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Luke 5:32 — Word Study

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N1904οὐκ ἐλήλυθα καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλ᾽ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν.

BSANotou I have comeerchomai [to invite or summon] to callkaleō righteous [ones]dikaios [just, innocent, or those who think they are righteous] butalla [on the contrary] sinnershamartōlos [those who are sinful, or who know they are sinners] toeis repentance.metanoia [a change of heart, turning from sin to God]

Word
Listen & take awayLuke 5
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 32 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 (metanoia) — no per-word recordings of the Greek exist to link to.
Take it away
Luke 5:32quick helps
In a sentenceJesus states His mission: He has come to call sinners to repentance, not the self-righteous.
Who is speakingJesus, addressing those around Him.
Where we areThis statement follows Jesus' interaction with the Pharisees and His call of Levi, emphasizing His purpose.
The hard wordμετάνοια
Take awayRepentance is central to Jesus' message for those who recognize their sin.
5 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them › clause verbἔρχομαι 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 — Luke 5:32

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 — Jesus Calls Sinnersgenerated

31Jesus answered, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
33Then they said to Him, “John’s disciples and those of the Pharisees frequently fast and pray, but Yours keep on eating and drinking.”
34Jesus replied, “Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while He is with them?

Luke 5:32 reveals Jesus’ purpose in His ministry, emphasizing that He came to reach out to those who are aware of their sinfulness rather than those who consider themselves righteous. This is part of a larger narrative where Jesus interacts with sinners and challenges the religious leaders' understanding of righteousness. His call to repentance is a transformative invitation for those who recognize their need for change, as seen throughout the Gospel of Luke.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Luke 4:18–19“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed,
2Luke 15:7–10In the same way, I tell you that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent.
3Luke 18:10–14“Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
4Luke 19:10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
5Luke 24:47and in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 19 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word μετάνοια, metanoiagenerated

The word μετάνοια (transliterated as metanoia) means 'repentance' and is derived from the verb μετανοέω, which signifies a change of mind or heart. It indicates a turning away from sin and a turning toward God, embodying the essence of repentance in Christian faith.

In this context, Jesus emphasizes that He calls sinners to repentance, highlighting the necessity of recognizing one's sinfulness and the need for a change of heart, which is foundational for receiving God's grace.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as: 'I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.' This is echoed in the KJV and ASV, which also highlight the distinction between the righteous and sinners.

However, the Young's Literal Translation uses 'reformation' instead of 'repentance,' which introduces a different nuance regarding the nature of the change Jesus calls for.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is ἐλήλυθα, I have come, which governs the entire statement. It is followed by an infinitive phrase καλέσαι (to call) that specifies what Jesus has come to do, and two contrasting noun phrases: δικαίους (the righteous) and ἁμαρτωλοὺς (sinners).

The structure clearly contrasts the groups Jesus addresses, with the focus on His mission to sinners, indicating a shift from self-perceived righteousness to the need for repentance.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

καλέω appears in the Septuagint, translating the Hebrew קָרָא (to call), indicating a similar use of the term in both the Old and New Testaments for summoning or inviting.

μετάνοια does not have a direct equivalent in the Septuagint, but the concept of repentance is woven throughout the texts, emphasizing the need for a change of heart before God.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Luke 5:32 shows that Jesus came to call sinners to repentance, not those who think they are righteous. This highlights His mission to reach those who recognize their need for forgiveness and transformation.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to call sinners to repentance?

It means that Jesus invites those who recognize their wrongdoing and need for change to turn away from their sins and toward God.

Why does Jesus not call the righteous?

The 'righteous' in this context refers to those who believe they are without sin and do not see their need for repentance, which is contrary to the message of the Gospel.

How can I apply this message of repentance in my life?

Recognizing our own shortcomings and turning to God for forgiveness and transformation is key to living out the message of Jesus.

What is the significance of repentance in Christianity?

Repentance is essential for salvation and spiritual growth, as it involves a sincere change of heart and turning away from sin toward God.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I need to acknowledge my shortcomings and seek repentance?
  2. How can I help others understand the importance of recognizing their need for Jesus?
  3. What does it mean for me to turn away from sin and toward God in practical terms?
  4. How can I cultivate a heart that is open to repentance and change?

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

Early church writers reference this verse to discuss Jesus' mission to sinners and the nature of repentance. Their insights help clarify the implications of His words.

Pseudo-ClementSecond Epistle To The Corinthians (Pseudo-Clement) 3rd–4th c.
And another Scripture says, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." This means that those who are perishing must be saved.
Early Church Fathers on Luke 5 →
Augustine of Hippoubi sup. 354–430
Hence He adds, to repentance, which serves well to explain the passage, that no one should suppose that sinners, because they are sinners, are loved by Christ,
Early Church Fathers on Luke 5 →

Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Luke 5:32 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

I came not to call the righteous,.... Such as the Scribes and Pharisees were in their own apprehension, and in the esteem of others, who trusted in themselves, that they were righteous, and submitted

Read John Gill on Luke 5 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. For the exposition, see the notes at Matthew 9:9-13.

Read Robert Jamieson on Luke 5 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(32) I came not.—Strictly, I have not come.But sinners to repentance.—In the best MSS. the last word is added by St. Luke only. One MS. (the Sinaitic) has the remarkable various-reading “the ungodly” for “sinners,” as if from a recollection of Rom 5:6-7.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Luke 5 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

32. I came not to call] Rather, I have not come.the righteous] This also was true in two senses. Our Lord came to seek and save the lost. He came not to the elder son but to the prodigal; not to the folded flock but to the straying sheep. In a lower and external sense these Pharisees were really, as they called themselves, ‘the righteous’ (chasidim). In another sense they were only self-righteous and self-deceived (Luke 18:9). St Matthew tells us that He further rebuked their haughty and pitiless exclusiveness by borrowing one of their own formulae, and bidding them “go and learn” the meaning of Hos 6:6, “I will have mercy and not sacrifice,” i. e. love is better than legal scrupulosity…

Read Cambridge on Luke 5 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

§ 52. LEVI’S FEAST, Luke 5:29-39.Matthew 9:10-25; Mark 2:15-22.See notes on parallel section on Matthew and Mark.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Luke 5 →

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

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

WEBWorld English Bible2000

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

NETBNew English Translation2006

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

RVARevised Version, American1894

I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

I am not come to call righteous [persons], but sinful [ones] to repentance.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

I came not to call righteous men, but sinners, to reformation.'

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

I did not come to call righteous men, but sinners, to conversion.”

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

I did not come to call righteous people to repentance, but to call sinners to repentance.”

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

I came not to call the just, but sinners to penance.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

“I didn't come to call those who are living right to repentance—I came to call sinners.”

BBEBible in Basic English1949

I have come, not to get the upright, but sinners, so that they may be turned from their sins.

Word by word, the decisions they made

ἐλήλυθαerchomai I have come G2064 3 different renderings
comeASV BSB DBY FBV LSV MSB NETB RVA ULB WEB
cameDRA GNV KJV NWB YLT
i have comeBBE
δικαίουςdikaios righteous [ones] G1342 4 different renderings
righteousASV BSB DBY GNV KJV LSV MSB NETB NWB RVA ULB WEB YLT
justDRA
rightFBV
uprightBBE
ἁμαρτωλοὺςhamartōlos sinners G268 2 different renderings
sinnersASV BBE BSB DRA FBV GNV KJV LSV MSB NETB NWB RVA ULB WEB YLT
sinfulDBY

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.

clauseοὐκNotclauseverbἐλήλυθαI have comeclause · adverbialverbκαλέσαιto callobjectδικαίουςrighteous [ones]ἀλλὰbutclauseobjectἁμαρτωλοὺςsinnersprepositional phrase · adverbialεἰςtoμετάνοιανrepentance

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

Non veni vocare justos, sed peccatores ad pœnitentiam.

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

ܠܐ ܐܬܝܬ ܕܐܩܪܐ ܠܙܕܝܩܐ ܐܠܐ ܠܚܛܝܐ ܠܬܝܒܘܬܐ

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

οὐκ ἐλήλυθα καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλ᾽ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν.

The standard critical text of the New Testament.

Nestle-Aland 27th edition1993 · Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft

οὐκ ἐλήλυθα καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλ᾽ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν.

The previous edition, still widely cited.

SBL Greek New Testament2010 · Michael Holmes

οὐκ ἐλήλυθα καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλ᾽ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν.

The Society of Biblical Literature edition, freely licensed.

Westcott–Hort1881 · Westcott and Hort

οὐκ ἐλήλυθα καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλ᾽ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν.

The edition that turned scholarship toward the earliest manuscripts.

Tregelles1857–1879 · Samuel Prideaux Tregelles

οὐκ ἐλήλυθα καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλ᾽ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν.

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

Tyndale House Greek NT2017 · Tyndale House, Cambridge

οὐκ ἐλήλυθα καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλ᾽ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν.

A recent critical edition following documentary evidence closely.

Byzantine majority text2018 · Robinson–Pierpont

οὐκ ἐλήλυθα καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλ᾽ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν.

The reading of the majority of surviving manuscripts.

Textus Receptus1550/1894 lineage

οὐκ ἐλήλυθα καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλ᾽ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν.

The printed tradition behind the King James Version.

Every witness on this verse all agree
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

Every edition agrees. All 8 printed editions — Nestle-Aland 28, Nestle-Aland 27, SBLGNT, Westcott-Hort, Tregelles, Tyndale House 2017, Textus Receptus (KJV), Byzantine majority — carry every word of this verse, in the same order, with no difference that any translator would render differently.


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.

