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Matthew 25:5 — Word Study

Depth

N1904χρονίζοντος δὲ τοῦ νυμφίου ἐνύσταξαν πᾶσαι καὶ ἐκάθευδον.¶

BSAAs was tarryingchronizō [tarried, took a long time] thende theho bridegroomnumphios [the husband in a newly formed marriage, the groom] they became drowsynustazō [every single one, all together, slumbered, nodded off] allpas andkai were sleeping.katheudō [into a deep sleep, slept soundly]

Word
Listen & take awayMatthew 25
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 5 is in this chapter.
Greek ↓ Download MP3 Nestle 1904 — the very text on this page — read by Andy Martin in Erasmian pronunciation.
Say the word Each Greek word carries its transliteration (katheudō) — no per-word recordings of the Greek exist to link to.
Take it away
Matthew 25:5quick helps
In a sentenceThe bridegroom's delay causes everyone to become drowsy and fall asleep.
Who is speakingJesus, teaching about the kingdom of heaven.
Where we areIn a parable about ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom.
The hard wordχρονίζοντος
Take awayThe delay leads to a collective drowsiness among the virgins.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them › clause subjectπᾶς verbχρονίζω 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 — Matthew 25:5

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 — The Parable of the Ten Virginsgenerated

4But the wise ones took oil in flasks along with their lamps.
5When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.

Matthew 25:5 describes a moment in a parable where the bridegroom is delayed, causing all the virgins to become drowsy and fall asleep. This parable illustrates the importance of being prepared for the coming of the kingdom of heaven, as indicated in the surrounding verses. The delay serves as a warning about vigilance and readiness, which is a recurring theme in Jesus' teachings, including in Matthew 24:42.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Matthew 25:19After a long time the master of those servants returned to settle accounts with them.
2Matthew 24:48But suppose that servant is wicked and says in his heart, ‘My master will be away a long time.’
3Habakkuk 2:3For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end and does not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and will not delay.
4Luke 12:45But suppose that servant says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and he begins to beat the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk.
5Luke 20:9Then He proceeded to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it out to some tenants, and went away for a long time.

The Key Word χρονίζοντος, chronizōgenerated

The word χρονίζω (chronizō) is a present active participle meaning 'to delay' or 'to tarry.' It conveys a sense of taking time or lingering, as seen in contexts where waiting is involved, such as in Matthew 24:48.

In this verse, the participle is in the genitive case, indicating that it describes the bridegroom's action. The delay is not just a simple wait; it implies an extended period that impacts the actions of those waiting.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as 'When the bridegroom was delayed,' which is echoed in the KJV and ASV with 'tarried.' The YLT uses 'tarrying,' while the WEB opts for 'delayed.'

The translations differ primarily on the rendering of χρονίζοντος: tarried (KJV, ASV) versus delayed (WEB). The choice reflects different nuances of the same underlying action.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is χρονίζοντος, was delayed, which governs the entire sentence. This is followed by the subject πᾶσαι, all, and two clauses that describe what they did: ἐνύσταξαν, became drowsy, and ἐκάθευδον, fell asleep.

The structure shows a sequence of actions that are all contingent on the bridegroom's delay, emphasizing the collective response of the virgins.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the word νυμφίου (numphios), meaning 'bridegroom', appears in a context that corresponds to the Hebrew word חָתָן (chatán), which also refers to a bridegroom or daughter's husband. This choice emphasizes the relational aspect of the bridegroom in the narrative, highlighting the anticipation and connection to the bride.

The verb ἐκάθευδον (katheudō), meaning 'were sleeping', is linked to the Hebrew שָׁכַב (shakab), which conveys the idea of lying down or resting. This choice underscores the state of drowsiness and inactivity among the characters, setting the stage for the unfolding events in the parable.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Matthew 25:5 tells us that when the bridegroom was delayed, all the virgins became drowsy and fell asleep. This parable teaches us about the importance of being prepared for the unexpected arrival of the bridegroom, which represents Jesus.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the bridegroom was delayed?

The delay signifies a period of waiting that tests the readiness and vigilance of those who are waiting, as illustrated in the parable.

Why did all the virgins fall asleep?

The virgins fell asleep due to the prolonged wait, which symbolizes the temptation to become complacent in our spiritual readiness.

What is the significance of the bridegroom in this parable?

The bridegroom represents Christ, and His coming signifies the fulfillment of God's promises and the establishment of His kingdom.

How can we be prepared like the wise virgins?

Being prepared involves maintaining our faith, staying alert, and being ready for Christ's return at any moment.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. In what areas of my life might I be becoming complacent or drowsy in my faith?
  2. How can I actively prepare for the return of Christ in my daily life?
  3. What are some practical steps I can take to stay spiritually alert?
  4. How does the concept of waiting for the bridegroom apply to my understanding of God's timing?

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

Early church Fathers comment on this parable, exploring themes of vigilance and the nature of Christ's return.

Origen of AlexandriaCatena Aurea by Aquinas c. 185–253
Or, Whilst the bridegroom tarried, and the Word comes not speedily to the consummation of this life, the senses suffer, slumbering and moving in the night of the world; and sleep, as energizing feebly, and with no quick sense.
Early Church Fathers on Matthew 25 →
Hilary of PoitiersCommentary on Matthew 27.4 c. 310–367
The bridegroom and bride represent our Lord, God in the flesh. For as the spirit is wedded to the flesh, so the flesh is wedded to the spirit. When the trumpet finally summons us and the bridegroom is at hand, all this will be revealed.
Early Church Fathers on Matthew 25 →
Hilary of PoitiersCommentary on Matthew 27.4 c. 310–367
The delay of the bridegroom is the time for repentance. The sleep of those waiting is the peaceful rest of believers. The delay has given time for repentance. The cry comes at midnight, when no one yet knows what is happening.
Early Church Fathers on Matthew 25 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Matthew 25:5 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

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

While the bridegroom tarried,.... The space of time here referred to, is either from the ascension of Christ, to his coming to take vengeance on the Jews; or from thence to his second coming; or

Read John Gill on Matthew 25 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. While the bridegroom tarried.

