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1 Thessalonians 5:6 — Word Study

Depth

N1904Ἄρα οὖν μὴ καθεύδωμεν ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἀλλὰ γρηγορῶμεν καὶ νήφωμεν.

BSASoara thenoun [therefore, as a consequence] not we may sleepkatheudō [be spiritually unaware, lethargic] ashōs alsokai theho othersloipos [unbelievers, the rest] butalla we may watchgrēgoreō [be vigilant, watchful, alert, attentive] andkai we may be sober.nēphō [self-controlled, morally alert, discreet]

Word
Listen & take away1 Thessalonians 5
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 6 is in this chapter.
Say the word Each Greek word carries its transliteration (nēphō) — no per-word recordings of the Greek exist to link to.
Take it away
1 Thessalonians 5:6quick helps
In a sentencePaul urges the Thessalonians to remain spiritually alert and self-controlled, contrasting them with those who are unaware.
Who is speakingThe Apostle Paul, addressing the church in Thessalonica.
Where we areThis verse is part of a passage encouraging vigilance among believers, following a discussion on the Day of the Lord.
The hard wordκαθεύδω
Take awayBelievers are called to be awake and sober, not complacent like others.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subject verbκαθεύδω 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 — 1 Thessalonians 5:6

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 — Exhortation to Vigilancegenerated

5For you are all sons of the light and sons of the day; we do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
6So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober.
7For those who sleep, sleep at night; and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.
8But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of our hope of salvation.

1 Thessalonians 5:6 is part of a larger passage where Paul contrasts the behavior of believers with that of those who are spiritually asleep. He emphasizes the importance of being alert and self-controlled as they await the return of Christ. This theme of vigilance is common in Paul's writings, reflecting the need for readiness in the face of future events, as seen in 1 Corinthians 16:13 and Ephesians 6:18.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Proverbs 19:15Laziness brings on deep sleep, and an idle soul will suffer hunger.
2Isaiah 56:10Israel’s watchmen are blind, they are all oblivious; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they are dreamers lying around, loving to slumber.
3Jonah 1:6The captain approached him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call upon your God. Perhaps this God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”
4Matthew 13:25But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away.
5Matthew 25:5When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

The Key Word καθεύδω, katheudōgenerated

The word καθεὕδω (*katheudō*) means 'to sleep' and can refer to both literal and metaphorical sleep. In this context, it suggests a state of spiritual lethargy or unawareness.

The subjunctive form indicates a potential action, urging believers not to fall into a state of spiritual slumber, but to remain vigilant and aware of their surroundings.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as 'let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober.' This is consistent across several translations, including the KJV and ASV.

However, some versions differ in their choice of words. For example, BBE uses 'take our rest' instead of 'sleep', while NETB opts for 'alert' instead of 'watch' for γρηγορῶμεν.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is καθεὕδωμεν, we may sleep, which is contrasted with the verb γρηγορῶμεν, we may watch. The structure emphasizes the opposition between being spiritually aware and being asleep.

The verse contains two main clauses connected by ἀλλὰ (but), indicating a shift from the negative action of sleeping to the positive action of being awake and sober.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The word Ἄρα (ara), meaning 'So', appears in the Septuagint in a way that connects it to the Hebrew word נֶ֫פֶשׁ (nephesh), which can refer to a living being or self. This choice emphasizes a conclusion or result based on prior statements, suggesting a reflective or consequential tone in the verse.

The word οὖν (oun), translated as 'then', has been used in the LXX to render Hebrew terms like עַתָּ֫ה (attah), meaning 'now'. This reinforces the immediacy of the call to action in the verse, urging readers to respond in the present moment.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

1 Thessalonians 5:6 encourages believers not to be spiritually unaware like others, but to stay awake and self-controlled. This is a reminder to be vigilant in their faith.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean to be spiritually awake?

Being spiritually awake means being aware of God's presence and actively living out one's faith, rather than being complacent or indifferent.

How can I remain sober in my spiritual life?

Remaining sober involves exercising self-control, being morally alert, and making choices that reflect one's commitment to God.

Why does Paul compare believers to others?

Paul contrasts believers with others to highlight the difference in awareness and readiness for the return of Christ, emphasizing that believers should not be caught off guard.

What practical steps can I take to stay alert spiritually?

Practical steps include regular prayer, studying Scripture, participating in fellowship, and being mindful of one's actions and choices.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life do I feel spiritually sleepy, and how can I wake up?
  2. What practices help me stay alert and self-controlled in my faith?
  3. How can I encourage others in my community to remain spiritually vigilant?
  4. What does being sober mean to me in my daily life?

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

Early church fathers have commented on this verse, emphasizing the need for vigilance and moral alertness among believers.

Clement of AlexandriaThe Stromata Book 4 c. 150–215
But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as an helmet the hope of salvation."
Early Church Fathers on 1 Thessalonians 5 →
Clement of AlexandriaThe Instructor Book 2 c. 150–215
We should sleep half-awake.… A man who is asleep is not good for anything, any more than a man who is dead. Therefore, even during the night we should rouse ourselves from sleep often and give praise to God.
Early Church Fathers on 1 Thessalonians 5 →
John ChrysostomHomily on 1 Thessalonians 9 c. 347–407
"So then let us not sleep, as do also the rest, but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
Early Church Fathers on 1 Thessalonians 5 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 1 Thessalonians 5:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

Therefore let us not sleep as do others.... As the rest of the Gentiles, as unconverted persons, who are in a state of darkness, and are children of the night; let us not act that part they do, or be

Read John Gill on 1 Thessalonians 5 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. Others , [ hoi (G3588) loipoi (G3062)] - 'the rest' of the world (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Thessalonians 5 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The apostle draws this inference from the foregoing verses in a twofold duty: 1. Negative; Let us not sleep, as do others; sleep is not proper for the children of the day, but of the night. And as the night and darkness are to be taken metaphorically, so the sleep. And though it hath several acceptations in Scripture, yet it is here taken for security. As the natural sleep binds up the senses, and men are not aware of approaching danger, so doth the sleep of the soul: it darkens the mind, stupifies the spiritual sense, that men prepare not for the coming of Christ, nor to avoid the destruction that will then come suddenly upon them. ,12, is a place parallel to this: It is high time to awake…

Read Matthew Poole on 1 Thessalonians 5 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. Ver. 6. As do others] What wonder that the Grecians live loosely? saith Chrysostom; but that Christians do so, this is worse, yea, intolerable. But let us watch and be sober] We must not be like Agrippa’ s dormouse that would not awake till cast into boiling lead, or Matthiolus’ s asses fed with hemlock, that lie for dead, and are half hilded ere they can be aroused. (Comment. in Dioscor.) But rather we should resemble Aristotle and others, who were wont to sleep with brazen balls in their hands, which failing on vessels purposely set on their beds’ sides, the noise did dissuade immoderate sleep.

Read John Trapp on 1 Thessalonians 5 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) Let us not sleep.—The metaphor here expresses not so much actual sin (Ephesians 5:14) as carelessness in spiritual and moral things. “Let us not say, ‘Peace and safety,’ and resign ourselves to indifference about Christ’s coming.” St. Paul (as always) indicates that it was possible for “children of light” to be converted back into “children of darkness.” Others.—Rather, the rest, as in 1 Thessalonians 4:13 : so also Romans 11:7; Ephesians 2:3. Watch and be sober.—The comparison of night now suggests to the writer another thought besides that of sloth, namely, that of dissipation. Christians are not to turn day into night by debauchery any more than by sleep.

Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Thessalonians 5 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 6. Let us not sleep, as do others] Let us who are of the day-who believe the Gospel and belong to Christ, not give way to a careless, unconcerned state of mind, like to the Gentiles and sinners in general, who are stupified and blinded by sin, so that they neither think nor feel; but live in time as if it were eternity; or rather, live as if there were no eternity, no future state of existence, rewards, or punishments. Let us watch] Be always on the alert; and be sober, making a moderate use of all things.

Read AdamClarke on 1 Thessalonians 5 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

6. Therefore] More exactly, Accordingly then. The double conjunction here employed is an idiom peculiar to St Paul, which appears once in 2 Thess. (ch. 1 Thessalonians 2:15), eight times in Romans, and twice besides in his Epistles. It combines the logical and practical inference,—that which both reason and duty require.let us not sleep, as do others] the rest (R. V.); as in ch. 1 Thessalonians 4:13, see note. “Sleep” is natural to those who are “of the night” (comp. Ephesians 5:11-14); it is symbolic of the insensibility and helplessness that sin produces. Comp. Romans 13:11-12 : “It is high time to awake out of sleep … Let us put off the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light.”…

Read Cambridge on 1 Thessalonians 5 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Therefore let us no sleep, as do others - As the wicked world does; compare notes, Matthew 25:5. But let us watch - That is, for the coming of the Lord.

Read Albert Barnes on 1 Thessalonians 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

So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

so then let’s not sleep, as the rest do, but let’s watch and be sober.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober.

NETBNew English Translation2006

So then we must not sleep as the rest, but must stay alert and sober.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

so then let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober.

RVARevised Version, American1894

so then let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Therefore let vs not sleepe as do other, but let vs watch and be sober.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

So then do not let us sleep as the rest do, but let us watch and be sober;

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

so, then, we may not sleep as also the others, but watch and be sober,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

so, then, we may not sleep as also the others, but watch and be sober,

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

So then, let us not sleep as the rest do. Instead, let us keep watch and be sober.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Therefore, let us not sleep, as others do; but let us watch, and be sober.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

So then we shouldn't be sleeping like everybody else—we should stay awake and keep ourselves clear-headed.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

So then, let us not take our rest as the others do, but let us be self-controlled and awake.

Word by word, the decisions they made

καθεύδωμενkatheudō we may sleep G2518 2 different renderings
sleepASV BSB DBY DRA KJV LSV MSB NETB NWB RVA ULB WEB YLT
sleepingFBV
λοιποὶloipos others G3062 3 different renderings
othersBBE BSB DRA KJV LSV MSB NWB YLT
the restASV DBY NETB RVA ULB WEB
otherGNV
γρηγορῶμενgrēgoreō we may watch G1127 2 different renderings
watchASV DBY DRA GNV KJV LSV NWB RVA ULB WEB YLT
alertNETB

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.

clauseἄραSoclauseοὖνthenclauseμὴnotclauseverbκαθεύδωμενwe should sleepclauseὡςasclausenoun phrase · subjectοἱtheλοιποίothersἀλλὰbutclauseclauseverbγρηγορῶμενwe should watchκαὶandclauseverbνήφωμενwe should be sober

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

Igitur non dormiamus sicut et ceteri, sed vigilemus, et sobrii simus.

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 ܢܕܡܟ ܗܟܝܠ ܐܝܟ ܫܪܟܐ ܐܠܐ ܗܘܝܢ ܥܝܪܝܢ ܘܡܗܘܢܝܢ

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

Ἄρα οὖν μὴ καθεύδωμεν ὡς οἱ λοιποὶ ἀλλὰ γρηγορῶμεν καὶ νήφωμεν.

The standard critical text of the New Testament.

Nestle-Aland 27th edition1993 · Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft

Ἄρα οὖν μὴ καθεύδωμεν ὡς οἱ λοιποὶ ἀλλὰ γρηγορῶμεν καὶ νήφωμεν.

