Strong's Lexicon
an: often untranslated, but can imply "if," "would," "might," or "should" depending on the context.
Original Word:ἄν
Part of Speech:Particle, Disjunctive Particle
Transliteration:an
Pronunciation:an
Phonetic Spelling:(an)
Definition:often untranslated, but can imply "if," "would," "might," or "should" depending on the context.
Meaning:an untranslatable word (under the circumstances, in that case, anyhow), the general effect of which is to make a statement contingent, which would otherwise be definite: it is thus regularly used with the subjunctive mood.
Word Origin:A primary particle, denoting a supposition, wish, possibility, or uncertainty.
Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries:While there is no direct Hebrew equivalent for the Greek particle ἄν, similar conditional expressions can be found in Hebrew using words like אִם (im, "if") or לוּ (lu, "if only").
Usage:The Greek particle ἄν is used to express conditionality or contingency in a statement. It often accompanies verbs in the subjunctive mood, indicating potential or hypothetical situations. It is a versatile particle that can modify the meaning of a sentence to express uncertainty or a condition that is not yet realized.
Cultural and Historical Background:In Koine Greek, the language of the New Testament, particles like ἄν were crucial for conveying nuances in meaning, especially in conditional sentences. The use of ἄν reflects the Greek language's ability to express complex ideas about possibility and potentiality, which were important in both philosophical discourse and everyday communication in the ancient world.
HELPS Word-studies
302án – a conditional particle expressingpossibility, based on a preexisting condition (stipulation, prerequisite). This adds an importanttheoretical (hypothetical) sense to a statement whichnarrows down the sense of that statement.
302 (an) "indicates whatcan (could) occur – but only oncertain conditions, or by thecombination of certain fortuitous causes" (J. Thayer).Only the context determines how302 (án) "limits" ("conditions") the statement by the possibility (condition) involved. Accordingly,302 (án) is often called the "untranslatable particle." However, it always influences ("conditions") its sentence and is key to properly understanding the verse (passage) in which it occurs.
[Though302 (án) is not easily "translatable," it always conveys important meaning. (TheKJVsometimes translatesan as "perchance," "haply.")
302 (an) is used about 300 times in the NT, introducing statements that have conditional or hypothetical meaning.]
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. conditional particle
Definitionusually untranslatable, but generally denoting supposition, wish, possibility or uncertainty
NASB Translationhowever* (1), if (4), unless* (1), what* (3), whatever* (9), whenever* (1), wherever* (1), whoever* (38), whomever* (5).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 302: ἄν (1)ἄν (1), a particle indicating that something can or could occur on certain conditions, or by the combination of certain fortuitous causes. In Latin it has no equivalent; nor do the English
haply, perchance, German
wohl (wol),
etwa, exactly and everywhere correspond to it. The use of this particle in the N. T., illustrated by copious examples from Greek writers, is shown by
Winers Grammar, § 42; (cf.
Buttmann, 216ff (186ff). Its use in classic Greek is fully exhibited (by Prof.
Goodwin) in Liddell and Scott, under the word). It is joined:
I. in the apodoses of hypothetical sentences
1. with the imperfect, where the Latin uses the imperfect subjunctive, e. g.Luke 7:39 (ἐγίνωσκενἄν, sciret,he would know);Luke 17:6 (ἐλέγετεἄνye would say);Matthew 23:30 (non essemus, we should not have been);John 5:46;John 8:42;John 9:41;John 15:19;John 18:36;1 Corinthians 11:31;Galatians 1:10;Galatians 3:21 (butWH marginal reading brackets);Hebrews 4:8;Hebrews 8:4, 7.
2. with the indicative aorist (where the Latin uses the pluperfect subjunctive like the future perfect subjunctive,I would have done it), to express what would have been, if this or that either were (εἰ with the imperfect in the protasis preceding), or had been (εἰ with the aorist or pluperfect preceding):Matthew 11:21 andLuke 10:13 (ἄνμετενόησανthey would have repented;Matthew 11:23;Matthew 12:7 (ye would not have condemned);Matthew 24:43 (he would have watched), 22 andMark 13:20 (no one would have been saved, i. e. all even now would have to be regarded as those who had perished; cf.Winer's Grammar, 304 (286));John 4:10 (thou wouldst have asked);John 14:2 (εἶπονἄνI would have said so);John 14:28 (ye would have rejoiced);Romans 9:29 (we should have become);1 Corinthians 2:8;Galatians 4:15 (RG);Acts 18:14. Sometimes the condition is not expressly stated, but is easily gathered from what is said:Luke 19:23 andMatthew 25:27 (I should have received it back with interest, namely, if thou hadst given it to the bankers).
