ναί, a particle of assertion or confirmation (akin to
νή; cf. Donaldson, Cratylus § 189), from
Homer down,
yea, verily, truly, assuredly, even so:
Matthew 11:26;
Luke 10:21;
Philemon 1:20;
Revelation 1:7;
Revelation 16:7;
Revelation 22:20;
ναί,
λέγω ὑμῖν κτλ.,
Matthew 11:9;
Luke 7:26;
Luke 11:51;
Luke 12:5;
ναί,
λέγει τό πνεῦμα,
Revelation 14:13; it is responsive and confirmatory of the substance of some question or statement:
Matthew 9:28;
Matthew 13:51;
Matthew 15:27;
Matthew 17:25;
Matthew 21:16;
Mark 7:28;
John 11:27;
John 21:15;
Acts 5:8 (
Acts 5:9);
Acts 22:27;
Romans 3:29; a repeated
ναί,
most assuredly (
A. V. yea, yea), expresses emphatic assertion,
Matthew 5:37;
ἤτω ὑμῶν τό ναί ναί, let your
ναί be
ναί, i. e. let your allegation be true,
James 5:12 (
Buttmann, 163 (142);
Winer's Grammar, 59 (58));
εἶναι or
γίνεσθαι ναί καί οὐ, to be or show oneself double-tongued, i. e. faithless, wavering, false,
2 Corinthians 1:18f;
ἵνα παῥ ἐμοί τό ναί ναί καί τό οὐ οὐ, that with me should be found both a solemn affirmation and a most emphatic denial, i. e. that I so form my resolves as, at the dictate of pleasure or profit, not to carry them out, ibid. 17 (cf.
Winer's Grammar, 460 (429));
ναί ἐν αὐτῷ γέγονεν, in him what was promised has come to pass,
2 Corinthians 1:19;
ἐπαγγελίαι ἐν αὐτῷ τό ναί namely,
γεγόνασιν, have been fulfilled, have been confirmed by the event,
2 Corinthians 1:20 (cf. Meyer at the passage). It is a particle of appeal or entreaty, like the (English
yea) (German
ja): with an imperative,
ναί...
συλλαμβάνου αὐταῖς,
Philippians 4:3 (where
Rec. has
καί for
ναί);
ναί ἔρχου,
Revelation 22:20 Rec.; so
ναί ναί, Judith 9:12. (A classification of the uses of
ναί in the N. T. is given by Ellicott on
Philippians 4:3; cf.
Green, 'Grit. Note' on
Matthew 11:26.)
THAYER’S GREEK LEXICON, Electronic Database.
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BLB Scripture Index of Thayer's