The previous edition, still widely cited.

SBL Greek New Testament2010 · Michael Holmes

Ἄρα οὖν μὴ καθεύδωμεν ὡς οἱ λοιποὶ ἀλλὰ γρηγορῶμεν καὶ νήφωμεν.

The Society of Biblical Literature edition, freely licensed.

Westcott–Hort1881 · Westcott and Hort

Ἄρα οὖν μὴ καθεύδωμεν ὡς οἱ λοιποὶ ἀλλὰ γρηγορῶμεν καὶ νήφωμεν.

The edition that turned scholarship toward the earliest manuscripts.

Tregelles1857–1879 · Samuel Prideaux Tregelles

Ἄρα οὖν μὴ καθεύδωμεν ὡς οἱ λοιποὶ ἀλλὰ γρηγορῶμεν καὶ νήφωμεν.

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

Tyndale House Greek NT2017 · Tyndale House, Cambridge

Ἄρα οὖν μὴ καθεύδωμεν ὡς οἱ λοιποὶ ἀλλὰ γρηγορῶμεν καὶ νήφωμεν.

A recent critical edition following documentary evidence closely.

Byzantine majority text2018 · Robinson–Pierpont

Ἄρα οὖν μὴ καθεύδωμεν ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἀλλὰ γρηγορῶμεν καὶ νήφωμεν.

The reading of the majority of surviving manuscripts.

Textus Receptus1550/1894 lineage

Ἄρα οὖν μὴ καθεύδωμεν ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἀλλὰ γρηγορῶμεν καὶ νήφωμεν.

The printed tradition behind the King James Version.

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

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

Word by word, across the editions

WordEditions carrying itMissing from
καὶ alsoTR, ByzNA28, NA27, SBL, WH, Treg, Tyn

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.

1 Thessalonians 5:6ἄραSoSoἄραοὖνthenthenοὖνμήnotnotμήκαθεύδωwe may sleewe may sleepκαθεύδωὡςasasὡςκαίalsoalsoκαίthetheλοιπόςothersothersλοιπόςἀλλάbutbutἀλλάγρηγορέωwe may watcwe may watchγρηγορέωκαίandandκαίνήφωwe may be swe may be soberνήφωαἴρωv. I raisev. I raise, lifαἴρωκατάPrep. downPrep. down fromκατάὅςRel.pr. whRel.pr. who, whὅςἐγείρωv. I wake,v. I wake, arouἐγείρωοὐNeg.prt. nNeg.prt. no, noοὐλείπωv. I am wav. I am wantingλείπωἄλλοςAdj other,Adj other, anotἄλλοςφθάνωv. I anticv. I anticipateφθάνωδαιμόνιονn.n. an evn.n. an evil-spδαιμόνιονἄραDisj.prt. Disj.prt. then,ἄραμένDisj.prt. Disj.prt. trulyμένπότεIrg.prt. wIrg.prt. when, πότεφοβέωv. I fear,v. I fear, am tφοβέωλοιπόςAdj left, Adj left, left λοιπόςνύξn.f. the nn.f. the night,νύξνήπιοςAdj an infAdj an infant, νήπιοςπλησίονAdv near, Adv near, nearbπλησίονἀναπαύωv. I make v. I make to reἀναπαύω
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 1 Thessalonians 5:6

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.

So then not we may sleep as also the others but we may watch and we may be sober.
Ἄραara So G686 Particle
34× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in 1 Thessalonians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
This word means therefore, showing a conclusion is being made. It is used in Romans 7:21 and 1 Corinthians 15:18 to connect ideas. It helps readers understand the logical flow of thoughts.
Tyndale gloss
therefore
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word ἄρα is an illative particle used to express inference, often indicating a conclusion or consequence. It appears frequently in the New Testament, particularly in the writings of Paul, but is absent from the works of John and the Catholic Epistles. Its usage includes forming questions and connecting ideas, as seen in verses like Romans 7:21 and 1 Corinthians 15:14.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ἄρα,

illative particle, expressing a more subjective or informal inference than οὖν,

then: prop. (as in cl.), the second word in the sentence, Ro 7:21 8:1, Ga 3:7; ἐπεὶ ἄρα, I Co 7:14 (with another word between) 5:10; as the first word, Lk 11:48, Ac 11:18, Ro 10:17, I Co 15:18, II Co 5:15 7:12, He 4:9; so prop. in apodosis after protasis with εἰ, Mt…

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

ἄρα, an illative particle (akin, as it seems, to the verbal root APQ to join, to be fitted, [cf. Curtius § 488 ; Vanitek p- 47]), whose use among native Greeks is illustrated fully by Kiihner ii. §$ 509, 545; [Jelf §§ 787-789], and Klotz ad Devar. ii. pp. 160-180, among others; [for a statement of diverse views see Biumlein, Griech. Partikeln, p. 19 sq.]. It intimates that, “under these circumstances something either is so or becomes so” (Klotz loc. p. 167): Lat. igitur, consequently, [differing from οὖν in ‘denoting a subjective impression rather than a positive conclusion.” L. and S. (see 5 below)]. In the N. T. it is used frequently by Paul, but in the writings of John and in the so-called Catholic Epistles it does not occur. On its use in the N. T. cf. W. §§ 53, 8 a. and 61,6. Itis found 1. subjoined to another word : Ro. vii. 21; viii.1; Gal. iii. 7; ἐπεὶ ἄρα since, if it were…

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

ἄρα. For εἰ ἄρα, sz forte, as in Mk 115, Ac 855, cf. P Petr II. 13 (19)® (middle of iii/B.c.) (= Witkowski, p. 19) εἰ 8 ἄρα μὴ ὁρᾶις ὃν δυνατόν, P Hal ri 172 (middle of iii/B.c.), εἰ δὲ ἄρα δεῖ αὐτοῖς σταθμοὺς δίδοίσθ᾽αι πία]ρὰ τῶν οἰκονόμων, διδότωσαν α[ὐ]τοῖς τοὺς ἀναγκαίους. See also P Oxy VII. τογοῦῦ (iii/A.D.) μὴ ἀμελήσῃς μὴ ἄρα ποτὲ θέλῃς μ[εἸτὰ σ[ο]ῦ [ρ]αείδι τὴν τήρησιν τῆς ὅλης οἰκίας παραδιδόναι, “do not neglect this, lest indeed you choose to hand over the keeping of the whole house to Herais” (Ed.): cf. P Amh 11. 84” (ii/iii A.D.) . . . Jpevos μὴ ἄρα τι

Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ἄρα (ara) — therefore.

ἄρᾰ,

Epic dialect ῥά (which is enclitic and used after monosyllables, ἦ, ὅς, γάρ, etc., or words ending in a vowel or diphthong, e.g. ἐπεί), before a consonant ἄρ (perhaps cf. Lithuanian i[rtilde] 'and'): expressing consequence, then, or mere succession, there and then, and in many derived uses.

__A EARLIER USAGE: to denote,

__A.I immediate transition, there and then, straightway, ὣς φάτο βῆ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ Ὄνειρος[Refs 8th c.BC+]: after a participle, ὣς εἰπὼν κατ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἕζετο[Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὕτως ἄρα[Refs 5th c.BC+]; often in apodosi, as αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ θηήσατο.. αὐτίκ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἤλυθεν[Refs 8th c.BC+]: in enumerations, e. g. in Homer's catalogue, then, next, οἱ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ Ἀθήνας εἶχον[Refs]; so in genealogies, Σίσυφος.. ὁ δ᾽ ἄ. Γλαῦκον τέκεθ᾽…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ἄρα

ara

probably from 142 (through the idea of drawing a conclusion); a

particle denoting an inference more or less decisive (as

follows):--haply, (what) manner (of man), no doubt, perhaps, so be,

then, therefore, truly, wherefore. Often used in connection with other

particles, especially 1065 or 3767 (after) or 1487 (before). Compare

also 687.

see GREEK for 142

see GREEK for 1065

see GREEK for 3767

see GREEK for 1487

see GREEK for 687

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ἄρα

Disj.prt.

then, therefore, since

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

PRT PaRTicle, disjunctive particle

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

so (co', although the Hebrew might be pointed cewe'; Assyrian Sib'u; Septuagint Segor, Soa; Manetho, Seuechos; Latin Sevechus; Herodotus (ii. 137 ff), Sabakon): In all probability the "Sabaeo" of Herodotus, the Shabaka, who founded the Ethiopian dynasty, the XXVth of Egyptian kings. His date is given as 715-707 BC (Flinders Petrie, History of Egypt, III, 281 ff), but we may suppose that before his accession to the throne he was entitled to be designated king, as being actually regent. To this So, Hoshea, king of Israel, made an appeal for assistance to enable him to throw off the yoke of the Assyrian Shalmaneser IV (2Ki 17:3). But Hoshea's submission to So brought him no advantage, for Shalmaneser came up throughout all the land and laid siege to Samaria. Not long after the fall of Samaria, So ventured upon an eastern campaign, and…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

So

(Nubian, Sabako), an Ethiopian king who brought Egypt under his sway. He was bribed by Hoshea to help him against the Assyrian monarch Shalmaneser (2 Kings 17:4). This was a return to the policy that had been successful in the reign of Jeroboam I.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

"So, king of Egypt," is once mentioned in the Bible -- (2 Kings 17:4) So has been identified by different writers with the first and second kings of the Ethiopian twenty-fifth dynasty, called by Manetho, Sabakon (Shebek) and Sebichos (Shebetek).

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

King of Egypt, made an alliance with Hoshea king of Israel, and promised him assistance; but was unable to prevent Shalmaneser king of Assyria from taking Samaria and subverting the kingdom, B. C. 721, 2Ki 17:4. See PHARAOH.

So is believed to have been the Servetus or Sabaco II of secular history, the second king of the Ethiopian or twenty-fifth dynasty, and the predecessor of Trihakah. A singular fact has been brought to light by the recent explorations at Nineveh, corroborating the Scripture record the more forcibly, because unexpected and direct. The Bible shows that Egypt and Assyria, though remote, were often in conflict during the height of the Assyrian ruins power, and that So was at war with Shalmaneser. After war comes the treaty of peace; and as the Bible prepares us to suppose such treaties were made, the Assyrian ruins…

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
52%then
then52% · 26×so28% · 14×therefore6% · 3×perhaps4% · 2×indeed2% · 1×then indeed2% · 1×then would2% · 1×that case2% · 1×other renderings2% · 1×

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

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank
adverbial14%object4%

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

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
δαιμόνιονan evil-spirit, demo
Article the
ἸησοῦςJesus
Article the
λέγωI say, speak
θεόςGod, a god
εὑρίσκωI find
ἐγώ
κύριοςlord, Lord, mast
ἄραSo34×
what comes after →
οὖνtherefore, then
ὡςas, like as, howἀδελφόςa brotherζάωI live
Article the
νόμοςa law, the Mosaiπίστιςfaith, belief, tτέκνονa child, descend
φθάνωI anticipate, preced
ἐπί
καίand, even, also, nam
Article the
ἀπό
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

Concordanceἄρα · 34× in the New Testament
Romans 1 Corinthians Galatians Matthew 2 Corinthians Hebrews Luke 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians Acts Ephesians
Across the New Testament11 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 22 Old Testament verses where this Greek word stands: which Hebrew word keeps standing there too. A correspondence of verses rather than a word-by-word alignment, so read the percentage as strength of evidence, not as a claim about any single verse.

Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Philo of Alexandria Josephus The Shepherd of Hermas Clement of Rome The Epistle of Barnabas
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 19c. AD 40

τὰ παραπλήσια δὴ καὶ περὶ θεοῦ δοξαστέον, ὡς ἄρα τὴν μεγαλόπολιν κτίζειν διανοηθεὶς ἐνενόησε πρότερον τοὺς τύπους αὐτῆς, ἐξ ὧν κόσμον νοητὸν συστησάμενος ἀπετέλει καὶ τὸν αἰσθητὸν παραδείγματι χρώμενος ἐκείνῳ.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 2.8c. AD 75–95

τοσαύτην δʼ ἄρα τὸ θεῖον αὐτοῦ πρόνοιαν ἔσχε καὶ τῆς εὐδαιμονίας ἐπιμέλειαν, ὡς κἀκ τῶν λυπηρῶν αὐτῷ δοξάντων τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν παρασχεῖν καὶ ποιῆσαι τῆς ἀπʼ Αἰγύπτου τῶν ἡμετέρων προγόνων ἀναχωρήσεως αἴτιον αὐτόν τε καὶ τοὺς ἐξ αὐτοῦ…

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 6.19c. AD 100

εἰ οὖν οὐ γίνεται τοῦτο νῦν, ἄρα ἡμῖν εἴρηκεν, πότε: ὅταν καὶ αὐτοὶ τελειωθῶμεν κληρονόμοι τῆς διαθήκης κυρίου γενέσθαι.

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 1st c. AD 6th c. AD
BGU 7 1599 VoPhiladelphia (Arsinoites)AD 68

v Ἀλεξάνδρου … αρα … δου … π … κθ Οὐαλερί … ρλβ ζη

P.Louvre 1 2Soknopaiu Nesos (ArsinoitesAD 133

φορη … … ιτος τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ σκεύη τε καὶ … αια … … αρα … … … τῶι τῆς Ἡρακλείδου μερίδος στρατηγῶι διαλαβεῖν περὶ τῆς γινομένης μοι βίας

P.Col. 8 218Tebtynis (Arsinoites)AD 139

ἐπληρώθη εἰς τὸ διεληλυθὸς α ἔτος ἀρούρας περὶ τὴν προκειμένην κώμην α … … αρα … … τω … βρουχως, ὧν γείτονες νότου … καὶ ἑτέρων γεωργ, βορρᾶ Ἡρακλι

So then not we may sleep as also the others but we may watch and we may be sober.
οὖνoun then G3767 Conjunction
496× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
rarer in 1 Thessalonians than elsewhere in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
This word means therefore or then, showing a consequence. It appears in Matthew 3:10 and Romans 5:9 to connect ideas and events.
Amplified meaning
therefore, as a consequence
Tyndale gloss
therefore/then
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

οὖν,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

οὖν (oun) — therefore/then.

οὖν,

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

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

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

οὖν

oun

apparently a primary word; (adverbially) certainly, or

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

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

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

οὖν

Cj.

therefore, then

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

οὖν oun 499x

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

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

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

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

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

CONJ CONJunction or conjunctive particle

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

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

What it does in the sentencefrom the Nestle 1904 treebank

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

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

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

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

Every reference is on the Strong's page.

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

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

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

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

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.6c. AD 75–95

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

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

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

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

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

P.Grenf. 1 30Pathyris104 BC

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

Chrest.Wilck. 12Pathyris89 BC

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

So then not we may sleep as also the others but we may watch and we may be sober.
μὴ not G3361 Particle · negative
1,060× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in 1 Thessalonians as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
Not is a word used to show that something is not true or is not happening, like in phrases that say 'lest' or 'God forbid', as seen in various parts of the New Testament.
Tyndale gloss
not
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

μή () is a Greek negative particle used to express subjective negation, often in conditional or hypothetical contexts. It contrasts with οὐ (ou), which indicates absolute denial. μή can function as an adverb meaning 'not' or as a conjunction meaning 'lest.' It appears in various grammatical constructions, including prohibitions and deliberative questions, and is referenced in verses like Matthew 5:29 and John 3:18.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

μή,

subjective negative particle,

used where the negation depends on a condition or hypothesis, expressed or understood, as distinct from οὐ, which denies absolutely. μή is used where one thinks a thing is not, as distinct from an absolute negation. As a general rule, οὐ negatives the indic., μή the other moods, incl, ptcp. [In LXX for אֵין, אַיִן, אַל.]

As a neg. adv., not;

with ref. to thought or opinion: Jo 3:18, Tit 1:11, II Pe 1:9.

In delib. questions, c. subjc. (M, Pr., 185): Mk 12:14, Ro 3:8.

In conditional and final sentences, after εἰ, ἐάν, ἄν, ἵνα, ὅπως: Mt 10:14,

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

μή, Sept. for Ox, |X, PN, ἃ particle of negation, which differs from οὐ (which is always an adverb) in that ov denies the thing itself (orto speak technically, denies simply, absolutely, categorically, directly, objectively). but μή denies the thought of the thing, or the thing according to the judgment, opinion, will, purpose, preference, of some one (hence, as we say technically, indirectly, hypothetically, subjectively). This distinction holds also of the compounds οὐδείς, μηδείς, οὐκέτι, μηκέτι, ete. But pris either an ad verb of negation, not (Lat. non, ne); or aconjunction, that... not, lest, (Lat. ne); or an interrogative particle, (Lat. num) [i. e. (generally) implying aneg. ans.; in indir. quest. whether nol (suggesting apprehension) ]. Cf. Herm. ad Vig. § 267 p- 802 sqq-; Matthiae § 608; Bitm. Gram. § 148 (cf. Alex. Bttm. N. T. Gr. p. 344 (296) sqq.); Kiihner ii. §§ 512 sq. p.…

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

μή Grenf II. 384 (mid. 1.8.6.) καλῶς οὖ]ν ποιήσις μὴ ἀμελήσ[α]ς α[. . ἀγο]ράσαι. .. , P Oxy I. 3815 (a.p. 49--50) (= Selections, p. 53) τοῦ δὲ Σύρου μὴ βουλομένου ἐνμεῖναι τοῖς κεκριμένοις, “45 Syrus does not wish to abide by what has been decided,” 2d. II. 2755 (A.D. 66) (= Selections, p. 58) ἔγραψα ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ μὴ ἰδότος γράμματα, “1 wrote for him seeing that he was unlettered,” BGU I. 22° (a.p. 114) (= Selections, p. 74) TappovOios . . . τὸ παρὸν μὴ ἔχουσα κύριον, ‘ Tarmuthis at present without a guardian,’ and P Grenf II. 779 (iii/iv A.D.) (= Sedections, p. 120) θαυμάζω πάνυ [ὅτι] ἀλόγως ἀπέστητε μὴ ἄραντες [τὸ σ]ῶμα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ὑμῶν, “1 wonder exceedingly that you went off so unreasonably, without taking the body of your brother”; cf. P Tor 1. 1¥8-4 (νον 116) εἰ δὲ kal τις θείηι τὸ μὴ ὄν (cf. 1 Cor 1°8)—acc. and inf. follow, P Ryl II. 144°? (Α.Ὁ. 38) ἐπαγαγεῖν αἰτίας τοῦ μὴ ὄντος, ‘‘…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

μή (mē) — not.

μή,

Elean μά [ᾱ] [Refs 6th c.BC+]. (Cf. Sanskrit mā´, Armenian mi [from I.-[Refs 5th c.BC+] mē´], negative used in prohibitions):—not, the negative of the will and thought, as οὐ of fact and statement; μή rejects, οὐ denies; μή is relative, οὐ absolute; μή subjective, οὐ objective. (A few examples of μηδέ and μηδείς have been included.)

__A in INDEPENDENT sentences, used in expressions of will or wish, command, entreaty, warning,

__A.1 with present imperative, 2 person, μή μ᾽ ἐρέθιζε [Refs 8th c.BC+]: rarely with aorist imperative, μὴ.. ἔνθεο τιμῇ [Refs 8th c.BC+]; in Attic dialect, μὴ ψεῦσον, ὦ Ζεῦ, τῆς.. ἐλπίδος [Refs 8th c.BC+]perfect imperative [Refs 8th c.BC+] person when perfect = present, μὴ κεκράγετε [Refs 5th c.BC+]

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

μή

me

a primary particle of qualified negation (whereas 3756 expresses an

absolute denial); (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an

interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas 3756 expects an

affirmative one)) whether:--any but (that), X forbear, + God forbid, +

lack, lest, neither, never, no (X wise in), none, nor, (can-)not,

nothing, that not, un(-taken), without. Often used in compounds in

substantially the same relations. See also 3362, 3363, 3364, 3372,

3373, 3375, 3378.

see GREEK for 3756

see GREEK for 3362

see GREEK for 3363

see GREEK for 3364

see GREEK for 3372

see GREEK for 3373

see GREEK for 3375

see GREEK for 3378

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

μή

Neg.prt.

not, lest

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

μή mē 1x

a negative particle, can function as a conj, not, for the particulars of its usage, especially as distinguished from that of οὐ, consult a grammar; as a conj., lest, that not, Mt. 5:29, 30; 18:10; 24:6; Mk. 13:36; μή, or μήτι, or μήποτε, when prefixed to an interrogative clause, it expresses an intimation either of the reality of the matters respecting which the question is asked, Mt. 12:23; or the contrary, Jn. 4:12

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
71%not
not71% · 772×except9% · 95×unless5% · 58×surely not4% · 41×lest3% · 32×otherwise2% · 23×other renderings4% · 48×other renderings1% · 16×

1,085 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 23 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
adverbial84%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 1,060 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
οὐNeg
καίand, even, also,σύἐγώ
ἵναin order that, so th
αὐτόςσύπροσεύχομαιI pray, pray for
καίand, even, also, nam
ἐγώαὐτόςεἰμίI am, exist
εἰCond
αὐτόςυἱόςa son, descendenκαίand, even, also,
Article the
καίand, even, also,εἰςδιά
μήnot1060×
what comes after →
Article the
πατήρfather, Father, υἱόςa son, descendenσημεῖονa sign, miracle,
ἔχωI have, hold, posses
καίand, even, also,ποιμήνa shepherdβάθοςdepth, a depth,
εἰμίI am, exist
δίδωμιI offer, giveἐνμετά
τὶς
σύὑστερέωI am lacking, faγεννάωI beget, bring f
φοβέωI fear, am terrified
ἀπόArticle theμόνοςalone, but, only

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

Concordanceμή · 1,060× in the New Testament
Luke Matthew John 1 Corinthians Romans Mark Acts Revelation 2 Corinthians Hebrews 1 Timothy Galatians

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

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

Counted over the 1,321 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.

