G3195: μέλλω (méllō)

G3195 μέλλω (méllō)

Greek

Quick Definition

μέλλω v. I am about to

Strong's Definition

a strengthened form of 3199 (through the idea of expectation); to intend, i.e. be about to be, do, or suffer something (of persons or things, especially events; in the sense of purpose, duty, necessity, probability, possibility, or hesitation)

KJV Usage: about, after that, be (almost), (that which is, things, + which was for) to come, intend, was to (be), mean, mind, be at the point, (be) ready, + return, shall (begin), (which, that) should (after, afterwards, hereafter) tarry, which was for, will, would, be yet

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

μέλλω (G3195)

verb (followed by an inf.)

67.62 · Time · A Point of Time with Reference to Other Points of Time: Before, Long Ago, Now, At the Same Time, When, About, After

to be about to to occur at a point of time in the future which is subsequent to another event and closely related to it

MAT 2:13 · MAT 11:14 · MAT 16:27 · MAT 20:22 · MAT 24:6 · MRK 13:4 · LUK 3:7 · LUK 7:2 · LUK 9:44 · LUK 10:1 · LUK 19:4 · LUK 19:11 · LUK 21:7 · LUK 21:36 · LUK 22:23 · LUK 24:21 · JHN 4:47 · JHN 6:6 · JHN 6:15 · JHN 6:71 · JHN 7:35 · JHN 7:35 · JHN 7:39 · JHN 11:51 · JHN 12:4 · JHN 12:33 · JHN 14:22 · JHN 18:32 · ACT 3:3 · ACT 5:35 · ACT 11:28 · ACT 12:6 · ACT 13:34 · ACT 16:27 · ACT 17:31 · ACT 18:14 · ACT 19:27 · ACT 20:3 · ACT 20:7 · ACT 20:13 · ACT 20:13 · ACT 20:38 · ACT 21:27 · ACT 21:37 · ACT 22:26 · ACT 22:29 · ACT 23:3 · ACT 23:15 · ACT 23:20 · ACT 23:27 · ACT 24:15 · ACT 24:25 · ACT 25:4 · ACT 26:2 · ACT 26:23 · ACT 27:2 · ACT 27:10 · ACT 27:30 · ACT 27:33 · ACT 28:6 · ROM 4:24 · ROM 5:14 · ROM 8:18 · ROM 8:38 · 1CO 3:22 · GAL 3:23 · EPH 1:21 · 1TH 3:4 · 1TI 1:16 · 2TI 4:1 · HEB 1:14 · HEB 2:5 · HEB 6:5 · HEB 8:5 · HEB 10:1 · HEB 10:27 · HEB 11:8 · HEB 11:20 · HEB 13:14 · JAS 2:12 · 1PE 5:1 · 2PE 1:12 · 2PE 2:6 · REV 2:10 · REV 2:10 · REV 3:2 · REV 3:10 · REV 3:16 · REV 6:11 · REV 8:13 · REV 10:4 · REV 10:7 · REV 12:4 · REV 12:5 · REV 17:8

71.36 · Mode · Necessary, Unnecessary

must be, has to be to be inevitable, with respect to future developments In a number of languages there is a problem involved in speaking of what is necessary or inevitable in the future, for a distinction is made between that which is purely impersonal or physical and that which is the result of some person’s purpose, intent, or activity. As in the case of δεῖ in MRK 13:7 (71.34), it is impossible in the case of μέλλω in MAT 17:12 to determine whether the reference is merely to an inevitable future event (‘bound to happen’) or whether this is part of the plan and purpose of God. In order to avoid a wrong interpretation of MAT 17:12, it may therefore be useful to translate as ‘in the same way the Son of Man will most certainly be mistreated by them.’

MAT 17:12 · MAT 17:22 · MRK 10:32 · LUK 9:31 · ACT 26:22 · ROM 8:13

67.121 · Time · Duration of Time with Reference to Some Point of Time: Until, Delay, Still, From

to wait, to delay to extend time unduly, with the implication of lack of decision

ACT 22:16

67.135 · Time · Duration of Time with Reference to Some Point of Time: Until, Delay, Still, From