Read Robert Jamieson on Matthew 25 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. Ver. 5. While the bridegroom tarried] Tarry he doth. 1. To exercise our patience. 2. To eneager our desires. 3. That his elect may be all gathered. 4. That the mystery of iniquity may be fulfilled. 5. That the prophecies may be accomplished, &c. They all slumbered] The wise ones also slept, but their hearts awakened, Son 5:2; they slept but half asleep, they napped and nodded (ενυαταξαν), they slept with open eyes as the lion doth; the spirit was willing to wake, but the flesh was weak and overweighed it. They slumbered, but it was by candle light, they had their lamps burning by them, which the foolish had not.

Read John Trapp on Matthew 25 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(5) While the bridegroom tarried.—Strictly speaking, the time thus described includes the whole interval between our Lord’s Ascension and His final Advent; but looking to the law of “springing and germinant accomplishments,” which we have recognised as applicable to the whole subject, we may see in it that which answers to any period in the history of any church, or, indeed, in the life of any member of a church, in which things go smoothly and as after the routine of custom. At such a time even the wise and good are apt to slumber, and the crisis, which is to them, if not to the world at large, as the bridegroom’s coming, takes them by surprise; but they have, what the foolish have not…

Read Charles John Ellicott on Matthew 25 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 5. The bridegroom tarried] The coming of the bridegroom to an individual may imply his death: his coming to the world-the final judgment. The delay - the time from a man's birth till his death, in the first case; in the second, the time from the beginning to the end of the world. Slumbered and slept.] Or, ενυϚαξανκαιεκαθευδον, they became drowsy and fell asleep. As sleep is frequently used in the sacred writings for death, so drowsiness, which precedes sleep, may be considered as pointing out the decays of the constitution, and the sicknesses which precede death. The other explanations which are given of this place must be unsatisfactory to every man who is not warped by some point in…

Read AdamClarke on Matthew 25 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

5. the bridegroom] The thought of Christ as the Bridegroom of the Church is hardly appropriate here, for in the parable the maidens, and not the bride, are the expectant Church. The thought of the “children of the bridechamber,” ch. Matthew 9:15, is a nearer parallel. they all slumbered and slept] Sleep represents the ignorance as to the time of Christ’s coming; it is not to be interpreted of unwatchfulness, it is not a guilty or imprudent sleep, as in the parable of the thief coming by night (ch. Matthew 24:43). slumbered and slept] Rather, “nodded” from drowsiness, and fell asleep.

Read Cambridge on Matthew 25 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The bridegroom tarried - That is, while they waited for him. It was uncertain at what time he would come. He delayed longer than they expected. All slumbered and slept - Waiting until near midnight, they fell into repose.

Read Albert Barnes on Matthew 25 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

5. The bridegroom tarried — While the judgment day remained in the distance.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Matthew 25 →

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

When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

NETBNew English Translation2006

When the bridegroom was delayed a long time, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Now while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

RVARevised Version, American1894

Now while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Nowe while the bridegrome taried long, all slumbred and slept.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Now the bridegroom tarrying, they all grew heavy and slept.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

'And the bridegroom tarrying, they all nodded and were sleeping,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And the bridegroom lingering, they all nodded and were sleeping,

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Now while the bridegroom was delayed, they all got sleepy and slept.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And the bridegroom tarrying, they all slumbered and slept.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

The bridegroom took a long time and all the girls became drowsy and fell asleep.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Now the husband was a long time in coming, and they all went to sleep.

Word by word, the decisions they made

χρονίζοντοςchronizō As was tarrying G5549 2 different renderings
tarriedASV KJV NWB RVA
took a long timeFBV
ἐκάθευδον.¶katheudō were sleeping. G2518 2 different renderings
sleepingLSV YLT
sleepBBE

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.

clauseδὲthenclauseverbχρονίζοντοςTarryingnoun phrase · subjectτοῦtheνυμφίουbridegroomclauseclauseverbἐνύσταξανthey became drowsysubjectπᾶσαιallκαὶandclauseverbἐκάθευδονwere sleeping

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

Moram autem faciente sponso, dormitaverunt omnes et dormierunt.

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

ܟܕ ܐܘܚܪ ܕܝܢ ܚܬܢܐ ܢܡ ܟܠܗܝܢ ܘܕܡܟ

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

χρονίζοντος δὲ τοῦ νυμφίου ἐνύσταξαν πᾶσαι καὶ ἐκάθευδον.¶

The standard critical text of the New Testament.

Nestle-Aland 27th edition1993 · Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft

χρονίζοντος δὲ τοῦ νυμφίου ἐνύσταξαν πᾶσαι καὶ ἐκάθευδον.¶

The previous edition, still widely cited.

SBL Greek New Testament2010 · Michael Holmes

χρονίζοντος δὲ τοῦ νυμφίου ἐνύσταξαν πᾶσαι καὶ ἐκάθευδον.¶

The Society of Biblical Literature edition, freely licensed.

Westcott–Hort1881 · Westcott and Hort

χρονίζοντος δὲ τοῦ νυμφίου ἐνύσταξαν πᾶσαι καὶ ἐκάθευδον.¶

The edition that turned scholarship toward the earliest manuscripts.

Tregelles1857–1879 · Samuel Prideaux Tregelles

χρονίζοντος δὲ τοῦ νυμφίου ἐνύσταξαν πᾶσαι καὶ ἐκάθευδον.¶

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

Tyndale House Greek NT2017 · Tyndale House, Cambridge

χρονίζοντος δὲ τοῦ νυμφίου ἐνύσταξαν πᾶσαι καὶ ἐκάθευδον.¶

A recent critical edition following documentary evidence closely.

Byzantine majority text2018 · Robinson–Pierpont

χρονίζοντος δὲ τοῦ νυμφίου ἐνύσταξαν πᾶσαι καὶ ἐκάθευδον.¶

The reading of the majority of surviving manuscripts.

