ὄφελον (for ὠφελον, without the augment, 2 aorist of ὀφείλω; in earlier Greek with an infinitive, as ὠφελον θανεῖν, I ought to have died, expressive of a wish, equivalent to would that I were dead; in later Greek it assumes the nature of an interjection, to be rendered) would that, where one wishes that a thing had happened which has not happened, or that a thing be done which probably will not be done (cf. Winers Grammar, 301f (283); Buttmann, § 150, 5): with an optative present Rev_3:15 Rec.; with an indicative imperfect, Rev. ibid. G L T Tr WH; 2Co_11:1 (Epictetus diss. 2, 18, 15; Ignatius ad Smyrn. c. 12 [ET]); with an indicative aorist, 1Co_4:8 (Psa_118:5 (); ὄφελον ἀπεθάνομεν, Exo_16:3; Num_14:2; Num_20:3); with the future, Gal_5:12 (Lucian, soloec. (or Pseudosoph.) 1, where this construction is classed as a solecism). Cf. Passow, ii., p. 603{a} ; (Liddell and Scott, under the word ὀφείλω, II. 3).

ὄφελον ophelon 4x originally a ptcp (aor act ptcp nom sg neut) from ὀφείλω , used in NT as an interj. to introduce a wish that cannot be attained, O that! Would that! 1Co_4:8 ; 2Co_11:1 ; Gal_5:12 ; Rev_3:15

ὄφελον , 2 aor. of ὀφείλω , without the augment ( v. M , Pr., 201n), used to express a fruitless wish; [in LXX (with aor. indic .): Exo_16:3 ( H5414 H4310 ), Num_14:2 Num_20:3 ( H3863 ), Psa_119:5 ( H305 ), etc.;] in cl . with an infin. (chiefly poλt.), would that: with indic . aor. , 1Co_4:8 ; impf ., 2Co_11:1 , Rev_3:15 ; fut ., Gal_5:12 (a practicable wish, v. 131., 206 f ., 220. The construction with indic . is only found in late writers.)†

ὄφελον [page 469] This form = I would that, which is found in the NT ( 1Co_4:8 al. ) for ὤφελον (cf. Moulton Proleg. p. 201), may be illustrated from OGIS 315 .16 (B.C. 164 3) ὄφελομ μὲν ἡ θεὸς . . . στερῆσαι τὸν ταῦτα πο [ήσαντα ὧν ] μάλιστα ἐπιθυμεῖ , where it will be noted the editor reads στερῆσαι (inf.) rather than στερήσαι (opt.). In P Giss I. 17 .10 (time of Hadrian), a slave writes to her sick master ὤφελον εἰ ἐδυνάμεθα πέτασθαι καὶ ἐλθεῖν καὶ προσκυνῆσαί σε , would that I could fly and come and pay my respects to you. Ὤφελον is common with the 1st pers. in Epictetus (but does not occur in the NT), e.g. ii. 21. 1 ὤφελον ὡς φρένας ἔχω οὕτω καὶ τύχην εἶχον : for the 3 rd pers. following, as in Gal_5:12 , cf. ib. ii. 18. 15 ὤφελόν (ὄφελόν S) τις μετὰ ταύτης ἐκοιμήθη .

ὄφελον 2 aorist of ὀφείλω, without the augment (see M, Pr., 201n), used to express a fruitless wish; [in LXX (with aor. indic.): Exo.16:3 (נָתַן מִי), Num.14:2 Num.20:3 (לוּא), Psa.119:5 (אַחֲלַי), etc. ;] in cl. with an infin. (chiefly poët.), would that: with indic. aor., 1Co.4:8; impf., 2Co.11:1, Rev.3:15; fut., Gal.5:12 (a practicable wish, see 131., 206 f., 220. The construction with indic. is only found in late writers.)† (AS)