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Bible Lexicons
Old & New Testament Greek Lexical Dictionary Greek Lexicon
Strong's #1437 - ἐάν
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ἐάν
(so early Attic Inscrr., as IG 12.3.20, εἰάν sts. after B.C. 400, ib.22.28.17, cf. PEleph. 1.8, 10 (iv B.C.)), also contr. ἤν and ἄν, v. ἤν, ἄν (B) [ᾱ], which by crasis with καί become κἄν: — if haply, if, regularly folld. by subj.: for its use and for examples, v. εἰ B. 11, and ἄν (A) B. 1.1. II in Hellenistic and late Greek, = ἄν after relative Pronouns and Conjunctions, as ὃς ἐάν who soever, LXX Genesis 15:14, PTeb. 107.8 (ii B. C.), Matthew 5:19, al.; ὅσος ἐάν PPetr. 3p.120 (iii B.C.), Matthew 18:18; ὅστις ἐάν Ph. 1.220, M.Ant. 9.23; ὅπου ἐάν Matthew 8:19, etc.; ὅθεν ἐάν Gp. 1.3.3: folld. by ind., LXX 1 Samuel 2:14. [The second syll. of ἐάν is long, S. OC 1407, Ar. V. 228, Sopat. 6.9.]
ἐάν;
I. a conditional particle (derived from εἰ ἄν), which makes reference to time and to experience, introducing something future, but not determining, before the event, whether it is certainly to take place; if, in case, (Latinsi; German wenn; im Fall, dass; falls; wofern); cf., among others, Hermann ad Viger., p. 832; Klotz ad Devar. ii. 2, p. 450ff; Winers Grammar, 291f (273f). It is connected:
1. with the subjunctive, according to the regular usage of the more ancient and elegant classic writers.
a. with the subjunctive present: Matthew 6:22 (ἐάν οὖν ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ἁπλοῦς ἤ, if it be the case, as to which I do not know, that thine eye etc.); Matthew 6:23; Matthew 17:20; Luke 10:6; John 7:17; John 8:54 (R G L marginal reading);
b. with the subjunctive aorist, corresponding to the Latin future perfect: Matthew 4:9 (ἐάν προσκυνήσῃς μοι, if thou shalt have worshipped me); Matthew 5:46; Matthew 9:21; Mark 3:24; Mark 9:50 Luke 14:34; Luke 17:4; Luke 20:28; John 5:43; John 11:57; Romans 7:2; Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 7:8, 39; 1 Corinthians 8:10; 1 Corinthians 16:10 (ἐάν ἔλθῃ Τιμόθεος; for although he was already on his way to Corinth, yet some hindrance might still prevent his arriving); 2 Corinthians 9:4; Galatians 6:1; James 2:2; 1 John 5:16 (Lachmann present); Revelation 3:20, and often; also in the oratio obliqua, where the better Greek writers use the optative: John 9:22; John 11:57; Acts 9:2 (Winers Grammar, 294 (276); (cf. Buttmann, 224 (193))). The difference between the present and the aorist may be seen especially from the following passages: 2 Timothy 2:5 ἐάν δέ καί ἀθλῇ τίς, οὐ στεφανοῦται, ἐάν μή νομίμως ἀθλήσῃ, 1 Corinthians 14:23 ἐάν οὖν συνέλθῃ ἡ ἐκκλησία ... καί πάντες γλώσσαις λαλῶσιν, εἰσέλθωσι δέ ἰδιῶται ἤ ἀπ', 1 Corinthians 14:24 ἐάν δέ πάντες προφητεύωσιν, εἰσέλθῃ δέ τίς ἄπιστος, Matthew 21:21 ἐάν ἔχητε πίστιν καί μή διακριθῆτε. Also εἰ ("quod per se nihil significat praeter conditionem," Klotz, the passage cited, p. 455) and ἐάν are distinguished in propositions subjoined the one to the other (Winer's Grammar, 296 (277f)): John 13:17 εἰ ταῦτα οἴδατε, μακάριοι ἐστε, ἐάν ποιῆτε αὐτά, John 3:12; 1 Corinthians 7:36; in statements antithetic, Acts 5:38f; or parallel, Mark 3:24-26. Finally, where one of the evangelists uses εἰ, another has ἐάν, but so that each particle retains its own force, inasmuch as one and the same thing is differently conceived of by the different minds: Mark 9:43 ἐάν σκανδαλίζῃ (σκανδαλίσῃ L marginal reading T WH text) ἡ χείρ σου, and Mark 9:47 ἐάν ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου σκανδαλίζῃ σε, i. e. if so be that, etc.; on the other hand, Matthew, in Matthew 18:8f and Matthew 5:29f concerning the same thing says εἰ.
