Lexical Summary hotan: whenever, when Original Word:ὅταν
Part of Speech:Conjunction
Transliteration:hotan
Pronunciation:HO-tan
Phonetic Spelling:(hot'-an)
KJV: as long (soon) as, that, + till, when(-soever), while
NASB:when, whenever, after, while
Word Origin:[fromG3753 (ὅτε - when) andG302 (ἄν - if)]
1. whenever (implying hypothesis or more or less uncertainty)
2. (causatively, conjunctionally) inasmuch as Strong's Exhaustive Concordance as long as, whenever Fromhote andan; whenever (implying hypothesis or more or less uncertainty); also causatively (conjunctionally) inasmuch as -- as long (soon) as, that, + till, when(-soever), while. see GREEKhote see GREEKan HELPS Word-studies 3752hótan (from3753/hóte, "when" and302/án, "whenever a specified condition is fulfilled") – properly, "at the time when the condition is met," i.e.whenever that occurs, "at the time (it happens)" (J. Thayer). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom hote and anDefinitionwhenever NASB Translationafter (2), soon* (1), until* (1), when (107), whenever (9), while (2).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3752: ὅτανὅταν, a particle of time, compound of ὅτε and ἄν, at the time that, whenever (German dannwann; wannirgend); used of things which one assumes will really occur, but the time of whose occurrence he does not definitely fix (in secular authors often also of things which one assumes can occur, but whether they really will or not he does not know; hence, like our in case that, as in Plato, Prot., p. 360 b.; Phaedr., p. 256 e.; Phaedo, p. 68 d.); (cf. Winers Grammar, § 42, 5; Buttmann, § 139, 33); a. with the subjunctive present:Matthew 6:2, 5;Matthew 10:23;Mark 13:11 (hereRec. aorist);;Luke 11:36;Luke 12:11;Luke 14:12;Luke 21:7;John 7:27;John 16:21;Acts 23:35;1 Corinthians 3:4;2 Corinthians 13:9;1 John 5:2;Revelation 10:7;Revelation 18:9; preceded by a specification of time:ἕωςτῆςἡμέραςἐκείνης,ὅταν etc.,Matthew 26:29;Mark 14:25; followed byτότε,1 Thessalonians 5:3;1 Corinthians 15:28; equivalent toas often as, of customary action,Matthew 15:2;John 8:44;Romans 2:14;at the time when equivalent toas long as,Luke 11:34;John 9:5.b. with the subjunctive aorist: equivalent to the Latinquandoacciderit,ut with subjunctive present,Matthew 5:11;Matthew 12:43;Matthew 13:32;Matthew 23:15;Matthew 24:32;Mark 4:15f, 29 (RG), 31f; 13:28;Luke 6:22, 26;Luke 8:13;Luke 11:24;Luke 12:54;Luke 21:30;John 2:10;John 10:4;John 16:21;1 Timothy 5:11 (hereL marginal reading future);Revelation 9:5. equivalent toquando with future perfect,Matthew 19:28;Matthew 21:40;Mark 8:38;Mark 9:9;Mark 12:23 (GTrWH omit;L brackets the clause), 25;Luke 9:26;Luke 16:4, 9;Luke 17:10;John 4:25;John 7:31;John 13:19;John 14:29;John 15:26;John 16:4, 13, 21;John 21:18;Acts 23:35;Acts 24:22;Romans 11:27;1 Corinthians 15:24 (hereLTTrWH present), (where the meaning is, 'when he shall have said that theὑποταξις predicted in the Psalm is now accomplished'; cf. Meyer ad loc.);;2 Corinthians 10:6;Colossians 4:16;1 John 2:28 (LTTrWHἐάν);2 Thessalonians 1:10;Hebrews 1:6 (on which seeεἰσάγω, 1);Revelation 11:7;Revelation 12:4;Revelation 17:10;Revelation 20:7. followed byτότε,Matthew 9:15;Matthew 24:15;Matthew 25:31;Mark 2:20;Mark 13:14;Luke 5:35;Luke 21:20;John 8:28;1 Corinthians 13:10 (GLTTrWH omitτότε);;Colossians 3:4.c. According to the usage of later authors, a usage, however, not altogether unknown to the more elegant writers (Winers Grammar, 309 (289f);Buttmann, 222f (192f); (Tdf. Proleg., p. 124f;WHs Appendix, p. 171; for examples additional to these given byWiners Grammar, andButtmann, as above seeSophocles' Lexicon, under the word; cf. Jebb in Vincent and Dickson's Handbook to Modern Greek, Appendix, § 78)), with the indicative;α. future:when (Matthew 5:11Tdf.);Luke 13:28TTr textWH marginal reading; (1 Timothy 5:11L marginal reading);as often as,Revelation 4:9 (cf. Bleek ad loc.).