Luke 5:32οὐNotNotοὐἔρχομαιI have comeI have comeἔρχομαικαλέωto callto callκαλέωδίκαιοςrighteous [righteous [onesδίκαιοςἀλλάbutbutἀλλάἁμαρτωλόςsinnerssinnersἁμαρτωλόςεἰςtotoεἰςμετάνοιαrepentance.repentance.μετάνοιαδίκηn.f. justin.f. justice, jδίκηἁμαρτάνωv. I sinv. I sinἁμαρτάνωμετανοέωv. I repenv. I repent, chμετανοέωμήNeg.prt. nNeg.prt. not, lμήκελεύωv. I commav. I command, oκελεύωἄλλοςAdj other,Adj other, anotἄλλοςμόνοςAdv alone,Adv alone, but,μόνοςἔξεστι(ν)v. it is pv. it is permitἔξεστι(ν)ταχύςAdv quicklAdv quickly, spταχύςἨλίαςn.m. Elijan.m. ElijahἨλίαςτίκτωv. I bear,v. I bear, brinτίκτωἁμαρτωλόςAdj sinninAdj sinning, siἁμαρτωλόςἄδικοςAdj unjustAdj unjust, unrἄδικοςκρίσιςn.f. judgin.f. judging, dκρίσιςἐμαυτοῦRefl.pr. oRefl.pr. of mysἐμαυτοῦτελώνηςn.m. a coln.m. a collectoτελώνηςἀσεβήςAdj impiouAdj impious, unἀσεβήςἹεροσόλυμαn.f. & n.nn.f. & n.n. JerἹεροσόλυμα
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 Luke 5:32

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.

Not I have come to call righteous [ones] but sinners to repentance.
οὐκou Not G3756 Particle · negative
1,622× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Luke as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
This is a strong 'no', used to deny something completely. It appears in the New Testament, such as in Matthew 13:29 and John 1:21. It is a negative answer to a question.
Tyndale gloss
no
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word οὐ (transliterated as ou) is a primary negative particle meaning 'not' or 'no.' It is used to negate verbs or statements, often appearing in various forms depending on the following sound. In the New Testament, it frequently serves to deny facts and is distinct from another negative particle, μή (transliterated as ), which is used for prohibitions or wishes.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

οὐ, before a vowel with smooth breathing οὐκ, before one with rough breathing οὐχ (but improperly οὐχ ἰδού, Ac 2:7, WH, mg.; cf. WH, Intr., § 409; M, Pr., 44, 244),

[in LXX for לֹא, אַיִן, אֵין;]

neg. particle,

not, no, used generally c. indic. and for a denial of fact (cf . μή);

absol. (accented), οὔ, no: Mt 13:29, Jo 1:21 21:5; οὒ οὔ, Mt 5:37, Ja 5:12.

Most freq. negativing a verb or other word, Mt 1:25 10:26, 38, Mk 3:25 9:37, Jo 8:29, Ac 7:5, Ro 1:16, Phl 3:3, al.; in…

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

οὐ before a consonant, οὐκ before a vowel with a smooth breathing, and ody before an aspirated vowel ; but sometimes in the best codd. οὐχ occurs even before a smooth breathing; accordingly LT WH mrg. have adopted οὐχ ἰδού, Acts ii. 7; LT οὐχ ᾿Ιουδαϊκῶς, Gal. ii. 14 (see WH. Introd. § 409); L οὐχ ὀλίγος, Acts xix. 23; οὐχ ἠγάπησαν, Rev. xii. 11; and contrariwise οὐκ before an aspirate, as οὐκ ἕστηκεν, Jn. viii. 44 T; [οὐκ ἕνεκεν, 2 Co. vii. 12 T]; (οὐκ εὗρον, Lk. xxiv. 3; [οὐκ ὑπάρχει, Acts iii. 6] in cod. x [alsoC*; ef. cod. Alex. in 1 ἔβαν. iv. 2,12; Job xix. 16; xxxviiil. 11, 26]); cf. W. $5, 14d. 14; Β. τ; [A. v. Schiitz, Hist. Alphab. Att., Berol. 1875, pp: 54-58 ; Sophocles, Hist. of Grk. Alphab., 1st ed. 1848, p- 64 sq. (on the breathing); Tdf Sept., ed. 4, Proleg. pp: Xxxiii. xxxiv.; Scrivener, Collation ete., 2d ed., p. lv. no. 9; id. cod. Bezae p. xlvii. no. 11 (ef. p. xlii.…

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

ου to make the voyage” (Edd.), and P Amh II. 78?! (a.p. 184) τοιαύτης ο[ὖ]ν αὐθαδίας ἐν αὐτῷ οὔσης οὐ δυνάμενος [ἐν]καρτερεῖν ἐπιδίδωμι, ‘“ his audacity having reached this pitch I can endure no longer and present this petition.” See further Proleg. p. 231 f. In support of the translation ‘‘ I determined not to know” in 1 Cor 2, we may cite P Par 2657 (B.c. 163) (= UPZi. Ρ-. 248) οὐκ ἐκρίναμεν καταχωρῆσαι, ‘we determined not to record,” P Tebt I. 124° (c. B.c. 118) οὐκ (ἐκδρίναμεν ἐξαρ[ιθ]μεῖ[σθαι, “we determined not to be counted,” and the classical formula in P Hamb I. 27° (B.c. 250 (249)) οὐκ ἔφη εἰδέναι, ‘he said that he did not know.” The origin of the double negative οὐ μή is fully discussed by Moulton Pro/eg. p. 187 ff. When we pass to its actual occurrences in the NT, we find that these for the most part are found in passages derived from the OT and in the Sayings of our Lord…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

οὐ (ou) — no.

οὐ,

the negative of fact and statement, as μή of will and thought; οὐ denies, μή rejects; οὐ is absolute, μή relative; οὐ objective, μή subjective. —The same differences hold for all compounds of οὐ and μή, and some examples of οὐδέ and οὐδείς are included below.—As to the Form, see infr. G. USAG[Refs 5th c.BC+]

I. as the negative of single words,

II. as the negative of the sentence.

I. οὐ adhering to single words so as to form a quasi-compound with them:—with Verbs: οὐ δίδωμι withhold, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὐκ εἰῶ prevent, [Refs]; οὐκ ἐθέλω refuse, [Refs]; οὔ φημι deny, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; but sometimes οὐ is retained, εἰ δ᾽ ἂν.. οὐκ ἐθέλωσιν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐάντε.. οὐ (variant{μή}) φῆτε ἐάντε φῆτε [Refs 8th c.BC+] —On the use of οὐ in contrasts, see below [Refs 5th…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

οὐ

ou

ouk ook, and (before an aspirate)

ouch ookh

a primary word; the absolute negative (compare 3361) adverb; no or

not:--+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, +

nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but. See also

3364, 3372.

see GREEK for 3361

see GREEK for 3364

see GREEK for 3372

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

οὐ

Neg.prt.

no, not

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

οὐ ou 1x

negative adverb, originally the gen. of ὅς, spelled οὐκ if followed by a word beginning with a vowel and a smooth breathing, οὐχ if followed by a vowel and rough breathing, not, no, Mt. 5:37; 12:43; 23:37; for the peculiarities of its usage (especially as distinct from μή) consult a grammar

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Particle-N — Particle · negative
particle — a small word colouring the clause; it does not decline.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

PRT-N PaRTicle, disjunctive particle Negative

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
82%not
not82% · 1383×certainly6% · 96×surely4% · 70×no longer3% · 50×no2% · 39×other renderings3% · 51×

1,689 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
adverbial82%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 1,622 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
εἰμίI am, existἐγώαὐτός
ὅς
ἐγώθερίζωI reap, gatherδέbut, on the othe
ὅτιthat, since, because
σύαὐτόςἐγώ
αὐτός
λέγωI say, speakἐνἐπί
σύ
λέγωI say, speakγάρforὅς
οὐNot1622×
what comes after →
εἰμίI am, exist
ἐκArticle theἐγώ
μήNeg
παρέρχομαιI pass byεἰσέρχομαιI go in, come inπίνωI drink, imbibe
οἶδαI know, remember
ὅτιthat, since, becArticle theτίςIrg
γάρfor
εἰμίI am, existθέλωI will, wish, deArticle the
δύναμαιI am powerful, am ab
ἔρχομαιI come, goσῴζωI save, healArticle the

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

Concordanceοὐ · 1,622× in the New Testament
John Matthew Luke 1 Corinthians Romans Mark Acts 2 Corinthians Revelation Hebrews 1 John Galatians

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

Across the New Testament26 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 Clement of Rome Ignatius of Antioch
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 6c. AD 40

ὡς γὰρ τῶν κολοσσιαίων μεγεθῶν τὰς ἐμφάσεις καὶ ἡ βραχυτάτη σφραγὶς τυπωθεῖσα δέχεται, οὕτως τάχα που καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀναγραφείσης ἐν τοῖς νόμοις κοσμοποιίας ὑπερβάλλοντα κάλλη καὶ ταῖς μαρμαρυγαῖς τὰς τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων ψυχὰς ἐπισκιάζοντα βραχυτέροις…

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.11c. AD 75–95

ὁ δὲ τῶν παρʼ ἡμῖν ἀρχιερέων οὐδενὸς ἀρετῇ δεύτερος Ἐλεάζαρος τῷ προειρημένῳ βασιλεῖ ταύτης ἀπολαῦσαι τῆς ὠφελείας οὐκ ἐφθόνησε πάντως ἀντειπὼν ἄν, εἰ μὴ πάτριον ἦν ἡμῖν τὸ μηδὲν ἔχειν τῶν καλῶν ἀπόρρητον.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 1.8c. AD 100

ἐγὼ δὲ οὐχ ὡς διδάσκαλος, ἀλλ̓ ὧς εἰς ἐξ ὑμῶν ὑποδείξω ὀλίγα, δἰ ὧν ἐν τοῖς παροῦσιν εὐφρανθήσεσθε.