Textus Receptus1550/1894 lineage

χρονίζοντος δὲ τοῦ νυμφίου ἐνύσταξαν πᾶσαι καὶ ἐκάθευδον.¶

The printed tradition behind the King James Version.

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

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

Word by word, across the editions

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


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Greek New Testament — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Matthew 25:5χρονίζωAs was tarrAs was tarryingχρονίζωδέthenthenδέthetheνυμφίοςbridegroombridegroomνυμφίοςνυστάζωthey becamethey became droνυστάζωπᾶςallallπᾶςκαίandandκαίκαθεύδωwere sleepiwere sleeping.καθεύδωνύμφηn.f. a brin.f. a bride, dνύμφηχρόνοςn.m. time,n.m. time, a paχρόνοςκατάPrep. downPrep. down fromκατάνεύωv. I nod, v. I nod, make νεύωκαρδίαn.f. the hn.f. the heart,καρδίακύριοςn.m. lord,n.m. lord, Lordκύριοςνηστεύωv. I fastv. I fastνηστεύωὑποτάσσωv. I placev. I place undeὑποτάσσωκατοικέωv. I dwellv. I dwell in, κατοικέωλοιπόςAdj left, Adj left, left λοιπόςνύξn.f. the nn.f. the night,νύξ
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 Matthew 25:5

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.

As was tarrying then the bridegroom they became drowsy all and were sleeping.
χρονίζοντοςchronizō As was tarrying G5549 Verb · present · active · participle · genitive · singular · masculine
5× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Matthew than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
To delay means to take time or linger, as seen in Matthew 24:48 and Luke 1:21, where it refers to waiting or tarrying.
Amplified meaning
tarried, took a long time
Tyndale gloss
to delay
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

χρονίζω (chronizō) means to spend or take time, often implying delay or lingering. It appears in contexts such as Matthew 24:48 and Hebrews 10:37, where it conveys a sense of waiting or being slow. The word is derived from χρόνος (chronos), meaning 'time.' It can also refer to things that are prolonged or chronic.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

χρονίζω

(< χρόνος),

[in LXX chiefly for אחר pi. ;]

to spend or take time, to tarry, linger, delay: Mt 24:48 25:5, He 10:37; seq. ἐν, c. dat. loc., Lk 1:21; c. inf., Lk 12:45.†

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

χρονίζω simply to a confusion of sound between Χριστ- and χρηστ-: cf. Radermacher Gr.*, p. 45. The common use of Xpyorés as a proper name may, however, also be recalled, see s.v. χρηστός. Deissmann (LA£*, p. 377), following Winer-Schmiedel Gr. § 16, 2c, n.1® (p. 135), draws attention to the analogy on linguistic grounds between Χριστιανός and Καισαριανός, “*Caesarian,” ‘‘Imperial (slave): cf. P Lond 256 recto* (A.D. 11-15) (=II. p. 96, Chrest. I. p. go7) Φαῦστος Πρίσκου Καίσαρος, one of the imperial slaves. As an ex. of the word from the inscrr., we may cite a wall-scratching from Egypt, Prezsigke 2273 Σταῦρος δῶν Χριστιανῶν. See further R. A. Lepsius Uder den Ursprung und altesten Gebrauch des Christennamens (Jena, 1873), also the art. “Christian” in Hastings DB i. p. 384ff., and A. Carr Exp V. vii. p. 456 ff. χριστός (Xp-). We cannot expect our sources to throw much light on this…

Read the full entry →
Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

χρονίζω (chronizō) — to delay.

χρον-ίζω,

(χρόνος):

I. intransitive, spend time, περὶ Αἴγυπτον [Refs 5th c.BC+]

I.2. last, continue, τὸ μὲν καλῶς ἔχον ὅπως χρονίζον εὖ μενεῖ βουλευτέον [Refs 4th c.BC+]; χρονίζωσι[Refs 4th c.BC+]

I.3. χ. δρῶν persevere in doing, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

I.4. take time, tarry, linger, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κεχρονικότες, opposed to ὑπόγυιοι τῇ ὀργῇ ὄντες, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with infinitive, delay to do, χ. καταβῆναι [LXX+NT]

I.5. of ailments, to be or become chronic, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

I.6. of wine, to be or become old, to have age, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]

II. passive, to be prolonged or delayed, τῶνδε πίστις οὐκ ὄκνῳ χρονίζεται [Refs 5th c.BC+]continue, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]

Read the full entry →
Strong's Greek Dictionary

χρονίζω

chronizo

from 5550; to take time, i.e. linger:--delay, tarry.

see GREEK for 5550

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

χρονίζω

v.

I delay, tarry

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

χρονίζω chronizō 5x

to spend time; to linger, delay, be long, Mt. 24:48; 25:5; Lk. 1:21; 12:45; Heb. 10:37*

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

χρονίζω χρονίζω, χρόνος intr. to spend time, Hdt.: to take time, tarry, linger, delay, be slow, Aesch., Thuc.; c. inf. to delay to do, NTest.

of things, χρονίζον μένειν to remain long, Aesch.