β. present:Mark 11:25LTTrWH;Mark 13:7Tr text; (Luke 11:2Tr marginal reading).γ. very rarely indeed, with the imperfect:as often as, (whensoever),ὅτανἐθεώρουν,Mark 3:11 (Genesis 38:9;Exodus 17:11;1 Samuel 17:34; seeἄν, II. 1).δ. As in Byzantine authors equivalent toὅτε,when, with the indicative aorist:ὅτανἤνοιξεν,Revelation 8:1LTTrWH; (addὅτανὀψέἐγένετο,Mark 11:19TTr textWH, cf.Buttmann, 223 (193); but others take this of customary action,whenever evening came (i. e.every evening,R. V.)).ὅταν, does not occur in the Epistles of Peter and Jude.
Topical Lexicon OverviewStrong’s Greek 3752 (ὅταν, hotan) is the New Testament’s chief temporal conjunction of contingency. It welds a present reality or command to an indefinite but certain point in time—“whenever” or “when” a stipulated circumstance arises. With 123 occurrences, it spans every major corpus: Gospels, Acts, Pauline epistles, General epistles, and Revelation, making it a vital hinge in the Bible’s ethical, pastoral, and prophetic exhortations. Semantic Function Ὅταν signals: 1. A repeated or habitual situation (“whenever”), often with present imperatives.
2. A future but undated event (“when”), highlighting certitude without calendrical precision. By doing so it sustains the biblical tension between the “already” and the “not yet,” urging readiness without date-setting. Usage in the Synoptic Gospels 1. Discipleship Practice – Three successive instructions inMatthew 6 (verses 2, 5, 6) begin, “So when you give…,” “when you pray…,” “when you fast…,” guarding purity of motive.
2. Persecution and Witness – “When they hand you over, do not worry beforehand what to say” (Mark 13:11). The word undergirds the promise of Spirit-given utterance.
3. Kingdom Parables – “When the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle” (Mark 4:29) portrays inevitable harvest despite imperceptible growth.
4. Eschatological Alerts – “So when you see standing in the holy place the abomination of desolation” (Matthew 24:15) sets the church’s prophetic watch. Johannine Writings John employs ὅταν to unveil redemptive milestones:
• Crucifixion: “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He” (John 8:28).
• Spirit Outpouring: “When the Advocate comes … He will testify about Me” (John 15:26).
• Apostolic Recall: “When it happens, you will believe” (John 13:19; 14:29; 16:4). In 1 John the conjunction tests authentic love: “We know that we love God’s children when we love God and keep His commandments” (1 John 5:2). Pauline Epistles Paul uses ὅταν to anchor ethical instruction and eschatological hope.
• Church Order: “What then shall we say, brothers? Whenever you come together, each of you has a hymn…” (1 Corinthians 14:26).
• Giving: “On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a portion of money when he prospers” (1 Corinthians 16:2, lit. “whenever”).
• Resurrection Climax: “But when the perfect comes, the partial passes away” (1 Corinthians 13:10); “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable” (1 Corinthians 15:54).