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 3rd c. BC 4th c. AD 6th c. AD

δὲ γενόμεναι κατὰ τὸ ἀναγκαῖον κληρονομήσασαι ταξάμεναι τὰ καθήκοντα τέλη θεᾶι Βερενίκηι κυριεύομεν. ὅθεν οὐκ ἀποδιδόντων τὰ ἡμέτερα ἐπεδώκαμεν ἐν τῶι λ ἔτει προσανγελίαν Ἡρακλείδει γενομένωι ἀρχιφυλακίτηι τοῦ Παθυρίτου

C.Erbstreit16Diospolis Magna (Theben)135 BC

ι ἀρουρῶν πρόκτησιν … ένου αὐτὸν ἐν συνεδρίωι καὶ συγχώρησιν … ειν, ἐν ἧι οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ὁ πατήρ. ὅθεν καταβεβραβευμένοι … ήρου συνεριου ἀξιοῦμεν, ἐὰν φαίνηται, συντάξαι γράψαι, οἷς

P.Adl. 2Pathyris125 BC

ὠνῆς ἐν πίστει διὰ τῶν περὶ τὸν Πανεβχοῦνιν ἐκτελειωθεῖσαν τῶι … ἔτει ἀντὶ ὀφειλημάτων, οὐκ ἐπελευσομένους τὸν Πανερέα καὶ τὴν Σενενοῦπιν περὶ ὀφειλημάτων μηδὲ περὶ ἄλλου μηδενός. ταῦτα δὲ

Not I have come to call righteous [ones] but sinners to repentance.
ἐλήλυθαerchomai I have come G2064 Verb · perfect · active · indicative · first person · singular
635× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Luke 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
to invite or summon
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-2RAI-1S — Verb · perfect · active · indicative · first person · singular
perfect active indicative — a past action whose result still stands.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-2RAI-1S Part of Speech: Verb Tense: second peRfect Voice: Active Mood: Indicative Person: first 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
ἔρχομαιI 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

Not I have come to call righteous [ones] but sinners to repentance.
καλέσαιkaleō to call G2564 Verb · aorist · active · infinitive
148× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Luke than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to call or invite someone, like calling out to them loudly. It's used in Matthew 20:8 and Mark 3:31 to describe calling people to come and follow. This word can also mean to invite someone to a special event or to join in something.
Tyndale gloss
to call: call
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

καλέω is a Greek verb meaning 'to call' or 'to summon.' It encompasses a range of uses, including inviting someone to a meal or event, calling someone by name, and metaphorically inviting people to partake in spiritual blessings. The New Testament frequently employs this term, notably in Matthew and Romans. Notably, Liddell-Scott mentions its use in legal contexts, which is not highlighted in other entries.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

καλέω, -ῶ,

[in LXX chiefly for קרא;]

to call, summon: c. acc. pers., Mt 20:8 25:14, Mk 3:31, Lk 19:13, Ac 4:18; seq. ἐκ, Mt 2:15(LXX); metaph., I Pe 2:9.

to call to one's house, invite: Lk 14:16, I Co 10:27, Re 19:9; εἰς τ. γάμους, Mt 22:3, 9, Lk 14:8, 9, Jo 2:2; ὁ καλέσας,

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

καλέω, -@; impf. ἐκάλουν; fut. καλέσω (W. § 13, 3c.); 1 aor. ἐκάλεσα; pi. κέκληκα; Pass., pres. καλοῦμαι; pf. 3 pers. sing. κέκληται (1 Co. vii. 18 LT Tr WH; [Rev. xix. 13 L T Tr WH)), ptep. κεκλημένος ; 1 aor. ἐκλήθην ; 1 fut. κληθήσομαι ; [fr. Hom. down]; Hebr. xp; Lat. voco; i. e. 1. to call (Germ. rufen τὰ βοάω, fin.]) ; a. to call aloud, utter in a loud voice: ἄχρις οὗ τὸ σήμερον καλεῖται, as long as the word ‘to-day’ is called out or proclaimed, Heb. iii. 13; τινά, to call one to approach or stand before one, Mt. xx. 8; xxii. 3 (where εἰς τοὺς γάμους seems to belong to τοὺς κεκλημένους) : Mt. xxv. 14; [Mk. iii. 31 LT Tr WH]; Lk. xix. 13; τὰ ἴδια πρόβατα κατ᾽ ὄνομα, his own sheep each by its name, Jn. x. 3 (where LT Tr WH φωνεῖ); used of Christ, calling certain persons to be his disciples and constant companions, Mt. iv. 21 (note what precedes in 19: δεῦτε ὀπίσω pov); Mk. i. 20; to…

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

καλέω. For this verb = ‘‘summon,” “invite,” as in Mt 22° a/., see P Oxy XII. 1487" (iv/A.D.) καλῖ σε Θέων vids ᾿Ωριγένους εἰς τοὺς γάμους THs ἀδελφῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἐν τῇ αὔριον, and similarly 26. 14861 (iv/A.p.). In both instances it is noticeable that καλῖ takes the place of the earlier ἐρωτᾷ, cf. 73. 1484, 1485. See also P Hamb I. 295 (A.D. 89) κληθέντων τινῶν . καὶ μὴ ὑπακουσάντων. The participle is common = “‘called,’’ ‘‘named,”’ as in Lk 7 a/., e.g. P Petr 11. 4531 20 (B.C. 246) els φρούριον τὸ καλούμενον [ΠΠἸοσιδέον, Osty , καλος 1210 (Roman) Πασήμιο(ς) ΠΠκῶτο(ς) καλ(ούμενος), BGU I. 3497 (A.D. 313) ἐν κλήρῳ καλουμένου (1. — évw) ᾿Αφρικιανός and P Oxy X. 12737 (A.D. 260) περιτραχήλιον μανιάκην,. καλούμενον, ‘a necklace of the kind called maniaces’’ (Edd.). With the usage in Gal 115 we may compare CP Herm I. 251-7’ Αντωνῖνος κληθήσεται and 24. 261: εἰ δοκεῖ σίοι] κληθῆναι... αὐτούς, where…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

καλέω (kaleō) — to call: call.

κᾰλέω,

Aeolic dialect κάλημι (which see), Epic dialect infinitive καλήμεναι [Refs 8th c.BC+]: Ionic dialect imperfect καλέεσκον [Refs]; 3rd.pers. singular κάλεσκε [Refs 3rd c.BC+]: future, Ionic dialect καλέω [Refs 8th c.BC+], Attic dialect καλῶ [LXX+5th c.BC+]aorist 1 subjunctive): aorist 1 ἐκάλεσα, Epic dialect ἐκάλεσσα, κάλεσσα, [Refs 8th c.BC+] (late Epic dialect ἔκλησα [Refs 2nd c.BC+]: perfect κέκληκα [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—middle, Attic dialect future καλοῦμαι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; later καλέσομαι (ἐκ-, ἐπι-) uncertain reading in [Refs 4th c.BC+]: aorist 1 ἐκαλεσάμην [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Epic dialect καλεσσάμην [Refs 8th c.BC+]:—passive, future κεκλήσομαι [LXX+8th c.BC+]: aorist ἐκλήθην [Refs 7th c.BC+]perfect κέκλημαι, Epic dialect 3rd.pers. plural κεκλήαται [Refs 3rd c.BC+], Ionic dialect κεκλέαται [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Epic dialect 3rd.pers. plural…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

καλέω

kaleo

akin to the base of 2753; to "call" (properly, aloud, but used in a

variety of applications, directly or otherwise):--bid, call (forth),

(whose, whose sur-)name (was (called)).

see GREEK for 2753

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

καλέω

v.

I call, invite, name

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

καλέω kaleō 148x

to call, call to, Jn. 10:3; to call into one’s presence, send for a person, Mt. 2:7; to summon, Mt. 2:15; 25:14; to invite, Mt. 22:9; to call to the performance of a certain thing, Mt. 9:13; Heb. 11:8; to call to a participation in the privileges of the Gospel, Rom. 8:30; 9:24; 1 Cor. 1:9; 7:18; to call to an office or dignity, Heb. 5:4; to name, style, Read the full entry →

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

καλέω καλέσω is aor1 subj. to call, summon, Hom., etc.: Mid. to call to oneself, id. Hom.

to call to a repast, to invite, Od.; κ. ἐπὶ δεῖπνον Hdt., Xen.; κληθέντες πρός τινα invited to his house, Dem.

to call on, invoke, τοὺς θεούς Hdt., attic; so in Mid., Aesch., etc.:—but ἀράς, ἅς σοι καλοῦμαι curses, which I call down on thee, Soph.:—in Pass., of the god, to be invoked, Aesch.

as law-term, of the judge, to cite or summon before the court, Ar., Dem.; πρὶν τὴν ἐμὴν [δίκην] καλεῖσθαι before it is called on, Ar.

of the plaintiff, in Mid., καλεῖσθαί τινα to sue at law, Lat. vocare in jus, id. Ar., etc.

to call by name, to call, name, Il., Trag.:— ὄνομα καλεῖν τινά to call him a name (i. e. by name), Od.; so, without ὄνομα, τί νιν καλοῦσα τύχοιμ᾽ ἄν; Aesch.:—Pass., τύμβωι δ᾽…

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-AAN — Verb · aorist · active · infinitive
aorist active infinitive — a completed action, viewed as a whole.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-AAN Part of Speech: Verb Tense: Aorist Voice: Active Mood: iNfinitive TVM equivalent: G5658

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Call

(1.) To cry for help, hence to pray (Gen. 4:26). Thus men are said to “call upon the name of the Lord” (Acts 2:21; 7:59; 9:14; Rom. 10:12; 1 Cor. 1:2).

(2.) God calls with respect to men when he designates them to some special office (Ex. 31:2; Isa. 22:20; Acts 13:2), and when he invites them to accept his offered grace (Matt. 9:13; 11:28; 22:4).

Nave's Topical Bible

→ PERSONAL

By Christ Isa 55:5

→ TO SPECIAL RELIGIOUS DUTY

OF ABRAHAM Ge 12:1-3; Isa 51:2; Heb 11:8

MOSES Ex 3:2,4,10; 4:1-16; Ps 105:26; Ac 7:34,35

AARON AND HIS SONS Ex 4:14-16

See above, and Ps 105:26; Ex 28:1; Heb 5:4

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
16%being called
being called16% · 24×called10% · 15×having called7% · 10×invited7% · 10×calling5% · 7×will be called5% · 7×call4% · 6×you were called4% · 6×other renderings42% · 62×

147 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 45 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
verb59%linking verb40%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 148 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
ὄροςa mountainλέγωI say, speakἸούδαςJudah, Judas, Ju
καίand, even, also, nam
υἱόςa son, descendenὅςαὐτός
αὐτός
ἐπίτροποςa steward, guardδοῦλος (II)πρός
ὅς
κλῆσιςa calling, summoσύκαίand, even, also,
θεόςGod, a god
υἱόςa son, descendenφίλοςτέκνονa child, descend
καλέωto call148×
what comes after →
Article the
ὄνομαname, character,μάγοςa sorcerer, magiυἱόςa son, descenden
σύ
σπέρμαseed, offspringArticle theεἰς
αὐτός
κύριοςlord, Lord, mastκαίand, even, also,ἐπί
καίand, even, also, nam
δίδωμιI offer, giveπῶςὅς
ἐν
Article theεἷςoneοὗτος

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

Concordanceκαλέω · 148× in the New Testament
Luke Matthew Acts 1 Corinthians Romans Revelation 1 Peter Hebrews Galatians Mark 1 Thessalonians Ephesians

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 254 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 Clement of Rome The Shepherd of Hermas Ignatius of Antioch
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 15c. AD 40

ἑκάστῃ δὲ τῶν ἡμερῶν ἀπένειμεν ἔνια τῶν τοῦ παντὸς τμημάτων τὴν πρώτην ὑπεξελόμενος, ἣν αὐτὸς οὐδὲ πρώτην, ἵνα μὴ ταῖς ἄλλαις συγκαταριθμῆται, καλεῖ, μίαν δ’ ὀνομάσας ὀνόματι εὐθυβόλῳ προσαγορεύει, τὴν μονάδος φύσιν καὶ πρόσρησιν ἐνιδών τε καὶ…

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

ὡς πύργος, ὃν οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ ἐφ' ὕβρει τοῦ θεοῦ ᾠκοδόμησαν, καὶ ὡς τὰς φωνὰς αὐτῶν μετέβαλε καὶ ὁ τόπος, ἐν ᾧ τοῦτο γέγονε, Βαβυλὼν ἐκλήθη.