Pass. to be prolonged or protracted, id. Aesch.

to grow up, χρονισθείς id. Aesch.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-PAP-GSM — Verb · present · active · participle · genitive · singular · masculine
genitive — of, from, belonging to.
Agrees with anything else marked singular masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-PAP-GSM Part of Speech: Verb Tense: Present Voice: Active Mood: Participle Case: Genitive Number: Singular Gender: Masculine

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
40%delays
delays40% · 2×will delay20% · 1×as was tarrying20% · 1×delaying20% · 1×

5 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 4 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 5 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
καρδίαthe heart, inner
Article the
ἐν
οὐNeg
καίand, even, also,
χρονίζωAs was tarrying
what comes after →
ἐγώ
Article the
δέbut, on the other ha
Article the
ἐν
Article the
Article the
κύριοςlord, Lord, mast

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

Concordanceχρονίζω · 5× in the New Testament
Luke Matthew Hebrews
Across the New Testament3 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
As was tarrying then the bridegroom they became drowsy all and were sleeping.
δὲde then G1161 Conjunction
2,787× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Matthew as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
This is a conjunction that means and, but, or then, used to connect ideas like in Matthew 1:2 and 2 Corinthians 6:15.
Tyndale gloss
then
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

δέ (de) is a post-positive particle in Greek, primarily used as a conjunction to connect clauses. It can express contrast (but, on the other hand) or continuation (and, also), and is often used to transition between ideas or to add emphasis. In the New Testament, it appears frequently in various contexts, such as contrasting statements or resuming interrupted discourse, with notable examples in Matthew and 2 Corinthians.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

δέ (before vowels δ’; on the general neglect of the elision in NT, v. WH, App., 146; Tdf., Pr., 96),

post-positive conjunctive particle;

copulative, but, in the next place, and, now (Abbott, JG, 104): Mt 1:2ff., II Co 6:15, 16, II Pe 1:5-7; in repetition for emphasis, Ro 3:21, 22, 9:30, I Co 2:6, Ga 2:2, Phl 2:8; in transition to something new, Mt 1:18 2:19, Lk 13:1, Jo 7:14, Ac 6:1, Read the full entry →

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

δέ (related to δή, as μέν to μήν, ef. Klotz ad Devar. ii. 2 p. 355), a particle adversative, distinctive, disjunctive, but, moreover, (W.§ 53, 7 and 10, 2); it is much more freq. in the historical parts of the N. T. than in the other books, very rare in the Epp. of John and the Apocalypse. {On its general neglect of elision (when the next word begins with a vowel) cf. Tdf. Proleg. p. 96; WH. App. Ῥ 146; W.§5,1a.; B. p.10sq.] It is used ἘΠ ΟἹ δὲ univ. by way of opposition and distinction; it is added to statements opp. to a preceding statement: ἐὰν yap ἀφῆτε... ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀφῆτε, Mt. vi. 14 sq.; ἐὰν de ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς κτλ. Mt. vi. 23; ἐλεύσονται δὲ ἡμέραι, Mk. ii. 20; it opposes persons to persons or things previously mentioned or thought of, —either with strong emphasis: ἐγὼ δέ, Mt. v. 22, 28, 32, 34, 39,44; ἡμεῖς de, 1 Co. i. 23; 2 Co. x. 13; σὺ δέ, Mt. vi. 6; ὑμεῖς δέ, Mk. viii. 29; of δὲ…

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

δεῖ. For the conjunctive, as in Mt 26%, cf. P Fay 109° (early i/A.D.) ἐάν σε δῇ (for δέῃ) τὸ εἱμάτιόν σου θεῖναι ἐνέχυρον. “even if you have to pawn your cloak” (Edd.). In P Tebt I. 585° (B.c. 111) we have ἐάν followed by the indicative— ἐὰν δεῖ σε συνπεσεῖν τῶι ᾿Ανικήτωι, σύνπεσαι, ‘if you must meet Anicetus, meet him” (Edd.): cf. Mayser G7. p. 325. Other examples of the verb are l’ Par 461® (B.C. 153) διὸ Kal ἡγούμενος δεῖν ἐπ᾿ ἄλλου μὲν μηθενὸς αὐτῶι διακριθῆναι» P Lille I. 267 (iii.B.c.) περὶ (corr. from πεερὶ) δὲ τούτου τοῦ μέρους δεήσει ἐπισχεῖν, P Tebt 11. 3414 (A.p. 140-1) δεήσι ἐπισταλῆναι εἰς δάνε[ι]α σπέρματα κατασπίο]ρᾶς KTA., “ΕἼ will be necessary to send on account of loans of seedcorn for the sowing,” etc., AécheZ 1001" © (Theran Doric —c. B.C. 200) no one may bring forward a proposal ὡς δεείσῃ διαλῦσαι τὸ κοινὸν εἰ τὰς θυσίας, P Flor II. 133" (A.D. 257) ἔδι μὲν ὑμᾶς μηδὲ…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

δέ (de) — then.

δέ,

but: adversative and copulative Particle,

I. answering to μέν (which see), τὴν νῦν μὲν Βοιωτίαν, πρότερον δὲ Καδμηίδα γῆν καλουμένην [Refs 5th c.BC+]

II. without preceding μέν,

II.1. adversative, expressing distinct opposition, αἰεί τοι τὰ κάκ᾽ ἐστὶ φίλα.. μαντεύεσθαι, ἐσθλὸν δ᾽ οὔτε τί πω εἶπας[Refs 5th c.BC+]; so in Prose, οὐκ ἐπὶ κακῷ, ἐλευθερώσει δέ.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]

II.2. copulative,

II.2. a in explanatory clauses, ξυνέβησαν.. τὰ μακρὰ τείχη ἑλεῖν (ἦν δὲ σταδίων μάλιστα ὀκτώ) [Refs 8th c.BC+]: when a substantive is followed by words in apposition, Ἀρισταγόρῃ τῷ Μιλησίῳ, δούλῳ δὲ ἡμετέρῳ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; so in answers, διπλᾶ λέγειν. —Answ. διπλᾶδ᾽ ὁρᾶν…

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

δέ

de

a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and,

etc.:--also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

δέ

Cj.

but, on the other hand, and

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

δέ de 2x

a conjunctive particle, marking the superaddition of a clause, whether in opposition or in continuation, to what has preceded, and it may be variously rendered but, on the other hand, and, also, now, etc.; καὶ δέ, when there is a special superaddition in continuation, too, yea, etc. It sometimes is found at the commencement of the apodosis of a sentence, Acts 11:17. It serves also to mark the resumption of an interrupted discourse, 2 Cor. 2:10; Gal. 2:6

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

δέ but: conjunctive Particle, with adversative force: it commonly answers to μέν, and may often be rendered by while, whereas, on the other hand, v. μέν:— but μέν is often omitted, δέ being used merely to pass on from one thing to another; ὣς Ἀχιλεὺς θάμβησεν, θάμβησαν δὲ καὶ ἄλλοι Il.; etc.; κινεῖ κραδίην κινεῖ δὲ χόλον Eur.