So then not we may sleep as also the others but we may watch and we may be sober.
καθεύδωμενkatheudō we may sleep G2518 Verb · present · active · subjunctive · first person · plural
22× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in 1 Thessalonians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
To sleep or fall asleep is what this word means, used in stories like Jesus sleeping in the boat in Matthew 8:24 and Mark 4:27.
Amplified meaning
be spiritually unaware, lethargic
Tyndale gloss
to sleep
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word καθεύδω (*katheudo*) means 'to sleep' and can refer to both literal and metaphorical states of sleep. It appears in various contexts in the New Testament, including references to physical sleep (e.g., Matthew 8:24) and spiritual sloth (e.g., Ephesians 5:14). The term is also used metaphorically to denote death (1 Thessalonians 5:10). It is synonymous with κοιμάω.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

καθεύδω,

[in LXX chiefly for שׁכב, Ge 28:13, Ps 87 (88):5, al.; also for יָשֵׁן, Ca 5:2, Da LXX TH 12:2, al.; for ישׁב, I Ki 19:9;]

to sleep: Mt 8:24 9:24 13:25 25:5 26:40, 43, 45, Mk 4:27, 38 5:39 14:37, 40, 41, Lk 8:52 22:46, I Th 5:7.

Metaph.,

of death (as Ps 87 (88):5, Da LXX TH 12:2): I Th 5:10 (cf. Mt 9:24, Mk 5:39, Lk 8:52, and v.…

Read the full entry →
Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament from a scan

καθ-εύδω ; impf. 3 pers. plur. ἐκάθευδον ; fr. Hom. down; Sept. mostly for 13¥ ; 1. to fall asieep, to drop off to sleep: Mt. xxv. 5. 2. to sleep ; a. prop.: Mt. viii. 24 ; ix. 24 [on this and its paral. ef. B. D. Am. ed. p. 1198*]; xiii. 25; xxvi.40,43,45; Mk. iv. 27, 38; v.39; xiii. 86; xiv. 37, 40sq.; Lk. viii.52; xxii. 46; 1 Th. v. Zs b. euphemistically, to be dead: 1 Th.v.10; (Ps. Ixxxvii. (Ixxxviii.) 6; Dan. xii. 2). c. metaph. to yield to sloth and sin, and be indifferent to one’s salvation: Eph. v. 14; 1 ΤῊ. ν. 6.

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

καθεύδω. BGU IV. 114157 (B.c. 14) οὐδὲ γὰρ καθεύδωι ἔσωι ἵνα εἰδῶι, PSI 1. 9417 (ii/A.p.) καθεύδει τῇ νυκτί. In the rules regulating visitors to a sacred shrine, Sy// 589** (iv/B.C.), it is provided—ey δὲ tot κοιμητηρίοι καθεύδειν χωρὶς μὲν Tos ἄνδρας, χωρὶς δὲ τὰς γυναῖκας, The compound ἐγκαθεύδω occurs several times in the same document. Epict. ii. 20. 10 βαλὼν κάθευδε καὶ τὰ τοῦ σκώληκος ποίει, ‘lie down and sleep and play the part of the worm.” On the irregular construction in Mk 4?’ see Pro/eg. p. 185 f.

Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

καθεύδω (katheudō) — to sleep.

καθεύδω,

so also in Ionic dialect, [Refs 5th c.BC+]imperfect καθεῦδον [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐκάθευδον [Refs 5th c.BC+]: future καθευδήσω [Refs 5th c.BC+]aorist ἐκαθεύδησα (not in Attic dialect), [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; infinitive καθευδῆσαι [Refs]:— lie down to sleep, sleep, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; opposed to ἀγρυπνέω, ἐγρήγορα, [Refs 6th c.BC+]; νυκτὸς κ. to sleep by night, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κ. τὰς νύκτας to sleep all one's nights, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; μαλακῶς, σκληρῶς κ., [Refs 4th c.BC+]; of male and female, ἵνα τώ γε καθεύδετον ἐν φιλότητι [Refs 8th c.BC+]: generally, pass the night, τὴν βουλὴν εἰς ἀκρόπολιν ἰέναι κἀκεῖ κ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κ. ἐπὶ ξύλου roost, of a fowl, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐκ τοῦ καθεύδοντος from a sleeping state, [Refs 5th…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

καθεύδω

katheudo

from 2596 and heudo (to sleep); to lie down to rest, i.e. (by

implication) to fall asleep (literally or figuratively):--(be

a-)sleep.

see GREEK for 2596

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

καθεύδω

v.

I sleep, am sleeping

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

καθεύδω katheudō 22x

to sleep, be fast asleep, Mt. 8:24; 9:24; met. to sleep in spiritual sloth, Eph. 5:14; 1 Thess. 5:6; to sleep the sleep of death, to die, 1 Thess. 5:10

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

καθεύδω ionic κατ-εύδω imperf. καθεῦδον attic also καθηῦδον and ἐκάθευδον fut. καθευδήσω to lie down to sleep, sleep, Hom., etc.:— ἐκ τοῦ καθεύδοντος (part. neut.) from a sleeping state, Plat.

metaph. to lie asleep, lie idle, Aesch., etc.:—also of things, to sleep, lie still, be at rest, ἐλπίδες καθεύδουσιν Eur.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-PAS-1P — Verb · present · active · subjunctive · first person · plural
present active subjunctive — an action in progress.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-PAS-1P Part of Speech: Verb Tense: Present Voice: Active Mood: Subjunctive Person: first Number: Plural

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

slep: Represents many words in Hebrew and Greek. For the noun the most common are shenah, and hupnos; for the verb, yashen, shakhabh, and katheudo. The figurative uses for death (De 31:16, etc.) and sluggishness (Eph 5:14, etc.) are very obvious.

See DREAM.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ From God Ps 127:2

→ Of the sluggard (very lazy person) Pr 6:9,10

→ Of Jesus Mt 8:24; Mr 4:38; Lu 8:23

→ A symbol of death Job 14:12; Mt 9:24; Mr 5:39; Lu 8:52; Joh 11:11,12; 1Th 4:14

→ See DEATH

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
45%sleeping
sleeping45% · 10×sleep14% · 3×sleeps14% · 3×we may sleep5% · 1×we shall sleep5% · 1×he may sleep5% · 1×you asleep?5% · 1×you sleeping5% · 1×other renderings5% · 1×

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

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

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 22 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
εὑρίσκωI findλέγωI say, speak
ἀλλάbut, except
ἀποθνῄσκωI am dying, am aκοράσιονa girl, little g
Article the
δέbut, on the otheἐγείρωI wake, arouse,
καίand, even, also, nam
πᾶςall, the whole,
δέbut, on the other ha
αὐτός
καθεύδωwe may sleep22×
what comes after →
καίand, even, also, nam
λέγωI say, speakἐγείρωI wake, arouse, καταγελάωI laugh at, ridi
Article the
ἄνθρωποςa man, one of thλοιπόςleft, left behin
εἰμίI am, exist
γάρfor
λοιπόςleft, left behind, t
καίand, even, also,
οὐNeg
ἰσχύωI am strong, abl

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

Concordanceκαθεύδω · 22× in the New Testament
Mark Matthew 1 Thessalonians Luke Ephesians
Across the New Testament5 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 11 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
Philo of AlexandriaOn Dreams 1.3c. AD 40

ἡ γῆ, ἐφ’ ἧς σὺ καθεύδεις, σοὶ δώσω αὐτὴν καὶ τῷ σπέρματί σου, καὶ ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα σου ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς γῆς, καὶ πλατυνθήσεται ἐπὶ θάλασσαν καὶ λίβα καὶ βορρᾶν καὶ ἀνατολάς· καὶ ἐνευλογηθήσονται ἐν σοὶ πᾶσαι αἱ φυλαὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐν τῷ σπέρματί σου.

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 11.35c. AD 75–95

καὶ τῷ λόγον ἐροῦντι περὶ ὧν αὐτὸς ἀνακρίνειν μέλλει τὸν ἀληθέστερον καὶ συνετώτερον, τούτῳ γέρας δώσειν ὑπισχνεῖται νικητήριον πορφύραν ἐνδύσασθαι καὶ ἐν ἐκπώμασιν χρυσοῖς πίνειν καὶ ἐπὶ χρυσίου καθεύδειν καὶ ἅρμα χρυσοχάλινον καὶ κίδαριν βύσσινον…

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 1st c. BC 2nd c. BC 3rd c. BC 4th c. AD
BGU 4 1141Alexandria15 BC–14 BC

καχεκτεύεται, εἴ τι μὲν ὁ σύνδουλος αὐτὸν δυνήσεται συστῆσαι ἐγὼ οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι, οὐδὲ γὰρ καθεύδω ἔσω ἵνα εἰδῶ. ἡμέρας δὲ ἐν αἷς ἀναβαίνω, εὑρίσκω αὐτὸν καθήμενον καὶ πεινιζόμενον κρόκην,

O.Krok. 2 225KrokodiloAD 98–AD 117

τῇ κυρίᾳ Ἀθηνᾷ. γινώσκειν θέλω ἀφ’ ὅτε ἐξῆλθον ἀπὸ σοῦ οὔδε νυκτὸς οὔδε ἡμέρας καθεύδω … του

O.Claud. 1 174Mons ClaudianusAD 101–AD 125

ἔγραψα ὑμῖν διʼ ἑτέρου ὀστρακίου ὅπως πέμψατέ μοι τὸ ὑπαγκώνιον τὸ μικρὸν ἐπεὶ πάσχω καθεύδων καὶ οὐκ ἐπέμψατε. πέμψατε οὖν αὐτὸ καὶ τὸ μελάνιον καὶ κολλυρίδια β καὶ ἐκ

So then not we may sleep as also the others but we may watch and we may be sober.
ὡςhōs as G5613 Adverb
502× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in 1 Thessalonians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
This word means as or when, showing a comparison or timing. It's used in many verses, like Mark 4:26 and 1 Corinthians 3:15, to show how things are done. It helps explain how or when something happens.
Tyndale gloss
as/when
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word ὡς is an adverb and conjunction derived from the relative pronoun ὅς. It is used in various contexts to mean 'as,' 'like,' or 'when,' and can indicate manner, comparison, or time. In the New Testament, it appears frequently to express similarity or to introduce clauses, such as in comparisons or temporal phrases. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its usage.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ὡς, adverbial form of the relative pron. ὅς, ἥ, ὅ.

As relat. adv. of manner, as, like as, just as, even as;

with a demonstrative, like οὕτως, expressed or understood: οὕτως . . . ὡς, Mk 4:26, I Co 3:15, Eph 5:28, Ja 2:12, al.; ὡς . . . οὕτως, Ac 8:32, I Co 7:17, al.; elliptically (sc. οὕτως, οὕτω), c. nom., Mt 6:29, al.; c. acc., Mt 19:19, Mk 12:31, al.; c. prep., Mt 26:55, Read the full entry →

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

ὡς [ Treg. (by mistake) in Mt. xxiv. 38 ὥς; cf. W. 462 (431); Chandler § 934, and reff. in Ebeling, Lex. Hom. s. v. p. 494

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

ὡς. Ι. = “45: P Goodsp Cairo 44 (ii/B.c.) (= Selections, Ῥ- 24) εἰ tppwoar . .. εἴη dv ὡς αἱρούμεθα, “if you are well, it will be as we desire,” BGU I. 1637 (A.D. 108) καὶ yap ἄλλοι ὡς πληγέντες ὑπὸ αὐτοῦ ἀναφόριον δεδώκασι, “for others have given information (from time to time) ἃ5 having been assaulted by him,” P Flor I. 5618 (A.p. 234) ὡς καθήκει, and BGU IV. το. 1 (iv/y A.D.) κα]ταβληθῆναι ὡς φονέα. 2. = “that,” ‘ how,” after verbs of saying, thinking, etc.: P Tebt I. τοῦ (B.c. 119) φρόντισον ὡς τὰ τῆς ὑποσχέσεως ἐκπληρωθήσεται, “take care that the terms of his agreement are fulfilled” (Edd.), and P Tebt II. 4101? (i/A.D.) μν[ἤ]σθητι o[s] ἐν τῷ Τρ[ιστόμῳ pe ἐφιλοτ[ιυἹμοῦ σὺν ἐμοὶ μεῖναι, ‘remember how zealous you were at Tristomos to remain with me” (Fdd.). 3. Ὁ. ind. with dy, as in Σ Cor 125, cf. P Par 4615 (B.C. 152) ὡς ἂν εὐκαιρήσω, παραχρῆμα παρέσομαι πρός σε. 4. c. conj. with…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ὡς (hōs) — as/when.