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
6th c. AD 3rd c. AD 2nd c. AD 5th c. AD 4th c. AD
P.Cair. Goodspeed 9Pathyris100 BC–99 BC

παρὰ Πατῆτος τοῦ Πανεβχώνιος. ἐκμισθωθείσης μοι τῆς νήσου καλουμένης Περχμασσινηιτ εἰς τὸ ιϛ ἔτος πυροῦ ἀρτάβας τεσσαράκοντα πέντε γίνονται πυροῦ ἀρτάβαι με ὄρνιθας

BGU 3 1000Pathyris99 BC

ὅλης τῆς γῆς· νότου γῆ Πατοῦτος τοῦ Ψεμμώνθου βορρᾶ γῆ Φαμούνιος ἀπηλιώτου κοιλὰς διῶρυξ καλούμενος πλα … Παθύρεως λιβὸς ὄρος ἢ οἳ ἂν ὦσι γείτονες πάντοθεν. ἐπρίατο Εὔνους Ἀσκληπιάδου

P.Corn. 40Theadelphia (Arsinoites)AD 105

αὐτῇ … … ὡς ἐτῶν τριάκοντα τριῶν οὐλὴ … μηδὲν τὴν Ἀθηνάριον μηδὲν … καλεῖν μηδὲν καλέσειν τῶι Φιλιππωι … … πωαι ἐπεγράφη α … π … … ἑαυτῆς

Not I have come to call righteous [ones] but sinners to repentance.
δικαίουςdikaios righteous [ones] G1342 Adjective · accusative · plural · masculine
79× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Luke as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
Being just means being fair and innocent, as described in Matthew and Romans, where God's people are called to live righteous lives.
Amplified meaning
just, innocent, or those who think they are righteous
Tyndale gloss
just
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

δίκαιος is an adjective meaning 'righteous' or 'just,' derived from the concept of δίκη, which refers to justice or right. It describes individuals or things that align with divine standards of morality and duty. In the New Testament, it is used to refer to God, Christ, and various righteous individuals, as seen in passages like Romans 3:26 and Matthew 1:19. The term can also imply innocence or fairness.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

δίκαιος, -α, -ον

(< δίκη),

[in LXX chiefly for צַדִּיק (for rendering of צַדִּיק in sense of correct, v. Deiss., BS, 115 f.); sometimes for נָקִי as Pr 1:11, al. ;]

in early Gk. writers

of persons, observant of δίκη, custom, rule, right, righteous in performing duties to gods and men ;

of things, righteous, in accordance with right.

In NT

righteous, chiefly in the broad sense, as above, of the person or thing corresponding to the Divine standard of right

of persons: of God, Ro 3:26, I Jo 2:29 3:7; of Christ, Ac 3:14 7:52 22:14, I Pe 3:18, I Jo 2:1; of men, Mt 1:19 (Abbott, Essays, 75 f.) 10:41…

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

δίκαιος, -aia, -αιον, (fr. δίκη right), [fr. Hom. down], prop. the Hebr. pas, observant of ἡ δίκη, righteous, observing divine and human laws; one who is such as he ought to be; (Germ. rechtbeschaffen; in the earlier laneuage, whence appropriated by Luther, gerecht in a broad sense; in Grk. writ. used even of physical things, as ἵππος, Xen. mem. 4, 4,5; γήδιον δικαιότατον, most fertile, Xen. Cyr. 8, 3, 38; [ἅρμα δίκαιον, ib. 2, 2, 26]); al in a wide sense, upright, righteous, virtuous, keeping the commands of God; a. univ.: Mt. i. 19 (the meaning is, it was not consistent with his uprightness to expose his betrothed to public reproach); Mt. x. 41; xiii. 43, 49; xxiii. 28; xxv. 37,46; Lk. i. 6,17; xiv. 145 xviii. 9; xx. 20; Ro. v. 7 [ef. W. 117 (111)]; 1 Tim.i. 9; Jas. v. 6, 16; 1 Pet. 111. 12; 1 Jn. iii. 7, [10 Lehm.]; Rev. xxii. 11; opp. to ἁμαρτωλοὶ καὶ ἀσεβεῖς, 1 Pet. iv. 18; δίκαιοι…

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

δίκαιος. Our sources have naturally little light to throw upon the deeper Christian significance of this important word, but we may give a few examples showing its general usage. The adjective is applied to a ‘‘just measure” (μετρήσει δ.) ΒΡ. Denn Si(p: cheno) atose4n (BiG 108) Εἴδι, anda “ust rule” (σκυτάλη δ.) P Rein 20% (p.c. 108). Then it would seem to have become a vox propria in connexion with the rise of the Nile, e.g. OG/S 666" (i/A.p.) viv μᾶλλον ἀπέλαυσε (sc. ἡ Αἴγυπτος) τῆς δικαίας ἀναβάσεως τοῦ θεοῦ : see Dittenberger’s note and cf. Deissmann BS, p. 116. In P Petr IL. 28 011. 6 (taxing account—iii/B.c.) we hear of a δικαίου νήσου. The neuter is very largely used substantially, for ‘‘ duty,” Thus in P Petr II. 1027 the royal gooseherds make petition that certain grievances be set right, ἵνα δυνώμεθα τὰ δίκαια ποιεῖν τῶι βασιλεῖ, ‘in order that we may be able to do our duty to…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

δίκαιος (dikaios) — just.

δίκαιος [ῐ], α, ον,

also ος, ον [Refs 5th c.BC+]: (δίκη):

__A in [Refs 8th c.BC+] and all writers, of persons, observant of custom or rule, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; especially of social rule, well-ordered, civilized, ὑβρισταί τε καὶ ἄγριοι οὐδὲ δ. [Refs 8th c.BC+]; δ. πολίτης a good citizen, [Refs 4th c.BC+]: metaphorically of the sea, [Refs 6th c.BC+]; δικαίη ζόη a civilized way of living, [Refs 5th c.BC+] adverb δικαίως, μνᾶσθαι woo in due form, decently, [Refs 8th c.BC+]loyally, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

__A.2 observant of duty to gods and men, righteous, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; opposed to δυσσεβής, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also of actions, etc., righteous, ἐπὶ ῥηθέντι δικαίῳ a thing rightly said, [Refs 8th c.BC+]

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

δίκαιος

dikaios

from 1349; equitable (in character or act); by implication, innocent,

holy (absolutely or relatively):--just, meet, right(-eous).

see GREEK for 1349

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

δίκαιος, ία, ιον

Adj

just, righteous, impartial

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

δίκαιος dikaios 79x

just, equitable, fair, Mt. 20:4; Lk. 12:57; Jn. 5:30; Col. 4:1; of persons, just, righteous, absolutely, Jn. 17:25; Rom. 3:10, 26; 2 Tim. 4:8; 1 Pet. 3:18; 1 Jn. 1:9; 2:1, 29; Rev. 16:5; righteous by account and acceptance, Rom. 2:13; 5:19; in ordinary usage, just, upright…

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Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

δίκαιος adjdi^kai os_h_on adjdi^kai os_on δίκη in Hom. and early writers,

of persons, observant of custom and social rule, well-ordered, civilised, Od.; so, δικαίη ζόη a regular way of living, Hdt.:—adv., δικαίως μνᾶσθαι to woo in due form, decently, Od.

observant of right, righteous, Hom., etc.:—so of actions, in accordance with right, righteous, id. Hom.

later usage:

of things, even, well-balanced, ἅρμα δίκαιον Xen.:— regular, exact, rigid, ὀργυιαὶ δίκαιαι Hdt.; τῷ δικαιοτάτῳ τῶν λόγων to speak quite exactly, id. Hdt.; πάντα δικαίως τετήρηται Dem.

right, lawful, just, τὸ δίκαιον right, opp. to τὸ ἄδικον, Hdt., etc.; also, a right, a lawful claim, Thuc., etc.:—adv. -ως, rightly, justly, Hdt., etc.