δέ is often redundant,

to introduce the apodosis, where it may be rendered by then, yet, εἰ δέ κε μὴ δώωσιν, ἐγὼ δέ κεν αὐτὸς ἕλωμαι if they will not give it, then I will take it, Il.; so at in Lat., si tu oblitus es, at Dii meminerint Catull.

to resume after interruption caused by a parenthesis, where it may be rendered by I say, now, so then, Hdt.

POSITION of δέ: properly second, being often put between the Art. and Subst., the prep. and case.

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
33%now
now33% · 974×however27% · 780×then21% · 620×and12% · 360×but5% · 154×other renderings2% · 49×

2,937 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

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 2,787 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
αὐτόςεἰμίI am, existσύ
λέγωI say, speak
αὐτόςκύριοςlord, Lord, mastπεντακισχίλιοιfive thousand
εἰCond
παλαιόςold, ancient, woσύεἰμίI am, exist
εἰμίI am, exist
περιπατέωI walk, conduct ἀναπίπτωI lie down, reclμνημεῖονa tomb, sepulche
οὗτος
δίδωμιI offer, giveθεόςGod, a godπίστιςfaith, belief, t
δέthen2787×
what comes after →
Article the
ἸησοῦςJesusθεόςGod, a godκύριοςlord, Lord, mast
αὐτός
Article theκαίand, even, also,ἐπί
λέγωI say, speak
αὐτόςArticle theσύ
καίand, even, also, nam
Article theοὗτοςἸωάννηςJohn
τὶς
Article theαὐτόςὄνομαname, character,

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

Concordanceδέ · 2,787× in the New Testament
Acts Luke Matthew 1 Corinthians John Mark Romans 2 Corinthians Hebrews Galatians James 1 Timothy

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

Across the New Testament26 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
As was tarrying then the bridegroom they became drowsy all and were sleeping.
τοῦho the G3588 Article · genitive · singular · masculine
19,783× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Matthew 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.

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art-GSM — Article · genitive · singular · masculine
genitive — of, from, belonging to.
Agrees with anything else marked singular masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

T-GSM Part of Speech: definite arTicle Case: Genitive Number: Singular 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

As was tarrying then the bridegroom they became drowsy all and were sleeping.
νυμφίουnumphios bridegroom G3566 Noun · genitive · singular · masculine
16× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Matthew than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
A bridegroom is the husband in a newly formed marriage, like in Matthew 9:15 and John 2:9. Jesus is also called the bridegroom in Mark 2:19-20.
Amplified meaning
the husband in a newly formed marriage, the groom
Tyndale gloss
bridegroom
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word νυμφίος (i.e., *numphios*) means 'bridegroom.' It is derived from the word for 'bride' (νύμφη) and appears in various New Testament passages, including Matthew and Revelation. The term can also refer to a son-in-law and has been used since ancient times.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

νυμφίος, -ου, ὁ

(< νύμφη),

[in LXX for חָתָן;]

a bridegroom: Mt 9:15 25:1, 5, 6, 10, Mk 2:19, 20, Lk 5:34, 35, Jo 2:9 3:29, Re 18:23.†

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

νυμφίος, -ov, 5, (νύμφη), a bridegroom: Mt. ix. 15; xxv. 1,5 sq. 10; Mk. ii.19sq.; Lk. v. 34 sq.; In. 11. 9; iii. 29; Rev. xviii. 23. (From Hom. down; Sept for [Γ1.}

Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

νυμφίος (numphios) — bridegroom.

νυμφ-ίος, ὁ,

bridegroom, παιδὸς ὀδύρεται ὀστέα καίων νυμφίου [Refs 8th c.BC+]; opposed to νύμφη, [Refs 5th c.BC+] to the bridal pair, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; νυμφίοισι παρθένοις occurs in Ps.-[Refs 5th c.BC+]

2. son-in-law, [LXX]

II. as adjective νύμφιος, α, ον, bridal, τράπεζα νυμφία [Refs 5th c.BC+]

Strong's Greek Dictionary

νυμφίος

numphios

from 3565; a bride-groom (literally or figuratively):--bridegroom.

see GREEK for 3565

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

νυμφίος, ου, ὁ

n.m.

a bridegroom

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

νυμφίος nymphios 16x

a bridegroom, Mt. 9:15; 25:1, 5, 6, 10

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Noun-GSM — Noun · genitive · singular · masculine
genitive — of, from, belonging to.
Agrees with anything else marked singular masculine.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

N-GSM Part of Speech: Noun Case: Genitive Number: Singular Gender: Masculine

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Nave's Topical Bible

→ Ornaments of Isa 61:10

→ Exempt from military duty De 24:5

→ Companions of Jud 14:11

→ Joy with Mt 9:15; Mr 2:19,20; Lu 5:34,35

→ Parable of Mt 25:1-13

→ Song of So 4:7-16

→ FIGURATIVE Eze 16:8-14

Thompson Chain Reference topics

General References to

De 24:5; Jud 14:11; Ps 19:5; Mt 25:10

---Christ as. SEE CHURCH, THE

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
88%bridegroom
bridegroom88% · 14×a bridegroom6% · 1×bridegroom?6% · 1×

16 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 3 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
subject69%adverbial13%object13%predicate6%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 16 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
αὐτόςὅςεἰμίI am, exist
νύμφηa bride, daughter-in
Article the
φωνήa sound, noise, voic
καίand, even, also,
νυμφίοςbridegroom16×
what comes after →
καίand, even, also, nam
τότεthenArticle theνύμφηa bride, daughte
μετά
αὐτός
Article the
ἀρχιτρίκλινοςmaster of the feἵστημιI cause to stand
ἔρχομαιI come, go
δέbut, on the othe
νυστάζωI nod in sleep, am d
πᾶςall, 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

