 3; a law, a rule, standard, Rom. 3:27; a rule of life and conduct, Gal. 6:2, Jas. 1:25

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

νόμος anything assigned, a usage, custom, law, ordinance, Lat. institutum, Hes.; νόμος πάντων βασιλεύς custom is lord of all, Pind. ap. Hdt.; κατὰ νόμον according to custom or law, Hes., Hdt., attic; poet. κὰν νόμον Pind.:— παρὰ νόμον contrary to law, Aesch.:—dat. νόμῳ by custom, conventionally, opp. to φύσει, Hdt., Arist.:—at Athens νόμοι were Solon.'s laws, those of Draco being called θεσμοί.

ἐν χειρῶν νόμῳ by the law of force, in the fight or scuffle, Hdt.; ἐν χειρὸς νόμῳ in actual warfare, Arist.; also, ἐς χειρῶν νόμον ἀπικέσθαι to come to blows, Hdt.

a musical mode or strain, Aesch., Plat., etc.; νόμοι κιθαρῳδικοί Ar.

a song sung in honour of some god, Hdt.; νόμοι πολεμικοί war- tunes, Thuc.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Noun-NSM — Noun · nominative · singular · masculine
nominative — the one doing it — the subject.
Agrees with anything else marked singular masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

N-NSM Part of Speech: Noun Case: Nominative Number: Singular Gender: Masculine

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Law

A rule of action. (1.) The Law of Nature is the will of God as to human conduct, founded on the moral difference of things, and discoverable by natural light (Rom. 1:20; 2:14, 15). This law binds all men at all times. It is generally designated by the term conscience, or the capacity of being influenced by the moral relations of things.

(2.) The Ceremonial Law prescribes under the Old Testament the rites and ceremonies of worship. This law was obligatory only till Christ, of whom these rites were typical, had finished his work (Heb. 7:9, 11; 10:1; Eph. 2:16). It was fulfilled rather than abrogated by the gospel.

(3.) The Judicial Law, the law which directed the civil policy of the Hebrew nation.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

The word is properly used, in Scripture as elsewhere, to express a definite commandment laid down by any recognized authority; but when the word is used with the article, and without any words of limitation, it refers to the expressed will to God, and in nine cases out of ten to the Mosaic law, or to the Pentateuch of which it forms the chief portion. The Hebrew word torah (law) lays more stress on its moral authority, as teaching the truth and guiding in the right way; the Greek nomos (law), on its constraining power as imposed and enforced by a recognized authority. The sense of the word, however, extends its scope and assumes a more abstracts character in the writings of St. Paul. Nomos , when used by him with the article, still refers in general to the law of Moses; but when used without the article, so as to embrace any manifestation of "law," it includes all powers which act on…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

In the Bible, signifies sometimes the whole word of God, Ps 19:7-11 119:1-176 Isa 8:20; sometimes the Old Testament, Joh 10:34 15:25, and sometimes the five books of Moses, which formed the first of the three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures, Lu 24:44 Ac 13:15. The Pentateuch was probably "the law," a copy of which every king was to transcribe for himself and study, and which was to be made known to young and old, in public and in private, De 6:7 17:18,19 31:9-19,26. In other places the Mosaic institutions as a whole are intend by "the law," in distinction from the…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ General scriptures concerning Ps 19:7-9; 119:1-8; Pr 28:4,5; Mt 22:21; Lu 16:17; 20:22-25; Ro 2:14,15; 7:7,12,14; 13:10; 1Ti 1:5,8-10; Jas 1:25; 1Jo 3:4; 5:3

→ See LITIGATION

→ See COMMANDMENTS

→ See DUTY TO GOD

→ OF MOSES

→ (Contained in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy)

Given at Sinai Ex 19; De 1:1; 4:10-13; 33:2; Hab 3:3

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
93%law
law93% · 184×the law2% · 4×other renderings3% · 6×other renderings2% · 3×

197 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 7 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
adverbial43%object22%subject22%predicate10%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 194 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
Article the
ἐνκατάἀπό
ὑπό
Article theεἰμίI am, existὡςas, like as, how
ἔργονwork, labor, action,
ἐκχωρίςapart from, with
γάρfor
Article theδιάἄχριas far as, up to
ἐν
γράφωI writeδύναμαιI am powerful, aὅσος
νόμοςLaw?194×
what comes after →
Article the
θεόςGod, a godἁμαρτίαa sinπνεῦμαwind, breath, sp
καίand, even, also, nam
Article theοὐδείςno one, none, noπαρανομέωI act contrary t
ΜωϋσῆςMoses
καίand, even, also,ἐγώἀνάγωI lead up, put t
οὐNeg
δικαιόωI make righteousφθάνωI anticipate, prεἰμίI am, exist
ὅτιthat, since, because
Article theκαλόςbeautiful, good,ἐκ

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceνόμος · 194× in the New Testament
Romans Galatians Acts John Hebrews James 1 Corinthians Luke Matthew Philippians 1 Timothy Ephesians

Every reference is on the Strong's page.

Across the New Testament12 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 138 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Josephus Philo of Alexandria The Shepherd of Hermas Ignatius of Antioch The Epistle of Barnabas
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 3c. AD 40

ἡ δ’ ἀρχή, καθάπερ ἔφην, ἐστὶ θαυμασιωτάτη κοσμοποιίαν περιέχουσα, ὡς καὶ τοῦ κόσμου τῷ νόμῳ καὶ τοῦ νόμου τῷ κόσμῳ συνᾴδοντος καὶ τοῦ νομίμου ἀνδρὸς εὐθὺς ὄντος κοσμοπολίτου πρὸς τὸ βούλημα τῆς φύσεως τὰς πράξεις ἀπευθύνοντος, καθ’ ἣν καὶ ὁ σύμπας…

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.10c. AD 75–95

Εὗρον τοίνυν, ὅτι Πτολεμαίων μὲν ὁ δεύτερος μάλιστα δὴ βασιλεὺς περὶ παιδείαν καὶ βιβλίων συναγωγὴν σπουδάσας ἐξαιρέτως ἐφιλοτιμήθη τὸν ἡμέτερον νόμον καὶ τὴν κατʼ αὐτὸν διάταξιν τῆς πολιτείας εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα φωνὴν μεταβαλεῖν,

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 2.6c. AD 100

ταῦτα οὖν κατήργησεν, ἵνα ὁ καινὸς νόμος τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἄνευ ζυγοῦ ἀνάγκης ὤν, μὴ ἀνθρωποποίητον ἔχῃ τὴν προσφοράν.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 6th c. AD 1st c. AD 3rd c. AD 4th c. AD
P. Grenf. 1 21Pathyris127 BC

τῶι ἐξ ἐμοῦ ἐξ Σαραπιάδος τῆς Ἐσθλάδου τοῦ Θεωνος ἀστῆς ἧι συνήμην γυναικὶ κατὰ νόμους καὶ κατὰ διαθήκην τὴν κεχρηματισμένην διὰ τοῦ ἐν Διὸς πόλει τῆι μικρᾶι ἀρχείου ἐπὶ

ἔπιπλα καὶ κτήνη καὶ ὅσα ἂν προσεπικτήσωμαι Ταθώτηι Ἁρυώτου Περσίνῃ ᾗ σύνειμι γυναικὶ κατὰ νόμους, πλὴν στρώματος ἑνὸς καὶ κλείνης τορυνευτῆς α Πατ … ει καὶ Πετεσοράθηι τῶν Παχνούβιος

τῶν οἰκετικῶν σωμάτων, ἐν οἷς καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Κόχλακος τῆς Ἀραβίας τοῦ δηλουμένου Παθυρίτου νομοῦ μέρους ἡμίσους ἀπὸ ἐδάφους ἀμπελῶνος ἀρουρῶν β ἡμίσους ἢ ὅσαν ἂν ἦι ἐπὶ τὸ

Why then the Law? <the> transgressions Because of it was added until that may have come the seed to whom promise has been made, having been ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.
τῶνho <the> G3588 Article · genitive · plural · feminine
19,783× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Galatians as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
The Greek word for 'the' or 'this', used to point out a specific person or thing, like in Acts 17:28. It can also mean 'he', 'she', or 'it'.
Tyndale gloss
the/this/who
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The definite article — the commonest word in the Greek New Testament at 19,867 occurrences. Greek uses it more freely than English does and can drop it deliberately, so its presence and its absence both carry weight for a translator; but no single occurrence carries a message of its own. Here it simply gathers “the things” into one definite bundle.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ὁ, ἡ, τό,

the prepositive article (ἄρθρον προτακτικόν), originally a demonstr. pron. (so usually in Hom.), in general corresponding to the Eng. definite article.

As demonstr. pron.

As freq. in Hom., absol., he (she, it), his (etc.): Ac 17:28 (quoted from the poet Aratus).

Distributive, ὁ μὲν . . . ὁ δέ, the one . . . the other: I Co 7:7, Ga 4:22; pl., Ac 14:4, 17:32, Phl 1:16, al.; οἱ μὲν . . . ἄλλοι δέ, Mt 16:14, Jo 7:12; οἱ μεν̀ . . . ὁ δέ, He 7:21, 23.

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

ὁ 435 ὁ tives of quantity, ὅλος, πᾶς, πολύς, see each in its own place. d. What has been said concerning adjectives holds true also of all other limitations added to substantives, as ἡ κατ᾽ ἐκλογὴν πρόθεσις, Ro. ix. 11; ἡ παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ διαθήκη, Ro. xi. 27; 6 λόγος 6 τοῦ σταυροῦ, 1 Co. i. 18; ἡ εἰς Χριστὸν πίστις, Col. ii. 5; on the other hand, ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν ἡ πρὸς τὸν θεόν, 1 Th. i. 8; τῆς διακονίας τῆς εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους, 2 Co. viii. 4; see many other exx. of each usage in W. 131 (124) sqq.; [B. 91 (80) sqq.]. e. The noun has the article before it when a demonstrative pronoun (υὗτος, ἐκεῖνος) belonging to it either precedes or follows [W. § 18, 4; B. § 127, 29-31]; as, ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος, Jn. ix. 24 [οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρ. 1, Tr mrg. WH); Acts vi. 13; xxii. 26; ὁ λαὸς οὗτος, Mt. xv. 8; 6 vids σου οὗτος, Lk. xv. 30; plur. Lk. xxiv. 17, and numberless other exx.; οὗτος 6 ἄνθρωπος, Lk. xiv. 30; οὗτος ὁ…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

ὃ, ἡ τό. (1) Apart from connexion with μέν or δέ (see below) the demonstrative use of the art. in the NT is confined to a poetical quotation Ac 1778, but it is not uncommon in the papyri, e.g. P Par 45® (B.C. 153) (= Witkowski®, p. 85) τὰ (for ἃ) πράσεις (Δ πράσσεις), P Oxy VIII. 1160! (iii/iv A.D.) Ta (for ἃ) σεσύλληχα (for συνείληχα) δὲ κέρμα {ταν τηρῶ αὐτὰ εἰς τὴν δίκην, “1 am keeping for the trial the money that I have collected” (Ed.). For the distributive Opéev.. - 6 8€, as in 1 Cor7’, cf. P Lond 535 (B.c. 161) (=I. p. 19, U.P.Z. i. p. 239) kal τὰ μὲν ἡμῶν ἐληφότων εἰς τὴν γινομένην ἡμῖν συντάξειν, τὰ δ᾽ ἔτι διὰ τὴν τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων {(.. ... > παρελκομένων. (2) The use of the art. as a relative, of which there is no trace in the NT, may again be illustrated by the following papyrus citations from ¢c. A.D. 346—P Lond 414® (= II. Ῥ. 292) γεινῴσκιν oe θέλω περὶ τοῦ βρεουίου…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ὁ (ho) — the/this/who.

ὁ,

ἡ, τό, is, when thus written,

__A demonstrative Pronoun.

__B in Attic dialect, definite or prepositive Article.

__C in Epic dialect, the so-called postpositive Article, = relative Pronoun, ὅς, ἥ, ὅ.—The nominative masculine and feminine singular and plural, ὁ, ἡ, οἱ, αἱ, have no accent in codices and most printed books, except when used as the relative; but ὁ, ἡ, οἱ, αἱ differ only in writing from ὃ, ἣ, οἳ, α; the nominative forms of the article are said by Hdn.Gr.1.474 to be oxytone, and by [Refs 2nd c.AD+] in Aeolic dialect accusative to [Refs 8th c.BC+] genitive and dative dual τοῖιν [Refs 8th c.BC+]— In Doric dialect and all other dialects except Attic dialect and Ionic dialect the feminine forms preserve the old ᾱ instead of changing it to η, hence Doric dialect etc. ἁ, τάν, τᾶ; the genitive plural τάων contracts in many dialects to τᾶ; the genitive…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ὁ ἡ τό

ho

he hay, and the neuter

to to

in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be

supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one,

he, she, it, etc.

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ὁ, ἡ, τό

Article

the

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ὁ ho 19x

the prepositive article, answering, to a considerable extent, to the English definite article; but, for the principle and facts of its usage, consult a grammar; ὁ μὲν ... ὁ δέ, the one ... the other, Phil. 1:16, 17; Heb. 7:5, 6, 20, 21, 23, 24; pl. some ... others, Mt. 13:23; 22:5, 6; ὁ δέ, but he, Mt. 4:4; 12:48; οἱ δέ, but others, Mt. 28:17; used, in a poetic quotation, for a personal pronoun, Acts 17:28

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ὁ the, that

ὁ, ἡ, τό, is

demonstr. Pronoun.

the definite Article.

in epic, the relative Pronoun, when it is written with the accent ὅ, ἥ, τό ῀ ὅς, ἥ, ὅ. Besides the common forms, note epic gen. sg. τοῖο for τοῦ; pl. nom. τοί, ταί; gen. fem. τάων [α^], dat. τοῖσι, τῇς and τῇσι; dual gen, and dat. τοῖιν:— in Trag. we find τοὶ μέν . . , τοὶ δέ . . , for οἱ μέν . . , οἱ δέ . . ; dat. pl. also τοῖσι, ταῖσι: the dual has commonly but one gender, τώ for τά, τοῖν for ταῖν.

DEMONSTR. PRONOUN:

joined with a Subst., not as the Art., but like Lat. ille, ὁ Τυδείδης Tydeus's famous son, Il.; Νέστωρ ὁ γέρων Nestor— that aged man, id. Il.; τιμῆς τῆς Πριάμου for honour, namely that of Priam, id. Il.

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art-GPF — Article · genitive · plural · feminine
genitive — of, from, belonging to.
Agrees with anything else marked plural feminine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

T-GPF Part of Speech: definite arTicle Case: Genitive Number: Plural Gender: Feminine

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

THE, an adjective or definitive adjective.

1. This adjective is used as a definitive, that is, before nouns which are specific or understood; or it is used to limit their signification to a specific thing or things, or to describe them; as the laws of the twelve tables. the independent tribunals of justice in our country, are the security or private rights, and the best bulwark against arbitrary power. the sun is the source of light and heat.

This he calls the preaching of the cross.

2. the is also used rhetorically before a noun in the singular number, to denote a species by way of distinction; a single thing representing the whole. the fig tree putteth forth her green figs; the almond tree shall flourish; the grasshopper shall be a burden.

3. In poetry, the sometimes loses the final vowel before another vowel.

Th' adorning thee with so much art,

Is but a barb'rous skill.

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
64%the
the64% · 13160×<the>28% · 5846×those3% · 597×other renderings4% · 788×other renderings1% · 294×

20,685 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 83 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
subject34%adverbial32%object24%predicate5%indirect object4%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 19,783 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
καίand, even, also, nam
αὐτόςεἰμίI am, existἐγώ
ἐν
καίand, even, also,αὐτόςArticle the
εἰς
αὐτόςεἰσέρχομαιI go in, come inἔρχομαιI come, go
αὐτός
λέγωI say, speakδέbut, on the otheπρός
εἰμίI am, exist
οὗτοςσύἐγώ
<the>19783×
what comes after →
θεόςGod, a god
Article theκαίand, even, also,ἐγώ
δέbut, on the other ha
λέγωI say, speakἸησοῦςJesusἀποκρίνομαιI answer, reply
ἸησοῦςJesus
λέγωI say, speakκαίand, even, also,Article the
κύριοςlord, Lord, master,
ἐγώἸησοῦςJesusArticle the
πατήρfather, Father, ance
ἐγώσύαὐτός

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordance · 19,783× in the New Testament
Matthew Acts Luke John Revelation Mark Romans 1 Corinthians Hebrews 2 Corinthians Ephesians 1 John

40 inflected forms — one of the commonest words in the New Testament. Full distribution →

Across the New Testament27 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Josephus Philo of Alexandria The Shepherd of Hermas Clement of Rome The Epistle of Barnabas
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 1c. AD 40

Τῶν ἄλλων νομοθετῶν οἱ μὲν ἀκαλλώπιστα καὶ γυμνὰ τὰ νομισθέντα παρ’ αὐτοῖς εἶναι δίκαια διετάξαντο, οἱ δὲ πολὺν ὄγκον τοῖς νοήμασι προσπεριβαλόντες ἐξετύφωσαν τὰ πλήθη μυθικοῖς πλάσμασι τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπικρύψαντες.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.argc. AD 75–95

τοῦ κόσμου σύστασις καὶ διάταξις τῶν στοιχείων.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 1.1c. AD 100

Χαίρετε, υἱοὶ καὶ θυγατέρες, ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντος ἡμᾶς, ἐν εἰρήνῃ.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. AD 1st c. AD 3rd c. BC 6th c. AD
P.Stras. 2 89Pathyris100 BC

r βασιλεύοντος Πτολεμαίου τοῦ ἐπικαλουμένου Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ Βερενίκης τῆς ἀδελφῆς θεῶν Φιλομητόρων ἔτους ιε, ἐφʼ ἱερέων καὶ ἱερειῶν

P.Adl. 11Pathyris99 BC

ιζ Θῶυθ κη ἀπέδοτο Πετεσοῦχος Φίβιος καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ τὸ ὕπαρχον αὐτοῖς ἥμισυ περιστερῶνος τοῦ ὄντος ἐν τῶι ἀπὸ βορρᾶ μέρει Παθύρεως χαλκοῦ Γ. ἐπρίατο Ὧρος Νεχούτου.

P.Grenf. 2 35Pathyris99 BC

βασιλευόντων Πτολεμαίου τοῦ ἐπικαλουμένου Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ Βερενίκης τῆς ἀδελφῆς θεῶν φιλομητόρων ἔτους ιϛ, ἐφʼ ἱερέων καὶ ἱερειῶν

Why then the Law? <the> transgressions Because of it was added until that may have come the seed to whom promise has been made, having been ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.
παραβάσεωνparabasis transgressions G3847 Noun · genitive · plural · feminine
7× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Galatians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
A transgression is a violation or overstepping of a law or rule, as seen in Romans 4:15 and Hebrews 2:2. It involves going against what is right or expected.
Amplified meaning
violations of God's will
Tyndale gloss
transgression
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

παράβασις refers to a deviation or transgression, derived from the verb παραβαίνω. It encompasses meanings like 'going aside' and 'overstepping,' particularly in a legal or moral context, as seen in Romans and Galatians. The term is used to describe violations of the law, including the Mosaic law. Notably, it is associated with the concept of sin, but it specifically denotes a breach of established rules.

Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament — ἁμαρτία, ἁμάρτημα, παρακοή, ἀνομία, παρανομία, παράβασις, παράπτωμα, ἀγνόημα, ἥττημα from a scan

παράβασις, παράπτωμα, ἀγνόημα, ἥττημα. A MOURNFULLY numerous group of words, and one which it would be only too easy to make larger still. Nor is it hard to see why. For sin, which we may define in the 240 SYNONYMS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. ϑιυχνι. language of Augustine, as ‘ factum vel dictuin yel concuvitum aliquid contra eternam legem’ (Con. Faust. xxii. 27; cf. the Stoic definition, ἁμάρτημα, νόμου ἀπαγόρευμα, Plutarch, De Rep. Stoic. 11); or again, ‘ voluntas admittendi vel retinendi quod justitia vetat, et unde liberum est abstinere’ (Con. Jul. i. 47), may be regarded under an infinite number of aspects, and in all languages has been so regarded; and as the diagnosis of it belongs most of all to the Scriptures, nowhere else are we likely to find it contemplated on so many sides, set forth under such various images. It may be regarded as the missing of a mark or aim; it is then ἁμαρτία…

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Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

παρά-βασις, -εως, ἡ

(< παραβαίνω),

[in LXX: Ps 100 (101):3 (סֵטִים), IV Ki 2:24 A, Wi 14:31, II Mac 15:10*;]

a going aside, a deviation (Arist.).

In later writers, an overstepping; metaph., transgression (Plut., al.): Ro 4:15 5:14, He 2:2 9:15; τ. νόμου, Ro 2:23; ἐν π., I Ti 2:14; τ. παραβάσεων χάριν, Ga 3:19.

SYN.: v.s. ἁμαρτία.

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

παρά-βασις, -ews. 9, (παραβαίνω, q. V.), prop. @ going over; metaph. a disregarding, violating ; Vulg. praevaricatio, and once (Gal. iii. 19) transgressio ; [A. V. transgression]: w.a gen. of the object, τῶν ὅρκων, 2 Mace. xv. 10; τῶν δικαίων, Plut.compar. Ages. and Pomp.1; τοῦ νόμου, of the Mosaic law, Ro. ii. 23 (Joseph. antt. 18, 8,2); absolutely, the breach of a definite, promulgated, ratified law: Ro. v. 14; 1 Tim. ii. 14, (but ἁμαρτία is wrong-doing which even a man ignorant of the law may be guilty of [ef. Trench, N. T. Syn. § lxvi.]) ; τῶν παραβ. χάριν. to create transgressions, i.e. that sins might take on the character of transgressions, and thereby the consciousness of sin be intensified and the desire for redemption be aroused, Gal. iii. 19 ; used of the transgression of the Mosaic law, Ro. iv. 15; Heb. ii. 2; ix. 15; Ps. e. (ci.) 3; w. agen. of the subj., τῶν ἀδίκων, Sap.…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

παράβασις. P Flor IIT. 313!° (A.D. 449) ἀπὸ καταγνώσεως καὶ παραβάσεως. P lond 1015! (vi/a.D.)(=III. p. 257) προστίμου καὶ παραβάσεως.

Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

παράβασις (parabasis) — transgression.

