Lexicon :: Strong's G3363 - hina mē

μή, the Sept. for אַל, אַיִן, אֵין, a particle of negation, which differs from οὐ (which is always an adverb) in that οὐ denies the thing itself (or to speak technically, denies simply, absolutely, categorically, directly, objectively), but μή denies the thought of the thing, or the thing according to the judgment, opinion, will, purpose, preference, of someone (hence, as we say technically, indirectly, hypothetically, subjectively). This distinction holds also of the compounds οὐδείς, μηδείς, οὐκέτι, μηκέτι, etc. But μή is either an adverb of negation, not (Latin non, ne); or a conjunction, that... not, lest (Latin ne); or an interrogative particle (Latin num) (i. e. (generally) implying a neg. ans.; in indirect question, whether not (suggesting apprehension)). Cf. Herm. ad Vig. § 267, p. 802ff; Matthiae, § 608; Alexander Buttmann (1873) Gram. § 148 (cf. Alex. Alexander Buttmann (1873) N. T. Gr., p. 344 (296ff)); Kühner, ii. § 512f, p. 739ff; (Jelf, § 738ff); Rost § 135; Winer's § 55, 56; F. Franke, De particulis negantibus (two commentaries) Rintel. 1832f; G. F. Gayler, Particularum Graeci sermonis negativarum accurata disputatio, etc. Tub. 1836; E. Prüfer, De μή et οὐ particulis epitome. Vratisl. 1836; (Gildersleeve in American Jour. of Philol. vol. i. no. i., p. 45ff; Jebb in Vincent and Dickson's Handbook to Modern Greek, 2nd edition, Appendix, § 82ff).
ἵνα μή, Matthew 7:1; Matthew 17:27; Mark 3:9; Romans 11:25; Galatians 5:17; Galatians 6:12, etc.; ἵνα... καί μή, Matthew 5:29; Mark 4:12; John 6:50; John 11:50; 2 Corinthians 4:7, etc.; ἵνα... μή, 2 Corinthians 13:10; ἵνα ὁ... μή, John 12:46; ἵνα (weakened; see ἵνα, II. 2) μή: after διαστέλλομαι (here L WH text ἐπιτιμάω), Matthew 16:20; τό θέλημα ἐστιν, ἵνα μή, John 6:39; οὕτως etc. ἵνα ὁ... μή, John 3:16; παρακαλῶ, ἵνα... καί μή, 1 Corinthians 1:10; ὅπως μή, Matthew 6:18; Acts 20:16; 1 Corinthians 1:29; ὅπως οἱ... μή, Luke 16:26.
4. joined with the infinitive (Winers Grammar, § 55, 4f.; (Buttmann, §§ 140, 16; 148, 6; cf. Prof. Gildersleeve as above, p. 48f));
a. after verbs of saying, declaring, denying, commanding, etc.: ἀποκριθῆναι, Luke 20:7; ἦν αὐτῷ κεχρηματισμένον μή ἰίδειν, that he should not see, Luke 2:26; χρηματισθέντες μή ἀνακάμψαι, Matthew 2:12; ὤμοσε (αὐτοῖς) μή εἰσελεύσεσθαι, Hebrews 3:18; after λέγω, Matthew 5:34, 39; Matthew 22:23; Mark 12:18; Acts 21:4; Acts 23:8; Romans 2:22; Romans 12:3; κηρύσσω, Romans 2:21; γράφω, 1 Corinthians 5:9, 11; παραγγέλλω, Acts 1:4; Acts 4:18; Acts 5:28, 40; 1 Corinthians 7:10; 1 Timothy 1:3; 1 Timothy 6:17; παρακαλῶ, Acts 9:38 R G; Acts 19:31; 2 Corinthians 6:1; αἰτοῦμαι, Ephesians 3:13; διαμαρτύρομαι, 2 Timothy 2:14; εὔχομαι, 2 Corinthians 13:7; παραιτοῦμαι, Hebrews 12:19 (here WH text omits μή; cf. Winers Grammar, and Buttmann, as below); ἀξιῶ, Acts 15:38; ἐπιβόω (L T Tr WH βόω), Acts 25:24; ἀντιλέγω (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 65, 2 β.; (Buttmann, § 148, 13)), Luke 20:27 (Tr WH L marginal reading λέγω); ἀπαρνοῦμαι (which see), Luke 22:34; also after verbs of deciding: Luke 21:14; κρίνω, Acts 15:19; κρίνω τοῦτο, τό μή, Romans 14:13; 2 Corinthians 2:1; θέλω, Romans 13:3; after verbs of hindering, avoiding, etc.: ἐγκόπτω (Res. ἀνακόπτω) τινα μή, Galatians 5:7 (cf. Winers Grammar, (and Buttmann, as above; also § 140, 16)); τοῦ μή, that... not (Latin ne), after