c. irregularly, but to be explained as an imitation of the Hebrew אִם which is also a particle of time (cf. Gesenius, Thesaurus, under the word, 4), ἐάν with the subjunctive aorist is used of things which the speaker or writer thinks will certainly take place, where ὅταν, when, whenever, should have been used: ἐάν ὑψωθῶ, John 12:32; ἐάν πορευθῶ, John 14:3; ἐάν φανερωθῇ, 1 John 2:28 (L T Tr WH, for ὅταν R G); 1 John 3:2; ἐάν ἀκούσητε, Hebrews 3:7 from Psalm 94:8
d. sometimes when the particle is used with the subjunctive aorist the futurity of a thing is not so much affirmed as imagined, it being known to be something which never could happen: ἐάν εἴπῃ ὁ πούς, if the foot should say, or were to say, 1 Corinthians 12:15; ἐάν ἔλθω πρός ὑμᾶς γλώσσαις λαλῶν, 1 Corinthians 14:6.
2. by a somewhat negligent use, met with from the time of Aristotle on, ἐάν is connected also with the indicative (cf. Klotz, the passage cited, p. 468ff; Kühner, § 575 Anm. 5; Winers Grammar, 295 (277); Buttmann, 221f (191f); Tdf. Proleg., p. 124f; WHs Appendix, p. 171; Sophocles' Lexicon, under the word; Vincent and Dickson, Modern Greek, 2nd edition, Appendix, § 77); and a. with the future indicative, in meaning akin, as is well known, to the subjunctive: (ἐάν δύο συμφωνησουσιν, Matthew 18:19 T Tr); ἐάν οὗτοι σιωπησουσι, Luke 19:40 L T Tr WH; ἐάν ... ὁδηγήσει, Acts 8:31 T Tr WH (ἐάν βεβηλώσουσιν αὐτά, Leviticus 22:9); but also b. with the present indicative: ἐάν δανείζετε, Luke 6:34 L marginal reading Tr text; ἐάν στήκετε, 1 Thessalonians 3:8 T Tr text WH; ἐάν τέ ἀποθνῄσκομεν, Romans 14:8 Lachmann with an preterite indicative, but one having the force of a present: ἐάν (Lachmann ἄν) οἴδαμεν, 1 John 5:15 without variant.
3. ἐάν joined with other particles;
a. ἐάν δέ καί, but if also, but even if, (A. V. but and if (retained by R. V. in 1 Cor.)); with the subjunctive: Matthew 18:17; 1 Corinthians 7:11, 28; 2 Timothy 2:5.
b. ἐάν καί: Galatians 6:1.
c. ἐάν μή, if not, unless, except; with the subjunctive present: Matthew 10:13; Luke 13:3 (Lachmann text aorist); Acts 15:1 (Rec.); 1 Corinthians 8:8; 1 Corinthians 9:16 (R G L marginal reading T WH marginal reading); James 2:17; 1 John 3:21; with the subjunctive aorist: Matthew 6:15; Matthew 18:35; Mark 3:27; John 3:8; John 8:24; 1 Corinthians 14:6f, 9; Romans 10:15; (
d. ἐάνπερ (L Tr separately, ἐάν περ) if only, if indeed: Hebrews 3:6 (where L brackets περ, and T Tr WH read ἐάν),
e. ἐάν τέ ... ἐάν τέ,sive ...sive, whether ... or: Romans 14:8; (often in the Sept. for אִם ... אִם, as Exodus 19:13; Leviticus 3:1; Deuteronomy 18:3). Cf. Klotz, the passage cited, p. 479f; Kühner, § 541; (Buttmann, 221 (191)).
f. κἄν for καί ἐάν, see κἄν.
II. The classic use of the conditional particle ἐάν also in the contracted form ἄν (see p. 34{b} above) seems to have led the biblical writers of both Testaments to connect ἐάν, with relative pronouns and adverbs instead of the potential particle ἄν, as ὅς ἐάν (so Tdf. in 12 places), ὁ ἐάν (so Tdf. uniformly), etc. (this use among secular writings is very doubtful, cf. Winers Grammar, p. 310 (291); Buttmann, 72 (63)): Matthew 5:19; Matthew 10:14 (R G);
STRONGS NT 1437a: ἐάνπερ ἐάνπερ, see ἐάν I. 3 d.
