ἀλλά, an adversative particle, derived from
ἄλλα, neuter of the adjective
ἄλλος, which was originally pronounced
ἀλλός (cf.
Klotz ad Devar. ii., p. 1f), hence properly,
other things namely, than those just mentioned. It differs from
δέ, as the Latin
at and
sed from
autem, [cf. Winer's Grammar, 441f (411)].
I. But. So related to the preceding words that it serves to introduce
1. an opposition to concessions;
nevertheless, notwithstanding:
Matthew 24:6;
Mark 13:20;
Mark 14:28;
John 16:7,
20;
Acts 4:17;
Acts 7:48;
Romans 5:14;
Romans 10:16;
1 Corinthians 4:4;
2 Corinthians 7:6;
Philippians 2:27 (
ἀλλ’ ὁ θεός etc.), etc.
2. an objection:
John 7:27;
Romans 10:18;
1 Corinthians 15:35;
James 2:18.
3. an exception:
Luke 22:53;
Romans 4:2;
1 Corinthians 8:7;
1 Corinthians 10:23.
4. a restriction:
John 11:42;
Galatians 4:8;
Mark 14:36.
5. an ascensive transition or gradation,
nay rather, yea moreover:
John 16:2;
2 Corinthians 1:9; especially with
καί added,
Luke 12:7;
Luke 16:21;
Luke 24:22.
ἀλλ’ οὐδέ,
but... not even (German
ja nicht einmal):
Luke 23:15;
Acts 19:2;
1 Corinthians 3:2 [
Rec. οὔτε]; cf. Fritzsche on Mark, p. 157.
6. or forms a transition to the cardinal matter, especially before imperatives:
Matthew 9:18.;
Mark 9:22;
Mark 16:7;
Luke 7:7;
John 8:26;
John 16:4;
Acts 9:6 [not
Rec.];
Acts 10:20;
26:16.
7. it is put elliptically:
ἀλλ’ ἵνα,
i. e. ἀλλὰ τοῦτο γέγονεν,
Mark 14:49;
John 13:18;
John 15:25;
1 John 2:19.
8. after a conditional or concessive protasis it signifies, at the beginning of the apodosis,
yet [cf. Winer's Grammar, 442 (411)]: after
καὶ εἰ,
2 Corinthians 13:4 [R G];
Mark 14:29 R G L, (2 Macc. 8:15); after
εἰ καί,
Mark 14:29 [T Tr WH];
2 Corinthians 4:16;
2 Corinthians 5:16;
2 Corinthians 11:6;
Colossians 2:5 (2 Macc. 6:26); after
εἰ,
1 Corinthians 9:2;
Romans 6:5 (1 Macc. 2:20); after
ἐάν,
1 Corinthians 4:15; after
εἴπερ,
1 Corinthians 8:6 [L Tr marginal reading WH brackets
ἀλλ’; cf.
Klotz ad Devar. ii., p. 93f; Kühner, ii., p. 827, § 535 Anm. 6.
9. after a preceding
μέν:
Mark 9:13 [T omits; Tr brackets
μέν];
Acts 4:16;
Romans 14:20;
1 Corinthians 14:17.
10. it is joined to other particles;
ἀλλά γε [Griesbach
ἀλλάγε] (twice in the
N. T.): yet at least, 1 Corinthians 9:2;
yet surely (
aber freilich),
Luke 24:21 [L T Tr WH add
καί yea and etc.], cf. Bornemann at the passage. In the more elegant Greek writers these particles are not combined without the interposition of the most emphatic word between them; cf. Bornemann, the passage cited;
Klotz ad Devar. ii., pp. 15f, 24f;
Ast, Lex. Plato, i., p. 101; [Winer's Grammar, 444 (413)].
ἀλλ’ ἤ (arising from the blending of the two statements
οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἤ and
οὐδὲν ἄλλο,
ἀλλά)
save only, except:
1 Corinthians 3:5 (where
ἀλλ’ ἤ omitted by G L T Tr WH is spurious);
Luke 12:51 (Sir. 37:12; Sir. 44:10); and after
ἄλλα itself,
2 Corinthians 1:13 [here Lachmann brackets
ἀλλ’ before
ἤ]; cf. Klotz as above ii., 31ff; Kühner, ii., p. 824f § 535, 6; Winers Grammar, 442 (412); [Buttmann, 374 (320)].
