βελτίων, βέλτιον, genitive βελτιονος, better; neuter adverbially in 2Ti_1:18 (Winers Grammar, 242 (227); Buttmann, 27 (24). Sophocles, Thucydides, others).

βελτίων beltiōn 1x better; βέλτιον , as an adv., very well, too well to need informing, 2Ti_1:18

βελτίων , -ον ( gen . -ονος ), comp. of ἀγαθός , [in LXX chiefly for H2896 ;] neut. as adv. , better, very well: 2Ti_1:18 (also Act_10:28 D). On elative use in these passages, v. M , Pr., 78, 236.†

βελτίων (~βελτίον ) [page 108] For the elative comparative in Act_10:28 D βέλτιον ἐφίστασθε cf. Magn 105 .98 (ii/A.D.) βέλτιον ὑπελάβομεν γράψαι ὑμῖν . See also P Tebt I. 27 .80 (B.C. 113) αἰεὶ δέ τινος ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον προσεπινοουμένου , by the continual invention of further improvements (Edd.), and P Oxy VIII. 1148 .2 (a question to the oracle i/A.D.) εἶ [? εἰ introducing direct question, as in NT] βέλτειόν ἐστιν κτλ . A locution with β . may be noted from BGU IV. 1086 ii. 2 (A.D. 160 or 183 or 215) τὴν ] δὲ πο [λ ]ειτίαν ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον καὶ εὐτ [υ ]χ̣[έστερον . . . Note also P Leid W xxiv. 19 (ii/iii A.D.) βέλτιον δὲ ποιεῖ ἐὰν κτλ . this is ordinary comparative. For the superlative, which happens not to occur in NT, cf. P Magd 29 .4 (B.C. 117) ἐγλεξάμενος τὸν βέλτιστον τόπον καὶ ἐξώτατον , P Fay 12 .6 ( c. B.C. 103) τῶν . . . οὐ ἀπὸ τοῦ β̣ελ̣τ̣[ί ]στου ἀναστρεφομένων , of the less reputable class (Edd.), P Ryl II. 156 .19 (i/A.D.) . . . ] ἀ̣π̣ὸ τοῦ βελτίστου γεγενημέν [ου , Syll 278 .7 (ii/B.C.) οἱ οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ βελτίστου εἰωθότες ἀναστρέφεσθαι : the phrase looks like a cant term for the masses current among the classes. Deissmann BS , p. 93, says that (οὐκ ) ἀπὸ τοῦ β . in 2Ma_14:30 [ came not of good, RV] can he paralleled with many examples in the Inscrr. and in Dionys. Hal. and Plutarch. It may be noted further that we have ἀγροικότερον ἐσχηκότα in the preceding clause, which suggests that here Judas Maccabaeus is observing Nicanor s boorish rudeness towards him, οὐκ ἀ . τ . β . having the same nuance as in the papyri and inscr. just quoted. The survival of an old use of βέλτιστε in address may be observed in BGU IV. 1140 .3 (B.C. 4), where ἡγεμὼ (ν ) βέλτιστε is corrected into μέγιστε , probably because the former was too familiar, as its use in Plato would suggest. The rare form βέλτατα is found P Petr II. 9(3) .7 (B.C. 241 39) τὰ [β ]έλτατα πληρώματα . The verb βελτιόω occurs in the vi/A.D. P Lond 1044 .22 (= III. p. 255) φιλοκαλει̣̑ν και̣̣ βελτιοῦν : cf. Syll 418 .5 (A.D. 238) ἐν τοῖς εὐτυχεστάτοις σοῦ καιροῖς κατοικεῖσθαι καὶ βελτιοῦσθαι τὰς κώμας .

βελτίων, -ον (genitive -ονος), comp. of ἀγαθός, [in LXX chiefly for טוֹב ;] neut. as adv., better, very well: 2Ti.1:18 (also Act.10:28 D). On elative use in these passages, see M, Pr., 78, 236.† (AS)