ὡς:—

Summary:

__A as adverb of Manner.

__A.Aa ὧς and ὥς (with accent), so, thus.

__A.Ab ὡς (without accent) of the Relat. pronoun ὅς, as.

__A.Ac ὡς Relat. and Interrog., how.

__A.Ad ὡς temporal, when.

__A.Ae ὡς Local, where,

__B ὡς, as CONJUNCTION.

__C,D various usages. adverb of Manner:

__A.Aa ὥς, Demonstr., ={οὕτως}, so, thus, frequently in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; in Ionic dialect Prose, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ὥς simply ={οὕτως}, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

__A.2 καὶ ὧς even so, nevertheless, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὐδ᾽ ὧς not even so, [Refs 8th c.BC+] are used in Trag. and Attic dialect, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κἂν ὧς, εἴπερ μέλει σοι, ἀπόστειλόν μοί τινα [Refs 4th c.AD+]; δουλεύων καθὼς καὶ ὧς [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; Thess. καὶ οὗς [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; for this phrase the accentuation ὧς[Refs 2nd…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ὡς

hos

probably adverb of comparative from 3739; which how, i.e. in that

manner (very variously used, as follows):--about, after (that),

(according) as (it had been, it were), as soon (as), even as (like),

for, how (greatly), like (as, unto), since, so (that), that, to wit,

unto, when(-soever), while, X with all speed.

see GREEK for 3739

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ὡς

Adv

as, like as, how, while, so that

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ὡς hōs 504x

conjunction formed from the relative pronoun ὅς, used as a comparative part. and conj., as, correlatively, Mk. 4:26; Jn. 7:46; Rom. 5:15; as, like as, Mt. 10:16; Eph. 5:8; according as, Gal. 6:10; as, as it were, Rev. 8:8; as, Lk. 16:1; Acts 3:12; before numerals, about, Mk. 5:13; conj. that, Read the full entry →

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ὡς thus, as, so that, since

A. ADVERB of Manner, either ὥς (with accent) Demonstr. so, thus, Lat. sic;— or ὡς (without accent) Relat. as, Lat. ut. B. ὡς, as CONJUNCTION. C, D. various usages.

of Manner:

ὥς, Demonstr. = οὕτως, so, thus, Lat. sic, Hom., Hdt.; rare in attic:— καὶ ὥς, even so, nevertheless, οὐδ᾽ ὥς, μηδ᾽ ὥς, not even so, in no wise, Hom., Soph.

in Comparisons, ὥς . . , ὡς . . , so . . as . . , Lat. sic . . ut . . , Il., Plat.

thus, for instance, Od.

ὡς, Relat., as, Lat. ut, first in Hom.; οὕτως ὡς, Lat. sic ut; but the antec. is often omitted: similes are commonly introduced by ὡς ὅτε, ὡς δ᾽ ὅτε, where ὅτε often seems superfluous, ἤριπε δ᾽, ὡς ὅτε πύργος [ἤριπε] Il.:—this ὡς takes the accent at the end of a clause or when it follows the word dependent on it; θεὸς δ᾽ ὣς τίετο δήμῳ Il.; οἱ δὲ φέβοντο, βόες ὥς…

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

ADV ADVerb or adverb and particle combined

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

az: Conj. and adverb (usually Greek hos hosper, kathos), designating:

(1) Likeness: (a) between nouns (Ge 3:5; Jud 6:5; Php 2:8; Heb 11:27,29); (b) between verbs (Lu 6:36; Joh 5:30; 1Co 10:7); (c) between adjectives (1Co 15:48).

(2) Limitation (with respect to a particular aspect or relation) (1Pe 4:15,16).

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
60%as
as60% · 310×like16% · 84×when8% · 41×how4% · 21×about4% · 20×other renderings6% · 33×other renderings1% · 7×

516 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 22 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
adverbial31%predicate12%object4%subject4%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 502 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
πρόσωπονthe face, counteπούςthe footδιδάσκωI teach
σύ
πλησίονnear, nearby, a καρδίαthe heart, innerἀποστέλλωI send forth, se
καίand, even, also, nam
πολύςmuch, many, ofteαὐτόςλαόςa people, the cr
ἀλλάbut, except
γαμίζωI give in marriaθέλωI will, wish, deφανερῶςclearly, openly
εἰμίI am, exist
ὥραan hour, seasonὅτιthat, since, becοὐNeg
ὡςas502×
what comes after →
Article the
κύριοςlord, Lord, mastἥλιοςthe sun, sunlighφῶςlight, a source
δέbut, on the other ha
πληρόωI fill, fulfill,γίνομαιI come into beinἀκούωI hear, listen
καίand, even, also, nam
Article theἐνἐγώ
φωνήa sound, noise, voic
ὕδωρwaterβροντήthunderἐν
ἐν
Article theοὐρανόςthe sky, the heaκρυπτόςhidden, secret

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

Concordanceὡς · 502× in the New Testament
Revelation Acts Luke Matthew 1 Corinthians John 2 Corinthians 1 Peter Hebrews Mark Romans Ephesians

Every reference is on the Strong's page.

Across the New Testament26 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
So then not we may sleep as also the others but we may watch and we may be sober.
καὶkai also G2532 Conjunction
8,978× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in 1 Thessalonians as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
And or also, a connecting word used to join ideas or words, like in Matthew 2:18 and Hebrews 1:1.
Tyndale gloss
and
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

καί (kai) is a conjunction meaning 'and,' used to connect words, phrases, and clauses. It serves various functions, including copulative and adjunctive uses, and can express cumulative ideas like 'also' or 'even.' The New Testament frequently employs it to link terms and sentences, as seen in verses like Matthew 2:18 and John 10:3. Abbott-Smith notes its use in both simple and complex structures, while Thayer emphasizes its role as the most common particle in the New Testament.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

καί,

conj.,

and.

Copulative.

Connecting single words;

in general: Mt 2:18 16:1, Mk 2:15, Lk 8:15, He 1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mt 23:23, Lk 14:21, Ro 7:12 9:4, al.;

connecting numerals (WM, § 37, 4): Jo 2:20, Ac 13:20;

joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mt 8:33 26:59, Mk 16:17,

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

καί, a conj., and; the most freq. by far of all the particles in the N. T. [On its uses see W. § 53, 3sqq.; B. 361 (310) sqq., and ef. Ellicott on Phil. iv. 12; on the difference between it and τέ see 8. v. τέ ad init. ] I. It serves as a copulative i.e. to connect (Lat. et, atque, Germ. und) ; 1. it connects single words or terms: a. univ., as of Φαρισαῖοι καὶ Σαδδουκαῖοι, Mt. xvi. 1; ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατήρ, he who is God and Father (see θεός, 3); ἐν καρδίᾳ καλῇ καὶ ἀγαθῇ, Lk. viii. 15; πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυτρόπως, ΗΘ}. 1. 1; it is repeated before single terms, to each of which its own force and weight is thus given: ἡ υἱοθεσία καὶ ἡ δόξα καὶ ai διαθῆκαι καὶ ἡ νομοθεσία καὶ ἡ λατρεία καὶ αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι, Ro. ix. 4 ; ἁγία καὶ δικαία καὶ ἀγαθή, Ro. vii. 12; add, Mt. xxiii. 23; Lk. xiv. 21; Jn. xvi. 8; Acts xv. 20, 29; xxi. 25; Heb. ix. 10; Rey. v. 12; xviii. 12 sq.; ef. W. 519 sq. (484). b. it…

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

και. In LAE p. 129 ff. Deissmann discusses the thoroughly popular character of the Johannine style with its short paratactic sentences, introduced by kal. . . καί. To illustrate this, he cites amongst other exx. a Dream from the Serapeum, P Par 51 (B.C. 160) (= Selections, p. 18 ff. : see especially the amended readings in Archiv vi. p. 204), which runs—** ὦμ[ην] βατί -- δ)ίζειν pe [ἀπ]ὸ λειβὸς ἕως ἀ[ πηλι]ώτου, καὶ ἀναπίπτομαι ἐπ᾿ ἄχυρον" καὶ [ἄν]θρωπ[ος9] ἀπὸ λιβός μου, ἐχόμενός μου’ ἀναπίπτει καὶ αὐτός, καὶ ὥσπερ κεκλειμμ[évot] μου ἦσαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου, καὶ ἐξαί[φνης] ἀνύγω τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς pov, καὶ ὁρῶ kTA., “ I dreamed that I was going from West to East, and I lie down upon chaff. And there | αὐτὸ (deleted in the original) Σεμφθεῖ. | ἐκ καινῆς ἐν Σομολ(ῶ)…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

καί (kai) — and.

καί,

conjunction, copulative, joining words and sentences,

__A and; also adverb, even, also, just, frequently expressing emphatic assertion or assent, corresponding as positive to the negative οὐ (μή) or οὐδέ (μηδέ). copulative, and,

__A.I joining words or sentences to those preceding, ἦ, καὶ κυανέῃσιν ἐπ᾽ ὀφρύσινεῦσε Κρονίων [Refs 8th c.BC+]: repeated with two or more Nouns, αἱ δὲ ἔλαφοι κ. δορκάδες κ. οἱ ἄγριοι οἶες κ. οἱ ὄνοι οἱ ἄγριοι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; joining only the last pair, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ὁ ὄχλος πλείων κ. πλείων ἐπέρρει more and more, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; to add epithets after πολύς, πολλὰ κ. ἐσθλά [Refs 8th c.BC+]

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

καί

kai

apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also

a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in

connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and,

also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when,

yet.

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

καί

Cj.

and, even, also, namely

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

καί kai 9x

(1) and, Mt. 2:2, 3, 11; 4:22; (2) καί ... καί, both ... and; (3) as a cumulative particle, also, too, Mt. 5:39; Jn. 8:19; 1 Cor. 11:6; (4) emphatic, even, also, Mt. 10:30; 1 Cor. 2:10; in NT adversative, but, Mt. 11:19; also introductory of the apodosis of a sentence, Gal. 3:28; Jas. 2:4

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

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ol'-so: In the Greek kai, when it is equivalent to "also" or "even," is always placed before the word or phrase which it is intended to emphasize (e.g. Ac 12:3; 1 Joh 4:21). Mt 6:14 should therefore read, "Your heavenly Father will forgive you also"; Lu 6:13, "Whom also he named apostles"; Heb 8:6, "The mediator of a better covenant also"; and 1Th 4:14, `If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also (we believe that) those who are fallen asleep in Jesus, God will bring with Him.'

