Bible Lexicons

ἄχρι and ἄχρις (the latter of which in the N. T. is nowhere placed before a consonant, but the former before both vowels and consonants, although euphony is so far regarded that we almost constantly find ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας, ἄχρις οὗ, cf. Buttmann, 10 (9); (Winer's Grammar, 42); and ἄχρι οὗ is not used except in Acts 7:18 and Revelation 2:25 by L T Tr WH and Luke 21:24 by T Tr WH; (to these instances must now be added 1 Corinthians 11:26 T WH; T WH; Romans 11:25 WH (see their Appendix, p. 148); on the usage in secular authors (`where ἄχρι is the only Attic form, but in later authors the epic ἄχρις prevailed', Liddell and Scott, under the word) cf. Lobeck, Pathol. Elementa, vol. ii., p. 210f; Rutherford, New Phryn., p. 64; further, Klotz ad Devar. vol. ii. 1, p. 230f)); a particle indicating the terminus ad quem. (On its use in the Greek writings cf. Klotz as above, p. 224ff). It has the force now of a preposition now of a conjunction, even to; until, to the time that; (on its derivation see below).

1. as a preposition it takes the genitive (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 54, 6), and is used a. of place: Acts 11:5; Acts 13:6; Acts 20:4 (T Tr marginal reading WH omit; Tr text brackets); Acts 28:15; 2 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 4:12 (see μερισμός, 2); Revelation 14:20; Revelation 18:5.

b. of Time: ἄχρι καιροῦ, until a season that seemed to him opportune, Luke 4:13 (but cf. καιρός, 2 a.); until a certain time, for a season, Acts 13:11; (ἄχρι (vel μέχρι, which see 1 a.) τοῦ θερισμοῦ, Matthew 13:30 WH marginal reading cf. ἕως, II. 5); ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας until the day that etc. Matthew 24:38; Luke 1:20; Luke 17:27; Acts 1:2; (ἄχρι (Rec. et al. ἕως) τῆς ἡμέρας ἧς, Acts 1:22 Tdf.); ἄχρι ταύτης τῆς ἡμέρας and ἄχρι τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης, Acts 2:29; Acts 23:1; Acts 26:22; ἄχρι (ἄχρις R G) ἡμερῶν πέντε even to the space of five days, i. e. after (A. V. in) five days, Acts 20:6; ἄχρις (ἄχρι T Tr WH) αὐγῆς, Acts 20:11; ἄχρι τοῦ νῦν, Romans 8:22; Philippians 1:5; ἄχρι τέλους, Hebrews 6:11; Revelation 2:26; see besides, Acts 3:21; (Acts 22:22); Romans 1:13; Romans 5:13; 1 Corinthians 4:11; 2 Corinthians 3:14; Galatians 4:2; Philippians 1:6 (ἄχρι L T WH).

c. of Manner and Degree: ἄχρι θανάτου, Acts 22:4 (even to delivering unto death); Revelation 2:10 (to the enduring of death itself); Revelation 12:11; and, in the option of many interpreters, Hebrews 4:12 (see μερισμός, 2).

d. joined to the relative οὗ (ἄχρις οὗ for ἄχρι τούτου, ᾧ) it has the force of a conjunction, until, to the time that: followed by the indicative preterite, of things that actually occurred and up to the beginning of which something continued, Acts 7:18 (ἄχρις οὗ ἀνέστη βασιλεύς); . followed by a subjunctive aorist having the force of a future perfect, Luke 21:24 L T Tr WH; Romans 11:25; 1 Corinthians 11:26 (Rec. ἄχρις οὗ ἄν); Galatians 3:19 (not WH text (see 2 below)); Galatians 4:19 (T Tr WH μεχρες); Revelation 7:3 Rec.elz G; ἄχρις οὗ ἄν until, whenever it may be (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 42, 5 b.), 1 Corinthians 15:25 (Rec.); Revelation 2:25. with indicative present as long as: Hebrews 3:13; cf. Bleek at the passage and Buttmann, 231 (199).

2. ἄχρις without οὗ has the force of a simple conjunction, until, to the time that: followed by subjunctive aorist, Luke 21:24 R G; Revelation 7:3 L T Tr WH; ; (Revelation 17:17 Rec.); Revelation 20:3 ( G L T Tr WH); with indicative future, Revelation 17:17 (L T Tr WH); (ἄχρις ἄν followed by subjunctive aorist, Galatians 3:19 WH text (see 1 d. above)). Since ἄχρι is akin to ἀκή and ἄκρος (but cf. Vanicek, p. 22; Curtius, § 166), and μέχρι to μῆκος, μακρός, by the use of the former particle the reach to which a thing is said to extend is likened to a height, by use of μέχρι, to a length; ἄχρι, indicating ascent, signifies up to; μέχρι, indicating extent, is unto, as far as; cf. Klotz as above, p. 225f. But this primitive distinction is often disregarded, and each particle used of the same thing; cf. ἄχρι τέλους, Hebrews 6:11; μέχρι τέλους, Hebrews 3:6, 14; Xenophon, symp. 4, 37 περιεστι μοι καί ἐσθίοντι ἀρχι τοῦ μή πεινην ἀφίκεσθαι καί πινοντι μέχρι τοῦ μή διψην. Cf. Fritzsche on Romans 5:13, vol i., p. 308ff; .(Ellicott on 2 Timothy 2:9. Ἄχρι occurs 20 times in the writings of Luke; elsewhere in the four Gospels only in Matthew 24:38.).