παρά-βᾰσις,

Epic dialect παραίβ-, εως, ἡ, going aside, escape, παραίβασις ἔσσετ᾽ ὀλέθρου [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; deviation, variant in [Refs 4th c.BC+]; digression, [Refs 1st c.BC+]

2. of the action of walking, π. καὶ παράλλαξις σκελῶν [Refs 1st c.AD+]

3. transition, passage, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]

II. overstepping, ὅρων [Refs 1st c.BC+]: absolutely, transgression, [LXX+NT+1st c.AD+]; error, illusion, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; compare παραβασία.

III. parabasis, a part of the Old Comedy, in which the Chorus came forward (compare παραβαίνω IV) and addressed the audience in the Poet's name, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

Strong's Greek Dictionary

παράβασις

parabasis

from 3845; violation:--breaking, transgression.

see GREEK for 3845

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

παράβασις, εως, ἡ

n.f.

a transgression

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

παράβασις parabasis 7x

a stepping by the side, deviation; a transgression, violation of law, Rom. 2:23; 4:15

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

παράβασις a going aside, deviation, Arist.

an overstepping, τῶν δικαίων Plut.:—absol. a transgression, id. Plut.

the parabasis, a part of the old Comedy, in which the chorus came forward and addressed the audience in the Poet's name.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Noun-GPF — Noun · genitive · plural · feminine
genitive — of, from, belonging to.
Agrees with anything else marked plural feminine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

N-GPF Part of Speech: Noun Case: Genitive Number: Plural Gender: Feminine

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
71%transgression
transgression71% · 5×transgressions29% · 2×

7 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 2 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
adverbial71%subject29%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 7 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
Article the
διάὁμοίωμαa likeness, formνόμοςa law, the Mosai
οὐδέNeg
νόμοςa law, the Mosai
ἐν
ἐξαπατάωI deceive thorou
πᾶςall, the whole, ever
καίand, even, also,
διαθήκηa covenant, will, te
πρῶτοςfirst, before
παράβασιςtransgressions
what comes after →
Article the
νόμοςa law, the Mosaiἐπαγγελίαa promise
ἈδάμProp
ὅς
χάρινon account of
προστίθημιI put to, add, d
γίνομαιI come into being, a
καίand, even, also, nam
παρακοήdisobedience

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceπαράβασις · 7× in the New Testament
Romans Hebrews 1 Timothy Galatians
Across the New Testament4 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Josephus Philo of Alexandria The Epistle of Barnabas
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Special Laws 2.242c. AD 40

χρὴ δὲ καὶ τὰς ὁρισθείσας ἐπὶ τῇ τούτων παραβάσει τιμωρίας δηλῶσαι.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 2.322c. AD 75–95

Μωυσῆς δὲ ταύτῃ τοὺς Ἑβραίους ἀπήγαγεν, ἵνʼ εἰ μετανοήσαντες οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι διώκειν ἐθέλοιεν τιμωρίαν τῆς πονηρίας καὶ παραβάσεως τῶν ὡμολογημένων ὑπόσχοιεν, καὶ διὰ Παλαιστίνους, οὓς δυσμενῶς ἔχοντας κατὰ παλαιὰν ἀπέχθειαν οὖσαν ὁπωσοῦν ἐβούλετο…

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 12.5c. AD 100

πάλιν Μωϋσῆς ποιεῖ τύπον τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ὅτι δεῖ αὐτὸν παθεῖν, καὶ αὐτὸς ζωοποιήσει, ὃν δόξουσιν ἀπολωλεκέναι, ἐν σημείῳ πίπτοντος τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, ʽἐποίησεν γὰρ κύριος πάντα ὄφιν δάκνειν αὐτούς, καὶ ἀπέθνησκον ἐπειδὴ ἡ παράβασις διὰ τοῦ ὄφεως ἐν Εὔᾳ ἐγένετὀ.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
6th c. AD 5th c. AD 7th c. AD 4th c. AD
P.Flor. 3 313Epoikion Iliu (Hermopolites)AD 449

μηκέτι με ἐπιζητεῖν … … … … τὰ ἐνέχυρα καὶ δώσειν ἀπὸ καταγνώσεως καὶ παραβάσεως χρυσοῦ νομισμάτιον ἕν , καὶ μηδὲν διεψεῦσθαι. ἡ ὁμολογία κυρία καὶ βεβαία, καὶ ἐπερωτηθεῖσα

P.Gen. 4 186HermopolisAD 473–AD 490

τις ἐξ ἡμῶν, παρέξει τὸ μὴ ἐμμένον μέρος τῷ ἐμμένοντι μέρει λόγῳ προστίμου καὶ παραβάσεως χρυσοῦ οὐγκίαν μίαν μετὰ καὶ τοῦ οὐδὲν ἧττον ἀρραγῆ καὶ ἀσάλευτον εἶναί τε καὶ

P.Cair. Masp. 3 67299AntinoopolisAD 527–AD 565

μὲν ὤνασθαι ἐκ τοῦ ἐπιχειρήματος, δώσειν δὲ τῷ ἐμμένοντι μέρει ὑπὲρ μόνου τοῦ τῆς παραβάσεως ἐγχειρήματος, ἐκ συμφώνου καὶ ἐπερωτήσεως, λόγῳ προστίμου καὶ ποινῆς, ἔργῳ καὶ δυνάμει ἀπαιτούμενα, χρυσοῦ

Why then the Law? <the> transgressions Because of it was added until that may have come the seed to whom promise has been made, having been ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.
χάρινcharin Because of G5484 Preposition
9× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Galatians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
Because of or on account of something, as in Luke 7:47 and Ephesians 3:1. This word is used to show the reason or cause of an action or event.
Tyndale gloss
because of
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word χάριν (i.e., *charin*) is the accusative form of χάρις and functions primarily as a preposition meaning 'on account of' or 'for the sake of.' It appears in various contexts in the New Testament, such as in Luke 7:47 and Galatians 3:19. The usage in classical Greek typically places it after the case it governs, a pattern followed in the New Testament except in 1 John 3:12.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

χάριν, v.s. χάρις.

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

χάριν, ace. of the subst. χάρις used absol.; prop. in favor of, for the pleasure of : χάριν Ἕκτορος, Hom. Il. 15, 744, al.; 1 Mace. ix. 10; Judith viii. 19; like the Lat. abl. gratia, it takes on completely the nature of a preposition, and is joined to the gen., for, on account of, for the sake of: Gal. iii. 19 (on which see παράβασις) ; 1 Tim. v. 14; Tit.i.11; Jude 16; τούτου χάριν, on this account, for this cause, Eph. iii. 1 (Xen. mem. 1, 2, 54); τούτου χ. ἵνα, Eph. iii. 14 [ef. W. 566 (526)]; Tit. i. 5; οὗ χάριν, for which cause, Lk. vii. 47; χάριν τίνος ; for what cause? wherefore? 1 Jn. iii.12. Except in 1 Jn. iii. 12, χάρεν is everywhere in the N. T. placed after the gen., as it generally is in prof. auth. (cf. Passow s. v. 1. 3 a. p. 2416; Herm. ad Vig. p. 701); in the O. T. Apocr. it is placed sometimes before, sometimes after; οἵ. Wahl, Clavis Apocr. s.v. 6 b.; Grimm on 1…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

χάριν, “*for the sake of,’’ ‘‘ by reason of.”’ In classical Greek χάριν generally follows its case, and so always in the NT, except in I Jn 3%. In the LXX, on the other hand, it generally precedes, and similarly in the papyri, e.g. P Oxy IV. 74329 (B.C. 2) χάριν τῶν ἐκφορίων, ‘for the rents,” P Tebt 11. 4104(a.D. 16) χάριν οὗ παρορίζεται ὑπὸ γίτονος, ““on account of the encroachments being made on him by a neighbour’ (Edd.), P Oxy XII. 1583° (ii/a.p.) χάριν τοῦ [φαι]νόλου, and 26. VI. 934! (iii/A.D.) χάριν τῶν ποτισμῶν. In 26. XIV. τ683:.3 (late iv/a.p.) χάριν follows— onpl(= el)ov δὲ χάριν, ‘and in proof’’: and in 2d. VII. 1068 (iii/A.D.) it is found both before and after its case— 16 χάριν ἀναγκέας xplas, and *!Diplov χάριν, “for Simias’s sake.” See also the illiterate BGU III. 9484 (iv/v a.p.) εὔχομε τὸν παντοκράτορον θεὸν τὰ πε[ρὶ τ]ῆς ὑγίας σου καὶ ὁλοκληρίας σου χαίριν (/. χάριν)…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

χάριν (charin) — because of.

Included with: χάρις [ᾰ], ἡ,

genitive χάρῐτος: accusative χάριν [ῑ in arsi, [Refs 8th c.BC+], etc.; also χάριτα [Refs 5th c.BC+]; dative χάρισι, χαρίτεσσι, [Refs 8th c.BC+]: (χαίρω):—grace:

I. in objective sense, outward grace or fauour, beauty, properly of persons or their portraits, θεσπεσίην δ᾽ ἄρα τῷ γε χάριν κατεχεύατ᾽ Ἀθήνη [Refs 8th c.BC+]: plural, graces, κάλλεϊ καὶ χάρισι στίλβων [Refs 8th c.BC+]gracefully, [Refs 5th c.BC+] of ear-rings, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of works, ἔργοισι χάριν καὶ κῦδος ὀπάζει [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of words, οὔ οἱ χ. ἀμφιπεριστέφεται ἐπέεσσιν [Refs]; πλείστη δὲ χ. κατὰ μέτρον ἰούσης [γλώσσης] [Refs 8th…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

χάριν

charin

accusative case of 5485 as preposition; through favor of, i.e. on

account of:--be-(for) cause of, for sake of,

+...fore, X reproachfully.

see GREEK for 5485

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

χάριν

Adv

on account of

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

χάριν charin 9x

the acc. sg form of the noun χάριν which can be used as an improper prep., on account of, Lk. 7:47; Eph. 3:1, 14; 1 Jn. 3:12; for the sake of, in order to, Gal. 3:19; Tit. 1:5, 11; Jude 16; on the score of, 1 Tim. 5:14*

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
preposition — its sense depends on the case of the word it governs.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

PREP PREPosition

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
78%because
because78% · 7×because of22% · 2×

9 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 2 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
adverbial100%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 9 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
οὗτος
ὅς
παράβασιςa transgression
Article the
λοιδορίαreviling, abuse
ἀντίκειμαιI resist, oppose
κέρδοςgain, advantage
αἰσχρόςbase, disgracefu
χάρινBecause of
what comes after →
λέγωI say, speak
σύ
προστίθημιI put to, add, do ag
ἄχριas far as, up to
ἐγώ
ΠαῦλοςPaul
κάμπτωI bend, bow
Article the
ἀπολείπωI leave, leave behin
σύ

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceχάριν · 9× in the New Testament
Ephesians Titus 1 John 1 Timothy Galatians Jude Luke
Across the New Testament7 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Philo of Alexandria Josephus Clement of Rome The Epistle of Barnabas The Shepherd of Hermas
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 21c. AD 40

οὗ χάριν τῆς ἀρίστης αὑτοῦ φύσεως οὐκ ἐφθόνησεν οὐσίᾳ μηδὲν ἐξ αὑτῆς ἐχούσῃ καλόν, δυναμένῃ δὲ πάντα γίνεσθαι.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.2c. AD 75–95

τινὲς μὲν γὰρ ἐπιδεικνύμενοι λόγων δεινότητα καὶ τὴν ἀπʼ αὐτῆς θηρευόμενοι δόξαν ἐπὶ τοῦτο τῆς παιδείας τὸ μέρος ὁρμῶσιν, ἄλλοι δὲ χάριν ἐκείνοις φέροντες, περὶ ὧν τὴν ἀναγραφὴν εἶναι συμβέβηκε, τὸν εἰς αὐτὴν πόνον καὶ παρὰ δύναμιν ὑπέστησαν·

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 1.2c. AD 100

Μεγάλων μὲν ὄντων καὶ πλουσίων τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιωμάτων εἰς ὑμᾶς, ὑπέρ τι καὶ καθ̓ ὑπερβολὴν ὑπερευφραίνομαι ἐπὶ τοῖς μακαρίοις καὶ ἐνδόξοις ὑμῶν πνεύμασιν: οὕτως ἔμφυτον τῆς δωρεᾶς πνευματικῆς χάριν εἰλήφατε.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. AD 6th c. AD 4th c. AD 1st c. AD
P.Lips. 1 104Pathyrites (?)96 BC

καὶ τὰ παιδία καὶ οἱ ἐν οἴκωι πάντες. περὶ ὧν ἂν αἱρῆσθε γράφετέ μοι. χάριν σοι ἔχω ἐφʼ αἷς γράφεις ἐπιστολαῖς. ὅταν ἡμῖν γράψῃς ἔνψυχόν τι λαμβάνω· ἐπισκοπεῖται ὑμᾶς

P.Fay. 107Theadelphia (Arsinoites)AD 133

β … … … ὑφείλαντο δέρματα αἴγεια τέσσαρα καὶ βότεια κώδεια τέσσαρα . ὧν χάριν ἀξιῶ συντάξαι τῶι τῆς κώμης ἐπιτρέχοντι ποιήσασθαι τὴν καθήκουσαν ἀναζήτησιν καὶ τοὺς φανέντας αἰτίους

P.Diog. 9Philadelphia (?) (Arsinoites)AD 186–AD 210

δραχμῶν τρισχιλίων . δ … θυγατρὶ γαιων … … … δίδωμι καταλείπω … χάριν Σεβαστοῦ δεξαμεν … … δε … … μ … ε … δεκαετεῖ χρόνῳ

Why then the Law? <the> transgressions Because of it was added until that may have come the seed to whom promise has been made, having been ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.
προσετέθηprostithēmi it was added G4369 Verb · aorist · passive · indicative · third person · singular
18× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Galatians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
To add something to what already exists, as in Matthew 6:27 and Luke 12:25. This word is about giving more or increasing something. It is translated as 'add' or 'give more' in the KJV.
Amplified meaning
to show its true purpose
Tyndale gloss
to add (to)
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

προστίθημι (prostithemi) means to add or put to, often implying continuation or repetition. It is used in various contexts, such as adding to a number of followers (Acts 2:41) or adding to one's possessions (Luke 17:5). The word is built from the prefix προσ (to) and the root τίθημι (to place). Notably, there is a discussion about its Hebraic influences in the New Testament, particularly in how it conveys the idea of continuation.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

προσ-τίθημι,

[in LXX chiefly for יסף hi., also for אסף ni., etc.;]

to put to.

to add, join to, give in addition: c. acc. seq. ἐπί, Mt 6:27, Lk 3:20 12:25; ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό, Ac 2:47; c. acc. et dat., Lk 17:5, He 12:19 (v. MM, xxi); pass., absol., Ac 2:41, Ga 3:19; c. dat., Mt 6:33, Mk 4:24, Lk 12:31,

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

προσ-τίθημι: impf. 3 pers. sing. προσετίθει (Acts ii. 47) ; 1 aor. προσέθηκα ; 2 aor. προσέθην, impy. πρόσθες (Lk. xvii. 5), inf. προσθεῖναι, ptcp. προσθείς ; Pass., impf.3 pers. plur. προσετίθεντο; 1 aor. προσετέθην ; 1 fut. προστεθήcopa; 2 aor. mid. προσεθέμην; fr. Hom. Od. 9, 305 down; Sept. very often for 45°, also for Ox, ete. ; 1. prop. to put to. 2. to add, i.e. join to, gather with any company, the number of one’s followers or companions: τινὰ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, Acts ii. 47 [RG]; τῷ κυρίῳ, Acts v. 14; xi. 24; sc. τῷ κυρίῳ, Or τοῖς πιστεύουσιν, Acts ii. 41; Hebraistically, προσετέθη πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας αὐτοῦ (Judg. ii. 10; 1 Mace. ii. 69), he was gathered to his fathers assembled in Sheol (which is n-529 33/10 ma, the house of assembly for all the living, Job xxx. 23), Acts xiii. 36 (others explain it, he was added to the bodies of his ancestors, buried with them in a common tomb; but…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

προστίθημι, “add.” With Heb 1219 we may compare Chres¢. II. 372% (11/A.D.) Kal προσέθηκεν: “Ey Qs ἔφης ἄλλους ἐσχηκέναι παῖδας, and P Strass 1. 412! (A.D. 250) Σαραπίων ῥ]ήτωρ προσέθηκεν (his λόγος follows). Other exx. of the verb are P Oxy III. 4713 (ii/A-p.) π]ροσθήσω τι κύριε περ[ὶ οὗ] θαυμάσεις οἶμαι, “I will add a fact, my lord, which will, I expect, excite your wonder ’’ (Edd.), 26. VII. 1062 (ii/A.p.) προσθεὶς ὅτι τὰ θέρειά ἐστιν τὰ κρείσσονα, ‘‘adding that the summer ones (sc. fleeces) were the best” (Ed.), P Ryl 11. 15327 (a.p. 138-161) ταῦτα of With the use of the verb in Ac 2 Preuschen (HZNT ad 1) compares Demosth. xviii. 39 ὅσα ἑκουσίως προσετίθετο τῶν πολισμάτων. The confident assertion of Hebraism in the idiom προσέθετο πέμψαι, which Luke (20"f.) deliberately substitutes for the πάλιν ἀπέστειλε of Mk 121, needs some reconsideration : see Proleg. p. 233. Helbing (Gr. p…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

προστίθημι (prostithēmi) — to add (to).

προστίθημι,

Doric dialect ποτι-, also aorist infinitive ποιθέμεν [Refs]; ποτθέμειν probably in [Refs 5th c.BC+]: late present προστιθῶ Ps.- [Refs 4th c.BC+]future προσθήσω: aorist προσέθηκα, plural -έθεμεν, subjunctive προσθῶ [Refs 5th c.BC+], Ionic dialect προσθέω [Refs 5th c.BC+]:— middle, future προσθήσομαι [LXX]: aorist 1 προσεθηκάμην [Refs 5th c.BC+]aorist 2 προσεθέμην, subjunctive προσθῶμαι (not πρόσθωμαι), 3rd.pers. singular optative προσθεῖτο [Refs 4th c.BC+]; Doric dialect participle ποτθέμενος, Πρακτικά 1931.89 [Refs]: perfect -τέθειμαι[LXX]:—passive, aorist 1 προσετέθην [Refs 5th c.BC+]: future -τεθήσομαι[LXX] is falsa lectio [LXX]perfect passive is chiefly supplied by πρόσκειμαι:—put to, χερσὶν ἀπώσασθαι λίθον ὃν προσέθηκεν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; π. τὰς θύρας, τὴν θύραν, put to, close the door, [Refs 5th c.BC+]…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

προστίθημι

prostithemi

from 4314 and 5087; to place additionally, i.e. lay beside, annex,

repeat:--add, again, give more, increase, lay unto, proceed further,

speak to any more.

see GREEK for 4314

see GREEK for 5087

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

προστίθημι

v.

I put to, add, do again

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

προστίθημι prostithēmi 18x

to put to or near; to lay with or by the side of, Acts 13:36; to add, adjoin, Mt. 6:27, 33; Lk. 3:20; Acts 2:41; from the Hebrew, denote continuation, or repetition, Lk. 19:11; 20:11, 12; Acts 12:3

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

προστίθημι doric ποιτ imperat. προστίθει fut. -θήσω aor1 -έθηκα aor2 -έθην subj. -θῶ Mid., aor1 -εθηκάμην aor2 -εθέμην subj. -θῶμαι 3rd sg. opt. -θεῖτο Pass., aor1 -ετέθην to put to, Lat. apponere, Od.; πρ. τὰς θύρας to put to the door, Hdt.; πρ. κλίμακας τοῖς πύργοις Thuc.

to hand over or deliver to, θεῶν γέρα ἐφημέροισι προστίθει Aesch.; γυναῖκα πρ. τινί to give her to him as wife, Hdt., etc.

simply, to give, bestow, φερνάς Eur.; χρήματα Dem.

πρ. πρῆγμά τινι to impose further business on a man, Hdt.; also c. inf., πρ. τινὶ πρήσσειν τι id. Hdt.:—then, πρ. τινὶ ἀτιμίην to impose disgrace upon him, id. Hdt.; λύπην, πόνους Eur.; ζημίας τινί Thuc.

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-API-3S — Verb · aorist · passive · indicative · third person · singular
aorist passive indicative — a completed action, viewed as a whole.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-API-3S Part of Speech: Verb Tense: Aorist Voice: Passive Mood: Indicative Person: third Number: Singular

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
22%added
added22% · 4×he proceeded17% · 3×add11% · 2×will be added11% · 2×adding6% · 1×he was added6% · 1×it was added6% · 1×be addressed6% · 1×other renderings17% · 3×

18 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 11 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
verb94%adverbial6%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 18 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
καίand, even, also, nam
σύβαπτίζωI dip, submerge,πίστιςfaith, belief, t
οὗτος
καίand, even, also,αὐτός
κύριοςlord, Lord, master,
Article theδέbut, on the othe
δύναμαιI am powerful, am ab
μεριμνάωI am anxious, di
πᾶςall, the whole, ever
οὗτος
προστίθημιit was added18×
what comes after →
σύ
ἐπί
Article the
καίand, even, also, nam
οὗτος
πῆχυςa cubit
ἐγώ
πίστιςfaith, belief, t

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceπροστίθημι · 18× in the New Testament
Luke Acts Matthew Galatians Hebrews Mark
Across the New Testament6 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 136 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Josephus Philo of Alexandria Ignatius of Antioch The Didache The Shepherd of Hermas
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 52c. AD 40

ἀπόχρη δὲ κἀκεῖνο προσθεῖναι, ὅτι καὶ τῇ τοῦ παντὸς οὐρανοῦ τε καὶ κόσμου γενέσει γέγονεν ἀρχή·

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.17c. AD 75–95

τοῦτο γὰρ διὰ ταύτης ποιήσειν τῆς πραγματείας ἐπηγγειλάμην οὐδὲν προσθεὶς οὐδʼ αὖ παραλιπών.

