μήποτε (from
μή and
πότε) (
μή πότε (separately)
L WH (except
Matthew 25:9, see below)
Tr (except
2 Timothy 2:25)), differing from
οὔποτε as
μή does from
οὐ; (from
Homer down). Accordingly it is:
1. a particle of Negation;
not ever, never:
ἐπεί μήποτε ἰσχύει,
since it is never of force, because the writer thinks that the very idea of its having force is to be denied,
Hebrews 9:17 (where
WH text
μή τότε), on which see
Winers Grammar, 480 (447), cf.
Buttmann, 353 (304); but others refer, this passage to 3 a. below.
2. a prohibitory conjunction;
lest ever, lest at any time, lest haply, (also written separately
μή πότε ((see at the beginning), especially when the component parts retain each its distinctive force; cf.
Lipsius, Gram. Untersuch., p. 129f; Ellendt, Lex.
Sophocles 2:107. In the N. T. use of this particle the notion of time usual to
πότε seems to recede before that of contingency,
lest perchance)), so that it refers to the preceding verb and indicates the purpose of the designated action (
Winer's Grammar, § 56, 2): with a subjunctive present
Luke 12:58; with a subjunctive aorist,
Matthew 4:6 and
Luke 4:11, from
Psalm 90:12 (
Ps. 91:12) (where the
Sept. for
פֶּן);
Matthew 5:25 ((cf. below));
Matthew 7:6 (
R G);
Matthew 13:15 and
Acts 28:27 (both from
Isaiah 6:10, where the
Sept. for
פֶּן);
Matthew 13:29 (
οὐ namely,
θέλω);
Matthew 15:32;
Matthew 27:64;
Mark 4:12;
Luke 14:12; with
ἵνα prefixed,
Luke 14:29; with a future indicative (see
Buttmann, § 139, 7, cf. also, p. 368 (315) d.): (
Matthew 7:6 L T Tr WH; (cf.
Matthew 5:25));
Mark 14:2; (
Luke 12:58 L T Tr WH). after verbs of fearing, taking care (
Winers Grammar, as above;
Buttmann, § 139, 48): with subjunctive aorist — so after
προσέχω, to take heed, lest etc.,
Luke 21:34;
Hebrews 2:1 (Sir. 11:33); so that an antecedent
φοβούμενοι or
προσέχοντες must be mentally supplied,
Acts 5:39;
μήποτε οὐκ ἀρκέσῃ,
lest perchance there be not enough (so that
οὐκ ἀρκέσῃ forms one idea, and
φοβούμεθα must be supplied before
μήποτε),
Matthew 25:9 R T WH marginal reading; but
L Tr WH text, together with Meyer, et al., have correctly restored
μήποτε (namely,
τοῦτο γενέσθω (
Winer's Grammar, § 64, 7 a.))
οὐ μή ἀρκέσῃ, i. e. "Not so! There will in no wise be enough" (see
μή, IV. 2); cf. Bornemann in the Studien und Kritiken for 1843, p. 143f; (but all the editors above named remove the punctuation mark after
μήποτε; in which case it may be connected directly with the words which follow it and translated (with
R. V.) 'peradventure there will not be enough'; cf.
Buttmann, § 148, 10, especially, p. 354 (304) note. For additional examples of
μήποτε in this sense (cf.
Aristotle, eth. Nic. 10, 10, p. 1179a, 24; with indicative, ibid., pp. 1172{a}, 33; 1173{a} 22, etc.), see
Sophocles Lexicon, under the word; Alexander
Buttmann (1873) in his translation of
Apoll. Dysk., index under the word; (cf. Liddell and Scott, under the word
μή,
Buttmann, 9)). after
φοβοῦμαι, with present subjunctive
Hebrews 4:1; so that
φοβούμενος must be supplied before it,
Luke 14:8. after
βλέπειν with a future indicative (cf.
Winer's Grammar, § 56, 2 b.
α.;
Buttmann, 243 (209)),
Hebrews 3:12.
3. a particle of interrogation accompanied with doubt (see
μή, III.),
whether ever, whether at any time; whether perchance, whether haply, (German
doch nicht etwa; ob nicht etwa);
a. in a direct question introduced by
ἐπεί,
for, else (see
ἐπεί, 2 under the end): so according to the not improbable interpretation of some (e. g.
L WH marginal reading, Delitzsch) in
Hebrews 9:17, see in 1 above. In the remaining N. T. passages so used that the inquirer, though he doubts and expects a negative answer, yet is inclined to believe what he doubtfully asks about; thus, in a direct question, in
John 7:26.
b. in indirect questions;
α. with the optative (where the words are regarded as the thought of someone (
Winers Grammar, § 41 b. 4 c.;
Buttmann, § 139, 60)):
Luke 3:15. (See
β.)
β. with the subjunctive:
2 Timothy 2:25 (
R G L (cf.
Buttmann, 46 (40));. but
T Tr WH text give the optative), where
μήποτε κτλ. depend on the suppressed idea
διαλογιζόμενος (cf.
Buttmann, § 139, 62 at the end;
Winer's Grammar, as above).
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