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Bible Lexicons
Old & New Testament Greek Lexical Dictionary Greek Lexicon
Strong's #3195 - μέλλω
- Thayer
- Strong
- Mounce
- to be about
- to be on the point of doing or suffering something
- to intend, have in mind, think to
- Book
- Word
- Parsing
did not use
this Strong's Number
μέλλω,
I impf. ἔμελλον and ἤμελλον (v. infr.), μέλλον Il. 17.278, Od. 1.232, 9.378, B. 12.164; , Ion. μέλλεσκον Theoc. 25.240, Mosch. 2.109: fut. μελλήσω D. 6.15, Matthew 24:6 : aor. ἐμέλλησα Th. 3.55, X. HG 5.4.65, etc., and ἠμ- (v. infr.): — Pass. and Med., v. infr. v. — Only pres. and impf. in Hom., Hes., Lyr., and Trag.: aor. only in Prose (exc. Thgn., v. infr.): the impf. ἤμελλον with long augm. is established by the metre in Hes. Th. 898, Thgn. 906, Ar. Ec. 597, Ra. 1038 (both anap.), A.R. 1.1309 (cf. Sch. ad loc.), Call. Del. 58: aor. 1 ἠμέλλησα Thgn. 259; ἤμελλον is not found in earlier Att. Inscrr., but occurs in Pap., as PPetr. 2p.146 (iii B. C.), Phld. Rh. 1.145 S. (but ἔμελλον Hyp. Ath. 7, Arist. Ath. 25.3). I to be destined or likely to, indicating an estimated certainty or strong probability in the present, past, or future (cf. Aristonic. ap. Sch. Il. 10.326, 11.817, 16.46,al.): a. c. pres. inf. (or its equivalent), of a probability in the present, ὅθι που μέλλουσιν ἄριστοι βουλὰς βουλεύειν where belike the best are holding counsel, Il. 10.326; ᾧ μέλλεις εὔχεσθαι to whom thou doubtless prayest, 11.364; μέλλεις δὲ σὺ ἴδμεναι doubtless thou knowest, Od. 4.200; τὰ δὲ μέλλετ' ἀκουέμεν belike you have heard it, Il. 14.125, cf. Od. 4.94; οὕτω που Διὶ μέλλει ὑπερμενέϊ φίλον εἶναι Il. 2.116; ὄλβον δὲ θεοὶ μέλλουσιν ὀπάζειν methinks it is the gods who give wealth, Od. 18.19; εἰ δ' οὕτω τοῦτ' ἐστίν, ἐμοὶ μέλλει φίλον εἶναι you may be sure it is my good pleasure, Il. 1.564. b. c. aor. inf., of a probability in the past, μέλλω που ἀπεχθέσθαι Διὶ πατρί I must have become hateful to father Zeus, 21.83; κελευσέμεναι δέ σ' ἔμελλε δαίμων a god must surely have bidden thee, Od. 4.274; πολλάκι που μέλλεις ἀρήμεναι you must often have prayed, 22.322; μέλλω ἀθανάτους ἀλιτέσθαι I must have sinned against the immortals, 4.377; ἄλλοτε δή ποτε μᾶλλον ἐρωῆσαι πολέμοιο μέλλω at any other time rather than this I may have drawn back.., Il. 13.777; μέλλει μέν πού τις καὶ φίλτερον ἄλλον ὀλέσσαι before now, no doubt, a man has lost.., 24.46, cf. 18.362; τοῦ δ' ἤδη μέλλουσι κύνες ταχέες τ' οἰωνοὶ ῥινὸν ἀπ' ὀστεόφιν ἐρύσαι Od. 14.133; of a destiny in the past, ἔμελλεν οἷ αὐτῷ θάνατον.. λιτέσθαι he was fated to have been praying for his own death, Il. 16.46; ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἄρ' ἔμελλον ἑταίρῳ κτεινομένῳ ἐπαμῦναι since I was (i.e. am) not destined to have succoured my comrade when they were slaying him, 18.98: c. pres. inf., οὐκ ἄρ' ἔμελλες ἀνάλκιδος ἀνδρὸς ἑταίρους ἔδμεναι he was to turn out no helpless man whose comrades you ate, Od. 9.475. c. c. fut. inf., of a destin y or probability in the future, ἅ οὐ τελέεσθαι ἔμελλον which were not to be accomplished, Il. 2.36; τάχα δ' ἀνστήσεσθαι ἔμελλεν ib. 694; ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἄρ' ἔμελλον ἔγωγε νοστήσας οἶκόνδε.. εὐφρανέειν ἄλοχον 5.686, cf. 12.113, 22.356, Od. 13.293, 384; μέλλον ἔτι ξυνέσεσθαι ὀϊζυῖ πολλῇ 7.270; περὶ τρίποδος γὰρ ἔμελλον θεύσεσθαι they were to have run.., Il. 11.700, cf. E. HF 463; χρόνῳ ἔμελλέ σ' Ἕκτωρ.. ἀποφθίσειν S. Aj. 1027; ἔμελλον ἄρα παύσειν ποθ' ὑμᾶς τοῦ κοάξ Ar. Ra. 268; φεύγεις; ἔμελλόν σ' ἆρα κινήσειν ἐγώ Id. Nu. 1301, cf. V. 460, Pl. 103, Ach. 347: c. pres. inf., καὶ γὰρ ἐγώ ποτ' ἔμελλον ἐν ἀνδράσιν ὄλβιος εἶναι I had a chance of being, might have been.., Od. 18.138; μέλλεν ποτὲ οἶκος ὅδ' ἀφνειὸς καὶ ἀμύμων ἔμμεναι, ὄφρ' ἔτι κεῖνος ἀνὴρ ἐπιδήμιος ἦεν 1.232: c. aor. inf. (cf. infr. 11), οὐδεὶς ἂν οὐδὲ μελλήσειε γενέσθαι ἀγαθός Arist. EN 1105b11: with inf. understood, [ τὰ μὲν] πάσχουσι, τὰ δὲ μέλλουσι [πάσχειν ] A. Pers. 814; ἀλλ' οὐχ οὑμὸς τοῦτο πέπονθεν βίος οὐ μὰ Δί' οὐδέ γε μέλλει no, not likely ! Ar. Pl. 551; οὐδὲν.. οὔτε ἐπάθετε οὔτε ἐμελλήσατε Th. 3.55; οὔτ' ἐμὲ ἀπέφηνεν ἡ βουλὴ οὔτ' ἐμέλλησεν Din. 1.49. in εἰ clauses, εἰ μέλλει πόλις εἶναι if it is to be a city, Pl. Prt. 324e: c. fut. inf., εἰ ἐμέλλομεν.. ἀνοίσειν if we were to refer.., Id. Phd. 75b: c. aor. inf., εἰ μέλλομεν.. δηλῶσαι Id. Lg. 713a, cf. Smp. 184d, Plt. 268d, al.: so in part., τὴν μέλλουσαν οἰκήσεσθαι πόλιν καλῶς Arist. Pol. 1261a3, etc. in final clauses, ξυνεπιμέλεσθαι ᾗ μέλλει ἄριστα ἕξειν, = ᾗ ἄριστα ἕξει, Th. 8.39; εἴχομεν ἂν.. ἐπιστάτην λαβεῖν.. ὃς ἔμελλεν.. ποιήσειν Pl. Revelation 20:1-15 b, cf. App. Syr. 46, etc. in questions, the inf. being understood, τί οὐ μέλλω (μέλλεις, etc.); why shouldn't I? why is it not likely that I should?, i. e. yes, of course, τὸν υἱὸν ἑόρακας αὐτοῦ; Answ. τί δ' οὐ μέλλω (sc. ἑορακέναι); of course I have, X. HG 4.1.6; τί δ' οὐ μέλλει, εἴπερ γε δρᾷ αὐτό; Pl. R. 605c; πῶς γὰρ οὐ μέλλει; Id. Phd. 78b, etc.; ἀλλὰ τί μέλλει; what (else) would you expect ? i. e. yes, of course, Id. R. 349d, Hp.Mi. 373d.