The DidacheThe Didache 11.2c. AD 100

ἐὰν δὲ αὐτὸς ὁ διδάσκων στραφεὶς διδάσκῃ ἄλλην διδαχὴν εἰς τὸ καταλῦσαι, μὴ αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε: εἰς δὲ τὸ προσθεῖναι δικαιοσύνην καὶ γνῶσιν κυρίου, δέξασθε αὐτὸν ὡς κύριον.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
3rd c. AD 2nd c. AD 4th c. AD 6th c. AD 1st c. AD
P.Tebt. 2 302Tebtynis (ArsinoitesAD 71–AD 72

πρώτως δὲ τῷ ἐνεστῶτι δ ἔτει Οὐεσπασιανοῦ … ὁ κωμογραμματεὺς ἠξίωσεν διὰ ἀναφορίου προσθεῖναι εἰς τὸ εἰσιὸν ε ἔτος … ἐξ ὑπερβολίου τοῖς προκιμένοις ἐδάφεσι ἡμῶν κριθῆς ἀρτάβας

P.Bad. 2 37Alexandria (?)AD 108

σου ἐφρόντισα· … α πάσης ἐπιστολῆς γράφω σοι εὔλογον καὶ νῦν … … δοκεῖ προσθεῖναι μηδὲν ὧν ἂν ἐποίησα, ἵνα μὴ ἐπιγραφήν σοι παραλίπῃς διὰ ἐμέ. ἔρρωσο ἄδελφε τιμιώτατε

P.Amh. 2 77Soknopaiu Nesos (Arsinoites)AD 139

τῆς πύλης εἰσαχθέντων καὶ ἐξαχθέντων, ἀξιῶν τὴν ἐξέτασιν αὐτῶν γενέσθαι εἰς τὸ ἐπιγνῶναι εἰ προσετέθη αὐτῶν τὰ τέλη τῷ κυριακῶι λόγωι. καὶ ἐπιγνοὺς ὁ Πολυδεύκης ἐπελθών μοι μεθʼ ἑτέρων

Why then the Law? <the> transgressions Because of it was added until that may have come the seed to whom promise has been made, having been ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.
ἄχριςachri until G891 Adverb
49× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Galatians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
Until a certain time or point, like in Acts 3:21 where Jesus will remain in heaven until the time of restoration. This preposition indicates a boundary or limit, either in time or space.
Tyndale gloss
until
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word ἄχρι (i.e., *achri*) serves as both an adverb and a preposition, meaning 'until' or 'as far as.' It is used in various contexts, including time, space, and degree, and appears in multiple New Testament verses such as Galatians 3:19 and Hebrews 3:13. The entries indicate that it can also function as a conjunction, linking clauses.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ἄχρι

(and Epic ἄχρις, bef. vowel (v. MM, s.v.), Ro 11:25 T, Ga 3:19 T, WH, mg., He 3:13);

adv., utterly (Hom.).

Prep. c. gen., until, unto, as far as;

of time: Ac 3:21 22:22, Ro 1:13 5:13, I Co 4:11, II Co 3:14, Ga 4:2, Phl 1:6; ἄ. καιροῦ, Lk 4:13, Ac 13:11; ἄ. ἧς ἡμέρας, Mt 24:38,

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ἄχρι (achri) — until.

ἄχρι

and ἄχρις (see. entry near the end):

I. adverb to the uttermost, τένοντε καὶ ὀστέα λᾶας ἀναιδὴς ἄχρις ἀπηλοίησεν[Refs 8th c.BC+]

I.2. after [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἄχρι πρὸς τὸν σκοπόν, πρὸς τὴν πόλιν, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; ἄχρι ἐπὶ πολὺ τῶν πλευρῶν[Refs 4th c.BC+]: less frequently after the Noun, ἐς τέλος ἄχρις[Refs 1st c.BC+]adverb, ἄχρι πόρρω still farther, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]

II. preposition with genitive, even to, as far as,

II.1. of Time, until, ἄχρι μάλα κνέφαος until deep in the night, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἄχρι δὲ τούτου until then, [NT+6th c.BC+]continually, [Refs 1st c.AD+]

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ἄχρι ἄχρις

achri

or achris akh'-rece; akin to 206 (through the idea of a terminus); (of

time) until or (of place) up to:--as far as, for, in(-to), till,

(even, un-)to, until, while. Compare 3360.

see GREEK for 206

see GREEK for 3360

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ἄχρι

Adv

as far as, up to, until

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ἄχρι achri 49x

improper prep with the gen., also functioning as a conj, also spelled ἄχρις (Gal. 3:19; Heb. 3:13; Rev. 2:25), with respect to place, as far as; to time, until, during; as a conj., until

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ἄχρι adv. to the uttermost, utterly, Il.

after Hom., before Preps., ἄχρι εἰς . . ἄχρι πρὸς . . , Lat. usque ad . . , Xen., Luc.

prep. with gen. even to, as far as:

of Time, until, ἄχρι μάλα κνέφαος until deep in the night, Od.; ἄχρι τῆς ἡμέρας Dem.

of Space, as far as, even to, ἄχρι τῆς ἐσόδου Hdt.

of Degree, ἄχρι τούτου up to this point, Dem.; ἄχρι τοῦ μὴ πεινᾶν Xen.

as Conj., ἄχρι οὗ or ἄχρι alone:

of Time, Lat donec, until, so long as, ἄχρι οὗ ὅδε ὁ λόγος ἐγράφετο id. Xen.; ἄχρι ἄν with Subj., ἄχρι ἂν σχολάσηι till he should be at leisure, id. Xen.

of Space, so far as, id. Xen., Luc.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adv — Adverb
adverb — it qualifies the verb, and never changes form.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

ADV ADVerb or adverb and particle combined

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
60%until
until60% · 30×as far as16% · 8×unto12% · 6×as high as4% · 2×during2% · 1×within2% · 1×while2% · 1×to2% · 1×

50 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 8 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
adverbial92%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 49 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
αὐτός
ἀπόδέbut, on the otheνόημαa thought, desig
γαμίζωI give in marriage
καίand, even, also,γαμέωI marry
ἔθνοςa race, people, the
ὑπόArticle the
ἐγώ
ἐνἀπάντησιςthe act of meeti
θεόςGod, a god
Article the
ἄχριuntil49×
what comes after →
ὅς
ἡμέραa dayArticle theπληρόωI fill, fulfill,
Article the
ἡμέραa dayνῦνnow, already, atδεῦρο
τελέωI end, accomplish, p
Article the
θάνατοςdeath
δεσμεύωI bind, put in cκαίand, even, also,
γάρfor
νόμοςa law, the MosaiArticle theκαίand, even, also,

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceἄχρι · 49× in the New Testament
Acts Revelation Luke Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Hebrews Galatians Philippians Matthew Mark
Across the New Testament11 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Philo of Alexandria Josephus The Shepherd of Hermas
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 47c. AD 40

εἰ γοῦν οἱ ἀπὸ μονάδος ἄχρι τετράδος ἑξῆς συντεθεῖεν ἀριθμοί, δεκάδα γεννήσουσιν, ἥτις ὅρος τῆς ἀπειρίας τῶν ἀριθμῶν ἐστι, περὶ ὃν ὡς καμπτῆρα εἱλοῦνται καὶ ἀνακάμπτουσι.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.69c. AD 75–95

οἱ δὲ πάντες ἀγαθοὶ φύντες γῆν τε τὴν αὐτὴν ἀστασίαστοι κατῴκησαν εὐδαιμονήσαντες μηδενὸς αὐτοῖς ἄχρι καὶ τελευτῆς δυσκόλου προσπεσόντος, σοφίαν τε τὴν περὶ τὰ οὐράνια καὶ τὴν τούτων διακόσμησιν ἐπενόησαν.

The Shepherd of HermasThe Shepherd of Hermas 9.1.5c. AD 140

Ἄχρι τῆς ἀγνοίας, φησίν, οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει: ἐὰν δὲ γνῷ ὁ ἀνὴρ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν αὐτῆς καὶ μὴ μετανοήσῃ ἡ γυνή, ἀλλ̓ ἐπιμένῃ τῇ πορνείᾳ αὐτῆς καὶ συνζῇ ὁ ἀνὴρ μετ̓ αὐτῆς, ἔνοχος γίνεται τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῆς καὶ κοινωνὸς τῆς μοιχείας αὐτῆς.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 4th c. AD 6th c. AD 3rd c. AD 5th c. AD
Chrest.Mitt. 245ArsinoitesAD 117–AD 138

Ἁδριανοῦ Σεβαστοῦ, εἰς τὸ μὴ ἐξεῖναι αὐτῇ πωλεῖν μηδὲ ὑποτίθεσθαι ἑτέροις μηδʼ ἄλλως καταχρηματίζειν ἄχρι οὗ ἀπο-δώσει ἡ ὁμολογοῦσα Ταπιᾶμις τῷ Πακύσι τὰς τοῦ προκειμένου κεφαλαίου δραχμὰς ἐκ πλήρους.

P. Gen. 1 28Soknopaiu Nesos (Arsinoites)AD 137

ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ. διὸ ἀξιοῦμεν μένειν παρὰ σοὶ ἐν καταχωρισμῶι τὸ ὑπόμνημα ἄχρι οὗ ὁ Ὡρίων ἐμφανὴς γένηται καὶ ἀχθῆναι τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸ παραστῆσαι αὐτόν

P.Lond. 2 p. 219-220 no. 311Herakleia (ArsinoitesAD 149

καθʼ ὧν πάντων οὐκ ἕξει τὴν ὁλοσχερῆ ἐξουσίαν τοῦ πωλεῖν ὑποτίθεσθαι οὐδὲ ἄλλως καταχρηματίσαι ἄχρι οὗ ἀποδῶι τὸ προκίμενον κεφάλαιον καὶ τοὺς τόκους· οἱ δὲ προγεγραμμένοι υἱοὶ Στοτοῆτις καὶ

Why then the Law? <the> transgressions Because of it was added until that may have come the seed to whom promise has been made, having been ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.
οὗhos, hē that G3739 Relative pronoun · genitive · singular · masculine
1,407× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Galatians as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
The word which is a pronoun used to ask for or identify something, as seen in John 5:11. It can also be used to describe a person or thing, such as in Mark 15:23. This word helps to clarify or specify what is being talked about.
Tyndale gloss
which
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

ὅς is a pronoun meaning 'who,' 'which,' 'what,' or 'that.' It serves as both a demonstrative and a relative pronoun, agreeing in gender with its antecedent. The New Testament uses it in various constructions, including phrases like ὃς μὲν... ὃς δέ to indicate contrasting subjects. Notably, it can express purpose or cause in certain contexts.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ὅς, ἥ, ὅ,

the postpositive article (ἄρθρον ὑποτακτικόν).

As demonstr. pron. = οὗτος, ὅδε, this, that, also for αὐτός, chiefly in nom.: ὅς δέ, but he (cf. ἦ δὲ ὅς, freq. in Plat.), Mk 15:23, Jo 5:11; ὃς μὲν . . . ὃς δέ, the one . . . the other, Mt 21:35 22:5 25:15, Lk 23:33, Ac 27:14, Ro 14:5, I Co 11:21, II Co 2:16, Ju 22; neut., ὃ μὲν . . . ὃ δέ, the one . . . the other, some . . . some, Mt 13:8, 23, Read the full entry →

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

ὅς 455 ὅς iii. 5 [RG], 6; Heb. vi. 10; ix. 20; Jas. ii. 5; 1 In. iii. 24; Jude 15; for other exx. see below; ἐν ὥρᾳ 7 οὐ γινώoxet, Mt. xxiv. 50; τῇ παραδύσει 9 παρεδώκατε, Mk. vii. 13 ; add, Lk. ii. 20; v. 9; ix. 435 xii. 46; xxiv. 25; Jn. xvii. 5; Acts ii. 22; xvii. 31; xx. 38; 2 Co. xii. 21; 2Th.i. 4; Rev. xviii. 6; ef. W. § 24,1; [B. as above]. Rarely attraction oceurs where the verb governs the dative [but see below]: thus, κατέναντι οὗ ἐπίστευσε θεοῦ for xarévavre θεοῦ, ᾧ ἐπίστευσε (See κατέναντι). Ro. iv. 17; φωνῆς, ἧς ἔκραξα (for 7 (al. ἥν, οἴ. W. 164 (154 sq.) Β. 287 (217)}7), Acts xxiv. 21, οἵ. Is. vi. 4; (7γετο δὲ καὶ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ τε πιστῶν, οἷς ἥδετο καὶ ὧν ἠπίστει πολλούς, for καὶ πολλοὺς τούτων, οἷς ἠπίστει, Xen. Cyr. ὅ, 4, 39; ὧν ἐγὼ ἐντετύχηκα οὐδείς; for οὐδεὶς τούτων, οἷς ἐντετ. Plato, Gorg. p. 509 ἃ.; Protag. p. 361 6.; derep.7 p.531e.; παρ᾽ ὧν βοηθεῖς, οὐδεμίαν λήψει…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

ος is found as a demonstrative pronoun in P Ryl II. 14415 (complaint of assault—a.D. 38) ὃς δὲ ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου ἄλογον ἀηδίαν μοι ἐπιχειρήσας παρεχρήσατό μοι πολλὰ καὶ ἄσχημα, ‘“whereupon he opposing me made a brutal and odious attack upon me and subjected me to much shameful mishandling” (Edd.): cf. Mk 15%, Jn 51. For ὃς μέν... ὃς δέ, “the one . . the other,” as in Mt 21° a/., see P Oxy IX. 1189? (c. A.D. 117) ἐπιστολὰς δύο ds ἔγραψα ἣν μὲν σοὶ ἣν δὲ Σαβείνῳ, and for ὃς δέ solétarium see PSI. IV. 313° (iii/iv A.D.) with the editor’s note. Ὃς ἄν (ἐάν) c. conj. = ‘‘ whosoever ” may be illustrated Ly P Par 4622 (B.c. 153) (= Witkowski*, p. 87), περὶ dv ἂν βούληι γράφε, P Grenf I. 30% (B.c. 103) ἐφ} οἷς ἂν οὖν ὑμῶν προσδέωνται, P Oxy IV. 743%% (B.C. 2) ἐν ols ἐὰν σοῦ προσδέηται, °° ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐὰν θέλῃς. For the comparative usage of ὃς ἄν and ὃς ἐάν, see Thackeray Gr. i. p. 68, cited s.v. ἄν.…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ὅς (hos, hē) — which.

ὅς, ἥ, ὅ,

genitive οὗ, ἧς, οὗ, etc.; dative plural οἷς, αἷς, οἷς, etc.: Epic dialect forms, genitive ὅου (probably replacing Οο) in the phrases ὅου κλέος οὔ ποτ᾽ ὀλεῖται [Refs 8th c.BC+]; feminine ἕης [Refs 8th c.BC+]; elsewhere only ἧς [Refs]; dative plural οἷς, οἷσι, ᾗς, ᾗσι (never αἷς or αἷσι in [Refs 8th c.BC+] — _pronoun_ used,

__A as demonstrative by the side of οὗτος, ὅδε, and the Article ὁ, ἡ, τό: in post-Homeric Gr. this use survived only in a few special phrases.

__B as a Relat. by the side of the Article ὅ, ἥ, τό (see. ὁ, ἡ, τό, c):—this demonstrative and Relat. pronoun must not be confounded with the Possess. ὅς, ἥ, ὅν. (With Gr. Relat. ὅς, ἥ, ὅ cf. Sanskrit Relat. yas, yā, yad, Lithuanian jis, ji (he, she), Oslav. i, ja, je (he, she…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ὅς ἥ ὅ

hos

he hay, and neuter

ho ho

probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article 3588); the

relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what,

that:--one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se),

etc. See also 3757.

see GREEK for 3588

see GREEK for 3757

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ὅς, ἥ, ὅ

Rel.pr.

who, which, what, that

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ὅς hos 1x

who, which, what, that, Mt. 1:16, 23, 25; in NT interrog. ἐφ’ ὅ, wherefore, why, Mt. 26:50; in NT ὅς μὲν ... ὅς δέ, for ὁ μὲν ... ὁ δέ, Mt. 21:35; 2 Cor. 2:16

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Rel-GSM — Relative pronoun · genitive · singular · masculine
genitive — of, from, belonging to.
Agrees with anything else marked singular masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

R-GSM Part of Speech: Relative pronoun Case: Genitive Number: Singular Gender: Masculine

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
25%which
which25% · 356×whom20% · 291×who17% · 238×that14% · 199×what8% · 117×whatever2% · 30×whose2% · 29×other renderings10% · 145×other renderings2% · 25×

1,430 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 60 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
object40%subject29%adverbial26%indirect object3%predicate3%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 1,407 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
ἐν
ἡμέραa dayαὐτόςἵναin order that, s
καίand, even, also, nam
αὐτόςἔχωI have, hold, poυἱόςa son, descenden
αὐτός
λέγωI say, speakἀπόλλυμιI destroy, lose,δοῦλος (II)
διά
ἐκεῖνοςΧριστόςanointed, the Meαὐτός
εἰς
καίand, even, also,ἐγώοἰκίαa house, househo
ὅςthat1407×
what comes after →
εἰμίI am, exist
Article theμεθερμηνεύωI translate, intκαίand, even, also,
οὐNeg
εἰμίI am, existἔξεστι(ν)it is permitted,γινώσκωI come to know,
Article the
θεόςGod, a godυἱόςa son, descendenκύριοςlord, Lord, mast
καίand, even, also, nam
σύποιέωI do, makeαὐτός
δέbut, on the other ha
ἄνDisjἑξήκονταIndecτριάκονταIndec

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceὅς · 1,407× in the New Testament
Acts Luke John Matthew Romans Mark Hebrews Revelation 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Colossians Ephesians

22 inflected forms — one of the commonest words in the New Testament. Full distribution →

Across the New Testament27 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Philo of Alexandria Josephus The Shepherd of Hermas Ignatius of Antioch Clement of Rome
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 33c. AD 40

ἵν’ οὖν μὴ αἰεὶ συμφερόμεναι στασιάζωσι καὶ πόλεμος ἀντ’ εἰρήνης ἐπικρατῇ τὴν ἀκοσμίαν ἐν κόσμῳ τιθείς, οὐ μόνον ἐχώρισε φῶς καὶ σκότος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅρους ἐν μέσοις ἔθετο διαστήμασιν, οἷς ἀνεῖρξε τῶν ἄκρων ἑκάτερον·

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.argc. AD 75–95

πῶς τὸ Σοδομιτῶν ἔθνος θεὸς κατεστρέψατο χολωθεὶς αὐτοῖς ἐφ' οἷς ἡμάρτανον.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 4.8c. AD 100

Μωϋσῆ Μωϋσῆ, κατάβηθι τὸ τάχος, ὅτι ἠνόμησεν ὁ λαός σου, οὓς ἐξήγαγες ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, καὶ συνῆκεν Μωϋσῆς καὶ ἔριψεν τὰς δύο πλάκας ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ: καὶ συνετρίβη αὐτῶν ἡ διαθήκη, ἵνα ἡ τοῦ ἠγαπημένου Ἰησοῦ ἐγκατασφραγισθῇ εἰς τὴν καρδίαν ἡμῶν…

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. AD 1st c. AD 3rd c. BC 2nd c. BC
P.Grenf. 1 32Pelusion103 BC

θεοῖς. καλῶς ποιήσεις διαλύσας Ἁρκοννῆσιν καὶ Ψενανοῦπιν καὶ … … ελθεῖν ἐπὶ προ … ους καὶ γραψάτωσαν ἡμῖν ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐσπούδασας διὰ τὰς ἡμῶν παρακλήσεις καὶ ση

P.Adl. 15Pathyris (?)101 BC

ἐδάνεισεν Ὧρος Ὥρου Ὥρωι Νεχούτου ὡς ἐτῶν ν μέσος μελίχρως ὑποκλαστὸς ἀναφάλακρος μακροπρόσωπος εὐθύριν οὖς ἀριστερὸν τετρημένον πυροῦ ἀρτάβας τεσσαράκοντα ἓξ κριθῆς ἑξήκοντα ἐννέα , ἴσους ἀτόκους, ὧν ἀπόδοσιν

P.Adl. 17Krokodilopolis (Pathyrites)100 BC

τῆς ἐπιγονῆς τῶν ἐκ Παθύρεως ὡς ἐτῶν ν μέσος μελίχρως τετανὸς ἀναφάλακρος μακροπρόσωπος εὐθύριν οὖς ἀριστερὸν τετρημένον χαλκοῦ ταλάντων πέντε . προπωλητὴς καὶ βεβαιωτὴς τῶν κατὰ τὴν ὠνὴν ταύτην

Why then the Law? <the> transgressions Because of it was added until that may have come the seed to whom promise has been made, having been ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.
ἔλθῃerchomai may have come G2064 Verb · second aorist · active · subjunctive · third person · singular
635× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Galatians as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
To come or go is the meaning of this word, used in many applications, such as in Matthew 8:9 and Romans 9:9. The KJV translates it in various ways, including come, go, and enter.
Amplified meaning
coming, fulfillment
Tyndale gloss
to come/go
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word ἔρχομαι (i.e., *erchomai*) means 'to come' or 'to go.' It is used in various contexts, often indicating arrival or return, and can apply to both people and events. The New Testament frequently employs this term, notably in references to the coming of the Messiah (e.g., Mt 11:3). Lexicons note its use with various prepositions to indicate direction or purpose.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ἔρχομαι,

[in LXX very freq. for בּוֹא, also for הלךְ ni., אתה, etc., 34 words in all ;]

to come;

of persons, either as arriving or returning from elsewhere: Mt 8:9, Mk 6:31, Lk 7:8, Jo 4:27, Ro 9:9, al.; seq. ἀπό, Mk 5:35 7:1, Jo 3:2, al.; ἐκ, Lk 5:17, Jo 3:31, al.; εἰς, Mk 1:29, al.; διά seq. εἰς, Mk 7:31; ἐν (Cremer, 263 f., but v.s. ἐν), Ro 15:29,

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

ἔρχομαι, impy. ἔρχου. ἔρχεσθε, (for the Attic ἴθι, tre fr. εἶμι); impf. ἠρχόμην (for ἤειν and ya more com. in Attic) ; fut. ἐλεύσομαι; ---- (on these forms cf. [esp. Rutherford, New Phryn. p. 103 sqq.; Veitch 5. v.]; Matthiae § 234; Bttm. Ausf. Spr. ii. 182 sq.; Kriiger § 40 5. v.; Kiihner §343; W.§ 15s. v.; [B. 58 (50)]); pf. ἐλήλυθα; plpf. ἐληλύθειν; 2 aor. ἦλθον and (occasionally by LT Tr WH [together or severally ]—as Mt. vi. 10; [vii. 25, 27; x.13; xiv. 34; xxv. 86; Mk. i. 29; vi. 29; Lk. i. 59; ii. 16; v. 7; Vi. 17; viii. 35; x1. 2; xxiii. 33; xxiv. 1,23]; Jn. [1.39 (40); iii. 26]; iv. 27; [xii. 97; Acts xii. 10; [xiv. 24]; xxviii. 14 sq. etc.) in the Alexandrian form ἦλθα (see ἀπέρχομαι init. for reff.); Sept. for x13, rarely for ANN and 72; [fr. Hom. down] ; I. to come; 1. prop. a. of persons; a. univ. to come from one place into another, and used both of persons arriving,—as in…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

ἔρχομαι. P Fay 123!5 (c A.D. 100) ἐλήλυθεν γὰρ Τεύφιλος ᾿Ιουδαῖος λέγων [ὅ]τι ἤχθην is γεωργίαν, ‘ Teuphilus the Jew has come saying, ‘I have been pressed in as a cultivator’” (Edd.) will serve as an instance of the ordinary use of this very common verb: the mention of the Jew Teuphilus (or Theophilus) is interesting. A few miscellaneous exx. may be added which illustrate NT constructions or phrases— with Jn 5*% cf. P Lond 427 (B.c. 168) (= I. p. 30, Se/ections, Ῥ. 10) εἰς πᾶν τι ἐληλυθυῖα διὰ τὴν τοῦ σίτου τιμήν, ‘ having come to the last extremity because of the high price of corn,” P Vat A® (B.c. 168) (= Witkowski’, p. 65) τοῦ παιδίου σου els τὰ ἔσχατα ἐληλυθότος, P Flor IL. 212° (A.D. 254) els τοσαύτην ἀτυχίαν ἦλθες. . . ὡς μὴ ἔχειν σε ἀρτά[β]ην μίαν λωτίνου: with Jn 939 cf. P Tor I. 1 ἴ1 39 (B.c. 116) ἔρχεσθαι ἐπὶ τὸ κριτήριον : with Jn 18, cf. the late P Iand I. 21% (vi/vii A.D.)…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ἔρχομαι (erchomai) — to come/go.