Collocation: τὸ μέλλον

the future unlimited extent of time beginning with the time of the discourse

MAT 3:7 · MAT 12:32 · LUK 13:9 · COL 2:17 · 1TI 4:8 · 1TI 6:19 · REV 1:19

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

μέλλω ; fut. μελλήσω (Mt. xxiv. 6; and LTTrWH in 2 Pet. i. 12); impf. ἔμελλον [so all edd. in Lk. ix. 31 (exc. T WH); Jn. vi. 6, 71 (exc. RG) ; vii. 39 (exe. T); xi. 51 (exc. L Tr); Acts xxi. 27; Rev. iii. 2 (where R pres.); x. 4 (exe. L Tr)] and ἤμελλον [so all edd. in Lk. vil. 2; x. 1 (exe. RG); xix. 4; Jn. iv. 47; xii. 33; xviii. 32; Acts xii. 6 (exc. RGL); xvi. 27 (exe. RG); xxvii 33 (exe. RGT); Heb. xi. 8 (exe. L); ef. reff. s. v. βούλομαι, init. and Rutherford’s note on Babrius 7, 15], to be about to do anything; so 1. the ptep., ὁ μέλλων, absol.: τὰ μέλλοντα and τὰ ἐνεστῶτα are contrasted, Ro. viii. 38; 1 Co. iii. 22; εἰς τὸ μέλλον, for the future, hereafter, Lk. xiii. 9 [but see eis, A. II. 2 (where Grimm supplies éros)]; 1 Tim. vi. 19; τὰ μέλλοντα, things future, things to come, i. e., ace. to the context, the more perfect state of things which will exist in the αἰὼν μέλλων, Col. ii. 17; with nouns, 6 αἰὼν ὁ μέλλων, Mt. xii. 32; Eph. i. 213 ἡ μέλλ. Con, 1 Tim. iv. 8; ἡ οἰκουμένη ἡ μέλλ. Heb. ii. δ: ἡ μ' ὀργή, Mt. iii. 7; τὸ κρίμα τὸ μέλλον, Acts xxiv. 25; πόλις, Heb. xiii. 14; τὰ μέλλοντα ἀγαθά, Heb. ix. 11 [but 1, Trmrg. WH txt. γενομένων] ; Χ. 1; τοῦ μέλλοντος sc. Addy, i.e. the Messiah, Ro. v. 14. 2. joined to an infin. [ef. W. 333 sq. (313): B.§ 140, 2], a. to be onthe point of doing or suffering something: w. inf. present, ἤμελλεν ἑαυτὸν ἀναιρεῖν, Acts xvi. 27; τελευτᾶν, Lk. vii. 2; ἀποθνήσκειν, Jn.iv.47; add, Lk.xxi.7; Actsiii.3; xviii. 14; xx. 8; xxii. 26; xxiii. 27; w. inf. passive, Acts xxi. 27; xxvii. 33, ete. b. to intend, have in mind, think to: w.inf. present, Mt. ii. 13; Lk.x.1; xix.4; Jn. vi. 6, 15; vii. 35; xii. 4; xiv. 22; Acts v. 85; xvii. 31; xx. 7,13; xxii. 26; xxvi. 2; xxvii. 30; Heb. viii.5; [2 Pet. i.12L T Tr WH]; Rev. x.4; w.inf. aorist (a constr. cer sured by Phryn. p. 336, but authenticated more recently by many exx. fr. the best writ. fr. Hom. down; cf. W. 333 (313) sq-; Lol. ad Phryn. p. 745 sqq.; [but see Rutherford, New Phryn. p. 420 sqq.]): Acts xii. 6 LT WH; Rev. ii. 10 (βαλεῖν RG); iii. 16; xii. 4; π΄. fut. inf. ἔσεσθαι, Acts xxiii. 30 RG. ec. as in Grk. writ. fr. Hom. down, of those things which will come to pass (or which one will do or suffer) by fixed necessity or divine appointment (Germ. sollen [are to be, destined to be, ete.]); w. pres. inf. active: Mt. xvi. 27; xvii. 12; xx. 22; Lk.ix.31; Jn.vi.71; vii. 39; χὶ. 51; xii. 33; xviii. 32; Acts xx. 88; xxvi. 22, 23; Heb.i. 14; xi. 8; Rev. ii. 10°; iii. 10; viii. 13, etc. ; Ἠλίας ὁ μέλλων ἔρχεσθαι, Mt. xi. 14; 6 μέλλων λυτροῦ σθαι, Lk. xxiv. 21; κρίνειν, 2 Tim. iv. 1 [WH mre. κρῖναι] ; w. pres. inf. passive: Mt. xvii. 22; Mk. xiii. 4; Lk. ix. 44; xix. 11; xxi. 36; Acts xxvi. 22; Ro. iv. 24; 1 Th. iii.4; Jas. ii. 12; Rev. i. 19 [Tdf. γενέσθαι]; vi. 11; τῆς μελλούσης ἀποκαλύπτεσθαι δόξης, 1 Pet.v. 1; w.aor. inf.: τὴν μέλλουσαν δόξαν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι. Ro. viii. 18; τὴν μέλλουσαν πίστιν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι, Gal. iii. 23; used also of those things which we infer from certain preceding events will of necessity follow: w. inf. pres., Acts xxviii. 6; Ro. viii. 13; w. inf. fut., Acts xxvii. 10. ἃ. in general, of what is sure to happen: w. inf. pres., Mt. xxiv. 6; Jn. vi. 71; 1 Tim.i. 16; Rev. xii.5; xvii. 8; w. inf. fut. ἔσεσθαι, Acts xi. 28 ; xxiv. 15. 6. to be always on the point of doing without ever doing, i. 6. to delay: τί μέλλεις; Acts xxii. 16 (Aeschyl. Prom. 36; τί μέλλετε; Eur. Ilec. 1094; Leian. dial. mort. 10, 13, and often in prof. auth.; 4 Mace. vi. 23; ix. 1).

Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary

μέλλω mellō 109x

to be about to, be on the point of, Mt. 2:13; Jn. 4:47; it serves to express in general a settled futurity, Mt. 11:14; Lk. 9:31; Jn. 11:51; to intend, Lk. 10:1; participle μέλλων, μέλλουσα, μέλλον, future as distinguished from past and present, Mt. 12:32; Lk. 13:9; to be always, as it were, about to do, to delay, linger, Acts 22:16

Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon

μέλλω,

[in LXX: Jb 3:8 (עָתִיד) 19:25 (אַחֲרוֹן); elsewhere for fut., and freq. in Wi, II, IV Mac;]

to be about to be or do; c. inf. (Bl., § 62, 4; 68, 2; M, Pr., 114); of intending or being about to do of one's own free will: c. inf. praes., Mt 2:13, Lk 10:1, Ac 3:3 5:35, He 8:5, II Pe 1:12 (Field, Notes, 240), al.; c. inf. aor. (Bl., § 58, 3), Ac 12:6, Re 3:16;

of compulsion, necessity or certainty: c. inf. praes., Mt 16:27, Lk 9:31, Jo 6:71, Ro 4:24, al.; c. inf. aor., Ro 8:18, Ga 3:23, Re 3:2 12:4.

Ptcp., ὁ μέλλων: absol., Ro 8:38, I Co 3:22; τὰ μ., Col 2:17; εἰς τὸ μ. (Field, Notes, 65); c. subst., Mt 3:7 12:32 (ὁ αἰὼν ὁ μ.; LXX for עַד), Ac 24:25, I Ti 4:8, He 2:5, al.

Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT

μέλλω. In the NT μέλλω is construed 84 times with the pres. cf. P Par 432 (B.C. 154) μέλλω δὲ ἰσάγειν ἐν τῷ μεσορὴ μηνί, 75. 4819. (B.c. 153) καταπλεῖν μέλλομεν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, P Meyer 209 (1st half iii/A.D.) μέλλι πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἔρχεσθαι, pe σοι ἀεὶ γράφειν, Ὁ ae 11. 416° (iii/ A.D.) μέλλω péve εἰς ᾿Αντινόου, and P Oxy VIII. 11567° (iii/A.p.) μέλλο[με]ν χόρτου χρίαν ἔχιν. For the constr. with the fut. inf., which is obsolete in the NT (cf. TR Ac 233°), cf. Syi/ 432! (B.c. 326-5) ὀμόσασιν. . . [ποιήσεσθαι τὴν] ἐπιτροπὴν καθ᾽ ὅτι ἂν μέλλει ἔσ[εϊσθαι κτλ. Μέλλω followed by the aor. inf. act. is seen in such passages as P Giss I. 125 (ii/A.p.) ὁσάκις ἐὰν μέλλῃς πέμψαι, P Oxy XII. 14$82° (ii/a.p.) ἔμελλον yap ἀνελθεῖν, and 26. VII. 106727 (iii/A.D.) εἰ μέλλεις ἐλθεῖν ἐλθέ, ‘come if you are coming,” and by the aor. inf. pass. in P Goodsp Cairo 310 (iii/B.c.) ἡνίκα fiehioy κοιμηθῆναι ἔγραψα ἐπιστόλια β, and P Par 4712 (c. B.C. 153) (= Witkowski,” p. 89, Sedections, p. 22) κἂν ἰδῆς Aa μέλλομεν σωθῆναι, τότε βαπτιζώμεθα, ‘and even if you know that we are about to be saved, just at that time we are immersed in trouble.” According to Meisterhans Gr. p. 169 the #-augment appears in the Attic inscrr. after B.c. 300. Only one instance of the €-augment is found at Priene, viz. Priene 115 (c. B.C. 297) ἔμελλον

Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon

μέλλω (mellō) — to ensue. μέλλω, imperfect ἔμελλον and ἤμελλον (see. below), Epic dialect μέλλον [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Epic dialect, Ionic dialect μέλλεσκον [Refs 3rd c.BC+]: future μελλήσω [NT+4th c.BC+]: aorist ἐμέλλησα [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive and middle, see below see.—Only present and imperfect in [Refs 8th c.BC+], Lyric poetry, and Trag.: aorist only in Prose (except [Refs 6th c.BC+]imperfect ἤμελλον with long augment is established by the metre in [Refs 8th c.BC+]: aorist 1 ἠμέλλησα [Refs 6th c.BC+]; ἤμελλον is not found in earlier Attic dialect Inscrr., but occurs in Papyrus, as [Refs 5th c.BC+]

I. to be destined or likely to, indicating an estimated certainty or strong probability in the present, past, or future (cf. Aristonic. cited in [Refs 8th c.BC+]present infinitive (or its equivalent), of a probability in the present, ὅθι που μέλλουσιν ἄριστοι βουλὰς βουλεύειν where belike the best are holding counsel, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ᾧ μέλλεις εὔχεσθαι to whom thou doubtless prayest, [Refs]; μέλλεις δὲ σὺ ἴδμεναι doubtless thou knowest, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; τὰ δὲ μέλλετ᾽ ἀκουέμεν belike you have heard it, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὄλβον δὲ θεοὶ μέλλουσιν ὀπάζειν methinks it is the gods who give wealth, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; εἰ δ᾽ οὕτω τοῦτ᾽ ἐστίν, ἐμοὶ μέλλει φίλον εἶναι you may be sure it is my good pleasure, [Refs 8th c.BC+]aorist infinitive, of a probability in the past, μέλλω που ἀπεχθέσθαι Διὶ πατρί I must have become hateful to father Zeus, [Refs]; κελευσέμεναι δέ σ᾽ ἔμελλε δαίμων a god must surely have bidden thee, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; πολλάκι που μέλλεις ἀρήμεναι you must often have prayed, [Refs]; μέλλω ἀθανάτους ἀλιτέσθαι I must have sinned against the immortals, [Refs]; ἄλλοτε δή ποτε μᾶλλον ἐρωῆσαι πολέμοιο μέλλω at any other time rather than this I may have drawn back.., [Refs 8th c.BC+]; μέλλει μέν πού τις καὶ φίλτερον ἄλλον ὀλέσσαι before now, no doubt, a man has lost.., [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of a destiny in the past, ἔμελλεν οἷ αὐτῷ θάνατον.. λιτέσθαι he was fated to have been praying for his own death, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἄρ᾽ ἔμελλον ἑταίρῳ κτεινομένῳ ἐπαμῦναι since I was (i.e. am) not destined to have succoured my comrade when they were slaying him, [Refs]present infinitive, οὐκ ἄρ᾽ ἔμελλες ἀνάλκιδος ἀνδρὸς ἑταίρους ἔδμεναι he was to turn out no helpless man whose comrades you ate, [Refs 8th c.BC+]future infinitive, of a destin y or probability in the future, ἅ οὐ τελέεσθαι ἔμελλον which were not to be accomplished, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; τάχα δ᾽ ἀνστήσεσθαι ἔμελλεν[Refs 8th c.BC+]; περὶ τρίποδος γὰρ ἔμελλον θεύσεσθαι they were to have run.., [Refs 8th c.BC+]present infinitive, καὶ γὰρ ἐγώ ποτ᾽ ἔμελλον ἐν ἀνδράσιν ὄλβιος εἶναι I had a chance of being, might have been.., [Refs 8th c.BC+]: with aorist infinitive [Refs 4th c.BC+]infinitive understood, [τὰ μὲν] πάσχουσι, τὰ δὲ μέλλουσι [πάσχειν] [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ἀλλ᾽ οὐχ οὑμὸς τοῦτο πέπονθεν βίος οὐ μὰ Δί᾽ οὐδέ γε μέλλει no, not likely! [Refs 5th c.BC+]