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj-APM — Adjective · accusative · plural · masculine
accusative — the one it is done to — the object.
Agrees with anything else marked plural masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

A-APM Part of Speech: Adjective Case: Accusative Number: Plural Gender: Masculine

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
74%righteous
righteous74% · 60×right9% · 7×just5% · 4×a righteous5% · 4×righteous one4% · 3×other renderings4% · 3×

81 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
predicate41%subject22%object19%adverbial15%second object3%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 79 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,τότεthenμέσοςmiddle, in the m
καίand, even, also, nam
ἅγιοςset apart, holy,ἀληθινόςtrue, real, genuπροφήτηςa prophet, poet
εἰμίI am, exist
ἐάνCondὅτιthat, since, becμέλλωI am about to
δέbut, on the other ha
Article theεἰμίI am, exist
αὐτός
ἀνήρa male human beiεἰμίI am, existἀδελφόςa brother
δίκαιοςrighteous [ones]79×
what comes after →
καίand, even, also, nam
Article theἄδικοςunjust, unrighteἅγιοςset apart, holy,
εἰμίI am, exist
καίand, even, also,ἵναin order that, sὅτιthat, since, bec
ἀλλάbut, except
ἁμαρτωλόςsinning, sinful,
εἰς
ὄνομαname, character,ζωήlife
κρίσιςjudging, divine judg
κρίνωI judge, decide,Article the

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

Concordanceδίκαιος · 79× in the New Testament
Matthew Luke Romans 1 John Acts Revelation 2 Peter 1 Peter Hebrews John 2 Thessalonians James
Across the New Testament20 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 222 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 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 1.21c. AD 75–95

τοῦτο δὴ παιδεῦσαι βουληθεὶς Μωυσῆς τὸ παίδευμα τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ πολίτας τῆς τῶν νόμων θέσεως οὐκ ἀπὸ συμβολαίων καὶ τῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλους δικαίων ἤρξατο τοῖς ἄλλοις παραπλησίως, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τὸν θεὸν καὶ τὴν τοῦ κόσμου κατασκευὴν τὰς γνώμας αὐτῶν ἀναγαγὼν καὶ…

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
6th c. AD 3rd c. AD 3rd c. BC 2nd c. AD 2nd c. BC

Τῆς δὲ σῆς δικαίας ἀντιλήψεως … τὴν ἐπὶ σὲ καταφυγὴν πεποιημέναι ἀξιοῦμεν σʼ ἐμβλέψαντʼ εἰς τὸν γεγονότα ὑπʼ

διὸ καὶ ἐπὶ Σαντοβίθυος τοῦ στρατηγοῦ … συνσχεθεὶς ἠξίωσεν ὡς μετὰ τὴν δίεσιν παντὶ δίκαιον … ου. Ὡσαύτως ἐπὶ Πτολεμαίου τοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ Παθυρίτου … μων κληρονομίαν καὶ συνγραφὴν

C.Erbstreit16Diospolis Magna (Theben)135 BC

γράψαι, οἷς καθήκει ἐξαποστεῖλαι αὐτοὺς ἐπί σε, ἵνʼ, καθὼς ἂν δόξηι σοι, τύχωμεν τῶν δικαίων. εὐτύχει. ἀναγνωσθέντος καὶ δικαιολογηθέντων αὐτῶν ἔπεισεν ὁ Θορταῖος προσενεγκάμενος τὴν τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ μητέρα

Not I have come to call righteous [ones] but sinners to repentance.
ἀλλ᾽alla but G235 Conjunction
638× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
rarer in Luke than elsewhere in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
But is a strong opposing word, used in Matthew 5:15 and John 7:16. It shows contrast or surprise, like in the phrase 'but God' in Romans 3:31.
Amplified meaning
on the contrary
Tyndale gloss
but
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word ἀλλά (alla) is an adversative particle, meaning 'but' or 'otherwise.' It is derived from the neuter plural of ἄλλος and is used to introduce opposition or contrast in sentences. In the New Testament, it often appears in contexts that involve negation or exceptions, such as in Matthew 5:15 and John 16:2. The lexicons note its stronger adversative force compared to δέ.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ἀλλά (ἀλλ’ usually bef. α and υ, often bef. ε and η, rarely bef. ο and ω, never bef. ι; Tdf., Pr., 93 f.; WH, App., 146),

adversative particle,

stronger than δέ; prop. neuter pl. of ἄλλος, used adverbially, with changed accent; hence prop. otherwise, on the other hand (cf. Ro 3:31);

opposing a previous negation, but: οὐ (μὴ) . . . ἀ., Mt 5:15, 17 Mk 5:39, Jo 7:16, al.; rhetorically subordinating but not entirely negativing what precedes, οὐ . . . ἀ., not so much . . . as, Mk 9:37, Mt 10:20, Jo 12:44, al.; with ellipse of the negation, Mt 11:7-9

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

ἀλλά, an adversative particle, derived from ἄλλα, neut. of the adj. ἄλλος, which was originally pronounced ἀλλός (cf. Klotz ad Dévar. ii. p. 1 sq.), hence properly, other things se. than those just mentioned. It differs from δέ, as the Lat. at and sed from autem, [ef. W. 441 sq. (411)]. 1. But. So related to the preceding words that it serves to introduce 1. an opposition to concessions; nevertheless, notwithstanding: Mt. xxiv. 6; Mk. xiii. 20; xiv. 28; Jn. xvi. 7, 20; Acts iv. 17; vii. 48; Ro. v. 14 sq.; x. 16; 1 Co. iv. 4; 2 Co. vii. 6; Phil. ii. 27 (ἀλλ᾽ ὁ θεός etc.), ete. 2. an objection: Jn. vii. 27; Ro. x. 18 sq.; 1 Co. xv. 35; Jas. ii. 18. 3. an exception: Lk. xxii. 53; Ro. iv. 2; 1 Co. viii. 7; xe 29: 4. a restriction: Jn. xi. 42; Gal. iv. 8; Mk. xiv. 36. 5. an ascensive transition or gradation, nay rather, yea moreover: Jn. xvi. 2; 2 Co. i. 9; esp. with καί added, Lk. xii. 7…

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

ἀλλά. The closeness οἱ ἀλλά to πλήν appears in more uses than one. Armitage Robinson, Zp/estans, p. 205, has a note on a quasi-resumpltive use of ἀλλά in Eph 524 which is closely paralleled by that of πλήν in ver. 33. Then there are instances of ἀλλά = ‘‘except.” ‘This is clear where we have ἀλλ᾽ ἤ (as in 2 Cor 13%): thus P Petr 11. 9 (3)® (B.c. 24139) ὥστε μηθένα εἶναι ἐνταῦθα ἀλλ᾽ ἢ ἡμᾶς, ‘ There is no one left here except ourselves” (Ed.), 2d. 46 (α)" (B.C. 209) καὶ μὴ ὑποκεῖσθαι πρὸς ἄλλο μηδὲν add’ ἢ τὴν mpoyeypap[μέν]ην ἐγγύην, “has not been pledged for any other purpose than the aforesaid security” (1α.), P Lond 89738 (a.p. 84) (=TIII. p. 207) ὃ μέντοιγε οὐ θέλων. ἀλλὰ ἢ ἀνάγκηι. In P Tebt I. το 419 (B.c. 92) μὴ ἐξέστω Φιλίσκωι γυναῖκα ἄλλην. μ γυ…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ἀλλά (alla) — but.

ἀλλά,

conjunction, originally neuter plural of ἄλλος, otheruise: used adversatively to limit or oppose words, sentences, or clauses, stronger than δέ:

I. in simple oppositions, but,

I.1. after negative clauses, οὐ κακός, ἀλλ᾽ ἀγαθός[Refs 8th c.BC+]

I.1. b after a simple negative, ἦ παραφρονεῖ; οὔκ, ἀλλ᾽ ὕπνος μ᾽ ἔχει[Refs 5th c.BC+]

I.1. c frequently after οὐ μόνον, μὴ μόνον, with or without καί, οὐ μόνον ἅπαξ, ἀ. πολλάκις[Refs 5th c.BC+], either, not only.. but.., μὴ ὅτι ἰδιώτην τινά, ἀλλὰ τὸν μέγαν βασιλέα[Refs 5th c.BC+]; or, not only not.. but.., οὐχ ὅπως κωλυταὶ.. γενήσεσθε, ἀλλὰ καὶ.. περιόψεσθε[Refs 5th c.BC+]; the negative form is ἀλλ᾽ οὐδέ, μὴ ὅτι ὑπὲρ ἄλλου, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ ὑπὲρ ἐμαυτοῦ δίκην εἴρηκα[Refs 4th…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ἀλλά

alla

neuter plural of 243; properly, other things, i.e. (adverbially)

contrariwise (in many relations):--and, but (even), howbeit, indeed,

nay, nevertheless, no, notwithstanding, save, therefore, yea, yet.

see GREEK for 243

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ἀλλά

Cj.

but, except

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ἀλλά alla 638x

but; however; but still more; ἀλλάγε, at all events; ἀλλή, unless, except. Ἀλλά also serves to introduce a sentence with keenness and emphasis, Jn. 16:2; Rom. 6:5; 7:7; Phil. 3:8

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ἀλλά Conjunct., properly neut. pl. of ἄλλος (with changed accent) otherwise, but, stronger than δέ:

to oppose single clauses, but, Lat. autem, the preceding clause being negat., οὐ μόνον ἅπαξ, ἀλλὰ πολλάκις Plat.; so, οὐχ (or μὴ) ὅτι, οὐχ (or μὴ) ὅπως, are followed by ἀλλά or ἀλλά καὶ . . . , not only . . . , but . . .

after a negative ἀλλά sometimes = ἀλλ᾽ ἤ, except, but, ἔπαισεν οὔτις ἀλλ᾽ ἐγώ Soph.

to oppose whole sentences, but, yet, Lat. at:— used by Hom., with imperat. or subj., to remonstrate, encourage, persuade, like Lat. tandem, ἀλλ᾽ ἴθι, ἀλλ᾽ ἄγε, ἀλλὰ ἴωμεν, Hom.

joined with other Particles, ἀλλ᾽ ἄρα, or, ἀλλ᾽ οὖν, but then, however, Hdt., etc.

ἀλλὰ γάρ, Lat. enimvero, but really, certainly, attic

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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
92%but
but92% · 591×instead2% · 15×other renderings4% · 25×other renderings2% · 12×

643 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
adverbial10%object6%predicate3%subject2%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 638 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
οἶδαI know, rememberκατεργάζομαιI work out, prodἐπιγινώσκωI come to know,
σύ
λέγωI say, speakγράφωI writeἐν
ἐγώ
ἀπόκρατέωI lay hold of, oθέλημαwill, wish, desi
εἰμίI am, exist
οὐNegοὐδείςno one, none, noΜωϋσῆςMoses
θεόςGod, a god
Article theἄνομοςlawless, sinful,
ἀλλάbut638×
what comes after →
Article the
Article theπέμπωI sendθεόςGod, a god
καίand, even, also, nam
Article theπᾶςall, the whole, ἐν
οὐNeg
πᾶςall, the whole, ἐνδύναμαιI am powerful, a
ἐν
πᾶςall, the whole, Article theδύναμιςmight, power, ma
ἵναin order that, so th
φανερόωI make clear, viπληρόωI fill, fulfill,σῴζωI save, heal

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

Concordanceἀλλά · 638× in the New Testament
John 1 Corinthians Romans 2 Corinthians Mark Matthew Luke Acts Galatians 1 Peter Hebrews Philippians

Every reference is on the Strong's page.