ἀλλ’ οὐ but not, yet not:
Hebrews 3:16 (if punctuated
παρεπίκραναν;
ἀλλ’ οὐ) for 'but why do I ask? did not all,' etc.; cf. Bleek at the passage [Winer's Grammar, 442 (411)].
ἀλλ’ οὐχί will he not rather?
Luke 17:8.
II. preceded by a negation:
but (Latin
sed, German
sondern);
1. οὐκ (
μή)...
ἀλλά:
Matthew 19:11;
Mark 5:39;
John 7:16;
1 Corinthians 1:17;
1 Corinthians 7:10,
19 [
οὐδέν];
2 Corinthians 7:9;
1 Timothy 5:23 [
μηκέτι], etc. By a rhetorical construction
οὐκ...
ἀλλά sometimes is logically equivalent to
not so much... as:
Mark 9:37 (
οὐκ ἐμὲ δέχεται,
ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀποστείλαντά με);
Matthew 10:20;
John 12:44;
Acts 5:4;
1 Corinthians 15:10;
1 Thessalonians 4:8; by this form of speech the emphasis is laid on the second member; cf. Fritzsche on Mark, p. 773ff; Winers Grammar, § 55, 8 b.; [Buttmann, 356 (306)].
οὐ μόνον...
ἀλλὰ καί not only... but also:
John 5:18;
John 11:52 [
ἀλλ’ ἵνα καί, etc.];
Romans 1:32, and very often. When
καί is omitted (as in the Latin
non solum... sed), the gradation is strengthened:
Acts 19:26 [Lachmann adds
καί];
1 John 5:6;
ἀλλὰ πολλῷ μᾶλλον,
Philippians 2:12; cf. Fritzsche, the passage cited, p. 786ff; Winers Grammar, 498 (464); [Buttmann, 369f (317)].
2. The negation to which
ἀλλά pertains is suppressed, but can easily be supplied upon reflection [Winer's Grammar, 442 (412)]:
Matthew 11:7-9;
Luke 7:24-26 (in each passage, before
ἀλλά supply 'you will say you did not go out into the wilderness for this purpose');
Acts 19:2 (we have not received the Holy Spirit, but...);
Galatians 2:3 (they said not one word in opposition to me, but...);
2 Corinthians 7:11 (where before
ἀλλά, repeated six times by anaphora, supply
οὐ μόνον with the accusative of the preceding word). It is used in answers to questions having the force of a negation [Winer's Grammar, 442 (412)]:
John 7:49;
Acts 15:11;
1 Corinthians 10:20.
ἀλλὰ ἵνα [or
ἀλλ’ ἵνα, cf. Winers Grammar, 40; Buttmann, 10] elliptical after a negation [Winer's Grammar, 316f (297); 620 (576); Fritzsche on Matthew, p. 840f]:
John 1:8 (supply
ἀλλὰ ἦλθεν,
ἵνα);
John 9:3 (
ἀλλὰ τυφλὸς ἐγένετο [or
ἐγεννήθη],
ἵνα);
Mark 4:22 (
ἀλλὰ τοιοῦτο ἐγένετο,
ἵνα).
["The best manuscripts seem to elide the final
α before nouns, but not before verbs"
Scrivener, Plain Introduction, etc., p. 14; but see Dr. Gregory's full exhibition of the facts in
Tdf. Proleg., p. 93f, from which it appears that "elision is commonly or almost always omitted before
α, almost always before
υ, often before
ε and
η, rarely before
ο and
ω, never before
ι; and it should be noticed that this coincides with the fact that the familiar words
ἐν,
ἵνα,
ὅτι,
οὐ,
ὡς, prefer the form
ἀλλ’"; see also WHs Appendix, p. 146. Cf. Winers Grammar, § 5, 1 a.; Buttmann, p. 10.]
THAYER’S GREEK LEXICON, Electronic Database.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2006, 2011 by Biblesoft, Inc.
All rights reserved. Used by permission. BibleSoft.com
BLB Scripture Index of Thayer's