ἔρχομαι

[Refs 8th c.BC+]: imperfect ἠρχόμην [Refs 5th c.BC+]; frequently in later Prose, [LXX+NT+2nd c.AD+]; in Attic dialect rare even in compounds, ἐπ-ηρχόμην [Refs 5th c.BC+]future ἐλεύσομαι, [Refs 8th c.BC+], Ionic dialect, Trag. [Refs 5th c.BC+], in Attic dialect Prose only in [Refs 5th c.BC+]: aorist, Epic dialect and Lyric poetry ἤλῠθον [Refs 8th c.BC+]; but ἦλθον is more frequently even in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Epic dialect infinitive ἐλθέμεναι, -έμεν, [Refs 8th c.BC+] unaugmented unless ἐξ-ελύθη [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Doric dialect ἦνθον [Refs 5th c.BC+]; participle ἐνθών [Refs 6th c.BC+]; subjunctive ἔνθῃ [Refs]; Laconian dialect ἔλσῃ, ἔλσοιμι, ἐλσών, [NT+5th c.BC+]; 3rd.pers. plural ἤλθοσαν [LXX+2nd c.BC+]; ἤλυθα [Refs 4th c.AD+]perfect ἐλήλῠθα (not in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; syncopated. plural ἐλήλῠμεν, -υτε, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Epic dialect…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ἔρχομαι

erchomai

middle voice of a primary verb

(used only in the present and imperfect tenses, the others being

supplied by a kindred (middle voice)

eleuthomai el-yoo'-thom-ahee, or (active)

eltho el'-tho,

which do not otherwise occur)

to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and

figuratively):--accompany, appear, bring, come, enter, fall out, go,

grow, X light, X next, pass, resort, be set.

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ἔρχομαι

v.

I come, go

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ἔρχομαι erchomai 632x

to come, to go, to pass. By the combination of this verb with other terms, a variety of meaning results, which, however, is due, not to a change of meaning in the verb, but to the adjuncts. Ὁ ἐρχόμενος, He who is coming, the expected Messiah, Mt. 11:3

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ἔρχομαι to come or go, Hom., etc.

to come or go back, return, Od.; in full, αὖτις, ἄψ, πάλιν ἐλθεῖν id. Od.

c. acc. cogn., ὁδόν or κέλευθον ἐλθεῖν to go a journey, Hom., Aesch.; ἀγγελίην ἐλθεῖν to go a message, Il.

c. gen. loci, πεδίοιο ἐλθεῖν over or across the plain, id. Il.

c. part. fut., to denote the object, ἔρχομαι οἰσόμενος I go to fetch, id. Il.; μαρτυρήσων ἦλθον Aesch., etc.:—like an auxiliary Verb, ἔρχομαι λέξων I am going to tell, I intend to say (as in French je vais dire), Hdt.

the aor. part. ἐλθών is often added to another Verb, κάθηρον ἐλθών come and cleanse, Il., etc.

Post-Homeric phrases:

εἰς λόγους ἔρχεσθαί τινι to come to speech with, Hdt., Soph.

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-2AAS-3S — Verb · second aorist · active · subjunctive · third person · singular
second aorist active subjunctive — a completed action, viewed as a whole.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-2AAS-3S Part of Speech: Verb Tense: second Aorist Voice: Active Mood: Subjunctive Person: third Number: Singular

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kum: The translation of many Hebrew and Greek words. In the phrase "The Spirit of Yahweh came mightily upon him" (Jud 14:6,19; 15:14; 1Sa 10:10; 11:6; 16:13), the word is tsaleah; Jud 14:6; 15:14 "came mightily," which is the uniform translation of the Revised Version (British and American) (compare Jud 13:25 "to move," i.e. to disturb or stir up). In Jud 6:34; 1Ch 12:18; 2Ch 24:20, it is labhesh, "to clothe"; the Revised Version, margin "The Spirit .... clothed itself with Gideon" and .... "with Zechariah,"…

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
14%coming
coming14% · 92×having come13% · 81×came11% · 73×come9% · 55×comes7% · 44×they came3% · 22×he came3% · 18×he comes2% · 16×other renderings38% · 241×

642 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 91 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
verb92%adverbial7%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 635 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
καίand, even, also, nam
αὐτόςεἰμίI am, existβροχήa heavy rain
Article the
εὐλογέωI blessεἰμίI am, existκαίand, even, also,
ὅτιthat, since, because
αὐτόςἀκούωI hear, listenνομίζωI think, suppose
αὐτός
μαθητήςa learner, disciλέγωI say, speakἐπί
δέbut, on the other ha
Article theὅτανwhen, whensoeverὅτεwhen
ἔρχομαιmay have come635×
what comes after →
πρός
αὐτόςσύἐγώ
Article the
ὥραan hour, seasonἸησοῦςJesusκύριοςlord, Lord, mast
εἰς
Article theτόποςa placeΚαφαρναούμProp
καίand, even, also, nam
Article theὁράωI see, look uponἔρχομαιI come, go
δέbut, on the other ha
Article theεἰςἡμέραa day

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceἔρχομαι · 635× in the New Testament
John Matthew Luke Mark Acts Revelation 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Romans Galatians Hebrews 1 John

Every reference is on the Strong's page.

Across the New Testament24 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 423 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Josephus Philo of Alexandria The Shepherd of Hermas Clement of Rome The Didache
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 27c. AD 40

καὶ γὰρ εὔλογον τῷ ὄντι πρῶτον αὐτὸν εἰς γένεσιν ἐλθεῖν, ἄριστόν τε ὄντα τῶν γεγονότων κἀκ τοῦ καθαρωτάτου τῆς οὐσίας παγέντα, διότι θεῶν ἐμφανῶν τε καὶ αἰσθητῶν ἔμελλεν οἶκος ἔσεσθαι ἱερώτατος.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.27c. AD 75–95

ταύτης δʼ ὑπʼ ὄψιν οὐκ ἐρχομένης, ἀλλὰ βαθεῖ μὲν κρυπτομένης σκότει, πνεύματος δʼ αὐτὴν ἄνωθεν ἐπιθέοντος, γενέσθαι φῶς ἐκέλευσεν ὁ θεός.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 5.9c. AD 100

ὅτε δὲ τοὺς ἰδίους ἀποστόλους τοὺς μέλλοντας κηρύσσειν τὸ εὐαγγέλιον αὐτοῦ ἐξελέξατο, ὄντας ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν ἁμαρτίαν ἀνομωτέρους, ἵνα δείξῃ, ὅτι οὐκ ἦλθεν καλέσαι δικαίους, ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλούς, τότε ἐφανέρωσεν ἑαυτὸν εἶναι υἱὸν θεοῦ.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. AD 4th c. AD 6th c. AD 1st c. AD
P.Cair. Zen. 3 59469276 BC–227 BC

καὶ ἵνʼ ἀεὶ διδῶσιν οἱ ἐκεῖθεν ποιά τινα· τὴν δὲ τιμὴν αὐτοῦ ὡς ἂν ἔλθῃς δώσουσι. καί, εἰ δυνατόν, Ἕρμωνα πρόδομα λαβεῖν ἄχρι τῶν Λαμέδοντος.

P.Lond. 7 2009Philadelphia (Arsinoites)247 BC

καὶ ἐν τῶι β ἔτει … τῆι ζ εἰς τὴν η ἦλθεν μετά μεθυόντων … τινων καὶ ἔκρουσεν τὴν θύραν κελεύων ἄνοιξον ἵνα πίωμεν. ἐμοῦ δὲ

P.Grenf. 1 32Pelusion103 BC

παρὰ τοῖς ἐν Πηλουσίωι θεοῖς. καλῶς ποιήσεις διαλύσας Ἁρκοννῆσιν καὶ Ψενανοῦπιν καὶ … … ελθεῖν ἐπὶ προ … ους καὶ γραψάτωσαν ἡμῖν ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐσπούδασας διὰ τὰς ἡμῶν παρακλήσεις

Why then the Law? <the> transgressions Because of it was added until that may have come the seed to whom promise has been made, having been ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.
τὸho the G3588 Article · nominative · singular · neuter
19,783× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Galatians as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
The Greek word for 'the' or 'this', used to point out a specific person or thing, like in Acts 17:28. It can also mean 'he', 'she', or 'it'.
Tyndale gloss
the/this/who
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The definite article — the commonest word in the Greek New Testament at 19,867 occurrences. Greek uses it more freely than English does and can drop it deliberately, so its presence and its absence both carry weight for a translator; but no single occurrence carries a message of its own. Here it simply gathers “the things” into one definite bundle.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ὁ, ἡ, τό,

the prepositive article (ἄρθρον προτακτικόν), originally a demonstr. pron. (so usually in Hom.), in general corresponding to the Eng. definite article.

As demonstr. pron.

As freq. in Hom., absol., he (she, it), his (etc.): Ac 17:28 (quoted from the poet Aratus).

Distributive, ὁ μὲν . . . ὁ δέ, the one . . . the other: I Co 7:7, Ga 4:22; pl., Ac 14:4, 17:32, Phl 1:16, al.; οἱ μὲν . . . ἄλλοι δέ, Mt 16:14, Jo 7:12; οἱ μεν̀ . . . ὁ δέ, He 7:21, 23.

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

ὁ 435 ὁ tives of quantity, ὅλος, πᾶς, πολύς, see each in its own place. d. What has been said concerning adjectives holds true also of all other limitations added to substantives, as ἡ κατ᾽ ἐκλογὴν πρόθεσις, Ro. ix. 11; ἡ παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ διαθήκη, Ro. xi. 27; 6 λόγος 6 τοῦ σταυροῦ, 1 Co. i. 18; ἡ εἰς Χριστὸν πίστις, Col. ii. 5; on the other hand, ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν ἡ πρὸς τὸν θεόν, 1 Th. i. 8; τῆς διακονίας τῆς εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους, 2 Co. viii. 4; see many other exx. of each usage in W. 131 (124) sqq.; [B. 91 (80) sqq.]. e. The noun has the article before it when a demonstrative pronoun (υὗτος, ἐκεῖνος) belonging to it either precedes or follows [W. § 18, 4; B. § 127, 29-31]; as, ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὗτος, Jn. ix. 24 [οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρ. 1, Tr mrg. WH); Acts vi. 13; xxii. 26; ὁ λαὸς οὗτος, Mt. xv. 8; 6 vids σου οὗτος, Lk. xv. 30; plur. Lk. xxiv. 17, and numberless other exx.; οὗτος 6 ἄνθρωπος, Lk. xiv. 30; οὗτος ὁ…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

ὃ, ἡ τό. (1) Apart from connexion with μέν or δέ (see below) the demonstrative use of the art. in the NT is confined to a poetical quotation Ac 1778, but it is not uncommon in the papyri, e.g. P Par 45® (B.C. 153) (= Witkowski®, p. 85) τὰ (for ἃ) πράσεις (Δ πράσσεις), P Oxy VIII. 1160! (iii/iv A.D.) Ta (for ἃ) σεσύλληχα (for συνείληχα) δὲ κέρμα {ταν τηρῶ αὐτὰ εἰς τὴν δίκην, “1 am keeping for the trial the money that I have collected” (Ed.). For the distributive Opéev.. - 6 8€, as in 1 Cor7’, cf. P Lond 535 (B.c. 161) (=I. p. 19, U.P.Z. i. p. 239) kal τὰ μὲν ἡμῶν ἐληφότων εἰς τὴν γινομένην ἡμῖν συντάξειν, τὰ δ᾽ ἔτι διὰ τὴν τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων {(.. ... > παρελκομένων. (2) The use of the art. as a relative, of which there is no trace in the NT, may again be illustrated by the following papyrus citations from ¢c. A.D. 346—P Lond 414® (= II. Ῥ. 292) γεινῴσκιν oe θέλω περὶ τοῦ βρεουίου…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ὁ (ho) — the/this/who.

ὁ,

ἡ, τό, is, when thus written,

__A demonstrative Pronoun.

__B in Attic dialect, definite or prepositive Article.

__C in Epic dialect, the so-called postpositive Article, = relative Pronoun, ὅς, ἥ, ὅ.—The nominative masculine and feminine singular and plural, ὁ, ἡ, οἱ, αἱ, have no accent in codices and most printed books, except when used as the relative; but ὁ, ἡ, οἱ, αἱ differ only in writing from ὃ, ἣ, οἳ, α; the nominative forms of the article are said by Hdn.Gr.1.474 to be oxytone, and by [Refs 2nd c.AD+] in Aeolic dialect accusative to [Refs 8th c.BC+] genitive and dative dual τοῖιν [Refs 8th c.BC+]— In Doric dialect and all other dialects except Attic dialect and Ionic dialect the feminine forms preserve the old ᾱ instead of changing it to η, hence Doric dialect etc. ἁ, τάν, τᾶ; the genitive plural τάων contracts in many dialects to τᾶ; the genitive…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ὁ ἡ τό

ho

he hay, and the neuter

to to

in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be

supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one,

he, she, it, etc.

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ὁ, ἡ, τό

Article

the

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ὁ ho 19x

the prepositive article, answering, to a considerable extent, to the English definite article; but, for the principle and facts of its usage, consult a grammar; ὁ μὲν ... ὁ δέ, the one ... the other, Phil. 1:16, 17; Heb. 7:5, 6, 20, 21, 23, 24; pl. some ... others, Mt. 13:23; 22:5, 6; ὁ δέ, but he, Mt. 4:4; 12:48; οἱ δέ, but others, Mt. 28:17; used, in a poetic quotation, for a personal pronoun, Acts 17:28

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ὁ the, that

ὁ, ἡ, τό, is

demonstr. Pronoun.

the definite Article.

in epic, the relative Pronoun, when it is written with the accent ὅ, ἥ, τό ῀ ὅς, ἥ, ὅ. Besides the common forms, note epic gen. sg. τοῖο for τοῦ; pl. nom. τοί, ταί; gen. fem. τάων [α^], dat. τοῖσι, τῇς and τῇσι; dual gen, and dat. τοῖιν:— in Trag. we find τοὶ μέν . . , τοὶ δέ . . , for οἱ μέν . . , οἱ δέ . . ; dat. pl. also τοῖσι, ταῖσι: the dual has commonly but one gender, τώ for τά, τοῖν for ταῖν.

DEMONSTR. PRONOUN:

joined with a Subst., not as the Art., but like Lat. ille, ὁ Τυδείδης Tydeus's famous son, Il.; Νέστωρ ὁ γέρων Nestor— that aged man, id. Il.; τιμῆς τῆς Πριάμου for honour, namely that of Priam, id. Il.

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art-NSN — Article · nominative · singular · neuter
nominative — the one doing it — the subject.
Agrees with anything else marked singular neuter.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

T-NSN Part of Speech: definite arTicle Case: Nominative Number: Singular Gender: Neuter

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

THE, an adjective or definitive adjective.

1. This adjective is used as a definitive, that is, before nouns which are specific or understood; or it is used to limit their signification to a specific thing or things, or to describe them; as the laws of the twelve tables. the independent tribunals of justice in our country, are the security or private rights, and the best bulwark against arbitrary power. the sun is the source of light and heat.

This he calls the preaching of the cross.

2. the is also used rhetorically before a noun in the singular number, to denote a species by way of distinction; a single thing representing the whole. the fig tree putteth forth her green figs; the almond tree shall flourish; the grasshopper shall be a burden.

3. In poetry, the sometimes loses the final vowel before another vowel.

Th' adorning thee with so much art,

Is but a barb'rous skill.

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
64%the
the64% · 13160×<the>28% · 5846×those3% · 597×other renderings4% · 788×other renderings1% · 294×

20,685 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 83 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
subject34%adverbial32%object24%predicate5%indirect object4%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 19,783 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
καίand, even, also, nam
αὐτόςεἰμίI am, existἐγώ
ἐν
καίand, even, also,αὐτόςArticle the
εἰς
αὐτόςεἰσέρχομαιI go in, come inἔρχομαιI come, go
αὐτός
λέγωI say, speakδέbut, on the otheπρός
εἰμίI am, exist
οὗτοςσύἐγώ
the19783×
what comes after →
θεόςGod, a god
Article theκαίand, even, also,ἐγώ
δέbut, on the other ha
λέγωI say, speakἸησοῦςJesusἀποκρίνομαιI answer, reply
ἸησοῦςJesus
λέγωI say, speakκαίand, even, also,Article the
κύριοςlord, Lord, master,
ἐγώἸησοῦςJesusArticle the
πατήρfather, Father, ance
ἐγώσύαὐτός

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordance · 19,783× in the New Testament
Matthew Acts Luke John Revelation Mark Romans 1 Corinthians Hebrews 2 Corinthians Ephesians 1 John

40 inflected forms — one of the commonest words in the New Testament. Full distribution →

Across the New Testament27 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Josephus Philo of Alexandria The Shepherd of Hermas Clement of Rome The Epistle of Barnabas
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 1c. AD 40

Τῶν ἄλλων νομοθετῶν οἱ μὲν ἀκαλλώπιστα καὶ γυμνὰ τὰ νομισθέντα παρ’ αὐτοῖς εἶναι δίκαια διετάξαντο, οἱ δὲ πολὺν ὄγκον τοῖς νοήμασι προσπεριβαλόντες ἐξετύφωσαν τὰ πλήθη μυθικοῖς πλάσμασι τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπικρύψαντες.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.argc. AD 75–95

τοῦ κόσμου σύστασις καὶ διάταξις τῶν στοιχείων.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 1.1c. AD 100

Χαίρετε, υἱοὶ καὶ θυγατέρες, ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντος ἡμᾶς, ἐν εἰρήνῃ.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. AD 1st c. AD 3rd c. BC 6th c. AD
P.Stras. 2 89Pathyris100 BC

r βασιλεύοντος Πτολεμαίου τοῦ ἐπικαλουμένου Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ Βερενίκης τῆς ἀδελφῆς θεῶν Φιλομητόρων ἔτους ιε, ἐφʼ ἱερέων καὶ ἱερειῶν

P.Adl. 11Pathyris99 BC

ιζ Θῶυθ κη ἀπέδοτο Πετεσοῦχος Φίβιος καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ τὸ ὕπαρχον αὐτοῖς ἥμισυ περιστερῶνος τοῦ ὄντος ἐν τῶι ἀπὸ βορρᾶ μέρει Παθύρεως χαλκοῦ Γ. ἐπρίατο Ὧρος Νεχούτου.

P.Grenf. 2 35Pathyris99 BC

βασιλευόντων Πτολεμαίου τοῦ ἐπικαλουμένου Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ Βερενίκης τῆς ἀδελφῆς θεῶν φιλομητόρων ἔτους ιϛ, ἐφʼ ἱερέων καὶ ἱερειῶν

Why then the Law? <the> transgressions Because of it was added until that may have come the seed to whom promise has been made, having been ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.
σπέρμαsperma seed G4690 Noun · nominative · singular · neuter
44× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Galatians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
The Greek word for seed or offspring, used in Matthew 13:24 and Romans 9:29 to describe a remnant or descendants. It can also refer to the male sperm or a plant's seed.
Amplified meaning
offspring, descendant
Tyndale gloss
seed: offspring
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

σπέρμα is a neuter noun meaning 'seed' and is derived from the verb σπείρω. It primarily refers to the seed of plants but also extends metaphorically to offspring, descendants, and spiritual progeny. The New Testament uses it in various contexts, including references to literal seeds in parables (e.g., Mt 13:24) and as a metaphor for a remnant of people (e.g., Ro 9:29).