Across the New Testament27 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 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 1.1c. AD 75–95

Τοῖς τὰς ἱστορίας συγγράφειν βουλομένοις οὐ μίαν οὐδὲ τὴν αὐτὴν ὁρῶ τῆς σπουδῆς γινομένην αἰτίαν, ἀλλὰ πολλὰς καὶ πλεῖστον ἀλλήλων διαφερούσας.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 1.8c. AD 100

ἐγὼ δὲ οὐχ ὡς διδάσκαλος, ἀλλ̓ ὧς εἰς ἐξ ὑμῶν ὑποδείξω ὀλίγα, δἰ ὧν ἐν τοῖς παροῦσιν εὐφρανθήσεσθε.

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 3rd c. BC 6th c. AD
P. Grenf. 1 21Pathyris127 BC

ἐπὶ Διονυσίου ἀγορανόμου ἐν τῶι ϛ ἔτους ἐπὶ τοῦ Φιλομήτορος, ἣ διασαφεῖ τά τε ἄλλα καὶ ἐπίτροπον Ἑρμ … φιλον ὄντα συγγενῆ κατέστησεν καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκετικῶν σωμάτων δ

P.Grenf. 1 44Pathyris127 BC

ἐπὶ Διονυσίου ἀγορανόμου ἐν τῶι ϛ ἔτει ἐπὶ τοῦ Φιλομήτορος ἣ διασαφεῖ τά τε ἄλλα καὶ ἐπίτροπον Ἑρμ … φιλον ὄντα συγγενῆ κατέστησεν καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκετικῶν σωμάτων δ

P.Grenf. 1 37Thebais109 BC

νῦν οὐδενός … ς ἀξιοῦμεν … ἀνθρώπου ἀλόγως … ὀφείλει ἡμῖν διάφορα … θαι ἀλλʼ ἀποστερέσαι … ησας ἀλλά … τας κατὰ κοινόν … ἐπίσκεψιν ποιησάσθαι. … τούτων γὰρ

Not I have come to call righteous [ones] but sinners to repentance.
ἁμαρτωλοὺςhamartōlos sinners G268 Adjective · accusative · plural · masculine
47× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Luke than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
A sinful person, or someone who does wrong, like the sinners Jesus ate with in Matthew 9:10-13. This word describes people who are wicked or sinful.
Amplified meaning
those who are sinful, or who know they are sinners
Tyndale gloss
sinful
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word ἁμαρτωλός (i.e., *hamartolos*) means 'sinful' or 'a sinner.' It is derived from the verb ἁμαρτάνω and is used in the New Testament to refer to all people as sinners, as well as to those particularly wicked. Notably, it appears in verses like Matthew 9:10-13. The lexicons indicate a range of meanings from general sinfulness to specific vices.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ἁμαρτωλός, -όν

(< ἁμαρτάνω),

[in LXX chiefly for רשׁﬠ;]

sinful, a sinner: of all men, I Ti 1:15; of those especially wicked, I Ti 1:9, I Pe 4:18; p1., Mt 9:10-13 11:19 26:45, al. (v. MM, VGT, s.v.; Cremer, 102, 634)

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

ἁμαρτωλός, -ov, (fr. the form ἁμάρτω, as φείδωλος from φείδομαι), devoted to sin, a (masc. or fem.) sinner. In the N. T. distinctions are so drawn that one is called ἁμαρτωλός who is a. not free from sin. In this sense all men are sinners; as, Mt. ix.13; Mk. 1.17; Lk. vy. 8, 32; xiii. 2; xviii. 13; Ro. iii. 7; v.[8],19; 1 Tim.i.15; Heb. vii. 306. ῬΌ. pre-eminently sinful, especially wicked; a. univ.: 1 Tim.i.9; Jude 15; Mk. viii. 38; Lk. vi. 82-34; vii. 37, 39; xv. 7,10; Jn. ix. 16, 24 sq. 31; Gal. ii. 17; Heb. xii. 3; Jas. iv.8; v.20; 1 Pet.iv.18; ἁμαρτία itself is called ἁμαρτωλός, Ro. vii. 13. β. spec., of men stained with certain definite vices or crimes, e. g. the tax-gatherers: Lk. xv. 2; xviii. 13; xix. 7; hence the combination τελῶναι καὶ ἁμαρτωλοί, Mt. ix. 10 sq.; xi. 19; Mk. ii. 15 sq.; Lk. v. 30; vii. 34; xv. 1. heathen, called by the Jews sinners κατ᾽ ἐξοχήν (1 Mace. i. 34…

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

ἁμαρτωλός appears in OGZS 55°° (B.c. 240) ἐὰν [δὲ] μὴ συντελῆι ὁ ἄρχων καὶ οἱ πολῖται τὴν [θυσί]αν κατ᾽ ἐνιαυτόν, ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἔστωσαν [θεῶ]ν πάντων, “sinners against all the gods.” Cf. also the common phrase in sepulchral epitaphs in the southwest of Asia Minor containing a threat against any one who shall desecrate the tomb, ἁμαρτωλὸς ἔστω θεοῖς (κατα)χθονίοις, “‘let him be as a sinner before the (sub)terranean gods”: see Deissmann ZAZ p. 115, who regards the genitive after ἁμαρτωλός as a possible ‘‘ provincialism of S.W. Asia Minor.” (See under @voxos.) He cites another occurrence, from the same locality, with the formula as in OG/S 55 (p. 116n.). Schlageter p. 24 adds /G III. 461 α. These instances are sufficient to prove the ‘‘ profane” use of the word, as Cremer (af. Deissmann x s.) admitted in his…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ἁμαρτωλός (hamartōlos) — sinful.

ἁμαρτωλ-ός, όν,

erroneous, ἁμαρτωλότερον[Refs 4th c.BC+]; erring, ἐν πᾶσιν[Refs 1st c.AD+]

2. of bad character, δοῦλοι[Refs 1st c.BC+] W.: with genitive, sinning against, θεῶν[Refs] —ἁμαρτωλὴ γέρων, barbarism in [Refs 5th c.BC+]. adverb -ῶς[Refs 5th c.BC+]

II. substantive ἁμαρτωλός, ὁ, sinner, [LXX+NT]

Strong's Greek Dictionary

ἁμαρτωλός

hamartolos

from 264; sinful, i.e. a sinner:--sinful, sinner.

see GREEK for 264

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ἁμαρτωλός, ον

Adj

sinning, sinful, a sinner

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ἁμαρτωλός hamartōlos 47x

one who deviates from the path of virtue, a sinner, Mk. 2:17; depraved, Mk. 8:38; sinful, detestable, Rom. 7:13

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ἁμαρτωλός sinful:— as Subst. a sinner, NTest.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj-APM — Adjective · accusative · plural · masculine
accusative — the one it is done to — the object.
Agrees with anything else marked plural masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

A-APM Part of Speech: Adjective Case: Accusative Number: Plural Gender: Masculine

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
60%sinners
sinners60% · 29×sinner19% · 9×sinful17% · 8×sinners!2% · 1×sinner!2% · 1×

48 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
adverbial30%predicate26%subject19%object19%indirect object4%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 47 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
τελώνηςa collector of tἀσεβήςimpious, ungodlyφίλος
Article the
καίand, even, also,μετάχείρa hand
ἄνθρωποςa man, one of the hu
χείρa handδύναμαιI am powerful, aArticle the
ἀλλάbut, except
δίκαιοςjust, righteous,
χείρa hand
εἰςκαθαρίζωI make clean
ἁμαρτωλόςsinners47×
what comes after →
καίand, even, also, nam
δικαιόωI make righteousτελώνηςa collector of tArticle the
εἰμίI am, exist
κύριοςlord, Lord, mastοὐNegἐγώ
ἐσθίωI eat
Article theκαίand, even, also,
Article the
ἀγαπάωI loveαὐτόςἁμαρτίαa sin
εἰς
μετάνοιαrepentance, a chἑαυτοῦ

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

Concordanceἁμαρτωλός · 47× in the New Testament
Luke Mark Matthew John Romans 1 Timothy Galatians Hebrews James 1 Peter Jude
Across the New Testament11 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 43 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
The Epistle of Barnabas The Shepherd of Hermas Clement of Rome
The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 4.2c. AD 100

μὴ δῶμεν τῇ ἑαυτῶν ψυχῇ ἄνεσιν, ὥστε ἔχειν αὐτὴν ἐξουσίαν μετὰ ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ πονηρῶν συντρέχειν, μήποτε ὁμοιωθῶμεν αὐτοῖς.

Clement of RomeFirst Clement 35.7c. AD 96

λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφή: Τῷ δὲ ἁμαρτωλῷ εἶπεν ὁ θεός: Ἱνατί σὺ διηγῇ τὰ δικαιώματά μου, καὶ ἀναλαμβάνεις τὴν διαθήκην μου ἐπὶ στόματός σου;

The Shepherd of HermasThe Shepherd of Hermas 9.2.3c. AD 140

Διὰ τοῦτο οὖν, φημί, κύριε, ἐξακριβάζομαι παρὰ σοῦ πάντα: πρῶτον μέν, ὅτι ἁμαρτωλός εἰμι, ἵνα γνῶ, ποῖα ἔργα ἐργαζόμενος ζήσομαι, ὅτι πολλαί μου εἰσὶν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι καὶ ποικίλαι.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
6th c. AD 4th c. AD 5th c. AD
Pap.Heid. 1 1 6AD 301–AD 400

τὰς ἁγίας σου εὐχάς, ἵνα δυνηθῶμεν μέρος τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν καθαρίσεως. εἷς γάρ εἰμι τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν. παρακαλῶ καταξίωσον δέξεσθαι τὸ μικρὸν ἐλαίου διὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἡμῶν Μαγαρίου. πολλὰ προσαγορεύω πάντας

P.Herm. 8LykopolisAD 376–AD 400

σὺν σοὶ κάμνοντας ἀδελφούς. ὁ παντοκράτωρ Θεὸς διαφυλάξῃ σε ἐπὶ πολὺν χρόνον ἡμῖν τοῖς ἁμαρτωλοῖς, ἵνα διὰ τῶν σῶν ἁγιωτάτων εὐχῶν διασωθῶμεν διὰ τοῦ βίου.