• Salvation of Israel: “And this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins” (Romans 11:27, citingIsaiah 59). General Epistles and Hebrews James opens by framing trials with ὅταν: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds” (James 1:2). Hebrews applies it christologically: “And again, when God brings His firstborn into the world, He says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship Him’” (Hebrews 1:6), celebrating the enthronement of the Son. Apocalyptic Context in Revelation Revelation marks sequential visions: “Whenever the living creatures give glory… the elders fall down” (Revelation 4:9-10). It times trumpet and seal judgments (8:1; 9:5; 10:7) and climaxes millennial chronology: “When the thousand years are complete, Satan will be released from his prison” (Revelation 20:7). Theological and Ministry Implications 1. Watchfulness – Ὅταν cultivates expectancy without imbalance. Believers obey in the present, confident God controls the “when.”
2. Assurance – The conjunction’s marriage of command and promise assures that God’s future acts (judgment, vindication, consummation) are certain.
3. Pastoral Instruction – It frames conditional exhortations that transcend culture: giving, praying, conflict resolution, hospitality, church gatherings.
4. Evangelistic Confidence – Prophecies introduced by ὅταν have been and will be fulfilled (crucifixion, Spirit’s advent, global proclamation), buttressing gospel credibility. Homiletical Observations • Preach the “whenever” of ordinary obedience (Matthew 6) before the “when” of cosmic upheaval (Matthew 24).
• Use ὅταν passages to balance readiness (Mark 13:29) with patient faithfulness (Luke 21:28-31).
• Tie ethical imperatives to eschatological hope: generosity now (1 Corinthians 16:2) because a kingdom is coming (1 Corinthians 15:24). Key Passages for Personal Study Matthew 6:2-6;Matthew 24:15-33;Mark 4:29-32;John 8:28;John 15:26;1 Corinthians 13:10;1 Corinthians 15:24-28, 54;Colossians 3:4;James 1:2;Revelation 20:7. Historical Note Early patristic writers observed the versatility of ὅταν in harmonizing the Synoptic and Johannine timelines of Christ’s passion and resurrection appearances, reinforcing the coherence of the Gospel tradition. Practical Application Believers today heed ὅταν by living in continual obedience, trusting that “when the Chief Shepherd appears” (cf.1 Peter 5:4, same temporal logic though different Greek term) reward is sure. Every sermon, pastoral plan, and personal discipline shaped by ὅταν will echo Jesus’ own cadence: “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28). Forms and Transliterations οταν όταν ὅταν hotan hótan otanLinks Interlinear Greek •Interlinear Hebrew •Strong's Numbers •Englishman's Greek Concordance •Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •Parallel Texts Englishman's Concordance Matthew 5:11ConjGRK:μακάριοί ἐστεὅταν ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶςNAS: Blessed are you when [people] insult KJV: are ye, when [men] shall revile INT: Blessed are you when they shall insult you Matthew 6:2Conj
GRK:Ὅταν οὖν ποιῇς
NAS: Sowhen you give
KJV: Thereforewhen thou doest
INT:When therefore you do Matthew 6:5Conj
GRK:Καὶὅταν προσεύχησθε οὐκ
NAS:When you pray, you are not to be like
KJV: Andwhen thou prayest, thou shalt
INT: Andwhen you pray not Matthew 6:6Conj
GRK:σὺ δὲὅταν προσεύχῃ εἴσελθε
NAS:But you, when you pray, go
KJV: But thou,when thou prayest, enter
INT: you moreoverwhen you pray enter Matthew 6:16Conj
GRK:Ὅταν δὲ νηστεύητε
NAS:Whenever you fast, do not put
KJV: Moreoverwhen ye fast, be
INT:whenever moreover you fast Matthew 9:15Conj
GRK:δὲ ἡμέραιὅταν ἀπαρθῇ ἀπ'
NAS: will comewhen the bridegroom
KJV: will come,when the bridegroom
INT: however dayswhen will have been taken away from Matthew 10:19Conj
GRK:ὅταν δὲ παραδῶσιν
NAS:But when they hand
KJV: Butwhen they deliver you
INT:when moreover they betray Matthew 10:23Conj
GRK:ὅταν δὲ διώκωσιν
NAS:But whenever they persecute
KJV: Butwhen they persecute you
INT:whenever moreover they persecute Matthew 12:43Conj
GRK:Ὅταν δὲ τὸ
NAS: Nowwhen the unclean spirit
KJV:When the unclean spirit
INT:when moreover the Matthew 13:32Conj
GRK:τῶν σπερμάτωνὅταν δὲ αὐξηθῇ
NAS: [other] seeds,but when it is full grown,
KJV: seeds: butwhen it is grown, it is
INT: the seedswhen however it be grown Matthew 15:2Conj
GRK:χεῖρας αὐτῶνὅταν ἄρτον ἐσθίωσιν
NAS: their handswhen they eat
KJV: their handswhen they eat bread.