κατέχω, Luke 4:42; κρατοῦμαι, Luke 24:16; κωλύω, Acts 10:47; καταπαύω, Acts 14:18; παύω, 1 Peter 3:10; ὑποστέλλομαι, Acts 20:20, 27; προσέχω μή, Matthew 6:1; but τοῦ μή is added also to other expressions in the sense of Latin ut ne, that... not: Romans 7:3; ὀφθαλμοί τοῦ μή βλέπειν, ὦτα τοῦ μή ἀκούειν, Romans 11:8, 10. After clauses denoting necessity, advantage, power, fitness, μή is used with an infinitive specifying the thing (Buttmann, § 148, 6), καλόν ἐστι μή, 1 Corinthians 7:1; Galatians 4:18; followed by τό μή, Romans 14:21; ἄλογον μή, Acts 25:27; κρεῖττον ἦν, 2 Peter 2:21; ἐξουσία τοῦ (L T Tr WH omit τοῦ) μή ἐργάζεσθαι, a right to forbear working, 1 Corinthians 9:6; δεῖ, Acts 27:21; οὐ δύναμαι μή, I cannot but, Acts 4:20; ἀνένδεκτόν ἐστι τοῦ μή, Luke 17:1 (cf. ἀνένδεκτος).
b. μή with an infinitive which has the article follows a preposition, to indicate the purpose or end: as, πρός τό μή, that... not, 2 Corinthians 3:13; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:8; εἰς τό μή (Latin in id... ne), to the end (or intent) that... not, Acts 7:19; 1 Corinthians 10:6; 2 Corinthians 4:4; followed by an accusative and infinitive, 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 1 Peter 3:7; διά τό μή, because... not, Matthew 13:5; Mark 4:5; Luke 8:6; James 4:2 (cf. Winer's Grammar, 482 (449)) (2 Macc. 4:19).
c. in other expressions where an infinitive with the article is used substantively: τῷ μή (dative of the cause or reason (cf. Winers Grammar, § 44, 5; Buttmann, 264 (227))), 2 Corinthians 2:13 (12); in the accusative, τό μή: Romans 14:13; 1 Corinthians 4:6 (R G); 2 Corinthians 2:1; 2 Corinthians 10:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:6, cf. 3.
d. in sentences expressing consequence or result: ὥστε μή, so that... not, Matthew 8:28; Mark 3:20; 1 Corinthians 1:7; 2 Corinthians 3:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:8. 5. μή is joined with a participle (Winers Grammar, § 50, 5 g.; (Buttmann, § 148, 7; see C. J. Vaughan's Commentary on Romans 2:14)),
a. in sentences expressing a command, exhortation, purpose, etc.: Luke 3:11; John 9:39; Acts 15:38; Acts 20:29; Romans 8:4; Romans 14:3; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Ephesians 5:27; Philippians 1:28; Philippians 2:4 (here Rec. imperative); 1 Thessalonians 4:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Peter 2:16; Hebrews 6:1; Hebrews 13:17, etc.
b. in general sentences, in which no definite person is meant but it is merely assumed that there is someone of the character denoted by the participle: as ὁ μή ὤν μετ' ἐμοῦ, he that is not on roy side, whoever he is, or if there is any such person, Matthew 12:30; Luke 11:23; ὁ δέ μή πιστεύων, whoever believeth not, John 3:18; οἱ μή ὁμολογοῦντες Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν if any do not confess, or belong to the class that do not confess, 2 John 1:7; add, Matthew 10:28; Luke 6:49; Luke 12:21, 47; Luke 22:36; John 5:23; John 10:1; John 12:48; John 14:24; Romans 4:5; Romans 5:14; Romans 10:20; 1 Corinthians 7:38; 1 Corinthians 11:22; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; James 2:13; 1 John 2:4, etc.; πᾶς ὁ μή, Matthew 7:26; (πᾶν δένδρον μή, Matthew 3:10; Matthew 7:19); 1 John 3:10; 2 John 9; 2 Thessalonians 2:12 (here L marginal reading T Tr WH marginal reading ἅπαντες οἱ μή etc.); μακάριος ὁ μή, John 20:29; Romans 14:22.