II to be about to, in purely temporal sense, c. fut. inf., Ἕκτορα δῖον ἔτετμεν ἀδελφεόν, εὖτ' ἄρ' ἔμελλε στρέψεσθ' ἐκ χώρης Il. 6.515; ὁ μέν μιν ἔμελλε γενείου.. ἁψάμενος λίσσεσθαι (perh. pres. inf.), ὁ δ' αὐχένα μέσσον ἔλασσε 10.454; ἄλεισον ἀναιρήσεσθαι ἔμελλε Od. 22.9, cf. Il. 23.544, 2.39, 6.52, 393; δειπνήσειν μέλλομεν, ἢ τί; Ar. Av. 464, cf. Eq. 931 (lyr.), Th. 2.8, etc.: c. pres. inf., τί μέλλεις δρᾶν; Ar. V. 1379, Th. 215, cf. Ec. 760, Ach. 493, Av. 498, al.; μέλλω μαίνεσθαι Lyr.Alex.Adesp. 1.23: more rarely c. aor. inf., παθεῖν A. Pr. 625; κτανεῖν S. OT 967 (nisi leg. κτενεῖν) ; ἀναλαβεῖν, λιπεῖν, θανεῖν, E. Or. 292, Heracl. 709, Med. 393; ἀπολέσαι, λαβεῖν, Ar. Av. 366, Ach. 1159 (lyr.); προσθεῖναι Th. 3.92; οὐδὲ ἐμέλλησαν οὐδὲ διενοήθησαν ἐνθέσθαι D. 35.19: Phryn. 316 wrongly condemns this constr. — The inf. is sts. omitted, τὸ μέλλειν ἀγαθά (sc. πράσσειν or πράξειν) the expectation of good things, E. Or. 1182, cf. IA 1118.
III to be always going to do without ever doing: hence, delay, put off, freq. in Trag. (also in Med. μέλλομαι, v. infr. IV fin.): in this signf. usu. folld. by pres. inf., S. OT 678 (lyr.), OC 1627, etc.; τοὺς ξυμμάχους.. οὐ μελλήσομεν τιμωρεῖν· οἱ δ' οὐκέτι μέλλουσι κακῶς πάσχειν we shall not delay to succour our allies, for their sufferings are not being delayed, Th. 1.86: freq. with μὴ οὐ, A. Pr. 627, S. Aj. 540: with μή, τί μέλλομεν.. μὴ πράσσειν κακά; E. Med. 1242: rarely folld. by aor. inf., Id. Ph. 299 (lyr.), Rh. 673: inf. is freq. omitted, τί μέλλεις; why delayest thou ? A. Pr. 36, cf. Pers. 407, Ag. 908, 1353, S. Fr. 917, Th. 8.78, etc.; μακρὰ μ. S. OC 219 (lyr.); Ἄρης στυγεῖ μέλλοντας E. Heracl. 723; ἴωμεν καὶ μὴ μέλλωμεν ἔτι Pl. Lg. 712b; μέλλον τι.. ἔπος a hesitating word, which one hesitates to speak, E. Ion 1002; μέλλων σφυγμός a hesitating pulse, Gal. 8.653. part. μέλλων is used quasi-adjectivally, ὁ μ. χρόνος the future time, Pi. O. 10(11).7, A. Pr. 839, Arist. Top. 111b28: Gramm., ὁ μέλλων the future tense, D.T. 638.23, A.D. Synt. 69.28, etc.; ἡ μ. αὐτοῦ δύναμις his future power, Pl. R. 494c; μ. φυλάξασθαι χρέος Pi. O. 7.40; τὸν μ. βλαστόν (καρπόν codd.) Thphr. HP 4.15.1: esp. in neut., τὸ μέλλον, τὰ μέλλοντα things to come, the future, Pi. O. 2.56, A. Pr. 102, Th. 1.138, 4.71, Pl. Tht. 178e, etc.; opp. to what is simply future (τὸ ἐσόμενον), Arist. Div.Somn. 463b29, cf. GC 337b4; εἰς τὸ μέλλον (sc. ἔτος) Luke 13:9, cf. PLond. 3.1231.4 (ii A. D.), Plu. Caes. 14: — also in Med., τὰ ἰσχυρότατα ἐλπιζόμενα μέλλεται your strongest pleas are hopes in futurity, Th. 5.111: — but Pass. μέλλομαι, ὡς μὴ μέλλοιτο τὰ δέοντα that the necessary steps might not be delayed, X. An. 3.1.47; ἐν ὅσῳ ταῦτα μέλλεται while these delays are going on, D. 4.37: fut. μελλήσομαι dub. l. in Procop. Goth. 2.30: pf. part. μεμελλημένος, = μέλλων, σφυγμός Gal. 9.308.