INT: hands of themwhen bread they eat Matthew 19:28Conj
GRK:τῇ παλινγενεσίᾳὅταν καθίσῃ ὁ
NAS: Me, in the regenerationwhen the Son
KJV: the regenerationwhen the Son
INT: the regenerationwhen shall sit down the Matthew 21:40Conj
GRK:ὅταν οὖν ἔλθῃ
NAS: Thereforewhen the owner
KJV:When the lord therefore
INT:When therefore shall come Matthew 23:15Conj
GRK:προσήλυτον καὶὅταν γένηται ποιεῖτε
NAS: proselyte;and when he becomes
KJV: andwhen he is made,
INT: convert andwhen he has become [so] you make Matthew 24:15Conj
GRK:Ὅταν οὖν ἴδητε
NAS: Thereforewhen you see
KJV:When ye therefore shall see
INT:When therefore you shall see Matthew 24:32Conj
GRK:τὴν παραβολήνὅταν ἤδη ὁ
NAS: from the fig tree:when its branch
KJV: of the fig tree;When his branch
INT: the parableWhen already the Matthew 24:33Conj
GRK:καὶ ὑμεῖςὅταν ἴδητε πάντα
NAS: so, you too,when you see all
KJV: likewise ye,when ye shall see all
INT: also youwhen you see all Matthew 25:31Conj
GRK:Ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ
NAS:But when the Son of Man
INT:when moreover comes Matthew 26:29Conj
GRK:ἡμέρας ἐκείνηςὅταν αὐτὸ πίνω
NAS: on until that daywhen I drink it new
KJV: that daywhen I drink it
INT: day thatwhen it I drink Mark 2:20Conj
GRK:δὲ ἡμέραιὅταν ἀπαρθῇ ἀπ'
NAS: will comewhen the bridegroom
KJV: will come,when the bridegroom
INT: moreover dayswhen will have been taken away from Mark 3:11Conj
GRK:τὰ ἀκάθαρταὅταν αὐτὸν ἐθεώρουν
NAS:Whenever the unclean spirits
KJV: unclean spirits,when they saw him,
INT: uncleanwhen him they beheld Mark 4:15Conj
GRK:λόγος καὶὅταν ἀκούσωσιν εὐθὺς
NAS: is sown;and when they hear,
KJV: butwhen they have heard,
INT: word andwhen they hear immediately Mark 4:16Conj
GRK:σπειρόμενοι οἳὅταν ἀκούσωσιν τὸν
NAS: [places], who,when they hear
KJV: who,when they have heard
INT: are sown whowhen they hear the Mark 4:29Conj
GRK:ὅταν δὲ παραδοῖ
NAS:But when the crop permits,
KJV: Butwhen the fruit is brought forth,
INT:when moreover offers itself Mark 4:31Conj
GRK:σινάπεως ὃςὅταν σπαρῇ ἐπὶ
NAS: seed, which,when sown upon the soil,
KJV: which,when it is sown
INT: of mustard whichwhen it has been sown upon Strong's Greek 3752
123 Occurrences
ὅταν — 123 Occ.
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