3. with the pluperfect:John 11:21 (RTr marginal reading) (οὐκἄνἐτεθνήκει (LTTr textWHἀπέθανεν)would not have died, for which, inJohn 11:32, the aoristοὐκἄνἀπέθανε);John 14:7 (notTdf.) (εἰ with the pluperfect preceding);1 John 2:19 (they would have remained with us). Sometimes (as in Greek writings, especially the later)ἄν is omitted, in order to intimate that the thing wanted but little (imperfect) or had wanted but little (pluperfect or aorist) of being done, which yet was not done because the condition was not fulfilled (cf. Alex. AlexanderButtmann (1873) in the Studien und Kritiken for 1858, p. 489ff; (N. T. Gram., p. 225 (194)); Fritzsche on Romans, vol. ii., 33;Winer's Grammar, § 42, 2, p. 305 (286)), e. g.John 8:39 (where theἄν is spurious);John 15:22, 24;John 19:11;Acts 26:32;Romans 7:7;Galatians 4:15 (ἄν beforeἐδώκατέ has been correctly expunged byLTTrWH).
II. Joined to relative pronouns, relative adverbs, and adverbs of time and quality, it has the same force as the Latincumque orcunque, -ever, -soever (Germanirgend,etwa).
1. followed by a past tense of the indicative, when some matter of fact, something certain, is spoken of; where, "when the thing itself which is said to have been done is certain, the notion of uncertainty involved inἄν belongs rather to the relative, whether pronoun or particle" (Klotz ad Der., p. 145) (cf.Winer's Grammar, § 42, 3 a.);ὅσοιἄνas many as:Mark 6:56 (ὅσοιἄνἥπτοντο (ἥψαντοL textTTr textWH)αὐτοῦas many as touched him (cf.Buttmann, 216 (187)));Mark 11:24 (ὅσαἄνπροσευχόμενοιαἰτεῖσθε (Griesbach omitsἄν), butL textTTrWH have rightly restoredὅσαπροσεύχεσθεκαίαἰτεῖσθε).καθότιἄνin so far or so often as, according as (Germanjenachdemgerade):Acts 2:45;Acts 4:35.ὡςἄν:1 Corinthians 12:2 (in whatever manner ye were led (cf.Buttmann, § 139, 13; 383 (329f))).
2. followed by a subjunctive,
a. the present, concerning that which may have been done, or is usually or constantly done (where the German usesmögen);ἡνίκαἄνwhensoever, as often as":2 Corinthians 3:15LTTrWH;ὅςἄνwhoever, be he who he may:Matthew 16:25 (LTTrWHἐάν); (Mark 8:35 (whereTTrWH future indicative; seeWH's Appendix, p. 172));Luke 10:5 (LTTrWH aorist);Luke 10:8;Galatians 5:17 (TTrWHἐάν,L bracketsἐάν);1 John 2:5;1 John 3:17;Romans 9:15 (Exodus 33:19);Romans 16:2;1 Corinthians 11:27 etc.ὅστιςἄν:1 Corinthians 16:2 (TrWHἐάν;WH marginal reading aorist);Colossians 3:17 (L textTrWHἐάν).ὅσοιἄν:Matthew 7:12 (TWHἐάν); (LTTrWHἐάν).ὅπουἄνwhithersoever:Luke 9:57 (LTrἐάν);Revelation 14:4 (LTr (T edition 7 not 8,WH) have adoptedὑπάγει, defended also byButtmann, 228 (196));James 3:4 (RGLTr marginal reading in brackets).ὁσάκιςἄνhow often soever:1 Corinthians 11:25f (whereLTTrWHἐάν).ὡςἄνin what way soever:1 Thessalonians 2:7 ((cf. Ellicott at the passage;Buttmann, 232 (201))),LTTrWHἐάν).