SB 1 643Ta Memnoneia (Theben)AD 301–AD 700

Ἐζεκιὴλ β … … αης ὃν εκτ … … ταλαίπορος καὶ … … ἁμαρτωλὸς λο … … Ἰωσὴφ ἰατρὸς ε … … ἑκάστου οἴκου … … ειτου

Not I have come to call righteous [ones] but sinners to repentance.
εἰςeis to G1519 Preposition
1,766× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Luke as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
This word means toward or into, indicating direction or purpose, as seen in Matthew 8:23 and Mark 1:45. It can also imply a sense of movement or action. The KJV translates it in various ways.
Tyndale gloss
toward
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

εἰς is a preposition meaning 'into' or 'to,' used with the accusative case. It indicates direction, entrance, or limit, applicable to place, time, and figurative purposes. The New Testament frequently employs it to express movement toward locations or states, as seen in passages like Matthew 8:23. It can also denote relationships or results, such as 'for' or 'among.'

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

εἰς,

prep. c. acc.,

expressing entrance, direction, limit, into, unto, to, upon, towards, for, among (Lat. in, c. acc.).

Of place.

After verbs of motion;

of entrance into: Mt 8:23 9:7, Mk 1:45, Lk 2:15 8:31, al.;

of approach, to or towards: Mk 11:1, Lk 6:8 19:28, Jo 11:31 21:6, al.;

before pl. and collective nouns, among: Mk 4:7 8:19, 20, Lk 11:49, Jo 21:23, al.;

Of a limit reached, unto, on, upon: Mt 8:18, 21:1, Mk…

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

εἰς, a Prep. governing the Accusative, and denoting entrance into, or direction and limit: into, to, towards, for, among. It is used A. Property I. of Place, after verbs of going, coming, sailing, flying, falling, living, leading, carrying, throwing, sending, etc. ; 1. of a place entered, or of entrance into a place, into; and 8. it stands before nouns designating an open place, a hollow thing, or one in which an object can be hidden: as εἰς (τὴν) πόλιν, Mt. xxvi. 18; xxviii. 11; Mk. i. 45, and often; εἰς r. οἶκον, Mt. ix. 7; συναγωγήν, Acts xvii. 10; πλοῖον, Mt. viii. 23; Jn. vi. 17; Acts xxi. 6; θάλασσαν, Mt. xvii. 27; ἄβυσσον, Lk. viii. 31; οὐρανόν, Lk. ii. 15; κόσμον, In. 1. 9; iii. 19, ete.; τὰ ἴδια, Jn. i. 11; xvi. 32; Acts xxi. 6; ἀποθήκην, Mt. iii. 12; εἰς ra ὦτα, Lk. i. 44; εἰς τὰς ζώνας or ζώνην, Mt. x. 9; Mk. vi. 8, etc.; εἰς ἀέρα, 1 Co. xiv. 9; eis πῦρ, Mk. ix. 22, ete.…

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

εἰς ἁλιέων εἰς ᾿Αλεξάνδριί[αν (P Oxy II. 2943 = Selections, Ρ- 34): see further Pro/eg. pp. 234 f., 245. For εἰς in the wide sense in which we use ‘‘for” we may cite such passages as P Lille I. 261 (iii/B.c.) ἔγραψάς μοι περὶ τῆς εἰς THY σησαμείαν γῆς, 20." ἕως ἂν] μάθωμεν περὶ τῶν κ[εχρ]ηματισμένων εἰς τὸν νομόν, P Petr II. 11 (1)" (mid. iii/B.c.) (= Witkowski*, p. 8) ἀπὸ τούτου τὸ μὲν ἥμυσυ εἰς τὰ δέοντα ὑπελιπόμην, τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν εἰς τὸ δάνειον κατέβαλον, P Lond 43? (ii/B.c.) (=I. p. 48, Witkowski’, p- 110) ἕξεις ἐφόδιον εἰς τὸ γῆρας, P Tebt I. 577 (8.6. 118) προστε]τάχασι δὲ καὶ τὰ els τὴν ταφὴν τοῦ “Amos, P Oxy I. 379 (A.D. 149) (= Selections, p. 49) ἐγένετο ἐνθάδε ἡ τροφεῖτις εἰς υἱὸν tod ΤΠεσούριος, ‘‘there was concluded here the nursing-contract for the son of Pesouris”; and the recurring formulae in a private account of ς. A.D. 15 τό. 1V. 736° θρύων εἰς τοὺς ἄρτους (ὀβολοὶ δύο)…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

εἰς (eis) — toward.

ἐν εἰς

or ἐς, PREP. WITH ACC. ONLY:—both forms are found in [Refs 8th c.BC+], Ionic dialect poets, and early metrical Inscrr.; ἐς is best attested in [Refs 5th c.BC+], and is found in nearly all early Ionic dialect Inscrr. (except [Refs 5th c.BC+]; and usually in Attic dialect Prose (except [Refs 5th c.BC+] is used before vowels for the sake of meter; ἐς was retained in the phrases ἐς κόρακας (whence the Verb σκορακίζω), ἐς μακαρίαν. Aeolic dialect poets have εἰς before vowels, ἐς before consonants, and this is given as the rule in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; compare ἐν, ἰν. The diphthong is genuine in Aeolic dialect εἰς, but spurious in Attic dialect-Ionic dialect) Radical sense into, and then more loosely, to:

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

εἰς

eis

a primary preposition; to or into (indicating the point reached or

entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.);

also in adverbial phrases:--(abundant-)ly, against, among, as, at,

(back-)ward, before, by, concerning, + continual, + far more

exceeding, for (intent, purpose), fore,

+ forth, in (among, at, unto, -so much that, -to), to the

intent that, + of one mind, + never, of, (up-)on, + perish, + set at

one again, (so) that, therefore(-unto), throughout, til, to (be, the

end, -ward), (here-)until(-to), ...ward, (where-)fore, with. Often

used in composition with the same general import, but only with verbs

(etc.) expressing motion (literally or figuratively).

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

εἰς

Prep.

into, in, among, till, for

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

εἰς

into, to c. acc.

PREP. WITH ACC. ONLY. Radical sense, into, and then to:

OF PLACE, the commonest usage, εἰς ἅλα into or to the sea, Hom., etc.:—properly opposed to ἐκ, ἐς σφυρὸν ἐκ πτέρνης from head to foot, Il.; εἰς ἔτος ἐξ ἔτεος from year to year, Theocr.:—then, with all Verbs implying motion or direction, ἰδεῖν εἰς οὐρανόν Il.; εἰς ὦπα ἰδέσθαι to look in the face, id. Il.:—in Hom. and Hdt. also c. acc. pers., where the attic use ὡς, πρός, παρά.

with Verbs which express rest in a place, when a previous motion into or to it is implied, ἐς μέγαρον κατέθηκε, i. e. he brought it into the house, and put it there, Od.; παρεῖναι ἐς τόπον to go to a place and be there, Hdt.

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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
33%into
into33% · 595×to32% · 570×for10% · 185×in9% · 160×unto4% · 69×toward2% · 44×other renderings8% · 145×other renderings2% · 29×

1,797 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 37 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
adverbial95%predicate3%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 1,766 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
βάλλωI cast, throw, rεἰσέρχομαιI go in, come inδέbut, on the othe
εἰσέρχομαιI go in, come in, en
καίand, even, also,μήNegαὐτός
ἔρχομαιI come, go
καίand, even, also,αὐτόςοὗτος
καίand, even, also, nam
αὐτόςἐκκόπτωI cut out, cut oπόλιςa city
ἐγώ
εἰμίI am, existκαίand, even, also,δίδωμιI offer, give
εἰςto1766×
what comes after →
Article the
αἰώνan age, a cycle οἶκοςa house, househoοὐρανόςthe sky, the hea
αὐτός
Article theκαίand, even, also,οὗτος
ἹεροσόλυμαJerusalem
καίand, even, also,εἰςὅτιthat, since, bec
ὅς
καίand, even, also,δέbut, on the otheἄνDisj
σύ
καίand, even, also,μήNegἐν

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

Concordanceεἰς · 1,766× in the New Testament
Acts Luke Matthew John Mark Romans Revelation 2 Corinthians Hebrews 1 Peter 1 Corinthians Ephesians

3 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 Ignatius of Antioch
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 9c. AD 40

τὸ δὲ παθητὸν ἄψυχον καὶ ἀκίνητον ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ, κινηθὲν δὲ καὶ σχηματισθὲν καὶ ψυχωθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ νοῦ μετέβαλεν εἰς τὸ τελειότατον ἔργον, τόνδε τὸν κόσμον·

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 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 3rd c. BC 6th c. AD 2nd c. BC
P.Grenf. 2 33Pathyris101 BC

καὶ τοῖς μετόχοις γῆς σιτοφόρου λεγομένης Νεχθαραῦτι θεοῦ μεγάλου παρὰ τῶν ἱερέων ἐτῶν δέκα εἰς τὰ ἐνλιπόντα αὐτῷ ἑτέρων , τεσσάρων εἰς συμπλήρωσιν ἐτῶν πέντε , ὥστε γεωργῆσαι ἧς

BGU 3 999Pathyris100 BC

καὶ ἀπηλιώτου τὸ λοιπὸν τῆς Εὐνόου οἰκίας λιβὸς ῥύμη ἐφ ᾧ ἀνοίξει τὴν θύραν εἰς τὴν Ὀρσηοῦς οἰκίαν ἢ οἳ ἂν ὦσι γείτονες πάντοθεν. ἐπρίατο Πετεσοῦχος Νεχθανούπιος ὡς ἐτῶν

P.Adl. 17Krokodilopolis (Pathyrites)100 BC

ος, βορρᾶ γῆ Σχώτου τοῦ Τρύφωνος, ἀπηλιώτου τὸ λοιπὸν τῆς γῆς, λιβὸς ἡ φέρουσα εἰς τὸ Κρόνειον ὁδός, ἢ οἳ ἂν ὦσι γείτονες πάντοθεν. ἐπρίατο Ὧρος Νεχούτου Πέρσης τῆς

