μᾶλλον (comparitive of μάλα, very, very much) (from Homer down), adverb, more, to a greater degree; rather; 1. added to verbs and adjectives, it denotes increase, a greater quantity, a larger measure, a higher degree, more, more fully (German in höherem Grade, Maasse); a. words defining the measure or size are joined to it in the ablative (dative): πολλῷ much, by far, Mar_10:48; Luk_18:39; Rom_5:15; Rom_5:17 (in both these verses the underlying thought is, the measure of salvation for which we are indebted to Christ is far greater than that of the ruin which came from Adam; for the difference between the consequences traceable to Adam and to Christ is not only one of quality, but of quantity also; cf. Rückert, Commentary on Romans, vol. i. 281f (others (from Chrysostom to Meyer and Godet) content themselves here with a logical increase, far more certainly)); 2Co_3:9; 2Co_3:11; Php_2:12; πόσῳ how much, Luk_12:24; Rom_11:12; Phm_1:16; Heb_9:14; τοσούτῳ by so much, ὅσῳ by as much (namely, μᾶλλον), Heb_10:25. b. in comparison it often so stands that than before must be mentally added (A. V. the more, so much the more), as Mat_27:24 (μᾶλλον θόρυβος γίνεται (but others refer this to 2 b. ἆ. below)); Luk_5:15 (διήρχετο μᾶλλον); Joh_5:18 (μᾶλλον ἐζήτουν); ; Act_5:14; Act_9:22; Act_22:2; 2Co_7:7; 1Th_4:1; 1Th_4:10; 2Pe_1:10; ἔτι μᾶλλον καί μᾶλλον, Php_1:9; or the person or thing with which the comparison is made is evident from what precedes, as Php_3:4; it is added to comparatives, Mar_7:36; 2Co_7:13; πολλῷ μᾶλλον κρεῖσσον, Php_1:23; see (Wetstein on Philippians, the passage cited); Winers Grammar, § 35, 1 cf. 603 (561); (Buttmann, § 123, 11); to verbs that have a comparative force, μᾶλλον διαφέρειν τίνος, to be of much more value than one, Mat_6:26. μᾶλλον ἤ, more than, Mat_18:13; μᾶλλον with the genitive, πάντων ὑμῶν, 1Co_14:18 (Xenophon, mem. 3, 17, 1). joined to positive terms it forms a periphrasis for a comparative (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 35, 2 a.), followed by ἤ, as μακάριον, μᾶλλον for μακαριωτερον, Act_20:35; add, 1Co_9:15; Gal_4:27; πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἀναγκαῖά, 1Co_12:22; sometimes μᾶλλον, seems to be omitted before ἤ; see under ἤ, 3 f. c. μᾶλλον δέ, what moreover is of greater moment (A. V. yea rather): Rom_8:34 (2Ma_6:23). 2. it marks the preference of one thing above another, and is to be rendered rather, sooner (German eher, vielmehr, lieber); a. it denotes that which occurs more easily than something else, and may be rendered sooner (German eher): thus πολλῷ μᾶλλον in arguing from the less to the greater, Mat_6:30; Rom_5:9; Heb_12:9 (here L T Tr WH πολι μᾶλλον); also πολύ (R G πολλῷ) μᾶλλον namely, οὐκ ἐκφευξόμεθα, i. e. much more shall we not escape (cf. Winers Grammar, p. 633 (588) note (Buttmann, § 148, 3 b.)), or even ἔνδικον μισθαποδοσίαν ληψόμεθα (Heb_2:2), or something similar (cf. Matthiae, § 634, 3), Heb_12:25. πόσῳ μᾶλλον, Mat_7:11; Mat_10:25; Luk_12:28; Rom_11:12; Rom_11:24; Phm_1:16. in a question, οὐ μᾶλλον; (Latinnonne potius?) (do not ... more), 1Co_9:12. b. it is opposed to something else and does away with it; accordingly it may be rendered the rather (German vielmehr); α. after a preceding negative or prohibitive sentence: Mat_10:6; Mat_10:28; Mat_25:9; Mar_5:26; Rom_14:13; 1Ti_6:2; Heb_12:13; μᾶλλον δέ, Eph_4:28; Eph_5:11. οὐχί μᾶλλον; (nonne potius ?) not rather etc.? 1Co_5:2; 1Co_6:7. β. so that μᾶλλον belongs to the thing which is preferred, consequently to a noun, not to a verb: Joh_3:19 (ἠγάπησαν μᾶλλον τό σκότος ἡ τό φῶς, i. e. when they ought to have loved the light they (hated it, and) loved the darkness, Joh_3:20); ; Act_4:19; Act_5:29; 2Ti_3:4 that which it opposes and sets aside must be learned from the context (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 35, 4): Mar_15:11 (namely, ἤ τόν Ἰησοῦν); Php_1:12 (where the meaning is, 'so far is the gospel from suffering any loss or disadvantage from my imprisonment, that the number of disciples is increased in consequence of it'). γ. by way of correction, μᾶλλον δέ, nay rather; to speak more correctly: Gal_4:9 (Josephus, Antiquities 15, 11, 3; Aelian v. h. 2, 13 and often in secular authors; cf. Grimm, Exeg. Hdbch. on Sap., p. 176f). c. it does not do away with that with which it is in opposition, but marks what has the preference: more willingly, more readily, sooner (German lieber), θέλω μᾶλλον and εὐδοκῶ μᾶλλον, to prefer, 1Co_14:5; 2Co_5:8 (βούλομαι μᾶλλον, Xenophon, Cyril 1, 1, 1); ζηλουν, 1Co_14:1 (μᾶλλον namely, ζηλοῦτε); χρωμαι, 1Co_7:21.