μέλλω; future μελλήσω (Matthew 24:6; and L T Tr WH in 2 Peter 1:12); imperfect ἔμελλον (so all editions in Luke 9:31 (except T WH); John 6:6, 71 (except R G);
1. the participle, ὁ μέλλων, absolutely: τά μέλλοντα and τά ἐνεστῶτα are contrasted, Romans 8:38; 1 Corinthians 3:22; εἰς τό μέλλον, for the future, hereafter, Luke 13:9 (but see εἰς, A. II. 2 (where Grimm supplies ἔτος)); 1 Timothy 6:19; τά μέλλοντα, things future, things to come, i. e., according to the context, the more perfect state of things which will exist in the αἰών μέλλων, Colossians 2:17; with nouns, ὁ αἰών ὁ μέλλων, Matthew 12:32; Ephesians 1:21; ζωῆς τῆς νῦν καί τῆς μελλούσης, 1 Timothy 4:8; τήν οἰκουμένην τήν μέλλουσαν, Hebrews 2:5; τῆς μελλούσης ὀργῆς Matthew 3:7; τό κρίμα τό μέλλον, Acts 24:25; πόλις, Hebrews 13:14; τά μέλλοντα ἀγαθά, Hebrews 9:11 (but L Tr marginal reading WH text γενομένων);
2. joined to an infinitive (cf. Winers Grammar, 333f (313); Buttmann, § 140, 2), a. to be on the point of doing or suffering something: with an infinitive present, ἤμελλεν ἑαυτόν ἀναιρεῖν, Acts 16:27; τελευτᾶν, Luke 7:2; ἀποθνῄσκειν, John 4:47; add, Luke 21:7; Acts 3:3; Acts 18:14; Acts 20:3; Acts 22:26; Acts 23:27; with an infinitive passive, Acts 21:27; Acts 27:33, etc.
b. to intend, have in mind, think to: with an infinitive present, Matthew 2:13; Luke 10:1; Luke 19:4; John 6:6, 15; John 7:35; John 12:4; John 14:22 Acts 5:35; Acts 17:31; Acts 20:7, 13; Acts 22:26; Acts 26:2; Acts 27:30; Hebrews 8:5; (2 Peter 1:10 L T Tr WH); Revelation 10:4; with an infinitive aorist (a construction censured by Phryn., p. 336, but authenticated more recently by many examples from the best writings from Homer down; cf. Winers Grammar, 333f (313f); Lob. ad Phryn., p. 745ff; (but see Rutherford, New Phryn., p. 420ff)): Acts 12:6 L T WH; Revelation 2:10 (βαλεῖν R G);
c. as in Greek writings from Homer down, of those things which will come to pass (or which one will do or suffer) by fixed necessity or divine appointment (German sollen (are to be, destined to be, etc.)); with present infinitive active: Matthew 16:27; Matthew 17:12; Matthew 20:22; Luke 9:31; John 6:71; John 7:39; John 11:51; John 12:33; John 18:32; Acts 20:38; Acts 26:22, 23; Hebrews 1:14; Hebrews 11:8; Revelation 2:10a; Revelation 3:10; Revelation 8:13, etc.; ἡλιάς ὁ μέλλων ἔρχεσθαι, Matthew 11:14; ὁ μέλλων λυτροῦσθαι, Luke 24:12; κρίνειν, 2 Timothy 4:1 (WH marginal reading κρῖναι); with present infinitive passive: Matthew 17:22; Mark 13:4; Luke 9:44; Luke 19:11; Luke 21:36; Acts 26:22; Romans 4:24; 1 Thessalonians 3:4; James 2:12; Revelation 1:19 (Tdf. γενέσθαι); Revelation 6:11; τῆς μελλούσης ἀποκαλύπτεσθαι δόξης, 1 Peter 5:1; with aorist infinitive: τήν μέλλουσαν δόξαν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι, Romans 8:18; τήν μέλλουσαν πίστιν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι, Galatians 3:23; used also of those things which we infer from certain preceding events will of necessity follow: with an infinitive present, Acts 28:6; Romans 8:13; with an infinitive future, Acts 27:10.