c. where, indeed, a definite person or thing is referred to, but in such a way that his (its) quality or action (indicated by the participle) is denied in the thought or judgment either of the writer or of some other person (cf. especially Winer's Grammar, 484 (451)): τά μή ὄντα, that are deemed as nothing, 1 Corinthians 1:28; ὡς μή λαβών, as if thou hadst not received, 1 Corinthians 4:7; ὡς μή ἐρχομένου μου, as though I were not coming, 1 Corinthians 4:18; ὡς μή ἐφικνούμενοι εἰς ὑμᾶς, 2 Corinthians 10:14; add, 1 Corinthians 7:29. ᾔδει... τινες εἰσιν οἱ μή πιστεύοντες (according to the opinion of ὁ εἰδώς), John 6:64; the same holds true of Acts 20:29; τά μή βλεπόμενα (in the opinion of οἱ μή σκοποῦντες), 2 Corinthians 4:18 (on the other hand, in Hebrews 11:1, οὐ βλεπόμενα, actually invisible); τόν μή γνόντα ἁμαρτίαν ὑπέρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν (μή γνόντα is said agreeably to the judgment of ὁ ποιήσας), 2 Corinthians 5:21 (τόν οὐ γνόντα would be equivalent to ἀγνωυντα). in predictions, where it expresses the opinion of those who predict: ἔσῃ σιωπῶν καί μή δυνάμενος λαλῆσαι, Luke 1:20; ἔσῃ τυφλός μή βλέπων, Acts 13:11. where the writer or speaker does not regard the thing itself so much as the thought of the thing, which he wishes to remove from the mind of the reader or hearer (Klotz ad Devar. ii. 2, p. 666) — to be rendered without etc. (German ohne zu with an infinitive) (cf. Buttmann, § 148, 7 b.): ἐξῆλθε μή ἐπιστάμενος, ποῦ ἔρχεται, Hebrews 11:8; add, Matthew 22:12; Luke 13:11 ((but cf. Buttmann, § 148, 7 c.)); Acts 5:7; Acts 20:22; Hebrews 9:9. where the participles have a conditional, causal, or concessive force, and may be resolved into clauses introduced by if, on condition that, etc.: θερίσομεν μή ἐκλυόμενοι, Galatians 6:9; μή ὄντος νόμου, Romans 5:13; although: νόμον μή ἔχοντες,Romans 2:14; μή ὤν αὐτός ὑπό νόμον, 1 Corinthians 9:20 (Rec. omits); we have both the negative particles in ὅν οὐκ εἰδότες (or (with L T Tr WH) ἰδόντες)... μή ὁρῶντες, whom being ignorant of (in person) (or (according to the critical text) not having seen)... although now not seeing, 1 Peter 1:8; also with the article: τά μή νόμον ἔχοντα (German die doch nicht haben, they that have not, etc.), Romans 2:14; ὁ δέ μή γενεαλογούμενος, but he, although not etc. Hebrews 7:6; — or since, because, inasmuch as: μή ἀσθενήσας τῇ πίστει οὐ (but G L T Tr WH omit οὐ; cf. Buttmann, § 148, 14) κατενόησε τό ἑαυτοῦ σῶμα... νενεκρωμένον (οὐκ ἀσθενήσας would be equivalent to δυνατός, strong), Romans 4:19; πῶς οὗτος γράμματα οἶδε μή μεμαθηκώς; since he has not learned (Winer's Grammar, 483 (450)), John 7:15; add, Matthew 18:25; Matthew 22:25, 29; Luke 2:45; Luke 7:30; Luke 11:24; Luke 12:47; Luke 24:23; Acts 9:26; Acts 17:6; Acts 21:34; Acts 27:7; 2 Corinthians 3:14; 2 Corinthians 5:19; also with the article: ὁ μή γινώσκων τόν νόμον, since it knoweth not the law, John 7:49; add, Jude 1:5.