μᾶλλον mallon 81x more, to a greater extent, in a higher degree, Mat_18:13 ; Mat_27:24 ; Joh_5:18 ; 1Co_14:18 ; rather, in preference, Mat_10:6 ; Eph_4:28 ; used in a periphrasis for the comparative, Act_20:35 ; as an intensive with a comparative term, Mat_6:26 ; Mar_7:36 ; 2Co_7:13 ; Php_1:23 ; μᾶλλον δέ , yea rather, or, more properly speaking, Rom_8:34 ; Gal_4:9 ; Eph_5:11 instead; more; rather.

μάλα , adv. , [in LXX for H61 , 1Ki_1:43 , Da LXX Dan_10:21 , al. ; compar . for ξ , Num_13:32 (31), al. ; μᾶλλον ἠ ( ξ ), Gen_19:9 , al. ; superlat., 2Ma_8:7 , 4Ma_4:22 ; 4Ma_12:9 ; 4Ma_15:4 ;] I. Pos., very, very much, exceedingly ( cl .; LXX ut supr .; in NT its place is taken by λίαν , σφόδρα , etc.). II. Compar., μᾶλλον . 1. Of increase, more; with qualifying words: πολλῷ , Mar_10:48 , Luk_18:39 , Rom_5:15 ; Rom_5:17 Php_2:12 , al. ; πόσῳ , Luk_12:24 , Rom_11:12 , al. ; τοσούτῳ . . . ὅσῳ , Heb_10:25 . 2. Of comparison, the more: Luk_5:15 , Joh_5:18 , Act_5:14 , 1Th_4:1 ; 1Th_4:10 , 2Pe_1:10 ; ἔτι μ . καὶ μ ., Php_1:9 ; c . compar ., Mar_7:36 , 2Co_7:13 ; πολλῴ μ κρεῖσον , Php_1:23 ; μ . διαφέρειν , c . gen ., Mat_6:26 ; μ . ἤ , Mat_18:13 ; c . gen ., 1Co_14:18 ; as periphr. for compar ., Act_20:35 , 1Co_9:15 , Gal_4:27 ; μ . δέ ( EV , yea rather), Rom_8:34 . 3. Of preference, rather, the rather, sooner: with qualifying words, πολλῷ , Mat_6:30 , πολύ , Heb_12:25 ; πολύ , Mat_7:11 , al. ; in a question, μ ., 1Co_9:12 ; after a neg ., Mat_10:6 , al. ; θέλω (εὐδοκῶ ) μ ., 1Co_14:5 , 2Co_5:8 ; ζηλῶ , 1Co_14:1 ; c . subst ., τ . σκότος ἢ τ . φῶς , Joh_3:19 ; μ . δέ , Gal_4:9 . III. Superl ., μάλιστα , most, most of all, above all: Act_20:38 ; Act_25:26 , Gal_6:10 , Php_4:22 , 1Ti_4:10 ; 1Ti_5:8 ; 1Ti_5:17 , 2Ti_4:13 , Tit_1:10 , Phm_1:16 , 2Pe_2:10 ; μ . γνώστης , Act_26:3 . μᾶλλον , see μάλα .