I. d in εἰ clauses, εἰ μέλλει πόλις εἶναι if it is to be a city, [Refs 5th c.BC+]future infinitive, εἰ ἐμέλλομεν.. ἀνοίσειν if we were to refer.., [Refs]: with aorist infinitive, εἰ μέλλομεν.. δηλῶσαι [Refs]: so in participle, τὴν μέλλουσαν οἰκήσεσθαι πόλιν καλῶς [Refs 4th c.BC+]

I. e in final clauses, ξυνεπιμέλεσθαι ᾗ μέλλει ἄριστα ἕξειν, = {ᾗ ἄριστα ἕξει}, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

I. f in questions, the infinitive being understood, τί οὐ μέλλω (μέλλεις, etc.); why shouldn't I? why is it not likely that I should?, i. e. yes, of course, τὸν υἱὸν ἑόρακας αὐτο; Answ. τί δ᾽ οὐ μέλλω (i.e. ἑορακέναι); of course I have, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί δ᾽ οὐ μέλλει, εἴπερ γε δρᾷ αὐτ; [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πῶς γὰρ οὐ μέλλε; [Refs]; ἀλλὰ τί μέλλε; what (else) would you expect? i. e. yes, of course, [Refs]

II. to be about to, in purely temporal sense, with future infinitive, Ἕκτορα δῖον ἔτετμεν ἀδελφεόν, εὖτ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἔμελλε στρέψεσθ᾽ ἐκ χώρης [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ὁ μέν μιν ἔμελλε γενείου.. ἁψάμενος λίσσεσθαι (perhaps present infinitive), ὁ δ᾽ αὐχένα μέσσον ἔλασσε [Refs 8th c.BC+]; δειπνήσειν μέλλομεν, ἢ τ; [Refs 5th c.BC+]present infinitive, τί μέλλεις δρᾶ; [Refs 5th c.BC+]: more rarely with aorist infinitive, παθεῖν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀναλαβεῖν, λιπεῖν, θανεῖν, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀπολέσαι, λαβεῖν, [Refs 5th c.BC+] —The infinitive is sometimes omitted, τὸ μέλλειν ἀγαθά (i.e. πράσσειν or πράξειν) the expectation of good things, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

III. to be always going to do without ever doing: hence, delay, put off, frequently in Trag. (also in middle μέλλομαι, see infr. IV near the end): in this signification usually followed by present infinitive, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τοὺς ξυμμάχους.. οὐ μελλήσομεν τιμωρεῖν· οἱ δ᾽ οὐκέτι μέλλουσι κακῶς πάσχειν we shall not delay to succour our allies, for their sufferings are not being delayed, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: rarely followed by aorist infinitive, [Refs]infinitive is frequently omitted, τί μέλλει; why delayest thou? [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μέλλον τι.. ἔπος a hesitating word, which one hesitates to speak, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; μέλλων σφυγμός a hesitating pulse, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]

IV. participle μέλλων is used quasi-adjectivally, ὁ μ. χρόνος the future time, [Refs 5th c.BC+] the future tense, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; ἡ μ. αὐτοῦ δύναμις his future power, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸν μ. βλαστόν (καρπόν codices) [Refs 4th c.BC+] things to come, the future, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; opposed to to what is simply future (τὸ ἐσόμενον), [Refs 4th c.BC+]; εἰς τὸ μέλλον (i.e. ἔτος) [NT+1st c.AD+]middle, τὰ ἰσχυρότατα ἐλπιζόμενα μέλλεται your strongest pleas are hopes in futurity, [Refs 5th c.BC+] — but

V. passive μέλλομαι, ὡς μὴ μέλλοιτο τὰ δέοντα that the necessary steps might not be delayed, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν ὅσῳ ταῦτα μέλλεται while these delays are going on, [Refs 4th c.BC+]future μελλήσομαι uncertain reading in [Refs 6th c.AD+]perfect participle μεμελλημένος, = {μέλλων, σφυγμός} [Refs 2nd c.AD+]