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

σπέρμα, -τος, τό

(< σπείρω)

[in LXX chiefly for זֶרַע ;]

seed;

of plants: Mt 13:24, 27 37, 38, II Co 9:10; pl., Mt 13:32, Mk 4:31, I Co 15:33; metaph., of an escaping remnant (שָׂרִיד, Is 1:9; cf. Wi 14:6; Plat., Tim., 23 c; FlJ, Ant., xi, 5, 3), Ro 9:29;

of men (as γονή; Lat. semen genitale; so in cl.; cf. in LXX, Le 15:16, al.): He 11:11; metaph., of the divine influence, I Jo 3:9; by meton. (as freq. in poets), seed, offspring, posterity: Mt 22:24, 25, Mk 12:19-22,

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

σπέρμα, -τος, τό, (σπείρω, q. ν.), fr. Hom. down, Hebr. yu, the seed (fr. which anything springs) ; a. from which a plant germinates; a. prop. the seed i.e. the grain or kernel which contains within itself the germ of the future plant: plur., Mt. xiii. 32; Mk. iv. 31; 1 Co. xv. 38, (Ex. xvi. 31; 1S. viii. 15); the sing. is used collectively of the grains or kernels sown: Mt. xiii. 24, 27, 37 sq.; 2 Co. ix. 10 [here L Tr σπόρος]. β. metaph. a seed i.e. a residue, or a few survivors reserved as the germ of a new race (just as seed is kept from the harvest for the sowing), Ro. ix. 29 after Is. i. 9, where Sept. for ὙΠ, (so also Sap. xiv. 6; 1 Esdr. viii. 85 (87) ; Joseph. antt. 11, 5,3; 12, 7,3; Plat. Tim. p. 23 c.). b. the semen virile; a. prop.: Lev. xv. 16-18; xviii. 20 sq., ete.; [prob. also Heb. xi. 11, cf. καταβολή 1, and see below]; often in prof. writ. By meton. the product of this…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

σπέρμα, “seed”: P Cairo Zen I. 59097}9 (x.c. 257) χόρτου σπέρμα, P Par 631° (B.c. 165) (= P Petr III. p- 28) τὰ σπέρματα κατενεγκεῖν εἰς τοὺς ἀγρούς, ‘to carry the seed to the fields,’’ BGU II. 59724 (a.p. 75) ἀλλαξέτω σε αὐτὸν (sc. σάκκον) ἸΤασίων καλοῖς σπέρμασει( -- σι), P Tebt II. 341° (A.D. 140-1) δεήσι ἐπισταλῆναι εἰς δάνε[ι]α σπέρματα (. σπερμάτων) κατασπίο]ρᾶς τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος ὃ (ἔτους) ᾿Αντωνίνου Καίσαρος. . ., “it will be necessary to send on account of loans of seed-corn for the sowing of the present ΑΒ year of Antoninus Caesar . . .” (Edd.), and P Oxy I. Part VII. omtAas 117" (ii/iii A.D.) σπέρματα σικυδίων σπουδαῖα ἔπεμψα ὑμεῖν, “1 send you some good melon seeds ’’ (Edd. ). For σπέρμα in the singular in Gal 31%, see Milligan Documents, Ὁ. 105 ; and for the subst. σπερματισμός see P Lond 604° (A.D. 47) (ΞΞ 111. p. 71). We may note the proverb Kazbel 1038° eig] πέλαγος σπέρμα…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

σπέρμα (sperma) — seed: offspring.

σπέρμ-α, ατος, τό,

(σπείρω) seed, only once in [Refs 8th c.BC+]

I. mostly, seed of plants, σ. ἀνιέναι, κρύπτειν, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; σ. τῇ γῇ διδόναι, ἐμβαλεῖν, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of fruit, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; τοῖς γαίης σπέρμασι with the products of earth, of corn-stalks, [Refs 1st c.AD+]

I.2. metaphorically, germ, origin of anything, σ. πυρός [Refs 8th c.BC+]; σπέρματα, ={στοιχεῖα}, elements, [Refs 5th c.BC+]Ep.2p.38 U., [Refs 4th c.BC+]

I.3. seed-time, sowing, [Refs 8th c.BC+]

II. of animals, seed, semen, φέροισα σ. θεοῦ pregnant by the god, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but σ. φέρειν Ἡρακλέους to be pregnant of Heracles, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

σπέρμα

sperma

from 4687; something sown, i.e. seed (including the male "sperm"); by

implication, offspring; specially, a remnant (figuratively, as if kept

over for planting):--issue, seed.

see GREEK for 4687

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

σπέρμα, ατος, τό

n.n.

seed, offspring

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

σπέρμα sperma 43x

seed, Mt. 13:24, 27, 37, 38; semen virile, Heb. 11:11; offspring, posterity, Mt. 22:24, 25; Jn. 7:42; a seed of future generations, Rom. 9:29; in NT met. a seed or principle of spiritual life, 1 Jn. 3:9

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

σπέρμα σπέρμα, ατος, τό, σπείρω that which is sown:

the seed of plants, Hes., Hdt., attic:—also of animals, Pind., Eur.

metaph. of the germ, origin, element of anything, σπ. πυρός Od.; φλογός Pind.; κακῶν Dem.

seed, offspring, issue, Trag., etc.

race, origin, descent, id. Trag.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Noun-NSN — Noun · nominative · singular · neuter
nominative — the one doing it — the subject.
Agrees with anything else marked singular neuter.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

N-NSN Part of Speech: Noun Case: Nominative Number: Singular Gender: Neuter

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sed (Old Testament always for zera`, Aramaic (Da 2:43) zera`, except in Joe 1:17 for perudhoth (plural, the Revised Version (British and American) "seeds," the King James Version "seed"), and Le 19:19 (the King James Version "mingled seed") and De 22:9 (the King James Version "divers seeds") for kil'ayim, literally, "two kinds," the Revised Version (British and American) "two kinds of seed." Invariably in Greek Apocrypha and usually in the New Testament for sperma, but Mr 4:26,27; Lu 8:5,11; 2Co 9:10 for sporos, and…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Ge 1:11; often used figuratively in Scripture, Da 9:1 1Pe 1:23 1Jo 3:9. There was an injunction in the Mosaic Law against sowing a field with mingled seed of diverse kinds, Le 19:19. The "precious seed" is often committed to the ground with many fears; but the harvest, at least in spiritual things, shall be a season of joy, Ps 126:5,6.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Every herb, tree, and grass, yields its own Ge 1:11,12,29

→ Each kind has its own body 1Co 15:38

→ Not to be mingled in sowing Le 19:19; De 22:9

→ Parables concerning Mt 13; Lu 8

→ Illustrative Ec 11:6; Ho 10:12; 2Co 9:6; Ga 6:7,8

→ Sowing of, type of burial of the body 1Co 15:36-38

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- Every herb, tree and grass yields its own

Ge 1:11,12,29

- Each kind of, has its own body

1Co 15:38

- SOWING OF

. Time for, called seed time

Ge 8:22

. Necessary to its productiveness

Joh 12:24; 1Co 15:36

. Required constant diligence

Ec 11:4,6

. Often attended with great waste

Mt 13:4,5,7

. Often attended with danger

Ps 126:5,6

- Yearly return of time of sowing, secured by covenant

Ge 8:21,22

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
63%seed
seed63% · 27×offspring14% · 6×descendants12% · 5×seeds9% · 4×children2% · 1×

43 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 5 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
object32%adverbial23%predicate14%subject14%indirect object11%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 44 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
Article the
καίand, even, also,πᾶςall, the whole, εἰμίI am, exist
καλόςbeautiful, good, wor
σπείρωI sow, spread, sοὐχίIrgArticle the
ἐκ
γίνομαιI come into beinεἰμίI am, existνεκρόςdead, a corpse
ἐξανίστημιI raise up, rise up
καίand, even, also,
ἀφίημιI send away, release
οὐNeg
σπέρμαseed44×
what comes after →
αὐτός
Article theεἰςμετά
ἈβραάμProp
εἰμίI am, existπᾶςall, the whole, φυλήa tribe, race
Article the
ἀδελφόςa brotherἐπίσπείρωI sow, spread, s
ΔαυίδProp
κατάκαίand, even, also,
σύ
ἐνευλογέωI blessὅς

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceσπέρμα · 44× in the New Testament
Romans Matthew Galatians Mark Acts Hebrews John 2 Corinthians Luke 1 Corinthians 1 John 2 Timothy
Across the New Testament13 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 155 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Philo of Alexandria Clement of Rome Josephus Ignatius of Antioch The Shepherd of Hermas
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 44c. AD 40

ἔκ τε γὰρ φυτῶν ὁ καρπός, ὡς ἂν ἐξ ἀρχῆς τέλος, καὶ ἐκ καρποῦ τὸ σπέρμα περιέχοντος ἐν ἑαυτῷ πάλιν τὸ φυτόν, ὡς ἂν ἐκ τέλους ἀρχή.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 3.28c. AD 75–95

μέλιτι γὰρ ἦν τὴν γλυκύτητα καὶ τὴν ἡδονὴν ἐμφερές, ὅμοιον δὲ τῇ τῶν ἀρωμάτων βδέλλῃ, τὸ δὲ μέγεθος τῷ κοριάννου σπέρματι·

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 3.3c. AD 100

διάθρυπτε πεινῶσιν τὸν ἄρτον σου, καὶ γυμνὸν ἐὰν ἴδῃς περίβαλε: ἀστέγους εἴσαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκον σου, καὶ ἐὰν ἴδῃς ταπεινόν, οὐχ ὑπερόψῃ αὐτόν, οὐδὲ ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων τοῦ σπέρματός σου.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. BC 1st c. AD 3rd c. AD 2nd c. BC
P.Cair. Zen. 3 59414Arsinoites276 BC–227 BC

r Δᾶμις Ζήνωνι χαίρειν. δὸς ἡμῖν σκόρδου ἀρτάβας εἰς σπέρμα πεντήκοντα · ἀποδώσομεν δέ σοι ἐκ νέων ἡμιόλιον.

P.Cair. Zen. 3 59494Philadelphia? (Arsinoites)276 BC–227 BC

ἀπεσταλμένοι. ὕστερον οὖν ἐλθὼν ἡμᾶς ἐκάλει λέγων διότι, οὐκ ἔχω τοὺς καθαροῦντάς μοι τὸ σπέρμα τῆς λινοκαλάμης καὶ τοῦ σησάμου τὸ σκύβαλον. ἀποστείλας οὖν τοὺς ἡμίσεις, εἰργάσαντο. εἰ οὖν

P.Col. 3 54Arsinoites (?)251 BC

ἀρτάβας ζ η ἀκίνδυνον καὶ ἀνυπόλογον παντὸς ὑπολόγου. δοθήσεται δὲ εἰς μὲν τὴν πυροφόρον σπέρμα τῆι ἀρούρᾳ ἀρτάβης 𐅵, εἰς δὲ τὴν κριθοφόρον κατὰ λόγον καὶ εἰς ἀνήλωμα ἑκάστηι

Why then the Law? <the> transgressions Because of it was added until that may have come the seed to whom promise has been made, having been ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.
hos, hē to whom G3739 Relative pronoun · dative · singular · neuter
1,407× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Galatians as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
The word which is a pronoun used to ask for or identify something, as seen in John 5:11. It can also be used to describe a person or thing, such as in Mark 15:23. This word helps to clarify or specify what is being talked about.
Tyndale gloss
which
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

ὅς is a pronoun meaning 'who,' 'which,' 'what,' or 'that.' It serves as both a demonstrative and a relative pronoun, agreeing in gender with its antecedent. The New Testament uses it in various constructions, including phrases like ὃς μὲν... ὃς δέ to indicate contrasting subjects. Notably, it can express purpose or cause in certain contexts.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ὅς, ἥ, ὅ,

the postpositive article (ἄρθρον ὑποτακτικόν).

As demonstr. pron. = οὗτος, ὅδε, this, that, also for αὐτός, chiefly in nom.: ὅς δέ, but he (cf. ἦ δὲ ὅς, freq. in Plat.), Mk 15:23, Jo 5:11; ὃς μὲν . . . ὃς δέ, the one . . . the other, Mt 21:35 22:5 25:15, Lk 23:33, Ac 27:14, Ro 14:5, I Co 11:21, II Co 2:16, Ju 22; neut., ὃ μὲν . . . ὃ δέ, the one . . . the other, some . . . some, Mt 13:8, 23, Read the full entry →

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

ὅς 455 ὅς iii. 5 [RG], 6; Heb. vi. 10; ix. 20; Jas. ii. 5; 1 In. iii. 24; Jude 15; for other exx. see below; ἐν ὥρᾳ 7 οὐ γινώoxet, Mt. xxiv. 50; τῇ παραδύσει 9 παρεδώκατε, Mk. vii. 13 ; add, Lk. ii. 20; v. 9; ix. 435 xii. 46; xxiv. 25; Jn. xvii. 5; Acts ii. 22; xvii. 31; xx. 38; 2 Co. xii. 21; 2Th.i. 4; Rev. xviii. 6; ef. W. § 24,1; [B. as above]. Rarely attraction oceurs where the verb governs the dative [but see below]: thus, κατέναντι οὗ ἐπίστευσε θεοῦ for xarévavre θεοῦ, ᾧ ἐπίστευσε (See κατέναντι). Ro. iv. 17; φωνῆς, ἧς ἔκραξα (for 7 (al. ἥν, οἴ. W. 164 (154 sq.) Β. 287 (217)}7), Acts xxiv. 21, οἵ. Is. vi. 4; (7γετο δὲ καὶ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ τε πιστῶν, οἷς ἥδετο καὶ ὧν ἠπίστει πολλούς, for καὶ πολλοὺς τούτων, οἷς ἠπίστει, Xen. Cyr. ὅ, 4, 39; ὧν ἐγὼ ἐντετύχηκα οὐδείς; for οὐδεὶς τούτων, οἷς ἐντετ. Plato, Gorg. p. 509 ἃ.; Protag. p. 361 6.; derep.7 p.531e.; παρ᾽ ὧν βοηθεῖς, οὐδεμίαν λήψει…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

ος is found as a demonstrative pronoun in P Ryl II. 14415 (complaint of assault—a.D. 38) ὃς δὲ ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου ἄλογον ἀηδίαν μοι ἐπιχειρήσας παρεχρήσατό μοι πολλὰ καὶ ἄσχημα, ‘“whereupon he opposing me made a brutal and odious attack upon me and subjected me to much shameful mishandling” (Edd.): cf. Mk 15%, Jn 51. For ὃς μέν... ὃς δέ, “the one . . the other,” as in Mt 21° a/., see P Oxy IX. 1189? (c. A.D. 117) ἐπιστολὰς δύο ds ἔγραψα ἣν μὲν σοὶ ἣν δὲ Σαβείνῳ, and for ὃς δέ solétarium see PSI. IV. 313° (iii/iv A.D.) with the editor’s note. Ὃς ἄν (ἐάν) c. conj. = ‘‘ whosoever ” may be illustrated Ly P Par 4622 (B.c. 153) (= Witkowski*, p. 87), περὶ dv ἂν βούληι γράφε, P Grenf I. 30% (B.c. 103) ἐφ} οἷς ἂν οὖν ὑμῶν προσδέωνται, P Oxy IV. 743%% (B.C. 2) ἐν ols ἐὰν σοῦ προσδέηται, °° ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐὰν θέλῃς. For the comparative usage of ὃς ἄν and ὃς ἐάν, see Thackeray Gr. i. p. 68, cited s.v. ἄν.…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ὅς (hos, hē) — which.

ὅς, ἥ, ὅ,

genitive οὗ, ἧς, οὗ, etc.; dative plural οἷς, αἷς, οἷς, etc.: Epic dialect forms, genitive ὅου (probably replacing Οο) in the phrases ὅου κλέος οὔ ποτ᾽ ὀλεῖται [Refs 8th c.BC+]; feminine ἕης [Refs 8th c.BC+]; elsewhere only ἧς [Refs]; dative plural οἷς, οἷσι, ᾗς, ᾗσι (never αἷς or αἷσι in [Refs 8th c.BC+] — _pronoun_ used,

__A as demonstrative by the side of οὗτος, ὅδε, and the Article ὁ, ἡ, τό: in post-Homeric Gr. this use survived only in a few special phrases.

__B as a Relat. by the side of the Article ὅ, ἥ, τό (see. ὁ, ἡ, τό, c):—this demonstrative and Relat. pronoun must not be confounded with the Possess. ὅς, ἥ, ὅν. (With Gr. Relat. ὅς, ἥ, ὅ cf. Sanskrit Relat. yas, yā, yad, Lithuanian jis, ji (he, she), Oslav. i, ja, je (he, she…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ὅς ἥ ὅ

hos

he hay, and neuter

ho ho

probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article 3588); the

relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what,

that:--one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se),

etc. See also 3757.

see GREEK for 3588

see GREEK for 3757

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ὅς, ἥ, ὅ

Rel.pr.

who, which, what, that

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ὅς hos 1x

who, which, what, that, Mt. 1:16, 23, 25; in NT interrog. ἐφ’ ὅ, wherefore, why, Mt. 26:50; in NT ὅς μὲν ... ὅς δέ, for ὁ μὲν ... ὁ δέ, Mt. 21:35; 2 Cor. 2:16

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Rel-DSN — Relative pronoun · dative · singular · neuter
dative — to, for, with — the one it is done to or by.
Agrees with anything else marked singular neuter.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

R-DSN Part of Speech: Relative pronoun Case: Dative Number: Singular Gender: Neuter

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
25%which
which25% · 356×whom20% · 291×who17% · 238×that14% · 199×what8% · 117×whatever2% · 30×whose2% · 29×other renderings10% · 145×other renderings2% · 25×

1,430 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 60 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
object40%subject29%adverbial26%indirect object3%predicate3%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 1,407 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
ἐν
ἡμέραa dayαὐτόςἵναin order that, s
καίand, even, also, nam
αὐτόςἔχωI have, hold, poυἱόςa son, descenden
αὐτός
λέγωI say, speakἀπόλλυμιI destroy, lose,δοῦλος (II)
διά
ἐκεῖνοςΧριστόςanointed, the Meαὐτός
εἰς
καίand, even, also,ἐγώοἰκίαa house, househo
ὅςto whom1407×
what comes after →
εἰμίI am, exist
Article theμεθερμηνεύωI translate, intκαίand, even, also,
οὐNeg
εἰμίI am, existἔξεστι(ν)it is permitted,γινώσκωI come to know,
Article the
θεόςGod, a godυἱόςa son, descendenκύριοςlord, Lord, mast
καίand, even, also, nam
σύποιέωI do, makeαὐτός
δέbut, on the other ha
ἄνDisjἑξήκονταIndecτριάκονταIndec

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceὅς · 1,407× in the New Testament
Acts Luke John Matthew Romans Mark Hebrews Revelation 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Colossians Ephesians

22 inflected forms — one of the commonest words in the New Testament. Full distribution →

Across the New Testament27 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Philo of Alexandria Josephus The Shepherd of Hermas Ignatius of Antioch Clement of Rome
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 33c. AD 40

ἵν’ οὖν μὴ αἰεὶ συμφερόμεναι στασιάζωσι καὶ πόλεμος ἀντ’ εἰρήνης ἐπικρατῇ τὴν ἀκοσμίαν ἐν κόσμῳ τιθείς, οὐ μόνον ἐχώρισε φῶς καὶ σκότος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅρους ἐν μέσοις ἔθετο διαστήμασιν, οἷς ἀνεῖρξε τῶν ἄκρων ἑκάτερον·

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.argc. AD 75–95

πῶς τὸ Σοδομιτῶν ἔθνος θεὸς κατεστρέψατο χολωθεὶς αὐτοῖς ἐφ' οἷς ἡμάρτανον.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 4.8c. AD 100

Μωϋσῆ Μωϋσῆ, κατάβηθι τὸ τάχος, ὅτι ἠνόμησεν ὁ λαός σου, οὓς ἐξήγαγες ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, καὶ συνῆκεν Μωϋσῆς καὶ ἔριψεν τὰς δύο πλάκας ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ: καὶ συνετρίβη αὐτῶν ἡ διαθήκη, ἵνα ἡ τοῦ ἠγαπημένου Ἰησοῦ ἐγκατασφραγισθῇ εἰς τὴν καρδίαν ἡμῶν…

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. AD 1st c. AD 3rd c. BC 2nd c. BC
P.Grenf. 1 32Pelusion103 BC

θεοῖς. καλῶς ποιήσεις διαλύσας Ἁρκοννῆσιν καὶ Ψενανοῦπιν καὶ … … ελθεῖν ἐπὶ προ … ους καὶ γραψάτωσαν ἡμῖν ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐσπούδασας διὰ τὰς ἡμῶν παρακλήσεις καὶ ση

P.Adl. 15Pathyris (?)101 BC

ἐδάνεισεν Ὧρος Ὥρου Ὥρωι Νεχούτου ὡς ἐτῶν ν μέσος μελίχρως ὑποκλαστὸς ἀναφάλακρος μακροπρόσωπος εὐθύριν οὖς ἀριστερὸν τετρημένον πυροῦ ἀρτάβας τεσσαράκοντα ἓξ κριθῆς ἑξήκοντα ἐννέα , ἴσους ἀτόκους, ὧν ἀπόδοσιν

P.Adl. 17Krokodilopolis (Pathyrites)100 BC

τῆς ἐπιγονῆς τῶν ἐκ Παθύρεως ὡς ἐτῶν ν μέσος μελίχρως τετανὸς ἀναφάλακρος μακροπρόσωπος εὐθύριν οὖς ἀριστερὸν τετρημένον χαλκοῦ ταλάντων πέντε . προπωλητὴς καὶ βεβαιωτὴς τῶν κατὰ τὴν ὠνὴν ταύτην

Why then the Law? <the> transgressions Because of it was added until that may have come the seed to whom promise has been made, having been ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.
ἐπήγγελται,epangellō promise has been made, G1861 Verb · perfect · passive · indicative · third person · singular
15× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Galatians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
To profess means to announce or declare something about oneself. In the Bible, it can mean to make a promise, like in Romans 4:21 and Hebrews 6:13.
Amplified meaning
divine undertaking, covenant
Tyndale gloss
to profess
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word ἐπαγγέλλομαι (i.e., *epaggellomai*) is derived from a combination of a prefix and a base verb, meaning to announce or proclaim. It covers a range of meanings including to promise and to profess, often used in the New Testament in contexts of making commitments or declarations, such as in Hebrews 6:13 and 1 Timothy 2:10. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ἐπ-αγγέλλω

[in LXX: Es 4:8 (אָמַר), Pr 13:12, Wi 2:13, al. ;]

to announce, proclaim.

to promise;

to profess. Mid., also freq. in both these senses;

to promise: c. dat. pers., He 6:13; c. acc rei, Ro 4:21, Tit 1:2; c. dat pers. et acc rei, Ja 1:12 2:5, II Pe 2:19; ἐπαγγελίαν, I Jo 2:25; c. inf., Mk 14:11, Ac 7:5; seq. λέγων, He 12:26; ptcp., He…

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

ἐπ-αγγέλλω : [pres. mid. ἐπαγγέλλομαι]: pf. pass. and mid. ἐπήγγελμαι; 1 aor. mid. ἐπηγγειλάμην ; from Hom. down ; 1. to announce. 2. to promise: pass. @ ἐπήγγελται, to whom the promise hath been made, Gal. iii. 19. Mid. to announce concerning one’s self; i.e. 1. to announce that one is about to do or to furnish something, i. e. to promise (of one’s own accord), to engage (voluntarily) : ὁ ἐπαγγειλάμενος, Heb. x. 23 ; xi. 11; ἐπήγyeAra, he hath promised, foll. by λέγων, Heb. xii. 26; τινί, to give a promise to one, Heb. vi. 13; τί, Ro. iv. 21; Tit. i. 2; τινί τι, Jas. i. 12; ii. δ᾽; 2 Pet. ii. 19; ἐπαγγελίαν, to give a promise, 1 Jn. ii. 25 (Esth. iv. 7; [cf. W. 225 (211) ; B. 148 (129)]); foll. by the inf. [ef. W. § 44, 7¢.]: Mk. xiv. 11; Acts vii. 5. 2. to profess; τί, 6. . an art, to profess one’s self skilled in it (τὴν ἀρετήν. Xen. mem. 1, 2, 7; τὴν στρατιάν, Hell. 3, 4, 3; σοφίαν…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

ἐπαγγέλλομαι, = ‘‘ promise,” as in Heb 1073, 1112, may be illustrated by P Petr I. 2915 (iii/B.c.) (= Witkowski?, p. 31) ἐχρησάμην δὲ kal παρὰ Atvews ἀρτάβας ὃ κριθοπύρων αὐτοῦ érayyehopévou καὶ φιλοτίμου ὄντος, P Tebt II. 411° (ii/A-pD.) εἰ μὴ ἐπηγγειλάμην σήμερόν σε παρέσασθαι, ‘had I not promised that you would be present to-day,” P Oxy I. 7118 (A.D. 303) ἅπερ διὰ τῶν αὐτῶν γραμματίων ἐπηγγίλατο ἀποδώσειν ἄνευ δίκης κτλ. Ramsay (Ax VII. viii. p. 19) draws attention to the use of the verb in 1 Tim 651 where it is applied to ‘‘volunteers, who set up as teachers with the intention to make a business and a means of livelihood out of the Word of God,” and notes its application ‘‘to candidates for municipal favours and votes in the Greek cities, who publicly announced what they intended to do for the general benefit, if they gained popular support ’—cf. Cagzat IV. 766 (Mossyna in…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ἐπαγγέλλω (epangellō) — to profess.