μᾶλλον [page 387] P Oxy III. 474 .87 (A.D. 184?) ἀβουλίᾳ μᾶλλον ἢ πειθοῖ τῶν παρηγγελμένων , in defiance of rather than in obedience to the proclamations, ib. XIV. 1762 .12 (ii/iii A.D.) σοῦ γὰρ μᾶλλον ἢ ἡμῶν [ἀκο ]υ̣σεται ib. VI. 939 .3 (iv/A.D.) (= Selections , p. 128) ὡς ἐν ἄλ ]λ̣οις πλείστοις νῦν ἔτι μᾶλλον (cf. Phil I .9 ), as on many other occasions so now still more, and P Fay 136 .5 (iv/A.D.) ὅθεν μηδένα εὐλαβούμενοι μᾶλλον ἀπαντήσατε ἀπ᾽ ἑαυτῶν therefore heed no one rather than me and return from where you are (Edd.). For the intensive μᾶλλον in the NT see Milligan on 1Th_4:1 .

μᾶλλον [Etym: comp. of μάλα; v. μάλα II.]

μάλα adv., [in LXX for אֲבָל, 3Ki.1:43, Dan LXX 10:21, al.; compar. for מ, Num.13:32 (31), al.; μᾶλλον ἠ (מ), Gen.19:9, al.; superlat., 2Ma.8:7, 4Ma.4:22 12:9 15:4 ;] __I. Pos., very, very much, exceedingly (cl.; LXX ut supr.; in NT its place is taken by λίαν, σφόδρα, etc.). __II. Compar., μᾶλλον. __1. Of increase, more; with qualifying words: πολλῷ, Mrk.10:48, Luk.18:39, Rom.5:15, 17, Php.2:12, al.; πόσῳ, Luk.12:24, Rom.11:12, al.; τοσούτῳ . . . ὅσῳ, Heb.10:25. __2. Of comparison, the more: Luk.5:15, Jhn.5:18, Act.5:14, 1Th.4:1, 10, 2Pe.1:10; ἔτι μ. καὶ μ., Php.1:9; with compar., Mrk.7:36, 2Co.7:13; πολλῴ μ. κρεῖσον, Php.1:23; μ. διαφέρειν, with genitive, Mat.6:26; μ. ἤ, Mat.18:13; with genitive, 1Co.14:18; as periphr. for compar., Act.20:35, 1Co.9:15, Gal.4:27; μ. δέ (EV, yea rather), Rom.8:34. __3. Of preference, rather, the rather, sooner: with qualifying words, πολλῷ, Mat.6:30, al.; πολύ, Heb.12:25; πόσῳ, Mat.7:11, al.; in a question, οὐ μ., 1Co.9:12; after a neg., Mat.10:6, al.; θέλω (εὐδοκῶ) μ., 1Co.14:5, 2Co.5:8; ζηλῶ, 1Co.14:1; with subst., τ. σκότος ἢ τ. φῶς, Jhn.3:19; μ. δέ, Gal.4:9. __III. Superl., μάλιστα , most, most of all, above all: Act.20:38 25:26, Gal.6:10, Php.4:22, 1Ti.4:10 5:8, 17, 2Ti.4:13, Tit.1:10, Phm 16, 2Pe.2:10; μ. γνώστης, Act.26:3 (AS)