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
89%and
and89% · 8448×also8% · 714×other renderings2% · 191×other renderings1% · 124×

9,477 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 42 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
adverbial16%subject13%object10%predicate3%verb2%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 8,978 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
ἐνἐπίπρός
σύ
χάριςgrace, favor, kiπρόςπατήρfather, Father,
ἐγώ
πατήρfather, Father, πρόςθεόςGod, a god
εἰμίI am, exist
αὐτόςArticle theἐγώ
θεόςGod, a god
Article theθέλημαwill, wish, desiδέbut, on the othe
καίalso8978×
what comes after →
Article the
ἀδελφόςa brotherπατήρfather, Father, μήτηρa mother
λέγωI say, speak
αὐτόςArticle theπρός
οὐNeg
εἰμίI am, existμήNegδύναμαιI am powerful, a
ὁράωI see, look upon, ex
Article theαὐτόςἀνήρa male human bei
ἐν
Article theπᾶςall, the whole, ὅλοςall, the whole,

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

Concordanceκαί · 8,978× in the New Testament
Luke Matthew Revelation Acts Mark John 1 Corinthians Romans Hebrews 2 Corinthians Ephesians 1 John

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 1c. AD 40

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

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

ἡ τοῦ κόσμου σύστασις καὶ διάταξις τῶν στοιχείων.

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

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

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. AD 4th c. AD 1st c. AD 6th c. AD
P.Stras. 2 89Pathyris100 BC

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

P.Adl. 11Pathyris99 BC

1 ἔτους ιζ Θῶυθ κη ἀπέδοτο Πετεσοῦχος Φίβιος καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ τὸ ὕπαρχον αὐτοῖς ἥμισυ περιστερῶνος τοῦ ὄντος ἐν τῶι ἀπὸ βορρᾶ μέρει

P.Grenf. 2 35Pathyris99 BC

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

So then not we may sleep as also the others but we may watch and we may be sober.
οἱho the G3588 Article · nominative · plural · masculine
19,783× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in 1 Thessalonians as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
The Greek word for 'the' or 'this', used to point out a specific person or thing, like in Acts 17:28. It can also mean 'he', 'she', or 'it'.
Tyndale gloss
the/this/who
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

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

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

ὁ, ἡ, τό,

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

As demonstr. pron.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

ὁ (ho) — the/this/who.

ὁ,

ἡ, τό, is, when thus written,

__A demonstrative Pronoun.

__B in Attic dialect, definite or prepositive Article.

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

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

ὁ ἡ τό

ho

he hay, and the neuter

to to

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

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

he, she, it, etc.

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

ὁ, ἡ, τό

Article

the

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

ὁ ho 19x

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

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

ὁ the, that

ὁ, ἡ, τό, is

demonstr. Pronoun.

the definite Article.

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

DEMONSTR. PRONOUN:

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

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

T-NPM Part of Speech: definite arTicle Case: Nominative Number: Plural Gender: Masculine

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

THE, an adjective or definitive adjective.

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

This he calls the preaching of the cross.

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

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

Th' adorning thee with so much art,

Is but a barb'rous skill.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

τοῦ κόσμου σύστασις καὶ διάταξις τῶν στοιχείων.

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

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

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

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

P.Adl. 11Pathyris99 BC

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

P.Grenf. 2 35Pathyris99 BC

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

So then not we may sleep as also the others but we may watch and we may be sober.
λοιποὶloipos others G3062 Adjective · nominative · plural · masculine
55× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in 1 Thessalonians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
The remaining ones refer to those who are left, as in Matthew 25:11 and Acts 2:37. This term is used to describe people or things that still exist. It can also mean the rest or the others.
Amplified meaning
unbelievers, the rest
Tyndale gloss
remaining
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

λοιπός (loipos) means 'remaining' or 'the rest.' It can refer to what is left behind or the remainder of a group, as seen in various New Testament contexts. The word can also function adverbially, indicating time or transition, such as 'henceforth' or 'for the rest.' While the lexicons are consistent in its meanings, they highlight its use in both substantive and adverbial forms.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

λοιπός, -ή, -όν

(< λείπω),

[in LXX chiefly for יֶתֶר, also for שְׁאָר, etc.;]

the remaining, the rest,

pl., οἱ λ.: c. subst., Mt 25:11, Ac 2:37, Ro 1:13, al.; absol., Mt 22:6, Mk 16:[13], Lk 24:10, al.; οἱ λ. οἱ (Bl., § 47, 8), Ac 28:9, I Th 4:13, Re 2:24; οἱ λ. τ. ἀνθρώπων (LS, s.v., ad. init.), Re 9:20; τὰ λ., Mk 4:19, Re 3:2

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

λοιπός, -7, -dv, (λείπω, λέλοιπα), [fr. Pind. and Hdt. down], Sept. for 7}, VI, Ww, left; plur. the remaining, the rest: with substantives, as οἱ λοιποὶ ἀπόστολοι, Acts ii. 37; 1 Co.ix.5; add, Mt. xxv.11; Ro.i.13; 2 Co. xii. 13; Gal. ii. 13; Phil. iv. 3; 2 Pet. iii. 16; Rev. viii. 13; absol. ‘he rest of any number or class under consideration: simply, Mt. xxii. 6; xxvii. 49; Mk. xvi. 13; Lk. xxiv. 10; Acts xvii. 9; xxvii. 44; with a description added: of λοιποὶ of ete., Acts xxviii. 9; 1 Th. iv. hs; Rev. ii. 24; of λοιποὶ πάντες, 2 Co. xiii. 2; Phil. i. 13; πᾶσι τοῖς A. Lk. xxiv. 9; with a gen.: of λοιποὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, Rev. ix. 20; τοῦ σπέρματος, ib. xii. 17; τῶν νεκρῶν, ib. xx. 5; with a certain distinction and contrast, the rest, who are not of the specified class or number: Lk. vill. 10; xviii. 9; Acts v.13; Ro. xi. 7; 1 Co. vii. 12; 1 Th. v.6; 1 Tim. v. 20; Rev. xi. 13; xix.21; τὰ…

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

λοιπός. For λουπός with a subst. cf. P Oxy II. 24218 (A.D. 77) τὰ λυπὰ (λ λοιπὰ) μέρη περιτειχίζειν, 2b. 2709 (A.D. 94) ταῖς λοιπαῖς ἀρούραις. It is used absolutely in P Ryl II. 2201 (A.D. 38) τοῦ λοιπ(οῦ) τῆς τιμῆ(ς) τοῦ χόρτου, ‘the rest of the price for the hay,” P Giss I. 78% (ii/a.p.) καλῶς δὲ ποιήσεις Kal περὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἐνεργήσασα. For τοῖς λοιποῖς πᾶσι ἴῃ Phil 11%, ‘‘apparently a vague phrase = everywhere else,” Kennedy (2G7 ad 7.) compares C/G I. 1770 ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐν τοῖς λοιποῖς πᾶσιν φανερὰν πεποήκαμεν THY τε ἰδίαν Kal τοῦ δήμου τοῦ Ρωμαίων προαίρεσιν. The neut. sing. is frequently used adverbially, sometimes with the idea of time “henceforth” (2 Tim 48), as in P Oxy I. 1198 (ii/iii A.D.) (= Selections, p. 103) Av δὲ ἔλθῃς εἰς ᾿Αλεξανδρίαν, od μὴ λάβω χεῖραν παρά [c]ov, οὔτε πάλι χαίρω σε λυπόν (1 λοιπόν), ‘Sand if you do go to Alexandria, I won’t take your hand, or greet you again…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

λοιπός (loipos) — remaining.

λοιπός, ή, όν,

(λείπω) remaining over, not in [Refs 8th c.BC+]; also λοιποί descendants, [Refs] either agrees with the Noun or takes a dependent genitive, αἱ λ. τῶν νεῶν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὴν λοιπὴν (i.e. ὁδὸν) πορευσόμεθα [Refs 5th c.BC+]

2. λοιπόν [ἐστι] with infinitive, it remains to show, etc., ἀποδεικνύναι, διελέσθαι, etc., [Refs 5th c.BC+] what remains for us is to.., [Refs]infinitive, ὃ δὲ λ. quod superest, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

3. frequently of Time, ὁ λ. χρόνος the future, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸν λ. χρόνον for the future, [Refs 5th c.BC+] substantive in neuter, τὸ λ. henceforward, hereafter, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also τοῦ λ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; καθεύδετε τὸ λ. sleep now.., [NT]; ἑσπέρα δὲ ἦν λ. καὶ.. it was now evening, [Refs 4th…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

λοιπός

loipoy

masculine plural of a derivative of 3007; remaining ones:--other,

which remain, remnant, residue, rest.

see GREEK for 3007

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

λοιπός, ή, όν

Adj

left, left behind, the remainder

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

λοιπός loipos 55x

remaining; the rest, remainder, Mt. 22:6; as an adv., οῦ λοιποῦ, henceforth, Gal. 6:17; τὸ λοιπόν, or λοιπόν, henceforward, Mt. 26:45; 2 Tim. 4:8; Acts 27:20; as to the rest, besides, 1 Cor. 1:16; finally, Eph. 6:10; ὁ δὲ λοιπόν, but, now, furthermore, 1 Cor. 4:2

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj-NPM — Adjective · nominative · plural · masculine
nominative — the one doing it — the subject.
Agrees with anything else marked plural masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

A-NPM Part of Speech: Adjective Case: Nominative Number: Plural Gender: Masculine

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
68%rest
rest68% · 28×other12% · 5×other things5% · 2×others5% · 2×rest of2% · 1×that remain2% · 1×remaining2% · 1×other women2% · 1×

41 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
subject48%adverbial23%indirect object15%object13%predicate3%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 40 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,περίκαθεύδωI sleep, am slee
δέbut, on the other ha
Article the
καθεύδωI sleep, am sleeping
αὐτός
ἐπίκειμαιI lie upon, am insis
ὀλίγος& Adv
οἶκοςa house, household
ΣτεφανᾶςStephanas
λοιπόςothers55×
what comes after →
Article the
ἄνθρωποςa man, one of thἐνπαραβολήa parable, compa
ἀδελφόςa brother
χαίρωI rejoice, am glἐγώὅσος
καίand, even, also, nam
ἀναπαύωI make to rest,
λέγωI say, speak
ἀφίημιI send away, relἐγώ
ἀπόστολοςan apostle, a messen
τίςIrgκαίand, even, also,

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

Concordanceλοιπός · 55× in the New Testament
Revelation 1 Corinthians Acts Luke Matthew Philippians 1 Thessalonians 2 Corinthians Mark Ephesians Galatians Romans
Across the New Testament17 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 23 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 The Shepherd of Hermas Philo of Alexandria Clement of Rome Ignatius of Antioch
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 110c. AD 40

ὑφαιρεθέντων γὰρ τῶν ἕξ, τὰ λοιπὰ δύο τρίτον ἐστὶ τοῦ πρώτου·

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1.96c. AD 75–95

Νῶχος δὲ φοβούμενος, μὴ καθʼ ἕκαστον ἔτος ἐπικλύζῃ τὴν γῆν ὁ θεὸς φθορὰν ἀνθρώπων καταψηφισάμενος, ἱερὰ καύσας ἐδεῖτο τὸν θεὸν τοῦ λοιποῦ ἐπὶ τῆς πρώτης μένειν εὐταξίας καὶ μηδὲν ἔτι τοιοῦτον ἐπενεγκεῖν πάθος, ὑφʼ οὗ κινδυνεύσει πᾶν ἀπολέσθαι τὸ τῶν…

