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Bible Lexicons
Old & New Testament Greek Lexical Dictionary Greek Lexicon
Strong's #3379 - μήποτε
- Thayer
- Strong
- Mounce
- that ... not, lest, whether perhaps, whether or not, in no way, perhaps
- Book
- Word
- Parsing
did not use
this Strong's Number
μήποτε or μή ποτε,
Ion. μή κοτε (v. infr. 11):
I
1. as Adv. never, on no account, after ὡς, A. Pr. 205, Eu. 882; after εἰ, Id. Ch. 182, etc.: c. inf., Id. Eu. 977, Supp. 617; esp. in oaths, never, ὀμοῦμαι, μή ποτε τῆς εὐνῆς ἐπιβήμεναι Il. 9.133, 275; ἐπεκέκλετ' Ἐρινῦς, μή ποτε.. ἐφέσσεσθαι ib. 455; in aposiopesis, ἢ μήπορ' ἆρ'.. Men. Sam. 97: in orat. obliq., Hes. Op. 86.
2. in prohibition or warning, with aor. subj., μή ποτε καὶ σὺ.. ὀλέσσῃς Od. 19.81, etc.: with inf. for imper., 11.441.
3. in later Gr., perhaps, Arist. EN 1172a33, LXX Genesis 24:5, Aristeas 15, Ph. 1.13, Arr. Epict. 3.22.80, Plu. 2.106d, A.D. Pron. 18.4.
II as Conj., lest ever, αἰσχυνόμενοι φάτιν ἀνδρῶν.., μή ποτέ τις εἴπῃσι Od. 21.324, al.; οὐδαμὰ ἐλπίσας μή κοτε ἄρα.. ἐλάσῃ Hdt. 1.77, cf. 8.53.
μήποτε (from μή and πότε) (μή πότε (separately) L WH (except Matthew 25:9, see below) Tr (except 2 Timothy 2:25)), differing from οὔποτε as μή does from οὐ; (from Homer down). Accordingly it is:
1. a particle of Negation; not ever, never: ἐπεί μήποτε ἰσχύει, since it is never of force, because the writer thinks that the very idea of its having force is to be denied, Hebrews 9:17 (where WH text μή τότε), on which see Winers Grammar, 480 (447), cf. Buttmann, 353 (304); but others refer, this passage to 3 a. below.
2. a prohibitory conjunction; lest ever, lest at any time, lest haply, (also written separately μή πότε ((see at the beginning), especially when the component parts retain each its distinctive force; cf. Lipsius, Gram. Untersuch., p. 129f; Ellendt, Lex. Sophocles 2:107. In the N. T. use of this particle the notion of time usual to πότε seems to recede before that of contingency, lest perchance)), so that it refers to the preceding verb and indicates the purpose of the designated action (Winer's Grammar, § 56, 2): with a subjunctive present Luke 12:58; with a subjunctive aorist, Matthew 4:6 and Luke 4:11, from Psalm 90:12
d.): (Matthew 7:6 L T Tr WH; (cf.
3. a particle of interrogation accompanied with doubt (see μή, III.), whether ever, whether at any time; whether perchance, whether haply, (German doch nicht etwa; ob nicht etwa);
a. in a direct question introduced by ἐπεί, for, else (see ἐπεί, 2 under the end): so according to the not improbable interpretation of some (e. g. L WH marginal reading, Delitzsch) in Hebrews 9:17, see in 1 above. In the remaining N. T. passages so used that the inquirer, though he doubts and expects a negative answer, yet is inclined to believe what he doubtfully asks about; thus, in a direct question, in John 7:26.
b. in indirect questions; α. with the optative (where the words are regarded as the thought of someone (Winers Grammar, § 41 b. 4 c.; Buttmann, § 139, 60)): Luke 3:15. (See β.) β. with the subjunctive: 2 Timothy 2:25 (R G L (cf. Buttmann, 46 (40));. but T Tr WH text give the optative), where μήποτε κτλ. depend on the suppressed idea διαλογιζόμενος (cf. Buttmann, § 139, 62 at the end; Winer's Grammar, as above).
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μήποτε
(= μή ποτε , and so written in WH, exc. Matthew 25:9),
negative particle, related to οὔποτε as μή to οὐ .
1. As neg. particle, never: Hebrews 9:17 (R, mg., but v. infr.; WH, txt., μή τότε ).
2. As conjc., lest ever, lest haply (the idea of chance rather than of time seems to prevail in NT) : Matthew 4:6 (LXX) Matthew 5:25; Matthew 7:6; Matthew 13:15 (LXX), Matthew 13:29; Matthew 15:32; Matthew 27:64, Mark 4:12 (LXX) Mark 14:2, Luke 4:11; Luke 12:58; Luke 14:12; Luke 14:29, Acts 28:27; after verbs of fearing or taking heed, Luke 21:34, Hebrews 2:1; Hebrews 3:12; Hebrews 4:1; with ellipse of the verb or ptcp., Luke 14:8, Acts 5:39; in later writers (v. M, Pr., 192 f.), perhaps, Matthew 25:9.
3. As interrogative;
(a) in direct questions, like μή , expecting a negative answer: John 7:26, Hebrews 9:17, (R, txt., cf. Westc., in l; but v. supr.);
(b) in indirect questions, whether haply, if haply: Luke 3:15, 2 Timothy 2:25.†
Copyright © 1922 by G. Abbott-Smith, D.D., D.C.L.. T & T Clarke, London.