ἐπαγγ-έλλω,

aorist passive -ηγγέλθην[Refs]—tell, proclaim, announce, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; especially proclaim by authority, notify publicly, ἐ. [τὴν ἐκεχειρίαν] [Refs 5th c.BC+]:— passive, to be proclaimed, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; βουλῆς -θείσης a meeting having been summoned, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]:—middle, cause proclamation to be made, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

2. give orders, command, absolutely, [Refs]: c.accusative et infinitive, give orders that.., ἐπαγγείλας τοὺς Αακεδαιμονίους παρεῖναι[Refs 5th c.BC+]: with dative et infinitive, order one to do, [Refs 4th c.BC+] with accusative _of things_, στρατιὰν ἐς τοὺς ξυμμάχους ἐ. send them orders to furnish their contingents, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—middle, ἐπαγγέλλεσθαί τινι ἑτοιμάζειν στρατιήν [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, τὸ ἐπαγγελλόμενον…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ἐπαγγέλλομαι

epaggello

from 1909 and the base of 32; to announce upon (reflexively), i.e. (by

implication) to engage to do something, to assert something respecting

oneself:--profess, (make) promise.

see GREEK for 1909

see GREEK for 32

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ἐπαγγέλλομαι

v.

I promise, profess

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ἐπαγγέλλομαι epangellomai 15x

to declare, to promise, undertake, Mk. 14:11; Rom. 4:21; to profess, 1 Tim. 2:10

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ἐπαγγέλλω fut. -ελῶ aor1 -ήγγειλα perf. -ήγγελκα to tell, proclaim, announce, Od., Hdt., etc.:— Mid. to let proclamation be made, id. Hdt.

to give orders, command, id. Hdt., Thuc.; c. acc., στρατιὰν ἐπ., like Lat. milites imperare, to order an army to be furnished, Thuc.:—also in Mid., Hdt.

as Attic law-term, to denounce one who, having incurred ἀτιμία, yet takes part in public affairs, Aeschin., etc.

to promise, τί τινι Aesch.:—so in Mid., Hdt., attic:—absol. to make offers, Hdt.

to profess, make profession of, τι Dem.:—so in Mid., like Lat. profiteri, Xen., Plat.

to demand, require, Foed. ap. Thuc.; so in Mid., Dem.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-RPI-3S — Verb · perfect · passive · indicative · third person · singular
perfect passive indicative — a past action whose result still stands.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-RPI-3S Part of Speech: Verb Tense: peRfect Voice: Passive Mood: Indicative Person: third Number: Singular

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
20%he has promised
he has promised20% · 3×he promised13% · 2×professing13% · 2×promised13% · 2×having promised13% · 2×promise has been made7% · 1×having made his promise7% · 1×promising7% · 1×other renderings7% · 1×

15 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 9 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
verb100%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 15 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
ὅς
ὅτιthat, since, becσπέρμαseed, offspringαἰώνιοςeternal, unendin
καίand, even, also, nam
χαίρωI rejoice, am glπούςthe foot
Article the
γάρforἡγέομαιI lead, think
αὐτός
ἐλευθερίαfreedom, libertyὅς
γυνήa woman, wife, my la
πρέπωit becomes, is f
ἐπαγγέλλομαιpromise has been made,15×
what comes after →
Article the
ἀγαπάωI loveἀψευδήςnot guilty of faθεόςGod, a god
αὐτός
ἀργύριονsilver, a shekelδοῦλος (II)
δίδωμιI offer, give
αὐτός
δυνατόςpowerful, able, poss
εἰμίI am, exist
διατάσσωI give orders to, pr
διά

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceἐπαγγέλλομαι · 15× in the New Testament
Hebrews 1 Timothy James 1 John 2 Peter Acts Galatians Mark Romans Titus
Across the New Testament10 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Josephus The Shepherd of Hermas Clement of Rome Ignatius of Antioch Philo of Alexandria
Philo of AlexandriaOn Husbandry 64c. AD 40

πῶς οὖν ποιμενικὴν τέχνην διαπονοῦντες καὶ τῆς συμφυοῦς ποίμνης ἐπιμέλειαν ἔχειν καὶ προστασίαν ἐπαγγελλόμενοι προσορμίσασθαι τῇ σώματος καὶ παθῶν χώρᾳ διενοήθητε, Αἰγύπτῳ, ἀλλ’ οὐχ ἑτέρωσε τὸν πλοῦν ἐποιήσασθε;

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 5.258c. AD 75–95

πρὸς τοῦτον οὖν πέμψαντες ἠξίουν αὐτὸν συμμαχεῖν ἐπαγγελλόμενοι παρασχεῖν εἰς ἅπαντʼ αὐτῷ τὸν χρόνον τὴν ἰδίαν ἡγεμονίαν.

Clement of RomeSecond Clement 11.6c. AD 96

πιστὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἐπαγγειλάμενος τὰς ἀντιμισθίας ἀποδιδόναι ἐκάστῳ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 5th c. AD 4th c. AD 2nd c. BC 3rd c. BC
O.Krok. 2 308KrokodiloAD 98–AD 117

Παραβόλῳ χαίρειν. τὸ προσκύνημά σου ποιῶ παρὰ τοῖς θεοῖς πᾶσιν. γινώσκειν σε θέλω ὅτι ἐπηγγείλατο ὁ ἔπαρχος δοῦναι ἄνθρωπον ἡμῖν· λέγει δὲ ἂν καταβῶ, δώσω · λοιπὸν ἂν καταβῇ

P.Giss. 1 59Apollonopolites HeptakomiasAD 119–AD 120

ιω … … … … λογω … δηλωθεὶς πόρον ἔχειν ταλάντων … , ἐπαγγειλάμενος δραχμὰς Β ἐξ ὧν ἀπεδόθησαν δραχμαὶ φ· λοιπαὶ δραχμαὶ Αφ. Ἀφροδίσιος Παυθώφιος ἄνεσιν ἐσχηκὼς

P.Prag. 3 209Soknopaiu Nesos (Arsinoites)AD 184

τούτοις δὲ καὶ ἐν νωθρείᾳ μου γενομένου ἐξεβιάσατο ὥστε ἀσφαλίαν γραφὴν αὐτῷ με ποιήσασθαι, ἐπαγγειλάμενος εἰ μὴ ποιῶ εἰς τὸ ζῆν μοι ἐπιχειρήσειν. τοιαύτης οὖν αὐθαδίας ἐν αὐτῷ οὔσης

Why then the Law? <the> transgressions Because of it was added until that may have come the seed to whom promise has been made, having been ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.
διαταγεὶςdiatassō having been ordained G1299 Verb · second aorist · passive · participle · nominative · singular · masculine
16× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Galatians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
To direct means to give orders or arrange something, like Jesus commanding his disciples in Matthew 11:1.
Amplified meaning
ordained, directed
Tyndale gloss
to direct
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

διατάσσω is built from the prefix διά and the root τάσσω, meaning to arrange or appoint. It covers a range of meanings including to charge, give orders, and prescribe. In the New Testament, it appears in verses like Matthew 11:1 and 1 Corinthians 16:1. The lexicons note its technical use in legal contexts, particularly regarding wills.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

δια-τάσσω

[in LXX for שׂים, שׁמר, etc. ;]

to charge, give orders to, appoint, arrange, ordain: c. dat., Mt 11:1, I Co 9:14 16:1; seq. inf., Lk 8:55, Ac 18:2. Mid., I Co 7:17, Ac 20:13; c. acc, I Co 11:34; c. dat, Tit 1:5; seq. inf., Ac 7:44 24:23. Pass., τὸ διατεταγμένον, Lk 3:13, Ac…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

διατάσσω. The technical use of the verb in connexion with wills (see above under διαταγή, διάταγμα) is seen in P Fay 9713 (Ap. 78) ἀργυρίου δραχμὰς εἴκοσι... αἵ εἰσιν δ[ι]αταγῖσαι ἀϊπὸ] τοῦ τετελευτηκότος αὐτοῦ πία]τρός,ἨἮ ‘twenty drachmae of silver, being the sum bequeathed by his deceased father” (Edd.), so?2, P Oxy I. 753° (a.m. 129) δηλῶ δὲ τὴν ἀδελφήν μου Διωγενίδαν διαταγεῖσαν διὰ τῆς διαθήκης προικὸς δραχμὰς χειλίας κτλ. : 2. 1057 (A.D. 117-37) μὴ ἐξέσίτῳ ἐνχιρεῖν τοῖς ὑπ᾽ ἐμοῦ διατεταγμένοις,

Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

διατάσσω (diatassō) — to direct.

διατάσσω,

Attic dialect διατάττω, perfect διατέτᾰχα [Refs 1st c.BC+]:—appoint or ordain severally, dispose, εὖ δὲ ἕκαστα ἀθανάτοις διέταξε [Refs 8th c.BC+]; appoint to separate offices, δ. τοὺς μὲν οἰκίας οἰκοδομέειν, τοὺς δὲ δορυφόρους εἶναι [Refs 5th c.BC+]: absolutely, make arrangements, πρὸς τὸ συμπῖπτον ἀεὶ δ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—middle, arrange for oneself, classify, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; undertake, pledge oneself, πρός τινα with future infinitive, [Refs]; also in active sense, περὶ θυσιῶν [Refs]:—passive, to be appointed, constituted, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; παρὰ τὰ -τεταγμένα contrary to orders, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]: with infinitive, variant in [Refs 5th c.BC+]to be appointed to cultivate, [Refs 4th…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

διατάσσω

diatasso

from 1223 and 5021; to arrange thoroughly, i.e. (specially) institute,

prescribe, etc.:--appoint, command, give, (set in) order, ordain.

see GREEK for 1223

see GREEK for 5021

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

διατάσσω

v.

I give orders to, prescribe

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

διατάσσω diatassō 16x

pr. to arrange, make a precise arrangement; to prescribe, 1 Cor. 11:34; 16:1; Tit. 1:5; to direct, Lk. 8:55; Acts 20:13; to charge, Mt. 11:1; to command, Acts 18:2; to ordain, Gal. 3:19

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

διατάσσω attic -ττω fut. ξω Pass., aor1 -ετάχθην perf. -τέταγμαι to appoint or ordain severally, dispose, Hes., Hdt.:—absol. to make arrangements, Xen.:—Mid. to arrange for oneself, get things arranged, Plat.:—Pass. to be appointed, c. inf., Hdt.

to draw up an army, set in array, id. Hdt.: also to draw up separately, id. Hdt.:—Mid., διαταξάμενοι posted in battle-order, Ar., Xen.; so in perf. pass. διατετάχθαι, Hdt.

Mid. to order by will, Anth.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-2APP-NSM — Verb · second aorist · passive · participle · nominative · singular · masculine
nominative — the one doing it — the subject.
Agrees with anything else marked singular masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-2APP-NSM Part of Speech: Verb Tense: second Aorist Voice: Passive Mood: Participle Case: Nominative Number: Singular Gender: Masculine

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
13%having been commanded
having been commanded13% · 2×had commanded6% · 1×have commanded6% · 1×having arranged himself6% · 1×ordered6% · 1×having commanded6% · 1×i prescribe6% · 1×has prescribed6% · 1×other renderings44% · 7×

16 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 15 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
verb100%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 16 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
Article the
παράποιέωI do, makeπᾶςall, the whole,
ἸησοῦςJesus
Article the
καίand, even, also, nam
παραχρῆμαinstantly, immed
καθώςjust as, as
ἔρημοςdeserted, desola
γάρfor
οὕτωthus, so, in thi
διατάσσωhaving been ordained16×
what comes after →
Article the
δώδεκαIndecλαλέωI speak, sayἑκατοντάρχηςa centurion
σύ
πράσσωI do, fare, requλέγωI say, speak
αὐτός
δίδωμιI offer, giveἀναλαμβάνωI take up, raise
ΚλαύδιοςClaudius
χωρίζωI separate, depa
εἰμίI am, exist
μέλλωI am about to

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceδιατάσσω · 16× in the New Testament
Acts 1 Corinthians Luke Galatians Matthew Titus
Across the New Testament6 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Philo of Alexandria Josephus Ignatius of Antioch Clement of Rome The Shepherd of Hermas
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 39c. AD 40

ταῦτα διαταξάμενος ὀνόματ’ αὐτοῖς ἐτίθετο, τὴν μὲν ξηρὰν καλῶν γῆν,

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 4.76c. AD 75–95

Ὡς δὲ ταῦτα μετὰ τὴν στάσιν Μωυσῆς διέταξεν, ἄρας μετὰ πάσης τῆς στρατιᾶς ἐπὶ τοὺς τῆς Ἰδουμαίας ὅρους ἦλθε καὶ πρέσβεις πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ἰδουμαίων πέμψας ἠξίου δίοδον αὐτῷ παρασχεῖν, πίστεις ἃς αὐτὸς ἐθέλοι λαβεῖν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηδὲν ἀδικηθήσεσθαι…

Clement of RomeFirst Clement 20.6c. AD 96

τὸ κύτος τῆς ἀπείρου θαλάσσης κατὰ τὴν δημιουργίαν αὐτοῦ συσταθὲν εἰς τὰς συναγωγὰς οὐ παρεκβαίνει τὰ περιτεθειμένα αὐτῇ κλεῖθρα, ἀλλὰ καθὼς διέταξεν αὐτῇ, οὕτως ποιεῖ.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 1st c. AD 3rd c. AD 1st c. BC
P.Oxy. 42 3025OxyrhynchosAD 118

κρατίστου ἐπιστρατήγου περὶ καταστάσεως πραγματικῶν ἀντίγραφον δημοσίᾳ προέθηκα ὡς ἐκελεύσθη, ἵνα πάντες εἰδῶσι ἃ διετάξατο. ἔτους δευτέρου Αὐτοκράτορος Καίσαρος Τραιανοῦ Ἁδριανοῦ Σεβαστοῦ Ἐπεὶφ κγ. Ἰούλιος Μαξιμιανὸς Δημητρίωι…

P. Oxy. 3 583 descr.OxyrhynchosAD 119–AD 120

ἐμοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς Πλουτίωνος τελευτῆς … Πλου-τίωνος φύσει θυγατρὶ Λεοντοῦτι ἃς μόνας αὐτῇ διατάσσω ἀργυρίου δραχμὰς ἑκατόν. ἐὰν δέ τινι … συμβῇ … 13.-σαιεπισ … ριουσ

P.Tebt. 2 381Tebtynis (Arsinoites)AD 123

καὶ ἐνοφιλόμενα αὐτῆι ἢ καὶ ἕτερα καθʼ ὃν δήποτε οὖν τρόπον, τῷ δὲ Σανσνεῦτι διατεταχέναι ἀργυρίου δραχμὰς ὀκτὼ ἃς καὶ κομιεῖται ὁ Σανσνεὺς παρὰ τῆς Θενπετεσούχου μετὰ τὴν τῆς

Why then the Law? <the> transgressions Because of it was added until that may have come the seed to whom promise has been made, having been ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.
δι᾽dia through G1223 Preposition
667× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Galatians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
Means through or because of, like in Matthew 2:12 where the wise men left by another route. It shows cause or occasion, as in 1 Corinthians 3:15, being saved through fire. It can also describe a state or condition, like in Romans.
Tyndale gloss
through/because of
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

διά (dia) is a preposition meaning 'through' and can govern both the genitive and accusative cases. It covers a range of uses, including indicating motion through space or time, causation, and means or instrumentality. In the New Testament, it appears in various contexts, such as in Matthew 2:12 and Romans 8:25. The lexicons do not present significant disagreement regarding its meanings.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

διά (before a vowel δ’, exc. Ro 8:10, II Co 5:7, and in pr. names; Tdf., Pr., 94),

prep. c. gen., acc, as in cl.;

c. gen., through;

of Place, after verbs of motion or action: Mt 2:12 12:43, Mk 2:23, Lk 4:30, Jo 4:4, II Co 11:33, al.; σώζεσθαι (διας-) δ. πυρός, ὕδατος, I Co 3:15, I Pe 3:20; βλέπειν δ. ἐσόπτρου, I Co 13:12; metaph., of a state or condition:

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

διὰ παντός [so L WH Tr (exc. Mk. ν. 5; Lk. xxiv. 53)], or written together διαπαντός [so GT (exe. in Mt.) ; ef. W. 46 (45); Lipsius, Gram. Unters. p. 125], continually, always: Mt. xviii. 10; Mk. ν. 5; Lk. xxiv. 53; Acts ii. 25 (fr. Ps. xv. (xvi.) 8); x. 2; xxiv. 16; Ro. xi. 10 (fr. Ps. Ixviii. (Lxix.) 24); 2 Th. iii. 16; Heb. ix. 6; xiii. 15, (often in Grk. writ.). b. of the time within which a thing is done: διὰ τῆς νυκτός (1, Τ Tr WH διὰ νυκτός), by night, Acts ν. 19; xvi. 9; xvii. 10; xxiii. 31, (Palaeph. 1,10); δύ ἡμερῶν τεσσαράκοντα, repeatedly within the space of forty days, Acts i. 3;— (denying this use of the prep., C. F. A. Fritzsche in Fritzschiorum Opusce. p. 164 sq. would refer these instances to the use noted under a. [see Win., Ellic., Mey. u. s.]). 2. of time elapsed, and which has, so to say, been passed through: Gal. ii. 1 [ef. W. 380 (356)]; δὲ ἡμερῶν, (some) days…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

διά (A.D. 58) ἀπεσχηκυῖαι [παρὰ τοῦ ᾿Αντ]ιφάνους διὰ χειρὸς [ἐϊξ οἴκου ὃ καὶ ἐπε[ίσθη]σαν κεφάλαιον, ‘have received from Antiphanes from hand to hand in cash the sum which they severally consented to accept ” (Edd.). Among other stereotyped phrases may be mentioned διὰ παντός, common in papyri as in Bibl. Greek in place of the obsolescent ἀεί : thus P Lond 42° (B.c. 168) (=I. p. 30, Selections Ὁ. 9) σοῦ διὰ παντὸς μνείαν ποιούμενοι, LGU IV. 1078* (A.p. 39) Σαραπίων Σαραπιάδι τῇ ἀδελφῇ πλεῖστα χαίρειν καὶ διὰ παντὸς ὑγιαίνειν. A rather different temporal use appears in διὰ νυκτός, “by night’ (Ac 519 etc.), as P Ryl II. 1381 (A.D. 34) κατέλαβα τοῦτον διὰ νυκτὸς ἡλμένον ἐξ ὑπερβατῶν els τὠιὸ τῆς οὐσίας ἐποίκιον Δρομήως λεγώμενου (7. ε. -όμενον), “ΕἼ detected him when under cover of night he had sprung into the farmstead” (Edd.): it is hard to imagine Fritzsche (see Grimm) arguing that here…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

διά (dia) — through/because of.

διά,

poetry διαί (Aeolic dialect ζά, which see), preposition governing genitive and accusative — Rad. sense, through; never anastrophic [Prop. δῐᾰ: but [Refs 8th c.BC+] uses ῑ at the beginning of a line, [Refs 8th c.BC+]: also ᾱ, for the sake of meter, frequently in [Refs 8th c.BC+] uses διαί in Lyric poetry, [Refs]

__A WITH GEN.

__A.I of Place or Space:

__A.I.1 of motion in a line, from one end to the other, right through, in [Refs 8th c.BC+] frequently of the effect of weapons, διὰ μὲν ἀσπίδος ἦλθε.. ἔγχος καὶ διὰ θώρηκος.. [Refs 8th c.BC+] out through the Scaean gate, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; δι᾽ ἠέρος αἰθέρ᾽ ἵκανεν quite through the lower air even to the ether, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; διὰ Τρώων πέτετο straight through them,[Refs 5th c.BC+]: also in Compos. with πρό and ἐκ, see at {διαπρό},{διέκ}: in adverbial phrases, διὰ πασῶν (i.e.…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

διά

dia

a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through (in very

wide applications, local, causal, or occasional):--after, always,

among, at, to avoid, because of (that), briefly, by, for (cause) ...

fore, from, in, by occasion of, of, by reason of, for sake, that,

thereby, therefore, X though, through(-out), to, wherefore, with

(-in). In composition it retains the same general importance.

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

διά

Prep.

through, on account of

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

διά dia 667x

(1) gen., through, used of place or medium, Mt. 7:13; Lk. 6:1; 2 Cor. 11:33; through, of time, during, in the course of, Heb. 2:15; Acts 5:19; through, of immediate agency, causation, instrumentality, by means of, by, Jn. 1:3; Acts 3:18; of means or manner, through, by, with, Lk. 8:4; 2 Cor. 5:7; 8:8; of state or condition, in a state of, Rom.…

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Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

διά through c. gen. through, by means of c. acc.

through.