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 10.5c. AD 100

Καὶ οὐ φάγῃ, φησίν, σμύραιναν οὐδὲ πολύποδα οὐδὲ σηπίαν: οὐ μή, φησίν, ὁμοιωθήσῃ κολλώμενος ἀνθρώποις τοιούτοις, οἵτινες εἰς τέλος εἰσὶν ἀσεβεῖς καὶ κεκριμένοι ἤδη τῷ θανάτῳ, ὡς καὶ ταῦτα τὰ ἰχθύδια μόνα ἐπικατάρατα ἐν τῷ βυθῷ νήχεται, μὴ κολυμβῶντα…

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. BC 3rd c. AD 1st c. AD 2nd c. BC
BGU 3 999Pathyris100 BC

ἐν ταύτῃ κατάγαιον ἧς γείτονες· νότου οἰκία Ὀρσηοῦς τοῦ Ὥρου βορρᾶ καὶ ἀπηλιώτου τὸ λοιπὸν τῆς Εὐνόου οἰκίας λιβὸς ῥύμη ἐφ ᾧ ἀνοίξει τὴν θύραν εἰς τὴν Ὀρσηοῦς οἰκίαν

P.Adl. 17Krokodilopolis (Pathyrites)100 BC

Ἑρμίου τοῦ Σ … … … ος, βορρᾶ γῆ Σχώτου τοῦ Τρύφωνος, ἀπηλιώτου τὸ λοιπὸν τῆς γῆς, λιβὸς ἡ φέρουσα εἰς τὸ Κρόνειον ὁδός, ἢ οἳ ἂν ὦσι γείτονες

P.Adl. 20Poinkoris (Diopolites)99 BC

γῆ Πετεσούχου τοῦ Ἑρμίου , βόρρᾶ γῆ Βελλέους καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ?, ἀπηλιώτου τὸ λοιπὸν τῆς σφραγῖδος, λιβὸς γῆ Ὥρου τοῦ Νεχούθου τοῦ ὠνουμένου· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν

So then not we may sleep as also the others but we may watch and we may be sober.
ἀλλὰalla but G235 Conjunction
638× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in 1 Thessalonians than anywhere else 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.
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

So then not we may sleep as also the others but we may watch and we may be sober.
γρηγορῶμενgrēgoreō we may watch G1127 Verb · present · active · subjunctive · first person · plural
22× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in 1 Thessalonians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
This verb means to stay awake or watch, like in Matthew 24:43 and 1 Thessalonians 5:10. It can also be used figuratively to mean being spiritually alert, as seen in 1 Corinthians 16:13 and 1 Peter 5:8.
Amplified meaning
be vigilant, watchful, alert, attentive
Tyndale gloss
to keep watch
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

γρηγορέω is derived from the perfect form of ἐγείρω, meaning to be awake or to watch. It covers both literal and metaphorical senses of vigilance and attentiveness, appearing in various New Testament passages like Matthew 26:38 and 1 Thessalonians 5:10. While most entries agree on its meanings, Thayer emphasizes its metaphorical implications regarding spiritual alertness.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

γρηγορέω, -ῶ, = Attic ἐργήγορα, pf. of ἐγείρω, q.v.,

[in LXX (later bks. only) chiefly for שׁקד ;]

to be awake; metaph., of being alive, I Th 5:10.

to watch: Mt 24:43 26:38, 40 Mk 13:34 14:34, 37 Lk 12:37, 39; metaph., Mt 24:42 25:13 26:41, Mk 13:35, 37 14:38, Ac 20:31, I Co 16:13, I Th 5:6, I Pe 5:8,

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

γρηγορέω, -ῶ; 1 aor. ἐγρηγόρησα; (fr. ἐγρήγορα, to have been roused from sleep, to be awake, pf. of ἐγείρω ; cf. Lob. ad Phryn. p. 118 sq.; Bttm. Ausf. Spr. ii. p. 158; [W. 26 (25); 92 (88)]); to watch; 1. prop.: Mt. xxiv. 43; xxvi. 88, 40; Mk. xiii. 34; xiv. 34,37; Lk. xii. 37, 39 RGL Trtxt. WH txt. As to sleep is often i. q. to die, so once, 1 Th. v. 10, ypny. means to live, be alive on earth. 2. Metaph. to watch i.e. give strict attention to, be cautious, active:— to take heed lest through remissness and indolence some destructive calamity suddenly overtake one, Mt. xxiv. 42; xxv. 13; Mk. xiii. 35, [37]; Rev. xvi. 15; or lest one be led to forsake Christ, Mt. xxvi. 41; Mk. xiv. 38; or lest one fall into sin, 1 Th. v. 6; 1 Co. xvi. 13; 1 Pet. v. 8; Rev. iii. 2 56. ; or be corrupted by errors, Acts xx. 31; ἔν τινι, to be watchful in, employ the most punctilious care in a thing: Col.…

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

γρηγορέω of the document referred to, e.g. P Par 13! (probably B.C. 157) ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ποήσῃ καθότι γέγραπται, ἀποτίνειν αὐτὸν τὴν φέρνην παραχρῆμα σὺν τῇ ἡμιολίᾳ, in connexion with a marriage contract, P Leid O18 (B.c. 89) ἐὰν δὲ μ[ὴ ἀποδῷ καθ[ότι] γέγραπται, ἀποτεισάτω Τ]ετειμούθης κτλ. To the examples from the inscriptions we may add Prvene 10588 (c. B.C. 9) ὡς καὶ ἐν τῷ Κορνελίωι νόμωι γέγραπται, and 127 (soon after B.C. 300) κατὰ τὰ γεγραμμένα of a preceding decree (cf. 2 Cor 413) : see Rouffiac, p. 49 f. For the authenticating autographic signatures to the Pauline letters, as 2 Th 317 6 ἀσπασμὸς τῇ ἐμῇ χειρὶ Παύλου, ὅ ἐστιν σημεῖον ἐν πάσῃ ἐπιστολῇ" οὕτως γράφω, sce Deissmann LAZ, p. 153, Milligan Documents, p. 24f., and H. Erman in M/éanges Nicole, p. 130ff. The perf. γεγράφηκα occurs in P Hib I. 782 (B.c. 244-2), BGU IV. 1205} (B.c. 28), both in participle: γέγραφα is exceedingly…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

γρηγορέω (grēgoreō) — to keep watch.

γρηγορ-έω,

late present, formed from perfect ἐγρήγορα (which see), to be or become fully awake, watch, [LXX+NT+3rd c.AD+]; ἐπὶ τὰς πόλεις[LXX]passive, ἐγρηγορήθη ἐπὶ τὰ ἀσεβήματά μου[LXX]; opposed to καθεύδω, of life opposed to death, [NT]

Strong's Greek Dictionary

γρηγορέω

gregoreuo

from 1453; to keep awake, i.e. watch (literally or figuratively):--be

vigilant, wake, (be) watch(-ful).

see GREEK for 1453

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

γρηγορέω

v.

I am awake, am vigilant, watch

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

γρηγορέω grēgoreō 22x

to be awake, to watch, Mt. 26:38, 40, 41; Mk. 14:34; 37, 38; to be alive, 1 Thess. 5:10; met. to be watchful, attentive, vigilant, circumspect, Mt. 25:13; Mk. 13:35, et al.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-PAS-1P — Verb · present · active · subjunctive · first person · plural
present active subjunctive — an action in progress.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-PAS-1P Part of Speech: Verb Tense: Present Voice: Active Mood: Subjunctive Person: first Number: Plural

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

woch ('ashmurah, 'ashmoreth; phulake): A division of the night. The night was originally divided into three watches (Jud 7:19), but later into four, as we find in the New Testament (Mt 14:25; Mr 6:48). We do not know the limits of the watches in the first division, but the middle watch probably began two hours before midnight and ended two hours after. The fourfold division was according to the Roman system, each of which was a fourth part of the night.

See TIME.

"Watch" is also the guard placed on watch (mishmar, Ne 4:9; koustodia, from Latin custodia, Mt 27:65,66; 28:11). It sometimes refers to the act of watching, as in…

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A division of the night. See HOURS.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ (A division of time)

See NIGHT TIME

Thompson Chain Reference topics

a guard

2Ki 11:7; Ne 4:9; Mt 27:65; 28:11

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
43%do watch
do watch43% · 10×watching17% · 4×we may watch4% · 1×we shall watch4% · 1×you shall watch4% · 1×do keep watch4% · 1×he had watched4% · 1×watch4% · 1×other renderings13% · 3×

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

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

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 22 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
ὧδεhere
ὥραan hour, season
εἷςone
ἔρχομαιI come, go
κλέπτηςa thief
ἵναin order that, so th
ἐντέλλομαιI give orders, c
λέγωI say, speak
πᾶςall, the whole,
γρηγορέωwe may watch22×
what comes after →
καίand, even, also, nam
προσεύχομαιI pray, pray forνήφωI am calm, vigilστηρίζωI fix firmly, st
οὖνtherefore, then
ὅτιthat, since, becοὐNeg
μετά
ἐγώ
ἄνDisj
καίand, even, also,
ἀμήνHebr
λέγωI say, speak

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

Concordanceγρηγορέω · 22× in the New Testament
Matthew Mark Revelation 1 Thessalonians 1 Corinthians 1 Peter Acts Colossians Luke
Across the New Testament9 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
The Didache
The DidacheThe Didache 16.1c. AD 100

Γρηγορεῖτε ὑπὲρ τῆς ζωῆς ὑμῶν: οἱ λύχνοι ὑμῶν μὴ σβεσθήτωσαν, καὶ αἱ ὀσφύες ὑμῶν μὴ ἐκλυέσθωσαν, ἀλλὰ γίνεσθε ἕτοιμοι: οὐ γὰρ οἴδατε τὴν ὤραν, ἐν ᾗ ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν ἔρχεται.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
undated
O.Frangé 751date unknown

ἀρχὴ μεγίστη το … τὰ γράμματα βίος βίου δεόμενος οὐκ ἔστιν βίος γρηγορεῖτε ὅτι οὐκ οἴδατε τὴν ἡμέραν οὐδὲ τὴν ὥραν … δένδρον παλαιὸν … μεταφυτεύειν δύσκολον

So then not we may sleep as also the others but we may watch and we may be sober.
καὶkai and G2532 Conjunction
8,978× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in 1 Thessalonians as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
And or also, a connecting word used to join ideas or words, like in Matthew 2:18 and Hebrews 1:1.
Tyndale gloss
and
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

καί (kai) is a conjunction meaning 'and,' used to connect words, phrases, and clauses. It serves various functions, including copulative and adjunctive uses, and can express cumulative ideas like 'also' or 'even.' The New Testament frequently employs it to link terms and sentences, as seen in verses like Matthew 2:18 and John 10:3. Abbott-Smith notes its use in both simple and complex structures, while Thayer emphasizes its role as the most common particle in the New Testament.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

καί,

conj.,

and.

Copulative.