Concordanceνυμφίος · 16× in the New Testament
Matthew John Mark Luke Revelation
Across the New Testament5 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
The Hebrew behind itwhat the Septuagint translators were rendering

Counted over the 7 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 the Special Laws 1.110c. AD 40

πρὸς δὲ τούτῳ καὶ τὸ γένος ἠκρίβωσε τῶν μελλουσῶν γαμεῖσθαι, προστάξας τῷ μὲν ἀρχιερεῖ μνᾶσθαι μὴ παρθένον μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ ἱέρειαν ἐξ ἱερέων, ἵν’ ἐκ μιᾶς οἰκίας καὶ τρόπον τινὰ τοῦ αὐτοῦ αἵματος ὦσι νυμφίος τε καὶ νύμφη πρὸς ἁρμονίαν ἐπιδειξάμενοι…

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 13.20c. AD 75–95

ὡς δʼ εἶδον αὐτοὺς ἄγοντας τὴν παρθένον καὶ τὸν νυμφίον καὶ φίλων σὺν αὐτοῖς οἷον εἰκὸς ἐν γάμοις ὄχλον, ἀναπηδήσαντες ἐκ τῆς ἐνέδρας ἀπέκτειναν ἅπαντας καὶ τὸν κόσμον καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ὅση τότε εἵπετο λεία τοῖς ἀνθρώποις λαβόντες ὑπέστρεψαν.

In the everyday Greek (the secular world, not the church)letters, leases, receipts — nobody writing one is trying to sound biblical
6th c. AD 7th c. AD
CPR 1 30 fr. 2Herakleopolis (Herakleopolites)AD 539–AD 565

ἀσφάλειαν. Μέγας ὁ λαμπρότατος νοτάριος καὶ δ … το … ε … … καὶ νυμφίος υἱὸς Μηνᾶ τοῦ λαμπροτάτου ἀπὸ Ἰουστινιανοῦ πόλεως τῆς κατὰ Ἀλεξάνδρειαν ὁ προγεγραμμένος ὁμολογῶ θεοῦ

P.Cair. Masp. 1 67006 VoAntinoopolis (?)AD 566–AD 570

ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῶν γάμων· νῦν οὖν τῇ προνοίᾳ τοῦ Κρίττονος ἔδοξε … … νύμφιος τοὺς σταγμοὺς ἐπιτελέσαι καὶ ἔγγραφον προικῷον θέσθαι μεταξὺ αὐτῶν ἀμφοτέρων κατὰ τὴν τῶν νόμων

SB 16 12942AD 601–AD 700

γνῶσις ἱματίων λόγῳ τοῦ νυμφίου· οὕτως· στρώματα ἕνδεκα ια στρώματα ἀπὸ Μασούρας ὀκτώ η φροντάρια ἀπὸ Μασούρας ἕξ ϛ

As was tarrying then the bridegroom they became drowsy all and were sleeping.
ἐνύσταξανnustazō they became drowsy G3573 Verb · aorist · active · indicative · third person · plural
2× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Matthew than anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
To doze means to fall asleep, as in Matthew 25:5 where the virgins fell asleep while waiting. It can also mean to delay or be negligent, like in 2 Peter 2:3.
Amplified meaning
every single one, all together, slumbered, nodded off
Tyndale gloss
to doze
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word νυστάζω (i.e., *nystazo*) means to nod in sleep or to slumber, and it can also imply negligence or delay. It appears in the New Testament in contexts related to falling asleep (Matthew 25:5) and metaphorical slumber (2 Peter 2:3). The term is derived from a presumed root and has a range of meanings from literal sleep to figurative inaction.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

νυστάζω

(cf. νεύω),

[in LXX for נוּם, etc;]

to nod in sleep, fall asleep: Mt 25:5. Metaph., of negligence or delay, ἡ ἀπώλεια αὐτῶν οὐ νυστάζει (cf. Ps 120 (121):4, Is 5:27): II Pe 2:3.†

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

νυστάζω : 1 aor. ἐνύσταξα ; (NYQ, cf. νεύω, νευστάζω); Sept. for 033; 1. prop. to nod in sleep, to sleep, (Hippocr., Arstph., Xen., Plato, al:); to be overcome or oppressed with sleep; to fall asleep, drop off to sleep, [ (cf. Wiclif) to nap it]: Mt. xxv. 5; Sept. for 07373, Ps. Ixxv. (Ixxvi.) 7. 2. like the Lat. dormito [ef. our to be napping |, trop. i.q. to be negligent, careless, (Plat., Plut., al.): of a thing i. q. fo linger, delay, 2 Pet. ii. 3.

Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

νυστάζω (nustazō) — to doze.

νυστ-άζω,

future -άξω [LXX]: aorist ἐνύσταξα [LXX+4th c.BC+]:— mostly present, to be half asleep, doze, νυστάζοντα οὐδένα ἂν ἴδοις [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐχὶ νυστάζειν ἔτι ὥρα ’στίν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἔν τινι in a thing, [Refs 1st c.AD+]

2. hang the head, ἐδάκρυσεν καὶ ἐνύστασε [Refs].with (Cf. Lithuanian snústi (stem snúd-) 'grow drowsy'.)

Strong's Greek Dictionary

νυστάζω

nustazo

from a presumed derivative of 3506; to nod, i.e. (by implication) to

fall asleep; figuratively, to delay:--slumber.

see GREEK for 3506

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

νυστάζω

v.

I nod in sleep, am drowsy, slumber

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

νυστάζω nystazō 2x

to nod; to nod in sleep; to sink into a sleep, Mt. 25:5; to slumber in inactivity, 2 Pet. 2:3*

Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones

νυστάζω to nod in sleep, to nap, slumber, Xen., Plat.

to be sleepy, napping, Lat. dormito, Ar., Plat.

to hang the head, Anth.