Not I have come to call righteous [ones] but sinners to repentance.
μετάνοιαν.metanoia repentance. G3341 Noun · accusative · singular · feminine
22× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Luke than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
Repentance is feeling sorry for sin and changing your ways, like in Matthew 3:8 and Luke 3:8. It's a key part of the Christian faith.
Amplified meaning
a change of heart, turning from sin to God
Tyndale gloss
repentance
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word μετάνοια (i.e., *metanoia*) means a change of mind or repentance. It is derived from the verb μετανοέω and encompasses feelings of regret and a commitment to reform. The New Testament uses it to describe repentance from sin and the transformation that follows, appearing in various contexts related to moral and spiritual change.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

μετάνοια, -οίας, ἡ

(< μετανοέω),

[in LXX: Pr 14:15, Wi 11:23 12:10, 19, Si 44:16*;]

after-thought, change of mind, repentance: He 12:17; of repentance from sin, Mt 3:8, 11, Lk 3:8 15:7 24:47, Ac 26:20, II Co 7:9, 10; βάπτισμα (q.v.) μετανοίας, Mk 1:4, Lk 3:3, Ac 13:24 19:4; ἡ εἰς θεὸν μ., Ac 20:21; μ. ἀπὸ νεκρῶν ἔργων, He 6:1; εἰς μ. καλεῖν, Lk…

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

μετάνοια, -olas, 9, (ueravoew), a change of mind: as it appears in one who repents of a purpose he has formed or of something he has done, Heb. xii. 17 on which see εὑρίσκω, 3 ([ Thue. 3, 36, 3]; Polyb. 4,66, 7; Plut. Peric. ce. 10; mor. p. 26a.; τῆς ἀδελφοκτονίας μετάνοια, Joseph. antt. 13, 11, 3); esp. the change of mind of those who have begun to abhor their errors and misdeeds, and have determined to enter upon a better course of life, so that it embraces both a recognition of sin and sorrow for it and hearty amendment, the tokens and effects of which are good deeds (Lact. 6, 24, 6 would have it rendered in Lat. by resipiscentia), [A. V. repentance]: Mt. iii. 8, 11; Lk. iii. 8, [16 Lchm.]; xv. 7; xxiv. 47; Acts xxvi. 20; βάπτισμα μετανοίας, a baptism binding its subjects to repentance [W. § 30, 28.], ΜΚ. 1. 43; Lk. iii. 3; Acts xiii. 24; xix.4; [ἡ εἰς (τὸν) θεὸν per. Acts xx. 21…

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

μετάνοια. The transition to the deeper sense of this word (see σϑῴγα) appears in Aristeas 188, where God is described as by His gentleness and long suffering—petratilels ἐκ τῆς κακίας [καὶ] εἰς μετάνοιαν ἄξεις, ‘turning men from their wickedness and leading them to amendment.” The interesting Calendar of Church Services at Oxyrhynchus, P Oxy XI. 13574 (A.D. 535-6), mentions a ἡμέρ(α) petav(olas), and we hear of a μοναστήριον μετανοίας at Alexandria in P Flor 111. 29854 (vi/A.p.): cf. P Lond 996% (vii/a.p.) (= III. p- 248), and see Sophocles Zex. s.v. The phrase ἐν petaνοίᾳ [y]evopévouvs occurs in PSI V. 45214 (iv/a.p.), and similarly in BGU III. 8365 (time of Justinian). In ZV7IV i. p. 66 ff. Wrede discusses the translation of μετάνοια in the NT (‘‘nicht Sinnesanderung, sondern Busse’’). It may be added that Lactantius (Dzv. Just. vi. 24. 6) for the ordinary faenztentia of Christian…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

μετάνοια (metanoia) — repentance.

μετάνοια, ἡ,

change of mind or heart, repentance, regret, [NT+5th c.BC+]

II. Rhet., afterthought, correction, [Refs]

Strong's Greek Dictionary

μετάνοια

metanoia

from 3340; (subjectively) compunction (for guilt, including

reformation); by implication, reversal (of (another's)

decision):--repentance.

see GREEK for 3340

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

μετάνοια, ας, ἡ

n.f.

repentance, a change of mind

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

μετάνοια metanoia 22x

a change of mode of thought and feeling, repentance, Mt. 3:8; Acts 20:21; 2 Tim. 2:25; practical reformation, Lk. 15:7; reversal of the past, Heb. 12:17

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

μετάνοια from μετανοέω μετάνοια, ἡ, after-thought, repentance, Thuc., etc.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Noun-ASF — Noun · accusative · singular · feminine
accusative — the one it is done to — the object.
Agrees with anything else marked singular feminine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

N-ASF Part of Speech: Noun Case: Accusative Number: Singular Gender: Feminine

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

re-pen'-tans:

I. OLD TESTAMENT TERMS

1. To Repent--"to Pant," "to Sigh"

2. To Repent--"to Turn" or "Return"

II. NEW TESTAMENT TERMS

1. Repent--"to Care," "Be Concerned"

2. Repent--"to Change the Mind"

3. Repent--"to Turn Over," "to Turn Upon," "to Turn Unto"

III. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ELEMENTS

1. The Intellectual Element

2. The Emotional Element

3. The Volitional Element

LITERATURE

To get an accurate idea of the precise New Testament meaning of this highly important word it is necessary to consider its approximate synonyms in the original Hebrew and Greek The psychological elements of repentance should be considered in the light of the general teaching of Scripture.

I. Old Testament Terms.

1. To Repent--"to Pant," "to Sigh":

The Hebrew word naham, is an onomatopoetic term which implies difficulty in breathing, hence, "to pant," "to sigh," "to groan." Naturally it came to signify "to lament" or "to grieve,"…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Repentance

There are three Greek words used in the New Testament to denote repentance. (1.) The verb metamelomai is used of a change of mind, such as to produce regret or even remorse on account of sin, but not necessarily a change of heart. This word is used with reference to the repentance of Judas (Matt. 27:3).

(2.) Metanoeo, meaning to change one’s mind and purpose, as the result of after knowledge. This verb, with (3) the cognate noun metanoia, is used of true repentance, a change of mind and purpose and life, to which remission of sin is promised.

Evangelical repentance consists of (1) a true sense of one’s own guilt and sinfulness; (2) an apprehension of God’s mercy in Christ; (3) an actual hatred of sin (Ps. 119:128; Job…

A change of mind, accompanied with regret and sorrow for something done, and an earnest wish that it was undone. Such was the repentance of Juda, Mt 27:3; and so it is said that Esau found "no place of repentance" in his father Isaac, although he sought it with tears, Heb 12:17; that is, Isaac would not change what he had done, and revoke the blessing given to Jacob, Ge 27:1-46. God is sometimes said to "repent" of something he had done, Ge 6:6 Jon 3:9,10; not that he could wish it undone, but that in his providence such a change of course took place as among men would be ascribed to a change of mind. But the true gospel…

Nave's Topical Bible

→ (A complete reversal of one' s attitude and values, i. e. a turning toward God)

→ Attributed to God Ge 6:6,7; Ex 32:14; De 32:36; Jud 2:18; 1Sa 15:11,29,35; 2Sa 24:16; 1Ch 21:15; Ps 106:45; 110:4; 135:14; Jer 15:6; 18:8,10; 26:3; 42:10; Joe 2:13; Am 7:3,6;

Across the New Testament9 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
The Shepherd of Hermas Josephus Philo of Alexandria Clement of Rome Ignatius of Antioch
Philo of AlexandriaAllegorical Interpretation of Genesis 2.78c. AD 40

τὸ δὲ ἀποθνῇσκον οὐ τὸ ἄρχον ἐστὶν ἐν ἡμῖν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀρχόμενον τὸ λαῶδες, καὶ μέχρι τούτου θάνατον ἐνδέξεται, μέχρις ἂν μετανοίᾳ χρησάμενον ὁμολογήσῃ τὴν τροπήν·

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 2.23c. AD 75–95

τούτων οὖν αὐτῶν αἰδῶ λαβόντας καὶ τῷ λογισμῷ τί καὶ πείσονται τεθνηκότος αὐτοῖς παιδὸς ἀγαθοῦ καὶ νεωτάτου παραθεμένους ἀποσχέσθαι τοῦ τολμήματος παρεκάλει καὶ τὸν θεὸν δείσαντας, ὃς θεατὴς ἅμα καὶ μάρτυς ἤδη καὶ τῆς βουλῆς αὐτῶν τῆς ἐπὶ τὸν…

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 16.9c. AD 100

ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ τῆς πίστεως, ἡ κλῆσις αὐτοῦ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, ἡ σοφία τῶν δικαιωμάτων, αἱ ἐντολαὶ τῆς διδαχῆς, αὐτὸς ἐν ἡμῖν προφητεύων, αὐτὸς ἐν ἡμῖν κατοικῶν, τοὺς τῷ θανάτῳ δεδουλωμένους ἀνοίγων ἡμῖν τὴν θύραν τοῦ ναοῦ, ὅ ἐστιν στόμα, μετάνοιαν…

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
6th c. AD 7th c. AD 5th c. AD 4th c. AD
PSI 5 452OxyrhynchosAD 301–AD 350

ἀδελφὸν γραμματεῖα ἀφέσεως δέξασθαι ἐπὶ περιγραφῇ τῆς ὀφειλομένης μοι παρʼ αὐτῶν ὑπηρεσίας, ἔπειτα ἐν μετανοίᾳ γενομένους, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἐγνωκότας τὰ ἐκ τῶν διατάξεων ὡρισμένα, τὸν αὐτὸν ἐπιτρίβειν ἀναφέρειν

P.Oxy. 20 2270OxyrhynchosAD 401–AD 600

ἀποστήσειν καὶ ἐκδικήσειν παραχρῆμα ἰδίοις ἀναλώμασι καὶ δαπανήμασι καθάπερ ἐκ δίκης. εἰ δὲ ἐν μετανοίᾳ γενώμεθα ἐπὶ τῇ διαπράσει ἢ αὐτὸς ἐν μετανοίᾳ γενῇ ἐπὶ τῇ ἀγορασίᾳ ἐπάναγκες τὸν

P.Hamb. 3 232Aphrodites Kome (Antaiopolites)AD 501–AD 550

ἀποχήν, ὡς πρόκειται. … ἀξιωθείς ἔγραψα ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ γράμματα μὴ εἰδότος. … μονάζων μοναστηρίου Μετανοίας καὶ γραμματεὺς μαρτυρῶ τῇ ἀποχῇ ἀκούσας παρὰ τοῦ θεμένου. ἐγράφη διʼ ἐμοῦ

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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