Connecting single words;

in general: Mt 2:18 16:1, Mk 2:15, Lk 8:15, He 1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mt 23:23, Lk 14:21, Ro 7:12 9:4, al.;

connecting numerals (WM, § 37, 4): Jo 2:20, Ac 13:20;

joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mt 8:33 26:59, Mk 16:17,

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

καί, a conj., and; the most freq. by far of all the particles in the N. T. [On its uses see W. § 53, 3sqq.; B. 361 (310) sqq., and ef. Ellicott on Phil. iv. 12; on the difference between it and τέ see 8. v. τέ ad init. ] I. It serves as a copulative i.e. to connect (Lat. et, atque, Germ. und) ; 1. it connects single words or terms: a. univ., as of Φαρισαῖοι καὶ Σαδδουκαῖοι, Mt. xvi. 1; ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατήρ, he who is God and Father (see θεός, 3); ἐν καρδίᾳ καλῇ καὶ ἀγαθῇ, Lk. viii. 15; πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυτρόπως, ΗΘ}. 1. 1; it is repeated before single terms, to each of which its own force and weight is thus given: ἡ υἱοθεσία καὶ ἡ δόξα καὶ ai διαθῆκαι καὶ ἡ νομοθεσία καὶ ἡ λατρεία καὶ αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι, Ro. ix. 4 ; ἁγία καὶ δικαία καὶ ἀγαθή, Ro. vii. 12; add, Mt. xxiii. 23; Lk. xiv. 21; Jn. xvi. 8; Acts xv. 20, 29; xxi. 25; Heb. ix. 10; Rey. v. 12; xviii. 12 sq.; ef. W. 519 sq. (484). b. it…

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

και. In LAE p. 129 ff. Deissmann discusses the thoroughly popular character of the Johannine style with its short paratactic sentences, introduced by kal. . . καί. To illustrate this, he cites amongst other exx. a Dream from the Serapeum, P Par 51 (B.C. 160) (= Selections, p. 18 ff. : see especially the amended readings in Archiv vi. p. 204), which runs—** ὦμ[ην] βατί -- δ)ίζειν pe [ἀπ]ὸ λειβὸς ἕως ἀ[ πηλι]ώτου, καὶ ἀναπίπτομαι ἐπ᾿ ἄχυρον" καὶ [ἄν]θρωπ[ος9] ἀπὸ λιβός μου, ἐχόμενός μου’ ἀναπίπτει καὶ αὐτός, καὶ ὥσπερ κεκλειμμ[évot] μου ἦσαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου, καὶ ἐξαί[φνης] ἀνύγω τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς pov, καὶ ὁρῶ kTA., “ I dreamed that I was going from West to East, and I lie down upon chaff. And there | αὐτὸ (deleted in the original) Σεμφθεῖ. | ἐκ καινῆς ἐν Σομολ(ῶ)…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

καί (kai) — and.

καί,

conjunction, copulative, joining words and sentences,

__A and; also adverb, even, also, just, frequently expressing emphatic assertion or assent, corresponding as positive to the negative οὐ (μή) or οὐδέ (μηδέ). copulative, and,

__A.I joining words or sentences to those preceding, ἦ, καὶ κυανέῃσιν ἐπ᾽ ὀφρύσινεῦσε Κρονίων [Refs 8th c.BC+]: repeated with two or more Nouns, αἱ δὲ ἔλαφοι κ. δορκάδες κ. οἱ ἄγριοι οἶες κ. οἱ ὄνοι οἱ ἄγριοι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; joining only the last pair, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; ὁ ὄχλος πλείων κ. πλείων ἐπέρρει more and more, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; to add epithets after πολύς, πολλὰ κ. ἐσθλά [Refs 8th c.BC+]

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

καί

kai

apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also

a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in

connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and,

also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when,

yet.

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

καί

Cj.

and, even, also, namely

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

καί kai 9x

(1) and, Mt. 2:2, 3, 11; 4:22; (2) καί ... καί, both ... and; (3) as a cumulative particle, also, too, Mt. 5:39; Jn. 8:19; 1 Cor. 11:6; (4) emphatic, even, also, Mt. 10:30; 1 Cor. 2:10; in NT adversative, but, Mt. 11:19; also introductory of the apodosis of a sentence, Gal. 3:28; Jas. 2:4

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
89%and
and89% · 8448×also8% · 714×other renderings2% · 191×other renderings1% · 124×

9,477 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 42 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
adverbial16%subject13%object10%predicate3%verb2%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 8,978 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
ἐνἐπίπρός
σύ
χάριςgrace, favor, kiπρόςπατήρfather, Father,
ἐγώ
πατήρfather, Father, πρόςθεόςGod, a god
εἰμίI am, exist
αὐτόςArticle theἐγώ
θεόςGod, a god
Article theθέλημαwill, wish, desiδέbut, on the othe
καίand8978×
what comes after →
Article the
ἀδελφόςa brotherπατήρfather, Father, μήτηρa mother
λέγωI say, speak
αὐτόςArticle theπρός
οὐNeg
εἰμίI am, existμήNegδύναμαιI am powerful, a
ὁράωI see, look upon, ex
Article theαὐτόςἀνήρa male human bei
ἐν
Article theπᾶςall, the whole, ὅλοςall, the whole,

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

Concordanceκαί · 8,978× in the New Testament
Luke Matthew Revelation Acts Mark John 1 Corinthians Romans Hebrews 2 Corinthians Ephesians 1 John

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 1c. AD 40

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

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

ἡ τοῦ κόσμου σύστασις καὶ διάταξις τῶν στοιχείων.

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

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

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
2nd c. AD 3rd c. AD 4th c. AD 1st c. AD 6th c. AD
P.Stras. 2 89Pathyris100 BC

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

P.Adl. 11Pathyris99 BC

1 ἔτους ιζ Θῶυθ κη ἀπέδοτο Πετεσοῦχος Φίβιος καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ τὸ ὕπαρχον αὐτοῖς ἥμισυ περιστερῶνος τοῦ ὄντος ἐν τῶι ἀπὸ βορρᾶ μέρει

P.Grenf. 2 35Pathyris99 BC

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

So then not we may sleep as also the others but we may watch and we may be sober.
νήφωμεν.nēphō we may be sober. G3525 Verb · present · active · subjunctive · first person · plural
6× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in 1 Thessalonians than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
To be sober in the Bible means being discreet and morally alert, as in 1 Thessalonians 5:6 and 1 Peter 1:13, where believers are called to be calm and watchful. It involves being aware of one's surroundings.
Amplified meaning
self-controlled, morally alert, discreet
Tyndale gloss
be sober
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

νήφω means to be sober or to abstain from wine, and it also conveys a sense of moral alertness or vigilance. It is used metaphorically in the New Testament, notably in 1 Thessalonians 5:6, 8 and 1 Peter 1:13, 4:7, 5:8. The word is related to self-control and discretion, with synonyms like ἀγρυπνέω and γρηγορέω.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

* νήφω,

to be sober, abstain from wine; metaph., of moral alertness, to be sober, calm, circumspect: I Th 5:6 8, II Ti 4:5 (v. Ellic., in l.), I Pe 1:13 4:7 5:8 (cf. ἀνα-, ἐκ-νήφω, and v. MM, xvii).†

SYN.: ἀγρυπνέω, γρηγορέω.

Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

νήφω (nēphō) — be sober.

νήφω,

Doric dialect νάφω (see. infr. II), used by early writers only in present, mostly in participle: later imperfect ἔνηφον [Refs 6th c.AD+]aorist ἔνηψα [NT+5th c.BC+]:—to be sober, drink no wine, οὔτε τι γὰρ ν. οὔτε λίην μεθύω [Refs 7th c.BC+]participle νήφων as adjective, ={νηφάλιος}, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ τοὺς μεθύοντας... πλείω ζημίαν ἀποτίνειν τῶν ν. Legal Pittaciap. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ν. θεός, i.e. water, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

II. metaphorically, to be self-controlled, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; to be sober and wary, νᾶφε καὶ μέμνασ᾽ ἀπιστεῖν [NT+5th c.BC+]; νήψατε εἰς προσευχάς [NT+1st c.AD+]; καρδίῃ νήφοντος poetical cited in [Refs 4th c.BC+]

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

νήφω

nepho

of uncertain affinity: to abstain from wine (keep sober), i.e.

(figuratively) be discreet:--be sober, watch.

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

νήφω

v.

I am calm, vigilant, sober

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

νήφω nēphō 6x

to be sober, not intoxicated; in NT met., to be vigilant, circumspect, 1 Thess. 5:6, 8

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

νήφω to drink no wine, Theogn., Plat.; part. νήφων as adj. = νηφάλιος, Hdt., Plat.

metaph. to be sober, dispassionate, Xen.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-PAS-1P — Verb · present · active · subjunctive · first person · plural
present active subjunctive — an action in progress.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-PAS-1P Part of Speech: Verb Tense: Present Voice: Active Mood: Subjunctive Person: first Number: Plural

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
17%we may be sober
we may be sober17% · 1×may be sober17% · 1×do be sober17% · 1×being sober-minded17% · 1×do sober17% · 1×do be sober-minded17% · 1×

6 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 6 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

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

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 6 occurrences — a word inside a phrase counts towards whatever that phrase is doing.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
καίand, even, also, nam
γρηγορέωI am awake, am vοὖνtherefore, then
εἰμίI am, exist
ἡμέραa day
δέbut, on the other ha
σύ
σύ
διάνοιαunderstanding, i
νήφωwe may be sober.
what comes after →
ἐνδύωI put on, clothe
θώραξa breast-plate
ἐν
πᾶςall, the whole,
τελείωςperfectly
ἐλπίζωI hope, hope for
εἰς
προσευχήprayer, a place
γρηγορέωI am awake, am vigil
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

Concordanceνήφω · 6× in the New Testament
1 Peter 1 Thessalonians 2 Timothy
Across the New Testament3 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Outside the New Testamentthe same word in the Greek of its own century
Philo of Alexandria Josephus Ignatius of Antioch Polycarp
Philo of AlexandriaOn Drunkenness 148c. AD 40

καίτοι γε ἐκεῖνοι μὲν τρόπον τινὰ μεθύουσιν οἱ νήφοντες τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἀθρόα ἠκρατισμένοι καὶ τὰς προπόσεις παρὰ τελείας ἀρετῆς δεξάμενοι, οἱ δὲ τὴν ἀπὸ οἴνου μεθύοντες μέθην ἄγευστοι φρονήσεως διετέλεσαν νηστείαν συνεχῆ καὶ λιμὸν αὐτῆς ἄγοντες.

JosephusThe Jewish War 2.225c. AD 75–95

πρὸς τοῦτο ἅπαν μὲν τὸ πλῆθος ἠγανάκτησεν, καὶ κατεβόων τοῦ Κουμανοῦ κολάζειν τὸν στρατιώτην, οἱ δὲ ἧττον νήφοντες τῶν νέων καὶ τὸ φύσει στασιῶδες ἐκ τοῦ ἔθνους ἐχώρουν ἐπὶ μάχην λίθους τε ἁρπάσαντες ἐπὶ τοὺς στρατιώτας ἔβαλλον.

Ignatius of AntiochThe Letters of Ignatius 7.2.2c. AD 110

νῆφε, ὡς θεοῦ ἀθλητής: τὸ θέμα ἀφθαρσία καὶ ζωὴ αἰώνιος, περὶ ἧς καὶ σὺ πέπεισαι.

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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