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ἐάν ,
contr. fr. εἰ ἄν , conditional particle, representing something as "under certain circumstances actual or liable to happen," but not so definitely expected as in the case of εἰ c. ind, (El., § 65, 4; cf. John 13:17, 1 Corinthians 7:36),
if haply, if;
1. c. subjc. (cl.);
(a) Pres.: Matthew 6:22, Luke 10:6, John 7:17, Romans 2:25-26, al.;
(b) aor. (= Lat. fut. pf.): Matthew 4:9; Matthew 16:26 (cf. ptcp. in Luke 9:25; M, Pr., 230), Mark 3:24, Luke 14:34, John 5:43, Romans 7:2, al.; = cl. εἰ , c. opt., John 9:22; John 11:57, Acts 9:2; as Heb. H518 = ὅταν , John 12:32; John 14:3, 1 John 2:28; 1 John 3:2, Hebrews 3:7(LXX).
2. C. indic. (as in late writers, fr. Arist. on; v. WH, App., 171; VD, MGr.2, App., § 77; Deiss., BS, 201 f., LAE, 155, 254; M, Pr., 168, 187; BI., § 65, 4);
(a) fut.: Matthew 18:19 T, Luke 19:40, Acts 7:7;
(b) pres.: 1 Thessalonians 3:8 (v. Milligan, in l).
3. With other particles: ἐ . καί (B1., § 65, 6), Galatians 6:1; ἐ . μή (M, Pr., 185, 187; B1., l.c.), c. subjc. Pres., Matthew 10:13, 1 Corinthians 8:8, James 2:17, 1 John 3:21; aor., Matthew 6:15, Mark 3:27, John 3:3, Romans 10:15, Galatians 1:8; Galatians 2:16 (v. Lft., Ellic., in ll); ἐ . τε . . . ἐ . τε ,, [in LXX for H518 . . . H518, Exodus 19:13, al.,] Romans 14:8.
4. = cl. ἄν (q.v.), after relat. pronouns and adverbs (Tdf., Pr., 96; WH, App., 173; M, Pr., 42 f.; Bl., § 26, 4; Mayser, 152 f.; Deiss., BS, 202 ff.): ὃς ἐ ., Matthew 5:19, Mark 6:22-23 Luke 17:33, 1 Corinthians 6:18, al.; ὅπου ἐ ., Matthew 8:19; ὁσάκις ἐ ., Revelation 11:6; οὗ ἐ ., 1 Corinthians 16:6; καθὸ ἐ , 2 Corinthians 8:12; ὅστις ἐ ., Galatians 5:10.
Copyright © 1922 by G. Abbott-Smith, D.D., D.C.L.. T & T Clarke, London.
ἐάν —
The difference between ἐάν and εἰ is considerably lessened in Hellenistic Greek, with the result that the former is found fairly frequently with the ind. (as in Luke 19:40, Acts 8:31, 1 Thessalonians 3:8, 1 John 5:15), e.g. P Par 62viii. 8 (c. B.C. 170) ἐὰν δ᾽ ὑπερβόλιόν ἐνέστη, ib. 18.10 (Imperial period?) ἐὰν μάχουσιν (or -οῦσιν) μετ᾽ ἐσοῦ οἱ ἀδελφοί σου, P Tebt I. 58.55 (B.C. 111) ἐὰν δεῖ σε συνπεσῖν τῶι Ἀνικήτωι σύνπεσαι, ";if you must meet Anicetus, meet him,"; P Amh II. 93.24 (A.D. 181) ἐὰν φαίνεται μισθῶσαι, and P Oxy VIII. 1157.15 (late iii/A.D.) ἐὰν δὲ ἦσαν. See further Deissmann BS p. 201 f. and Proleg. p. 168, where attention is also drawn to the ambiguous ἐὰν ἦν, which is normally to be read ἦ, cf. Moulton CR xv. pp. 38, 436. The following exx. of conditional ἐάν may be cited from P Ryl II.—153.21 (A.D. 138–61) ὡς ἐὰν αὐτοὶ δο [κῶσι χορηγοῦντα ]ς, 154.28 (A.D. 66) οἷα ἐὰν. . ἐγβῆι, 155.21 (A.D. 138–61) ω ̣[στε ἐὰν αἱρῆται, 163.18 (A.D. 139) ὁπηνίκα ἐὰν αἱρῇ. See also s.v. ἄν.
ἐάνπερ —
For this intensive particle which in Bibl. Greek is confined to Hebrews 3:14 (contrast v. 6), 6.3, cf. BGU IV. 1141.80 (B.C. 14) διασαφήσουσιν οὓς ἀπέσταλκες, ἐάνπερ μὴ θ ̣ελήσωσιν προσχαρίσασθαι συνδούλωι, P Fay 124.9 (ii/A.D.) ἐάνπερ μὴ εὐ [γ ]νομωνῇς (l. εὐγνωμονῇς) τὰ πρὸς τὴν μητέρα, ";if so be you are unfair in your conduct towards your mother.";
Copyright © 1914, 1929, 1930 by James Hope Moulton and George Milligan. Hodder and Stoughton, London.
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