d. where (with the participle) it can be resolved by (being) such (a person) as not, of such a sort as not: μή ζητῶν τό ἐμαυτοῦ σύμφορον, 1 Corinthians 10:33; add, Acts 9:9; Galatians 4:8. neuter plural as a substantive: τά μή ὄντα, Romans 4:17; τά μή σαλευόμενα, Hebrews 12:27; τά μή δέοντα, 1 Timothy 5:13; τά μή καθήκοντα, Romans 1:28; 2 Macc. 6:4 (on the other hand, in τά οὐκ ἀνήκοντα, Ephesians 5:4 (where L T Tr WH ἅ οὐκ ἀνῆκεν), the οὐκ coalesces with ἀνήκοντα and forms a single idea, unseemly, unlawful).
6. in independent sentences of forbidding, dehorting, admonishing, desiring, etc., μή is Prohibitive (cf. Winers Grammar, § 56,1),Latin ne, not;
a. with the 1 person plural of the subjunctive present: μή γινώμεθα κενόδοξοι, Galatians 5:26; add, Galatians 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; 1 John 3:18; aorist: John 19:24; before the word depending on the exhortation, 1 Corinthians 5:8.
b. with a present imperative, generally where one is bidden to cease from something already begun, or repeated, or continued: Matthew 6:16, 19; Matthew 7:1; Matthew 19:6; Mark 9:39; Mark 13:11; Luke 6:30; Luke 7:6, 13; Luke 8:49, 52; Luke 10:4, 7, 20; John 2:16; John 5:28, 45; John 6:43; John 7:24; John 14:1, 27; John 19:21; Acts 10:15; Acts 11:9; Acts 20:10; Romans 6:12; Romans 11:18, 20; Romans 12:2 (here L Tr marginal reading WH marginal reading give the infinitive), 14; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Corinthians 7:5; 2 Corinthians 6:14, 17; Galatians 5:1; Galatians 6:7; Ephesians 4:30; Colossians 3:9, 19, 21; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 2 Thessalonians 3:15; 1 Timothy 4:14; 1 Timothy 5:16, 19; Hebrews 12:5; Hebrews 13:2; James 1:7, 16; 1 Peter 4:12, 15; 1 John 2:15; 1 John 3:13; Revelation 5:5, and very often.
c. with the third person (nowhere in the N. T. with the second) of the aorist imperative where the prohibition relates to something not to be begun, and where things about to be done are forbidden: μή ἐπιστρεψάτω, Matthew 24:18; Luke 17:31; μή καταβάτω, Mark 13:15, and L T Tr WH in Matthew 24:17 (where R G badly καταβαινέτω); μή γνώτω, Matthew 6:3; γενέσθω (but T Tr WH γινέσθω), Luke 22:42; cf. Xenophon, Cyril 7, 5, 73; Aeschylus the Sept. c. Theb. 1036.
d. as in the more elegant Greek writings where future things are forbidden (cf. Herm. ad Vig., p. 807), with the 2 person of the aorist subjunctive: μή δόξητε, Matthew 3:9; Matthew 5:17; μή φοβηθῇς, Matthew 1:20; Matthew 10:26, 31 (here L T Tr WH present imperative φοβεῖσθε) (alternating with the imperative present φοβεῖσθε in Matthew 10:28 (G L T Tr)); μή ἅψῃ, Colossians 2:21; μή ἀποστραφῇς, Matthew 5:42; μή κτήσησθε, Matthew 10:9; add, Matthew 6:2, 7, 13, 31; Mark 5:7; Mark 10:19; Luke 6:29; Luke 8:28; Luke 14:8; John 3:7; Acts 7:60; Romans 10:6; 1 Corinthians 16:11; 2 Corinthians 11:16; 2 Thessalonians 2:3 — (in the last three examples with the third person, contrary to Winer's Grammar, 502 (467)); 1 Timothy 5:1; 2 Timothy 1:8; Revelation 6:6; Revelation 10:4 (μή γράψῃς, for ἔμελλον γράφειν precedes; but in John 19:21 μή γράφε is used, because Pilate had already written); Revelation 11:2; Revelation 22:10, and very often. We have the imperative present and the aorist subjunctive together in Luke 10:4; Acts 18:9.