WITH GEN.:

of Place or Space:

of motion in a line, through, right through, διὰ μὲν ἀσπίδος ἦλθε ἔγχος Il.; δι᾽ ἠέρος αἰθέρ᾽ ἵκανεν quite through the lower air even to the ether, id. Il.; διὰ πάντων ἐλθεῖν to go through all in succession, Xen.

of motion through a space, but not in a line, all through, over, διὰ πεδίοιο Il.; δι᾽ ἄστεος Od.

of Intervals of Space, διὰ δέκα ἐπάλξεων at every 10th battlement, Thuc.; διὰ πέντε σταδίων at a distance of 5 stades, Hdt.

of Time:

throughout, during, διὰ παντὸς τοῦ χρόνου Hdt.; δι᾽ ἡμέρης all day long, id. Hdt.; διὰ παντός continually, Aesch.; δι᾽ ὀλίγου for a short time, Thuc.

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
preposition — its sense depends on the case of the word it governs.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

PREP PREPosition

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
57%through
through57% · 391×because of22% · 153×on account of10% · 67×for2% · 14×the sake of2% · 14×other renderings6% · 44×

683 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 21 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
adverbial96%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 667 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
καίand, even, also, nam
θεόςGod, a godπᾶςall, the whole, καυματίζωI burn, scorch
αὐτός
λέγωI say, speakμαθητήςa learner, disciἐνώπιονbefore the face
θεόςGod, a god
Article theδέbut, on the otheσοφόςwise
σύ
ἐνπρόςδίδωμιI offer, give
ἐγώ
καίand, even, also,εἶπονI say, speakἐνώπιονbefore the face
διάthrough667×
what comes after →
Article the
λόγοςa word, speech, ὄνομαname, character,προφήτηςa prophet, poet
οὗτος
λέγωI say, speakArticle theκαίand, even, also,
ὅς
Article theαἰτίαa cause, reason,καίand, even, also,
αὐτός
Article theγίνομαιI come into beinκαίand, even, also,
τίςIrg
οὐNegArticle theμετά

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceδιά · 667× in the New Testament
Romans Acts John Matthew Hebrews 2 Corinthians 1 Corinthians Luke Mark Ephesians Galatians 1 Peter

Every reference is on the Strong's page.

Across the New Testament27 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 663 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Josephus Philo of Alexandria The Shepherd of Hermas Clement of Rome Ignatius of Antioch
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 5c. AD 40

οὐ μὴν διὰ τοῦθ’ ἡσυχαστέον, ἀλλ’ ἕνεκα τοῦ θεοφιλοῦς καὶ ὑπὲρ δύναμιν ἐπιτολμητέον λέγειν, οἴκοθεν μὲν οὐδέν, ὀλίγα δ’ ἀντὶ πολλῶν, ἐφ’ ἃ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην διάνοιαν φθάνειν εἰκὸς ἔρωτι καὶ πόθῳ σοφίας κατεσχημένην.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.4c. AD 75–95

τὸν μὲν γὰρ πρὸς τοὺς Ῥωμαίους πόλεμον ἡμῖν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις γενόμενον καὶ τὰς ἐν αὐτῷ πράξεις καὶ τὸ τέλος οἷον ἀπέβη πείρᾳ μαθὼν ἐβιάσθην ἐκδιηγήσασθαι διὰ τοὺς ἐν τῷ γράφειν λυμαινομένους τὴν ἀλήθειαν,

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 1.7c. AD 100

ἐγνώρισεν γὰρ ἡμῖν ὁ δεσπότης διὰ τῶν προφητῶν τὰ παρεληλυθότα καὶ τὰ ἐνεστῶτα, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων δοὺς ἀπαρχὰς ἡμῖν γεύσεως, ὧν τὰ καθ̓ ἕκαστα βλέποντες ἐνεργούμενα, καθὼς ἐλάλησεν, ὀφείλομεν πλουσιώτερον καὶ ὑψηλότερον προσάγειν τῷ φόβῳ αὐτοῦ.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. AD 6th c. AD 4th c. AD 1st c. AD
P.Adl. 12Pathyris102 BC

ἀρουρῶν ἑπτὰ ἀρούρας τρεῖς · γείτονες μιᾶς μὲν νότου γῆ Πατήφιος, βορρᾶ γῆ Πακοίβιος διὰ τῶν Φίβιος υἱῶν, ἀπηλιώτου ὁδὸς βασιλική, λιβὸς γῆ Ψεμμώνθου τοῦ Πανεχάτου καὶ τῶν μετόχων,

P.Adl. 14Pathyris101 BC

ἐν σφραγῖσι δυσίν , ὧν γείτονες μιᾶς μὲν νότου γῆ Πατήφιος, βορρᾶ γῆ Πακοίβιος διὰ τῶν Φίβιος υἱῶν, ἀπηλιώτου ὁδὸς βασιλική, λιβὸς γῆ Ψεμμώνθου τοῦ Πανεχάτου καὶ τῶν μετόχων,

P.Amh. 2 51Pathyris89 BC

ἀπὸ ἀπηλιώτου μέρει Παθύρεως οἰκίαν ᾠκοδομημένην καὶ δεδοκωμένην καὶ τεθυρωμένην ἧς αἱ γειτνίαι δεδήλωνται διὰ τῆς ὠνῆς.

Why then the Law? <the> transgressions Because of it was added until that may have come the seed to whom promise has been made, having been ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.
ἀγγέλωνangelos angels G32 Noun · genitive · plural · masculine
176× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Galatians as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
An angel is a messenger, especially a heavenly being who serves as a messenger of God, as seen in Matthew 11:10 and Luke 1:11.
Amplified meaning
heavenly messengers
Tyndale gloss
angel
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word ἄγγελος (transliterated as aggelos) means 'messenger' and is often used to refer to a divine messenger or angel. It is derived from the verb ἀγγέλλω (to announce). In the New Testament, it encompasses both heavenly beings sent by God and human messengers, with interpretations varying regarding its use in specific contexts, such as in Revelation where it may refer to church leaders or guardian angels.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ἄγγελος, -ου, ὁ,

[in LXX chiefly for מַלְאָךְ;]

a messenger, one sent: Mt 11:10, Ja 22:25.

As in LXX, in the special sense of angel, a spiritual, heavenly being, attendant upon God and employed as his messenger to men, to make known his purposes, as Lk 1:11, or to execute them, as Mt 4:6. The ἄ. in Re 1:20 2:1, al., is variously understood as

a messenger or delegate,

a bishop or ruler,

a guardian angel,

the prevailing spirit of each church, i.e. the Church itself. (Cf. Swete, Ap)., in l.; DB, iv, 991; Thayer, s.v.; Cremer, 18; MM, VGT, s.v.)

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

ἄγγελος, -ου, ὁ, 1. a messenger, envoy, one who is sent: Mt. xi. 10; Lk. vil. 24, 27; ix. 52; Mk. i. 2; Jas. li. 25. [Fr. Hom. down. ] 2. In the Scriptures, both of the Old Test. and of the New, one of that host of heavenly spirits that, according alike to Jewish and Christian opinion, wait upon the monarch of the universe, and are sent by him to earth, now to execute his purposes (Mt. iv. 6, 11; xxviii. 2; Mk.i. 13; Lk. xvi. 22; xxii. 43 [L br. WH reject the pass.]; Acts vii. 35; xii. 23; Gal. iii. 19, ef. Heb. i. 14), now to make them known to men (LK. i. 11, 26, ii. 9 sqq.; Acts x. 3; xxvii. 23; Mt. i. 20; ii. 13; xxviii. 5; Jn. xx. 12 sq.); hence the frequent expressions ἄγγελος (angel, messenger of God, 3x90) and ἄγγελοι κυρίου or ayy. τοῦ θεοῦ. They are subject not only to God but also to Christ (Heb. i. 4 sqq.; 1 Pet. iii. 22, ef. Eph. i. 21; Gal. iv. 14), who is described as…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

ἄγγελος. In Sy// 51271, a dialect inscr. of ii/B.c. from Calymna, ἄγγελοι are envoys whose names are given. The word is used in the sense of ‘‘intermediary” (cf. Gal 319) in Sy// 122” (iv/B.C.) ὀμόσαι δ] ἀγγέλλων. For the presumably Christian ‘‘angel” inscriptions from Thera see Deissmann LAE, Ῥ. 279 with accompanying facsimile, and the paper “It is his Angel” (J. H. M.) in 71.5 1902, p. 519 f. Add (from Cronert) 7G XII. iii. 933. In Archzv iii. p. 445, No. 67, is published a Greek inscription from Assouan of the time of M. Aurelius, which begins—MeyaAy τύχῃ τοῦ [θε]ο[ῦ. . . τ]ῶν ἀνγέλων τῆς [ἱ]ερεί[ας] : cf. alsop. 451 No. 94 (time of Diocletian), Ὑπὲρ εὐχῆς τῶν ἀνγέλων ’Epeonvol ἀνέθηκαν | κτὰ. Οἱ ἄγγελοι θεοῦ, as in 1 Tim 54, occurs in the extremely interesting Jewish inscription Sy// 816'° κύριε Oo | πάντα ἐ[φ)ορῶν kal οἱ ἄνγελοι θεοῦ. Dittenberger assigns it to i/A.D. and yet…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ἄγγελος (angelos) — angel.

ἄγγελος, ὁ, ἡ,

messenger, envoy, [Refs 8th c.BC+] — proverbial, Ἀράβιος ἄ., of a loquacious person, [Refs 4th c.BC+]

2. generally, one that announces or tells, e.g. of birds of augury, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Μουσῶν ἄγγελος, of a poet, [Refs 6th c.BC+]; ἄ. ἄφθογγος, of a beacon, [Refs 6th c.BC+]; of the nightingale, ὄρνις.. Διὸς ἄ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]

3. angel, [LXX+NT+1st c.AD+]

4. in later philosophical, semi-divine being, ἡλιακοὶ ἄ.[Refs 4th c.AD+] in R.2.243 K.; ἄ. καὶ ἀρχάγγελοι[Refs 5th c.AD+]: also in mystical and magical writings, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]

II. title of Artemis at Syracuse, [Refs 5th c.AD+]

ἄγγελος (angelos) — angel: messenger.

ἄγγελος, ὁ, ἡ,

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ἄγγελος

aggelos

from aggello (probably derived from 71; compare 34) (to bring

tidings); a messenger; especially an "angel"; by implication, a

pastor:--angel, messenger.

see GREEK for 71

see GREEK for 34

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ἄγγελος, ου, ὁ

n.m.

an angel, messenger

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ἀγγέλλω angellō 1x

to tell, to announce, Jn. 20:18*

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ἄγγελος a messenger, envoy, Hom., Hdt., attic

generally, one that announces, of birds of augury, Il.; Μουσῶν ἄγγελος, of a poet, Theogn.; Διὸς ἄγγ., of the nightingale, Soph.; c. gen. rei, ἄγγ. κακῶν ἐμῶν id. Soph.

a divine messenger, an angel, NTest.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Noun-GPM — Noun · genitive · plural · masculine
genitive — of, from, belonging to.
Agrees with anything else marked plural masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

N-GPM Part of Speech: Noun Case: Genitive Number: Plural Gender: Masculine

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Smith's Bible Dictionary

By the word "angels" (i.e. "messengers" of God) we ordinarily understand a race of spiritual beings of a nature exalted far above that of man, although infinitely removed from that of God--whose office is "to do him service in heaven, and by his appointment to succor and defend men on earth. I. Scriptural use of the word . --There are many passages in which the expression "angel of God" is certainly used for a manifestation of God himself (Genesis 22:11) with Genesis 22:12 and Exod 3:2 with Exod 3:6 and Exod 3:14 It is to be observed, also, that side by side with these expressions we read of God’s being manifested in the…

Torrey's New Topical Textbook

- Created by God and Christ

Ne 9:6; Col 1:16

- Worship God and Christ

Ne 9:6; Php 2:9-11; Heb 1:6

- Are ministering Spirits

1Ki 19:5; Ps 68:17; 104:4; Lu 16:22; Ac 12:7-11; 27:23; Heb 1:7,14

- Communicate the will of God and Christ

Thompson Chain Reference topics

(1) Ministering

Ge 16:7; 19:16; 22:11; Ex 14:19; 23:20; 1Ki 19:5; Ps 91:11; Isa 63:9

Da 3:28; 6:22; Mr 1:13; Lu 16:22; Ac 5:19; 12:7; 27:23; Heb 1:14

(2) Appear to Men

Ge 32:1; Nu 22:31; Jud 2:1

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
52%angel
angel52% · 95×angels43% · 79×messenger2% · 4×other renderings3% · 6×

184 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 7 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
subject49%adverbial23%object14%indirect object10%predicate4%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 176 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
Article the
καίand, even, also,ἀποστέλλωI send forth, seαὐτός
ἄλλοςother, another, diff
καίand, even, also,ὁράωI see, look upon
ὁράωI see, look upon, ex
καίand, even, also,ἐνθυμέομαιI meditate upon,αὐτός
ἑπτάIndec
Article the
αὐτός
δέbut, on the otheπατάσσωI strikeὑποτάσσωI place under, s
ἄγγελοςangels176×
what comes after →
Article the
ἐνθεόςGod, a godἔχωI have, hold, po
αὐτός
καίand, even, also,ἐντέλλομαιI give orders, cμετά
κύριοςlord, Lord, master,
φαίνωI shine, appear,ἐφίστημιI stand by, am uκατά
καίand, even, also, nam
ἀφορίζωI rail off, sepaἐπισυνάγωI collect, gatheοὐNeg
ἐν
Article theοὐρανόςthe sky, the heaλευκόςwhite, bright

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceἄγγελος · 176× in the New Testament
Revelation Luke Acts Matthew Hebrews Mark 1 Corinthians John Galatians 1 Peter 1 Timothy 2 Corinthians

Every reference is on the Strong's page.

Across the New Testament18 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 119 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Philo of Alexandria The Shepherd of Hermas Josephus Clement of Rome The Epistle of Barnabas
Philo of AlexandriaAllegorical Interpretation of Genesis 3.177c. AD 40

„ὁ θεός, ᾧ εὐηρέστησαν οἱ πατέρες μου Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαάκ, ὁ θεὸς ὁ τρέφων με ἐκ νεότητος ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης, ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ ῥυόμενός με ἐκ πάντων τῶν κακῶν, εὐλογήσαι τὰ παιδία ταῦτα“ (Gen.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.73c. AD 75–95

πολλοὶ γὰρ ἄγγελοι θεοῦ γυναιξὶ συνιόντες ὑβριστὰς ἐγέννησαν παῖδας καὶ παντὸς ὑπερόπτας καλοῦ διὰ τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ δυνάμει πεποίθησιν·

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 9.4c. AD 100

ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ περιτομή, ἐφ̓ ᾗ πεποίθασιν, κατήργηται, περιτομὴν γὰρ εἴρηκεν οὐ σαρκὸς γενηθῆναι: ἀλλὰ παρέβησαν, ὅτι ἄγγελος πονηρὸς ἐσόφιζεν αὐτούς.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
6th c. AD 5th c. AD 3rd c. AD 3rd c. BC 4th c. AD
P.Cair. Zen. 3 59408Philadelphia? (Arsinoites)276 BC–227 BC

τὸ ἐφόδιον, ὅπως ἂν ἀνακομισθῶ πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ μὴ δοκῆι με αὐτοῦ καταρρᾳθυμεῖν. καὶ ἄγγελόν μοι ἀπέστειλε καλῶν με. σὺ οὖν μοι τί συντάσσεις; εὐτύχει.

BASP 20 (1983), p. 44-Philadelphia (Arsinoites)AD 287

τὸν σταχθέντα ἐνιαύσιον χρόνον· καὶ ἐμοῦ ται τε Κορνηλίου ἀποπληρώσαντος καθʼ ὁμοιότητα καὶ ἐγὼ ἀγγελῶ τὸν ὁμογνήσιον σοῦ ἀδελφὸν Διόσκορον τῷ ἑξῆς ἔτει ἐκτελοῦντα καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν αὐτὸν ἐνιαύσιον

Ch.L.A. 11 517 descr.Oxyrhynchites (?)AD 376–AD 425

α … ατερα … α … ω … ταύταις ταῖς φωναῖς ἐχρήσατο ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ θεοῦ μου ὁ ῥυσάμενός με ἐκ πάντων τῶν κακῶν μου. διό, γνήσιε τέκνον

Why then the Law? <the> transgressions Because of it was added until that may have come the seed to whom promise has been made, having been ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.
ἐνen in G1722 Preposition
2,743× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Galatians as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
This word is a preposition that means in, on, or among something. It's used in many places, like Matthew 7:3 and Luke 7:37, to describe a location or relationship. It can also mean by, with, or during.
Tyndale gloss
in/on/among
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The most frequent preposition in the New Testament, 2,752 occurrences. In, on, at, among, within — its force comes almost entirely from the word it is attached to. What it does here is put the events inside a community rather than at a distance: they were fulfilled among us.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ἐν,

prep, (the most freq. of all in NT), c. dat. (= Heb. בְּ, Lat. in, c. abl.).

Of place, c. dat. rei, pers., in, within, on, at, by, among: ἐν τ. πόλει, Lk 7:37; τ. οφθαλμῷ, Mt 7:3; τ. κοιλίᾳ, Mt 12:40; τ. ὄρει, II Pe 1:18; τ. θρόνῳ, Re 3:21; τ. δεξιᾷ τ. θεοῦ, Ro 8:34; ἐν ἡμῖν , Lk 1:1; of books, ἐν τ. βιβλίῳ, Ga 3:10; τ. νόμῳ, Mt 12:5, al.; ἐν τοῖς τ. Πατρός, in my Father's house (RV; cf. M, Pr., 103)…

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

ἐν Χριστῷ, ἐν Χριστῷ ᾿Ιησοῦ, ἐν κυρίῳ, (οἴ. Fritzsche, Com. on Rom. vol. ii. p. 82 544.; W. 389 (364); Weiss, Bibl. Theol. des N. T. §§ 84 b., 149 c.), ingrafied as it were in Christ, in fellowship and union with Christ, with the Lord: Ro. iii. 24; vi. 11, 23; viii. 39; 1Co.i.4; 2 Co. iii. 14; Gal. ii. 4; iii. 14, 26, 28; v. 6; Eph.i. 3 [Rec. om. ἐν]; ii. 6 sq. 10,13; 1 Tim.i.14; 2 Tim.i. 1,13; ii-1; 1 Pet. iii. 16; v.10; στήκειν ἐν κυρίῳ, Phil. iv. 1; iva εὑρεθῶ ἐν αὐτῷ, that I may be found (by God and Christ) most intimately united to him, Phil. iii. 9; εἶναι ἐν Χριστῷ "Inc. 1 Co. i. 30; οἱ ἐν Xp. "Ina. Ro. viii. 1; 1 Pet. v. 14; κοιμᾶσθαι ἐν Χριστῷ, θνήσκειν ἐν κυρίῳ, to fall asleep, to die, mindful of relationship to Christ and confiding in it [W. u.s.], 1 Co. xv. 18; Rey. xiv. 13. Since such union with Christ is the basis on which actions and virtues rest, the expression is…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

ἐν 210 contract—time of Augustus) ἱμάτια γυναικεῖα ἐν apyv(plov) δραχμαῖς ἑκατόν, P Oxy IV. 7247 (A.D. 155) ἐξ ὧν ἔσχες τὴν πρώτην δόσιν ἐν δραχμαῖς τεσσαράκοντα, 70. I. 565 (A.D. 211) δανειζομένη. .. ἀργύριον ἔντοκον ἐν δραχμαῖς ἑξακισχειλίαις, and P Grenf II. 778 (iii/iv a.p.) (=Selections, Pp. 120) το]ὺς μισθοὺς. . ὄντας ἐν δραχμαῖς τριακοσίαις τεσσαράκοντα. Similar are P Oxy IV. 7084 (a.p. 188) yopou . . ἐν (1vpod)(apraBats) ’B, BGU 1. 724 (a.p. 191) ἐξέκοψαν πλεῖστον τόπον ἐν ἀρούραις πέντε: with which may be compared Eph 2!° τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασιν, “consisting in.” In P Lond 9215 (ii/iii a.p.) (ΞΞ 111. P- 134) γεγονέναι ἐν ἀμπέλῳ = ‘to be planted with vines.” A predicative use of ἐν is seen in P Hib I. 421° (B.c. 262) δώσομεν Λευκίωι ἐν ὀφειλήματι, ‘asa debt,” P Petr I. 1215 (cf. II. p. 22) ὅσα δὲ ᾿Αξιοθέα προσενήνεγκται ἐμ φερνῆι, “ἐᾷς dowry,” and P Tebt I. 120 135…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ἐν (en) — in/on/among.

ἐν,

poetry ἐνί, εἰν, εἰνί [Refs 8th c.BC+], forms used by Epic dialect and Lyric Poets as the metre requires, but only as falsa lectio in Trag., εἰν [Refs 5th c.BC+] ἰν [Refs]

__PREP. WITH DAT. AND ACC. Radical sense, in, into.

__A WITH DAT.

__A.I OF PLACE,

__A.I.1 in, νήσῳ ἐν ἀμφιρύτῃ [Refs 8th c.BC+]; with names of cities or islands, as ἐν Ἀθήνῃς, ἐν Τροίῃ, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; where ἐν is used, it = in the district of.., ὲν Ἐλευσῖνι [Refs] in my arms, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐν αὑτῷ εἶναι to be in one's senses, be oneself, ἔτ᾽ ἐν σαυτῷ (variant -τοῦ) γενοῦ [Refs 5th c.BC+]

__A.I.1.b ἐν τοῖς ἰχθύσιν in the fish-market, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; so ἐν τοῖν δυοῖν ὀβολοῖν ἐθεώρουν ἄν in the two-obol seats, [Refs 4th…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ἐν

en

a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or

state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or

constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519

and 1537); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:--about, after, against, +

almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+

all means), for (... sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to,

-wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly,

one, X quickly,

X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on),

through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while,

with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same

import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate

direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different)

preposition.

see GREEK for 1519

see GREEK for 1537

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ἐν

Prep.

in, on, among

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ἐν en 2x

followed by the dat., in, Mt. 8:6; Mk. 12:26; Rev. 6:6,; upon, Lk. 8:32; among, Mt. 11:11; before, in the presence of, Mk. 8:38; in the sight, estimation of, 1 Cor. 14:11; before, judicially, 1 Cor. 6:2; in, of state, occupation, habit, Mt. 21:22; Lk. 7:25; Rom. 4:10; in the case of, Read the full entry →

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ἐν

e)nprepe)ni/prep ei)nprep ei)ni/prep in, among. c. dat.