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Verb-AAI-3P — Verb · aorist · active · indicative · third person · plural
aorist active indicative — a completed action, viewed as a whole.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-AAI-3P Part of Speech: Verb Tense: Aorist Voice: Active Mood: Indicative Person: third Number: Plural

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
50%slumbers
slumbers50% · 1×they became drowsy50% · 1×

2 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 2 different ways. The commonest English word for it is not its meaning — it is one translator's decision, repeated.

The phrases it lives inwhat stands either side of it, across the New Testament
← what comes before
νυμφίοςa bridegroom
Article the
οὐNeg
αὐτός
νυστάζωthey became drowsy
what comes after →
πᾶςall, the whole, ever
καίand, 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

Concordanceνυστάζω · 2× in the New Testament
2 Peter Matthew
Across the New Testament2 of 27 books
MtMkLkJnAcRo1Co2CoGaEphPhpCol1Th2Th1Ti2TiTitPhmHebJas1Pe2Pe1Jn2Jn3JnJudRev
As was tarrying then the bridegroom they became drowsy all and were sleeping.
πᾶσαιpas all G3956 Adjective · nominative · plural · feminine
1,242× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Matthew as anywhere else in the New Testament
In plain English
Meaning
This word means all or every, as in Matthew 3:10 and Romans 7:8, where it refers to everything or all people, emphasizing the universal nature of God's message.
Tyndale gloss
all
Greek lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Greek word πᾶς (i.e., *pas*) means 'all' or 'every' and appears in various forms, including masculine, feminine, and neuter. It is used in the New Testament to denote totality, as in 'all things' or 'every kind,' and can function as an adjective or pronoun. Notably, it can also imply 'the whole' when used with definite articles, as seen in verses like Matthew 28:18.

Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon of the NT

πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν, gen., παντός, πάσης, παντός,

[in LXX chiefly for כֹּל;]

all, every.

As adj.,

c. subst. anarth., all, every, of every kind: Mt 3:10 4:23, Mk 9:49, Lk 4:37, Jo 2:10, Ac 27:20, Ro 7:8, Re 18:17, al. mult.; pl., all, Ac 22:15, Ro 5:12, He 1:6, al.; of the highest degree, π. ἐξουσία (προθυμία, χαρά), Mt 28:18,

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

πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν, en. παντός, πάσης, παντός, [dat. plur. Lchm. πᾶσι ten times, -σιν seventy-two times; Tdf. -σι five times (see Proleg. p. 98 sq.), -ow seventy-seven times; Treg. -ow eighty-two times; WH -ox fourteen times, -ow sixty-eight times; see N, v (ἐφελκυστικόν)], Hebr. 75, [fr. Hom. down], all, every; it is used I. adjectively, and 1. with anarthrous nouns; a. any, every one (86. of the class denoted by the noun annexed to mas); with the Singular: as πᾶν δένδρον, Mt. iii. 10; πᾶσα θυσία, Mk. ix. 49 [T WH Tr mrg. om. Tr txt. br. the cl.]; add, Mt. v.11; xv. 13; Lk. iv. 37; Jn.ii. 10; xv.2; Acts ii.43; v.42; Ro. xiv. 11; 1 Co. iv. 17; Rev. xviii. 17, and very often; πᾶσα ψυχὴ ἀνθρώπου, Ro. ii. 9 (πᾶσα ἀνθρ. ψυχή, Plat. Phaedr. p- 249e.); πᾶσα συνείδησις ἀνθρώπων, 2 Co. iv. 2; mas λεγόμενος θεός, 2 Th. ii. 4; πᾶς ἅγιος ἐν Χριστῷ, Phil. iv. 21sqq. with the Plural, all or any that are…

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

παῖς. In Gnomon 41 (¢. A.D. 150) it is laid down—éav Αἰγύπτιος ἐκ κοπρίας [ἀν]έληται παῖδα καὶ τοῦτον υἱοποιήσηται, μετὰ θάνατον τεταρτολο[ γεῖτ]αι, ““1Γ an Egyptian shall take up a child from the dungheap, and adopt him as a son, he shall be mulcted after his death to the extent of one fourth of his property.” For παῖς applied to a female child see P Strass I. 41° (A.D. 250) ἐκδικῆσαι τὰ τῆς παιδός, and P Oxy 1 5215 (A.D. 325) εΠδαμὲν τὴν παῖδα ἔχουσαν κατὰ τῶν εἰσχίων ἀμυχὰς μετὰ πελιωμάτων (see 76. II. p. 319), ““νγῈ saw that the girl had wounds on her hips with livid spots”: cf. Lk 8° (for voc. of address see Pro/eg. pp. 70, 235). The word is commonly applied to slaves, as in Lk 77 a/., e.g. P Lille 27 (iii/B.c.), where 11 male slaves are enumerated under the heading παῖδες, then 2 female slaves, and then again 3 male slaves: cf. P Strass I. 405 (a. p. 569) Κολλοῦθος Βίκτορος…

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Liddell-Scott-Jones, full edition

πᾶς (pas) — all.

πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν,

__AAeolic dialect παῖς, παῖσα [Refs 7th c.BC+] feminine πάνσα [Refs 8th c.BC+], Epic dialect and Delph. πάντεσσι [Refs 8th c.BC+]; also Locrian dialect πάντεσιν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πάντοις [Refs 2nd c.BC+] as accusative masculine in [LXX+7th c.BC+], etc. (but in compounds sometimes long in Attic dialect, [Refs].]—Coll. pronoun, when used of a number, all; when of one only, the whole; of the several persons in a number, every.

__A.I in plural, all, πάντες τε θεοὶ πᾶσαί τε θέαιναι [Refs 8th c.BC+]; πάντες ὅσοι.. [Refs 8th c.BC+]; πάντας ᾧ ἂνπεριτυγχάνῃ, for ὅσοις ἄν, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: also with the Article, see.below [Refs 5th c.BC+]

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Strong's Greek Dictionary

πᾶς

pas

including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all,

any, every, the whole:--all (manner of, means), alway(-s), any (one),

X daily, + ever, every (one, way), as many as, + no(-thing), X

thoroughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever.