e. with the 2 person of the present subjunctive: μή σκληρύνητε, Hebrews 3:8, 15 (a rare construction though not wholly unknown to Greek writings ( more than doubtful (Liddell and Scott, under the word A. I. 2)); see Delitzsch on the latter passage, and Schaefer ad Greg. Corinth., p. 1005f; (Sophocles' Lexicon, under the word μή. Others regard the above examples as subjunctive aorist; cf. 2 Kings 2:10; Isaiah 63:17; Jeremiah 17:23; Jeremiah 19:15, etc.)).
f. with the optative, in wishes: in that frequent formula μή γένοιτο, Far be it! See γίνομαι, 2 a.; μή αὐτοῖς λογισθείη, 2 Timothy 4:16 (Job 27:5).
II. As a conjunction, Latin ne with the subjunctive;
1. our that, that not or lest (cf. Winers Grammar, § 56, 2 (Buttmann, § 139, 48f; Goodwin § 46)); after verbs of fearing, caution, etc.
a. with the subjunctive present, where one fears lest something now exists and at the same time indicates that he is ignorant whether it is so or not (Hermann on Sophocles Aj. 272): ἐπισκοποῦντες, μή... ἐνοχλῇ, Hebrews 12:15.
b. with the subjunctive aorist, of things which may occur immediately or very soon: preceded by an aorist, εὐλαβηθείς (L T Tr WH φοβηθείς) μή διασπασθῇ, Acts 23:10; by a present: φοβοῦμαι, Acts 27:17; βλέπω, Matthew 24:4; Mark 13:5; Luke 21:8; Acts 13:40; 1 Corinthians 10:12; Galatians 5:15; Hebrews 12:25; σκοπέω ἐμαυτόν, Galatians 6:1 (Buttmann, 243 (209) would refer this to 2 b. below; cf. Goodwin, p. 66); ὁράω, Matthew 18:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:15; elliptically, ὁρᾷ μή (namely, τοῦτο ποιήσῃς (cf. Winers Grammar, § 64, 7 a.; Buttmann, 395 (338))): Revelation 19:10; Revelation 22:9.
c. with the indicative future (as being akin to the subjunctive (cf. grammatical references at the beginning)): φοβοῦμαι, μή ταπεινώσει με ὁ Θεός μου, 2 Corinthians 12:20f (L text T Tr); add, Colossians 2:8.
2. in order that not (Latin eo consilio ne);
a. with the optative: τῶν στρατιωτῶν βουλή ἐγένετο, ἵνα τούς δεσμώτας ἀποκτείνωσι, μή τίς... διαφύγοι, Acts 27:42 Rec. (the more elegant Greek to express the thought and purpose of the soldiers; but the best todd. read διαφύγῃ, which G L T Tr WH have adopted).
b. with the subjunctive aorist: preceded by the present, Mark 13:36; 2 Corinthians 8:20 (cf. Goodwin § 43 Rem.); 2 Corinthians 12:6; Colossians 2:4 (where L T Tr WH ἵνα μηδείς for R G μή τίς (— an oversight; in R G as well as in the recent critical editions the purpose is expressed by an inserted ἵνα)).
III. As an Interrogative particle it is used when a negative answer is expected, Latin num; (Winers Grammar, § 57, 3 b.; (Buttmann, 248 (213)));
1. in a direct question: Matthew 7:9; Matthew 9:15; Mark 2:19; Luke 17:9; John 3:4; John 4:12, 33; John 6:67; John 7:35, 51f; Acts 7:28; Romans 3:3; Romans 9:20; 1 Corinthians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 9:8; 1 Corinthians 10:22; James 2:14 (1 WH); James 3:12, etc.; μή γάρ (see γάρ, I.), John 7:41; μή οὐκ (where οὐκ belongs to the verb, and μή is interrogative), Romans 10:18; 1 Corinthians 9:4f; μή γάρ... οὐ, 1 Corinthians 11:22,
2. in an indirect question with the indicative (German ob etwa, ob wohl, whether possibly, whether perchance), where in admonishing another we intimate that possibly the case is as we fear (cf. Buttmann, § 139, 57; Winer's Grammar, § 41 b. 4 a.): Luke 11:35, cf. Buttmann, 243 (209); Ast, Platonic Lexicon, ii., p. 334f; (Riddell, Plato's Apology Digest of Idioms §§ 137, 138).

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