Lat. in.

PREP. WITH DAT.:

OF PLACE

in, ἐν νήσῳ, ἐν Τροίῃ, etc., Hom., etc.:—elliptic, ἐν Ἀλκινόοιο (sc. οἴκῳ) Od.; εἰν Ἀΐδαο Il.; ἐν παιδοτρίβου at the school of the training master, Ar.

in, upon, ἐν οὔρεσι Hom., etc.

in the number of, amongst, ἐν Δαναοῖς, etc., Hom.; and with Verbs of ruling, ἄρχειν, ἀνάσσειν ἐν πολλοῖς to be first or lord among many, i. e. over them, id. Hom.; cf. ὁ, τό B. III. 3.

in one's hands, within one's reach or power, Lat. penes, Hom., etc.; ἐν σοὶ γάρ ἐσμεν Soph.; ἐν τῷ θεῷ τὸ τέλος ἦν Dem.

in respect of, ἐν γήρᾳ in point of age, Soph.

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep — Preposition
preposition — its sense depends on the case of the word it governs.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

PREP PREPosition

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

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…

Across the New Testament27 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
Why then the Law? <the> transgressions Because of it was added until that may have come the seed to whom promise has been made, having been ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.
χειρὶcheir [the] hand G5495 Noun · dative · singular · feminine
176× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Galatians as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
The word for hand in Greek can be literal or figurative, referring to power or instrument, as seen in Matthew 3:12 and 1 Corinthians 16:21. It is often used to describe a means of action or a symbol of authority, and is sometimes used in phrases that are similar to Hebrew constructions.
Tyndale gloss
hand
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

χείρ (cheir) is a feminine noun meaning 'hand,' used in various contexts both literally and figuratively, such as power or agency. It appears frequently in the New Testament, notably in verses like Matthew 3:12 and Acts 11:21. The word is built from a root suggesting the idea of grasping, and it encompasses a range of uses, including physical actions and metaphorical expressions of authority.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

χείρ, gen., χειρος (acc., χεῖραν, I Pe 5:6 T), ἡ,

[in LXX chiefly for יָד ;]

the hand: Mt 3:12, Mk 3:1, Lk 6:6, al. mult.; ἡ χ., acting subject, Lk 22:21; pl., Ac 17:25 20:34, I Jo 1:1; τ. ἔργα τῶν χ., Ac 7:41, Re 9:20; ὁ ἀσπασμὸς τ. ἐμῇ χ., I Co 16:21, Col 4:18, II Th 3:17

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Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

χείρ, gen. χειρός, acc. χεῖραν (1 Pet. v.6 Tdf.; see ἄρσην, fin.), 7, [fr. τ. meaning ‘to lay hold of’; ef. Lat. heres, οἴου; Curtius § 189; Vanicek p. 249 sq.], fr. Hom. down, Hebr. 1, the hand: Mt. iii. 12; Mk. iii. 1; Lk. vi. 6; 1 Tim. ii. 8; Heb. xii. 12, and often; the gen. with the verbs ἅπτομαι. ἐπιλαμβάνομαι, κρατέω, πιάζω, etc., which see in their places; the dat. with ἐργάζομαι, ἐσθίω, ete. ; 6 ἀσπασμὸς TH ἐμῇ χειρί, 1 Co. xvi. 21; Col.iv.18; 2 Th. iii. 17; the acc. with the verbs αἴρω, δέω. ἐκπετάννυμι, ἐκτείνω, ἐμβάπτω. ἐπιτίθημι, καθαρίζω, κατασείω. vinta, ete. ἡ ἐπίθεσις τῶν χειρῶν [see ἐπίθεσις and reff.], 1 Tim. iv. 14; 2 Tim. i.6; Heb.vi.2; ἐν χειρί τινος, in imitation of the Hebr. “3. 1a [ef. Β. 8188, 20 cf. 319 sq. (274) ; Bp. Lghtft. on Gal. iii. 19], by the help or agency, of any one, by means of any one, Acts vii. 35 Rec.; Gal. iii. 19; σὺν χειρὶ ἀγγέλου, with the…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

χείρ χείρ, “ἐᾷ hand.”” The grammatical forms of this common noun are fully illustrated by Mayser Gr. p. 282f. For its varied uses we may cite—P Par 637° (B.c. 164) (=P Petr III. p- 36) φροντίζεσθ᾽ ὅπως μηθεὶς ἐπ[ι]βάλληι τὰ[ς] χεῖρας τοῖς τοιούτοις κατὰ μηδεμίαν π[αρ]εύρεϊσιν, ‘take care that no one lay violent hands on such persons on any pretext whatever ’’ (Mahaffy): Perxg 268 C™ (B.c. 98) τὸν παρακα]λέσοντα δοῦναι τ[ὰ]ς χεῖρας ἡμῖν εἰ[ς σύλλυσιν, ‘to give the hands towards an agreement to be brought about by us,”’ a usage for which Deissmann (8S p. 251) can find no other ex., but compares Gal 2° δεξιὰς ἔδωκαν... κοινωνίας, and similar phrases in 1 and 2 Macc. : P Tebt II. 39178 (a.D. go) ἡ χὶρ ἥδη κυρία ἔστω ws ἐν δημοσίωι κατακεχωρισμένη, “this bond shall be valid, as if it had been publicly registered” (Edd.), similarly 76. 37918 (A.D. 128): BGU II. 42316 (ii/A.D.) (= Selections…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

χείρ (cheir) — hand.

χείρ, ἡ, χειρός, χειρί, χεῖρα,

dual χεῖρε, χεροῖν, plural χεῖρες, χερῶν, χεῖρας, penultimate being regularly short, when the ultima is long; dative plural regularly χερσί (χειρσί occurs in codex Vat. of [LXX], and late Inscrr. as [Refs 8th c.BC+], and once in trimeter, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χέρεσσι (ν) [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—Doric dialect nominative χέρς [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χήρ [Refs 5th c.BC+] (also, ={δίψακος}, Ps.-[Refs 7th c.BC+]:— the hand, whether closed, παχεῖα [Refs 8th c.BC+]; or open, flat, χερσὶ καταπρηνέσσι, χειρὶ καταπρηνεῖ,[Refs 8th c.BC+]: frequently in plural where a single hand is meant, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; reversely, singular where more than one hand is spoken of, e.g. [Refs 8th c.BC+]; dual joined with plural, ἄμφω χεῖρας [Refs 8th…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

χείρ

cheir

perhaps from the base of 5494 in the sense of its congener the base of

5490 (through the idea of hollowness for grasping); the hand

(literally or figuratively (power); especially (by Hebraism) a means

or instrument):--hand.

see GREEK for 5494

see GREEK for 5490

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

χείρ, χειρός, ἡ

n.f.

a hand

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

χείρ cheir 177x

a hand, Mt. 3:12; 4:6; 8:15 freq.; from the Hebrew, χεὶρ Κυρίου, a special operation of God, Acts 11:21; 13:3; ἐν χειρί, by agency, Acts 7:35; Gal. 3:19

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

χείρ the penult. is regularly short, when the ult. is long: e.g. χειρός, χερών, but Poets used the penult. long or short, as the verse required. the hand, Hom., etc.: also the hand and arm, the arm, χεῖρα μέσην ἀγκῶνος ἔνερθεν Il.; χεῖρες ἀπ᾽ ὤμων ἀΐσσοντο Hes.; so, ἐν χερσὶ πεσεῖν into the arms, Il., etc.; ἄκρη χείρ, to denote the hand as distinct from the arm, id. Il.

Special usages:

to denote position, ἐπ᾽ ἀριστερὰ χειρός Od.; ἐπὶ δεξιὰ χειρός Pind.; λαιᾶς χειρός on the left hand, Aesch.; ποτέρας τῆς χειρός; on which hand? Eur.

the dat. is common with Verbs which imply the use of hands, χειρὶ λαβεῖν, χερσὶν ἑλέσθαι, etc., Hom., etc.

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Noun-DSF — Noun · dative · singular · feminine
dative — to, for, with — the one it is done to or by.
Agrees with anything else marked singular feminine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

N-DSF Part of Speech: Noun Case: Dative Number: Singular Gender: Feminine

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(yadh, "hand"; kaph, "the hollow hand," "palm"; yamin, "the right hand"; semo'l, "the left hand"; cheir, "hand"; dexia, "the right hand"; aristera, "the left hand" (only Lu 23:33; 2Co 6:7), or euphemistically (for evil omens come from the left hand; compare Latin sinister, German linkisch, etc.); euonumos, literally, "having a good name"): The Hebrew words are used in a large variety of idiomatic expressions, part of which have passed into the Greek (through the Sepuagint) and into modern European languages (through the translations of the Bible; see Oxford Hebrew Lexicon, under the word "yadh"). We group what has to be said about the word under the following heads:

1. The Human Hand: Various Uses:

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Hand

Called by Galen “the instrument of instruments.” It is the symbol of human action (Ps. 9:16; Job 9:30; Isa. 1:15; 1 Tim. 2:8). Washing the hands was a symbol of innocence (Ps. 26:6; 73:13; Matt. 27:24), also of sanctification (1 Cor. 6:11; Isa. 51:16; Ps. 24:3, 4). In Ps. 77:2 the correct rendering is, as in the Revised Version, “My hand was stretched…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Often put of strength, power; so to be "in the hand" of any one, is to be in his power. Joining hands, or striking hands, is a very common method of pledging one’s self to a contract or bargain; just as persons among us often shake hands in token of an agreement. To "lift the hand," means to make oath. "At the right hand of God," is the place of honor, power, and happiness, Ps 16:11 45:9 110:1 Mt 26:64 Col 3:1. The right hand meant towards the south, the Jews being wont to speak as if facing the east. The "laying on of hands," signified consecration to office, and the bestowal of a blessing or of divine gifts, Ge 48:14 Nu…

→ Imposition of hands Heb 6:2

→ In consecration Ge 48:14; Ex 29:10,15,19; Le 1:4; 3:2,8,13; 4:15,24,33; 16:21

→ In ordaining the Levites Nu 8:10,11

→ Joshua Nu 27:18-23; De 34:9

→ Timothy 1Ti 4:14; 2Ti 1:6

→ In healing Mr 6:5; 7:32; 16:18; Lu 4:40; Ac…

Across the New Testament21 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 860 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Josephus Philo of Alexandria The Epistle of Barnabas The Shepherd of Hermas Clement of Rome
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 118c. AD 40

κεφαλή, στέρνα, γαστήρ, διτταὶ χεῖρες, διτταὶ βάσεις·

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.113c. AD 75–95

Ἐξῆρέ τε αὐτοὺς πρός τε ὕβριν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ καταφρόνησιν Ναβρώδης, ὃς υἱωνὸς μὲν ἦν Χάμου τοῦ Νώχου, τολμηρὸς δὲ καὶ κατὰ χεῖρα γενναῖος·

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 2.5c. AD 100

πλήρης εἰμὶ ὁλοκαυτωμάτων, καὶ στέαρ ἀρνῶν καὶ αἷμα ταύρων καὶ τράγων οὐ βούλομαι, οὐδ̓ ἂν ἔρχησθε ὀφθῆναί μοι, τίς γὰρ ἐξεζήτησεν ταῦτα ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ὑμῶν;

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 1st c. AD 6th c. AD 3rd c. AD 4th c. AD
P.Cair. Zen. 3 59443Philadelphia (Arsinoites)276 BC–227 BC

ἐπὶ τοῦ ποταμοῦ … ἵνα μὴ διασπάσηται κροκοδίλος … α, παραλαβών με Ψοσναῦς τὰς χεῖρας με προσήνεκεν καὶ τὴν γυναῖκά μου ἐπαροίνησεν ἐναντίον μαρτύρων Πετεμοῦνις καὶ Θοτεὺς τῶν παρὰ

λε Τῦβι δ. προσάγγελμα Ζήνωνι. νυκτὸς ἐκ τοῦ σιτοβολῶνος ἀπόλωλεν σήσαμον καὶ λελέανται τῆι χειρί. διὸ οὐ δυνάμεθά πως ἐπιμετρήσαντες ἰδεῖν τὸ ἀπολωλὸς ἕως ἂν ὑμεῖς ἴδητε καὶ ἐναντίον

εἰς τὸ κατάλυμα … οἱ ὑοφορβοὶ προσπηδήσαντός με τῆι ιθ ὀψὲ τῆς ὥρας τὰς χεῖρας με προσήνεγκαν … … … … … … ἐπὶ τοὺς φυλακίτας … … υρον

Why then the Law? <the> transgressions Because of it was added until that may have come the seed to whom promise has been made, having been ordained through angels in [the] hand of a mediator.
μεσίτου.mesitēs of a mediator. G3316 Noun · genitive · singular · masculine
6× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Galatians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
A mediator is someone who helps two parties come to an agreement, like a go-between. In the Bible, Jesus is the mediator between God and humanity, as seen in 1 Timothy 2:5 and Galatians 3:19.
Amplified meaning
one who stands between, a go-between
Tyndale gloss
mediator
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word μεσίτης (mesitēs) means mediator or arbitrator, derived from μέσος (middle). It refers to someone who intervenes between parties to restore peace or facilitate agreements. In the New Testament, it appears in contexts such as 1 Timothy 2:5 and Hebrews 8:6, 9:15, and 12:24, emphasizing the role of Christ as a mediator between God and humanity.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

† μεσίτης, -ου, ὁ

(< μέσος),

[in LXX: Jb 9:33 (בַּיִן)*;]

an arbitrator, mediator: Ga 3:19; c. dupl. gen. pers., θεοῦ κ. ἀνθρώπων, I Ti 2:5; c. gen. rei, διαθήκης, He 8:6 9:15 12:24; ὁ δε μ. ἑνὸς οὐκ ἔστιν, Ga 3:20 (v. Lft., in l.; and for exx. of this word in π., v. MM, xvi).†

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

μεσίτης, -ov, ὁ, (μέσος), one who intervenes between two, either in order to make or restore peace and friendship, or to form a compact, or for ratifying a covenant; a medium of communication, arbitrator, (Vulg. [and A. V.] mediator): 6 μεσίτης [generic art. cf. W. § 18, 1 sub fin.], i.e. every mediator, whoever acts as mediator, ἑνὸς οὐκ ἔστι, does not belong to one party but to two or more, Gal. iii. 206. Used of Moses, as one who brought the commands of God to the people of Israel and acted as mediator with God on behalf of the people, ib. 19 (cf. Deut. ν. 5; hence he is called μεσίτης καὶ διαλλακτής by Philo also, vit. Moys. iii. § 19). Christ is called peo. θεοῦ x. ἀνθρώπων, since he interposed by his death and restored the harmony between God and man which human sin had broken, 1 Tim. ii. 5; also μεσ. διαθήκης, Heb. viii. 6; ix.15; xii. 24. (Polyb. 28, 15,8; Diod. 4, 54; Philo de…

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Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek Testament from a scan

μεσίτης = “arbiter” is common in connexion with legal transactions, e.g. P Lille 281 (iii/B.c.) αὐτοῖς ἐδώκαμεν μεσίτην Aap[iJev[a, P Cattaouit* (before B.c. 87) (= Chrest. II. p. 98) ὃ κράτιστος διοικητὴς Ιουλιανὸς ὁ διέπων τὰ κατὰ τὴν δικαι[ο]δοσίαν ἠθέλησεν σὲ μεσείτην ἡμῶν καὶ κριτὴν γενέσσθαι περὶ ὧν ἔχομεν πρὸς τοὺς ἀντιτεταγμέν[ο]υς, P Rein 448 (A.p. 104) Άκυλος ὁ κατασταθεὶς κριτὴς μεσίτ(ηΞ) ᾿Απολλωί(νίον), P Goodsp Cairo 2911: 5. (¢, A.D. 150) ἐάν σοι δόξῃ μεσείτην ἡμεῖν δὸς ἵνα ἡ ἀντίδικος ἀποκαταστήσῃ τῇ συνηγορουμένῃ τὸ. . . , “1 it seems good to you, give us an arbiter in order that the defendant may restore to the plaintiff the...” (Ed.). In P Lond 370 (ii/iii a-p.) =TII. p. 251) mention is made several times of a μεσίτης, who may be the “surety” for a debt. The reference is to business transactions in P Strass I. 41 (A.D. 250) παρακαταθέσίθα]. τὰ δύο τάλζα]ντα παρὰ κοινῴ…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

μεσίτης (mesitēs) — mediator.

μεσῑτ-ης, ου, ὁ,

mediator, umpire, arbitrator, [NT+3rd c.BC+]; stakeholder, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]

2. feminine μεσῖτις, ιδος, φιλίας μεσῖτιν τράπεζαν παραθέμενοι [Refs 2nd c.AD+]

II. in a middle position, of a limb, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]

Strong's Greek Dictionary

μεσίτης

mesites

from 3319; a go-between, i.e. (simply) an internunciator, or (by

implication) a reconciler (intercessor):--mediator.

see GREEK for 3319

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

μεσίτης, ου, ὁ

n.m.

a mediator, go-between

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

μεσίτης mesitēs 6x

one that acts between two parties; a mediator, one who interposes to reconcile two adverse parties, 1 Tim. 2:5; an arbitrator, one who is the medium of communication between two parties, a mid-party, Gal. 3:19, 20; Heb. 8:6; 9:15; 12:24*

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

μεσίτης μεσί_της, ου, ὁ, μέσος a mediator, umpire, arbitrator, Polyb., NTest.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Noun-GSM — Noun · genitive · singular · masculine
genitive — of, from, belonging to.
Agrees with anything else marked singular masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

N-GSM Part of Speech: Noun Case: Genitive Number: Singular Gender: Masculine

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Mediator

One who intervenes between two persons who are at variance, with a view to reconcile them. This word is not found in the Old Testament; but the idea it expresses is found in Job 9:33, in the word “daysman” (q.v.), marg., “umpire.”

This word is used in the New Testament to denote simply an internuncius, an ambassador, one who acts as a medium of communication between two contracting parties. In this sense Moses is called a mediator in Gal. 3:19.

Christ is the one and only mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 8:6; 9:15; 12:24). He makes reconciliation between God and man by his all-perfect atoning sacrifice. Such a mediator must be at once divine and…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

One who stands between two parties or persons as the organ of communication or the agent of reconciliation. So far as man is sensible of his own guilt and of the holiness and justice of God, he shrinks from any direct communication with a being he has so much reason to fear. Hence the disposition more or less prevalent in all ages and in all parts of the world, to interpose between the soul and its judge some person or thing most adapted to propitiate his favor as a priestly order, an upright and devout man, or the smoke of sacrifices and the sweet savor of incense, Job 9:33. The Israelites evinced this feeling at the Mount Sinai, De 5:23-31; and God was pleased to constitute Moses a mediator between himself and them, to receive and transmit the law on the one had, and their vows…

Thompson Chain Reference topics

(1) Christ as. See SAVIOUR

(2) Man as

Ex 20:19; Nu 16:48; De 5:5,27; 9:18

--SEE Intercession (3), INTERCESSION

Inquiring of God, GUIDANCE

& GUIDANCE

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
83%mediator
mediator83% · 5×a mediator17% · 1×

6 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 2 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
adverbial33%subject33%predicate33%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 6 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
χείρa hand
ἐν
δέbut, on the other ha
Article the
καίand, even, also, nam
εἷςone
διαθήκηa covenant, will, te
εἰμίI am, exist
καινόςfresh, new
διαθήκηa covenant, will
μεσίτηςof a mediator.
what comes after →
εἷςone
οὐNeg
θεόςGod, a god
καίand, even, also,
ὅστις
ἐπί
εἰμίI am, exist
ὅπωςhow, in order th
ἸησοῦςJesus
καίand, even, also,

branches are dictionary forms, so endings do not split one phrase into five; the number on a branch is how many times the New Testament takes that path

Concordanceμεσίτης · 6× in the New Testament
Hebrews Galatians 1 Timothy
Across the New Testament3 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Josephus Philo of Alexandria
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Life of Moses 2.166c. AD 40

καταπλαγεὶς δὲ καὶ ἀναγκασθεὶς πιστεύειν ἀπίστοις πράξεσιν οἷα μεσίτης καὶ διαλλακτὴς οὐκ εὐθὺς ἀπεπήδησεν, ἀλλὰ πρότερον τὰς ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἔθνους ἱκεσίας καὶ λιτὰς ἐποιεῖτο συγγνῶναι τῶν ἡμαρτημένων δεόμενος·

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 16.24c. AD 75–95

καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὅσα διὰ χρημάτων ἦν ηπίξεως οὐ παρέλειπεν ἐξ αὐτοῦ τὰς δαπάνας ποιούμενος καὶ τῶν παρὰ Ἀγρίππα τισὶν ἐπιζητουμένων μεσίτης ἦν καὶ διεπράττετο μηδενὸς ἀτυχῆσαι τοὺς δεομένους.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
7th c. AD 6th c. AD 2nd c. AD 3rd c. AD 4th c. AD
P.Rein. 1 44HermopolisAD 117

ἀντίγραφον ὑπομνηματισμοῦ ἔτους ζ θεοῦ Τραιανοῦ Παῦνι· Ἀκύλος ὁ κατασταθεὶς κριτὴς μεσίτης Ἀπολλωνίου Ἡρακλείου πρὸς Διονύσιον Ἀπολλωνίου· ἐξ ὧν ἤκουσα, ἀπεφηνάμην, ἀρούρας ια ἀγορασθῆναι παρὰ Κλαυδίας

P.Coll.Youtie 1 24Ptolemais Euergetis (Arsinoites)AD 121–AD 122

τοῦ Ἀπίωνος ὡς ὀφειλομένης αὐτῇ προικὸς ἐν χρυσίοις ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ τούτων ἀνακεκομισμένων παρὰ μεσίτου κυρίου μου ἐπιγραφέντος τῆς Ταμύσθας προσφωνῶ τὰ μὲν χρυσία τῇ Ταμύσθᾳ ἀποδεδωκέναι διὰ χειρὸς

ZPE 177 (2011), p. 234-236Tebtynis (ArsinoitesAD 192

ἀντίγραφον Δημήτριος μεσίτης διὰ Θεογίτωνος βοηθοῦ παρέλαβον παρὰ σιτολόγων κώμης Τεβτὺνεως γενήματος λβ ἔτους διὰ Νιλίωνος πυροῦ

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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