Dodson Greek-English Lexicon

πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν

Adj

all, the whole, every kind of

Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary

πᾶς pas 1x

all; in the sg. the whole, entire, usually when the substantive has the article, Mt. 6:29; 8:32; Acts 19:26; every, only with an anarthrous subst., Mt. 3:10; 4:4; pl. all, Mt. 1:17, et al. freq.; πάντα, in all respects, Acts 20:35; 1 Cor. 9:25; 10:33; 11:2; by a Hebraism, a negative with πᾶς is sometimes equivalent to οὐδείς or μηδείς, Mt. 24:22; Lk. 1:37; Acts 10:14; Read the full entry →

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

A-NPF Part of Speech: Adjective Case: Nominative Number: Plural Gender: Feminine

Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.

(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.

(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).

(3) All one, "It is all one" (Job 9:22), "it makes no difference whether I live or die."

(4) At all, "If thy father miss me at all" (1Sa 20:6), "in any way," "in the least."

Into Englishhow translators actually render it
62%all
all62% · 789×all things12% · 156×every12% · 150×everyone6% · 76×everything3% · 34×other renderings3% · 40×other renderings2% · 19×

1,264 occurrences in the New Testament, rendered 28 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
subject40%adverbial30%object21%predicate5%indirect object3%

Parsing tells you the form; the treebank tells you the job. Counted over all 1,242 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
αὐτόςσύλόγοςa word, speech,
ἐν
καίand, even, also,ἀλλάbut, exceptἐγώ
Article the
αὐτόςὅςArticle the
αὐτός
λέγωI say, speakδείκνυμιI point out, shoπροσφέρωI bring to, offe
ἐπί
καίand, even, also,ἐγώεἰμίI am, exist
πᾶςall1242×
what comes after →
Article the
ἔθνοςa race, people, λαόςa people, the crπιστεύωI believe, have
καίand, even, also, nam
Article theχορτάζωI feed, satisfyδιά
σύ
εἰμίI am, existἐνκαίand, even, also,
γάρfor
Article theσύοὗτος
δέbut, on the other ha
Article theοὗτοςὅς

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

Concordanceπᾶς · 1,242× in the New Testament
Acts Luke Matthew 1 Corinthians Romans Mark John Revelation Hebrews 2 Corinthians Ephesians Colossians

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

Across the New Testament27 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 The Shepherd of Hermas Clement of Rome Ignatius of Antioch
Philo of AlexandriaOn the Creation of the World 10c. AD 40

καὶ γὰρ πατὴρ ἐκγόνων καὶ δημιουργὸς τῶν δημιουργηθέντων στοχάζεται τῆς διαμονῆς καὶ ὅσα μὲν ἐπιζήμια καὶ βλαβερὰ μηχανῇ πάσῃ διωθεῖται, τὰ δὲ ὅσα ὠφέλιμα καὶ λυσιτελῆ κατὰ πάντα τρόπον ἐκπορίζειν ἐπιποθεῖ·

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

ὡς οἱ Νώχου ἔγγονοι πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐπῴκησαν.

The Epistle of BarnabasThe Epistle of Barnabas 2.4c. AD 100

πεφανέρωκεν γὰρ ἡμῖν διὰ πάντων τῶν προφητῶν, ὅτι οὕτε θυσιῶν οὔτε ὁλοκαυτωμάτων οὔτε προσφορῶν χρῄζει, λέγων ὅτε μέν:

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 6th c. AD 4th c. AD 1st c. AD
P.Stras. 2 89Pathyris100 BC

γῆ Σενπελαίας, βορρᾶ γῆ Πανᾶτος ἀπηλιώτου ποταμός, λιβὸς Ἀραμείους, ἢ οἳ ἂν ὦσι γείτονες πάντων πάντοθεν. ἐπρίατο Πετεαρσεμθεὺς Πανοβχούνιος ὡς ἐτῶν μ χαλκοῦ τάλαντα δύο . προπωλητὴς καὶ βεβαιωτὴς

P.Grenf. 2 35Pathyris99 BC

ἐτῶν λ χαλκοῦ δραχμῶν τρισχιλίων . προπωληταὶ καὶ βεβαιωταὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν ὠνὴν ταύτην πάντων Νεχούτης καὶ ὁ σὺν αὐτῷ οἱ ἀποδόμενοι, ὃν ἐδέξατο Πακοῖβις ὁ πριάμενος. Ἑρμίας ὁ

BGU 3 1000Pathyris99 BC

χαλκοῦ δραχμὰς δισχιλίας καὶ διακοσίας . προπωλητὴς καὶ βεβαιωτὴς τῶν κατὰ τὴν ὠνὴν ταύτην πάντων Πανοβχοῦνις ὁ ἀποδόμενος, ὃν ἐδέξατο Εὔνους ὁ πριάμενος. Ἑρμίας ὁ παρὰ Πανίσκου κεχρημάτικα.

As was tarrying then the bridegroom they became drowsy all and were sleeping.
καὶkai and G2532 Conjunction
8,978× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
about as common in Matthew 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

As was tarrying then the bridegroom they became drowsy all and were sleeping.
ἐκάθευδον.¶katheudō were sleeping. G2518 Verb · imperfect · active · indicative · third person · plural
22× in the NT scale is logarithmic — ὁ, the commonest word, appears 19,867×
commoner in Matthew 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
into a deep sleep, slept soundly
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…

Read the full entry →
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-IAI-3P — Verb · imperfect · active · indicative · third person · plural
imperfect active indicative — a continuing action in past time.
Robinson's Morphological Analysis Codes

V-IAI-3P Part of Speech: Verb Tense: Imperfect Voice: Active Mood: Indicative Person: third Number: Plural

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
καθεύδωwere sleeping.22×
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

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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