Lexical Summary
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)
KJV: (what-, where-, wither-, who-)soever
NASB:if
Word Origin:[a primary particle]
1. denoting a supposition, wish, possibility or uncertainty
{Usually unexpressed except by the subjunctive or potential mood. Also contracted G1437}
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
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)).
Topical Lexicon
OverviewStrong’s Greek 302 (ἄν) appears 166 times in the New Testament, woven into every literary genre except the Apocalypse’s narrative sections. Rather than adding lexical content, the particle signals contingency, potentiality, or generality—always without casting doubt on the reliability of God’s word. Scripture uses ἄν to frame open-ended invitations, prophetic certainties that await appointed conditions, and hypothetical situations that clarify truth. By marking what could, would, or might happen, it directs readers to divine sovereignty while preserving genuine human responsibility.
Literary Distribution and Function
• Synoptic Gospels – Jesus employs ἄν in conditional teaching (Matthew 5:19;Luke 17:6), in hypothetical rebukes (Matthew 11:21), and in mission instructions (Mark 6:10–11).
• Johannine Writings – John records ἄν in “if…then” dialogue that exposes hearts (John 8:42), offers life (John 4:10), and guards the disciples’ future ministry (John 15:16).
• Acts – Luke pairs ἄν with universal gospel promises (Acts 2:21) and prophetic certainty (Acts 3:22).
• Pauline Epistles – Paul relies on ἄν to explain salvation history (Romans 9:29), to caution believers (1 Corinthians 11:31–34), and to express apostolic plans in the Lord’s will (Romans 15:24).
• General Epistles and Hebrews – ἄν clarifies typology (Hebrews 8:4) and exhorts perseverance (1 John 2:19).
Interpreting Conditional Sentences
New Testament writers use four primary patterns involving ἄν:
1. εἰ + ἄν (second clause) – unreal past: “If you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21).
2. ἐάν / ἄν in the protasis – general or future more vivid: “If anyone will not welcome you…the dust will be shaken off” (Matthew 10:14).
3. ὃς ἄν / ὅστις ἄν – whoever, everyone: “Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:50).
4. ἕως ἂν / μέχρι ἄν – until: “Truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot…will disappear from the Law” (Matthew 5:18).
These constructions keep the reader alert to circumstance while buttressing the certainty of God’s purpose once His conditions are met.
Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility
ἄν underscores that God rules over all possibilities. Jesus says, “If those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:22). The statement shows that human survival is contingent, yet ensured by divine decree. Similarly, Paul quotes Isaiah using ἄν to stress that only God’s mercy preserves a remnant (Romans 9:29).
Prophetic Certainty within Conditional Formulations
Old Testament quotations brought into the New Testament often retain ἄν to express conditions already fulfilled or guaranteed by God. Peter cites Joel: “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21), where ἄν broadens the scope to all who respond. Jesus’ eschatological word, “You will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord’” (Matthew 23:39), anchors Israel’s future repentance to a divinely appointed ‘until.’
Christological Sayings Introduced by ἄν
The particle regularly frames statements about Jesus’ identity and mission:
• Authority – “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me” (Mark 9:37).
• Exclusivity – “If you believed Moses, you would believe Me” (John 5:46).
• Mediation – “Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do” (John 14:13).
Each use places unlimited sufficiency in Christ while leaving the reception of benefits contingent upon faith, obedience, or prayer.
Parables and Teaching Applications
InMatthew 18:6 Jesus warns, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck.” ἄν turns a specific action into an ever-relevant principle, enabling the parable to search every generation. Likewise,Luke 10:5–10 uses ἄν repeatedly to guide the disciples’ flexible response to varied village receptions.
Implications for Prayer and Promise
“Whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you” (John 16:23). Here ἄν invites bold, condition-meeting prayer. In James-like fashion, the particle never guarantees selfish requests but does affirm that any petition aligned with Christ’s name and will is within reach.
Mission and Evangelism
Acts 2:39 extends the gospel: “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” The embedded ἄν enlarges the missionary horizon to every ethnicity.Romans 10:13 repeats the line, ensuring that no sincere caller is excluded. Thus ἄν undergirds both urgency and hope in evangelistic proclamation.
Pastoral and Ethical Exhortation
Paul uses ἄν to temper commands with pastoral sensitivity: “If they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry” (1 Corinthians 7:9, implied by context). In congregational discipline, “If we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged” (1 Corinthians 11:31). The particle both warns and offers gracious alternative outcomes.
Eschatological Expectation
The Olivet Discourse is rich in ἄν, balancing inevitable climax with conditional readiness:
• Vigilance – “If the homeowner had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch” (Matthew 24:43).
• Reward – “Who then is the faithful and wise servant…? Blessed is that servant whom his master finds doing so when he returns” (Matthew 24:45-46, lit. ‘whomever he finds’).
Believers are assured of Christ’s return, yet are exhorted to stand watch lest opportunities be lost.
Historical Reception in Church Tradition
Early Greek fathers noted that ἄν resists fatalism. John Chrysostom remarked that the particle inMatthew 11:21 vindicates God’s justice; had Tyre and Sidon repented under greater light, judgment would differ. The Reformers, committed to the unity of Scripture, saw ἄν as guarding against antinomian readings—promises are certain, yet ordinarily tied to means such as preaching, sacraments, and obedience.
Practical Ministry Applications
1. Preaching – Highlight ἄν to reveal divine invitations (“whoever believes”) and pastoral cautions (“if anyone denies Me”).
2. Counseling – Use ἄν passages to show real alternatives: obedience brings blessing, neglect invites loss.
3. Intercessory Prayer – Claim conditional promises within Christ’s will, teaching believers both confidence and submission.
4. Mission Strategy – Let the universality implied by ὃς ἄν drive outreach to every unreached group.
Representative Passages
Matthew 12:50 – “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
Mark 11:23 – “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that it will happen, it will be done for him.”
Luke 17:33 – “Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.”
John 14:28 – “If you loved Me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.”
Acts 3:22 – “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to everything He tells you.”
Hebrews 10:2 – “If it could have done so, would not the offerings have ceased?”
Conclusion
Wherever ἄν occurs, Scripture upholds God’s unbreakable purpose while addressing real human choices. The particle invites faith, repentance, obedience, prayer, and hope, assuring that every condition ordained by God will find its fulfillment in Christ to the praise of His glory.
Forms and Transliterations
αν άν ἄν ἂν εαν ἐὰν καὶ καν οὗ an án àn ean eàn hou hoû kai kaì ouLinks
Interlinear Greek •Interlinear Hebrew •Strong's Numbers •Englishman's Greek Concordance •Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •Parallel Texts
