νή, a particle employed in affirmations and oaths (common in Attic), and joined to an accusative of the person (for the most part, a divinity) or of the thing affirmed or sworn by (Buttmann, § 149, 17); by (Latinper, German bei): 1Co_15:31 (Gen_42:15 f).

νή nē 1x by, BDAG 690, calls it a particle of strong affirmation, and is followed by the person or thing (in the acc) by which the person swears, 1Co_15:31

νή , particle of affirmation employed in oaths, [in LXX : v. τ . ὑγίειαν , Gen_42:15-16 ( H2416 ) * ;] by: c . acc , 1Co_15:31 .†

νή [page 426] For this particle, as in 1Co_15:31 , cf. P Par 49 .30 (B.C. 164 158) (= Witkowski .2 , p. 71) ἐγὼ γὰρ νὴ τοὺς θεοὺς ἀγωνιῶ , μή ποτε ἀρ [ρ ]ωστεῖ τὸ παιδάριον , Chrest. I. 110 A .4 (a temple oath B.C. 110) νὴ τοῦτον τὸν Ἡρακλῆ καὶ τοὺς συννάους θεούς , P Lond 897 .11 (A.D. 84) (= III. p. 207) κέκρικα γὰρ νὴ τοὺς θεοὺς ἐν Ἀλεξανδρε̣ίᾳ ἐπιμένειν , P Giss I. 19 .11 (ii/A.D.) τῆι ᾱ [ἡμέρᾳ ] τοῦ νεοῦ ἔτους νὴ τὴν σὴν [σωτη ]ρίαν ἄ [γ ]ευστος ἐκοιμώμην , and P Oxy VI. 939 .20 (iv/A.D.) (= Selections , p. 129) νὴ γὰρ τὴν σὴν σωτηρίαν , κύριέ μου , ἧς μάλιστά μοι μέλει a Christian letter from a servant to his master. Νή is used incorrectly with negatives in P Oxy I. 33 iv. 13 (interview with an Emperor late ii/A.D.) νὴ τὴν σὴν τύχην οὔτε μαίνομαι οὔτε ἀπονενόημαι , I swear by your prosperity, I am neither mad nor beside myself (Edd.) (cf. Act_26:25 ), and BGU III. 884 i. 3 (ii/iii A.D.) νὴ γὰρ τοὺς θεοὺς [οὐ ]κ ἔχωι ( l. ἔχω ) λο [ιπὸ ]ν τί σοι γράψωι ( l. γράψω ) , cf. .11 .

νή attic Particle of strong affirmation, like epic ναί; with acc. of the Divinity invoked, νὴ Δία (in familiar attic, νὴ Δί or νηδί), Ar. ; also with the Art., νὴ τὸν Δία id=Ar. ; νὴ τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν, νὴ τὴν Ἄρτεμιν, νὴ τὸν Ποσειδῶ id=Ar.

νή particle of affirmation employed in oaths, [in LXX: see τ. ὑγίειαν, Gen.42:15-16 (חַי) * ;] by: with accusative, 1Co.15:31.† (AS)