b. the aorist, where the Latin uses the future perfect;ὅςἄν:Matthew 5:21, 22 (εἴπῃ whoever, if ever anyone shall have said);Matthew 5:31f (inMatthew 5:32LTTrWH readπᾶςὁἀπολύων);Matthew 10:11;Matthew 26:48 (Tdf.ἐάν);Mark 3:29, 35;Mark 9:41, etc.ὅστιςἄν:Matthew 10:33 (LTrWH text omitἄν);;John 14:13 (Tr marginal readingWH present);Acts 3:23 (Tdf.ἐάν), etc.ὅσοιἄν:Matthew 21:22 (Treg.ἐάν);Matthew 23:3 (TWHἐάν);Mark 3:28 (TrWHἐάν);Luke 9:5 (LTTrWH present);John 11:22;Acts 2:39 (Lachmannοὕς);.ὅπουἄν:Mark 14:9 (TWHἐάν); (LTTrWHἐάν).ἄχριςοὗἄνuntil (donec):1 Corinthians 15:25Rec.;Revelation 2:25.ἕωςἄνuntil (usquedum):Matthew 2:13;Matthew 10:11;Matthew 22:44;Mark 6:10;Luke 21:32;1 Corinthians 4:5, etc.ἡνίκαἄν, of future time,not until then, when ... or then at length, when ...:2 Corinthians 3:16 (TWH textἐάν) (cf. Kühner, 2:951;Jelf, 2:565).ὡςἄνas soon as (Buttmann, 232 (200)):1 Corinthians 11:34;Philippians 2:23.ἀφ'οὗἄνἐγερθῇ,Luke 13:25 (from the time, whatever the time is, when he shall have risen up). Butἐάν (which see) is also joined to the pronouns and adverbs mentioned, instead ofἄν; and in many places the manuscripts and editions fluctuate betweenἄν andἐάν (examples of which have already been adduced); (cf.Tdf. Proleg., p. 96;WH's Appendix, p. 173 "predominantlyἄν is found after consonants, andἐάν after vowels"). Finally, to this head must be referredὅταν (equivalent toὅτεἄν) with the indicative and much more often with the subjunctive (seeὅταν), andὅπωςἄν, although this last came to be used as a final conjunction in the sense,that, if it be possible:Luke 2:35);Acts 3:20 ();;Romans 3:4; seeὅπως, IL 1 b. (Cf.Winers Grammar, 309 (290f);Buttmann, 234 (201).)
III.ἄν is joined to the optative (Winers Grammar, 303 (284);Buttmann, 217 (188)); when a certain condition is laid down, as in wishes,I would that etc.:Acts 26:29 (εὐξαίμην (Tdf.εὐξάμην)ἄν,I could pray, namely, did it depend on me); in direct questions (Winers Grammar, the passage cited;Buttmann, 254 (219)):Acts 8:31 (πῶςἄνδυναίμην; i. e. on what condition, by what possibility, could I? cf.Xenophon, oec. 11, 5);Acts 17:18 (τίἄνθέλοι ...λέγειν what would he say? it being assumed that he wishes to utter some definite notion or other);Acts 2:12RG; independent sentences and indirect questions in which the narrator introduces another's thought (Winers Grammar, § 42, 4;Buttmann, the passage cited]:Luke 1:62;Luke 6:11;Luke 9:46; (Luke 15:26L bracketsTrWH; cf.Luke 18:36 Lbr. Trbr.WH marginal reading);Acts 5:24;Acts 10:17;Acts 17:20RG.
IV.ἄν is found without a mood in1 Corinthians 7:5 (εἰμήτίἄν (WH bracketsἄν),except perhaps, namely,γένοιτο (but cf. AlexanderButtmann (1873) as below)).ὡςἄν, adverbially,tanquam (so already theVulg.),as if:2 Corinthians 10:9 (likeὥσπερἄν in Greek writings; cf. Kühner, 2:210 (sec. 398 Anm. 4;Jelf, § 430);Buttmann, 219 (189); (Liddell and Scott, under the word, D. III.)).
STRONGS NT 302: ἄν (2)ἄν (2), contracted fromἐάν,if; followed by the subjunctive:John 20:23 (Lachmannἐάν. Also by the (present) indicative in1 John 5:15 Lachmann; seeButtmann, 223 (192);Winers Grammar, 295 (277)). Further,LTTrWH have receivedἄν inJohn 13:20;John 16:23; (soWHJohn 12:32; cf.Winers Grammar, 291 (274);Buttmann, 72 (63)).
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
whatsoever, wheresoever, whosoever.
A primary particle, denoting a supposition, wish, possibility or uncertainty -- (what-, where-, wither-, who-)soever. Usually unexpressed except by the subjunctive or potential mood. Also contracted forean.
see GREEKean
Forms and Transliterations
αν άν ἄν ἂν εαν ἐὰν καὶ καν οὗ an án àn ean eàn hou hoû kai kaì ou
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