d. in general, of what is sure to happen: with an infinitive present, Matthew 24:6; John 6:71; 1 Timothy 1:16; Revelation 12:5; Revelation 17:8; with an infinitive future ἔσεσθαι, Acts 11:28; Acts 24:15.
e. to be always on the point of doing without ever doing, i. e. to delay: τί μέλλεις; Acts 22:16 (Aeschylus Prom. 36; τί μέλλετε; Euripides, Hec. 1094; Lucian, dial. mort. 10, 13, and often in secular authors; 4 Macc. 6:23; 9:1).
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μέλλω ,
[in LXX: Job 3:8 (H6264) Job 19:25 (H314); elsewhere for fut., and freq. in Wis, II, Iv Mac;]
to be about to be or do;
1. c. inf. (El., § 62, 4; 68, 2; M, Pr., 114);
(a) of intending or being about to do of one's own free will: c. inf. praes., Matthew 2:13, Luke 10:1, Acts 3:3; Acts 5:35, Hebrews 8:5, 2 Peter 1:12 (Field, Notes, 240), al.; c. inf. aor. (B1., § 58, 3), Acts 12:6, Hebrews 3:16;
(b) of compulsion, necessity or certainty: c. inf. praes., Matthew 16:27, Luke 9:31, John 6:71, Romans 4:24, al.; c. inf. aor., Romans 8:18, Galatians 3:23, Hebrews 3:2; Hebrews 12:4.
2. Ptcp., ὁ μέλλων : absol., Romans 8:38, 1 Corinthians 3:22; τὰ μ ., Colossians 2:17; εἰς τὸ μ . (Field, Notes, 65); c. subst., Matthew 3:7; Matthew 12:32 (ὁ αἰὼν ὁ μ .; LXX for עַד ), Acts 24:25, 1 Timothy 4:8, Hebrews 2:5, al.
Copyright © 1922 by G. Abbott-Smith, D.D., D.C.L.. T & T Clarke, London.
In the NT μέλλω is construed 84 times with the pres. inf. : cf. P Par 43.2 (B.C. 154) μέλλω δὲ ἰσάγειν ἐν τῷ μεσορὴ μηνί, ib. 48.19 (B.C. 153) καταπλεῖν μέλλομεν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, P Meyer 20.9 (Ist half iii/A.D.) μέλλι πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἔρχεσθαι, .18 μέλλω σοι ἀεὶ γράφειν, P Tebt II. 416.5 (iii/A.D.) μέλλω μένιν εἰς Ἀντινόου, and P Oxy VIII. 1156.10 (iii/A.D.) μέλλο [με ]ν ̣ χόρτου χρίαν ἔχιν. For the constr. with the fut. inf., which is obsolete in the NT (cf. TR Acts 23:30), cf. Syll 432.10 (B.C. 326–5) ὀμόσασιν. . . [ποιήσεσθαι τὴν ] ἐπιτροπὴν καθ᾽ ὅτι ἂν μέλλει ἔσ [ε ]σθαι κτλ. Μέλλω followed by the aor. inf. act. is seen in such passages as P Giss I. 12.5 (ii/A.D.) ὁσάκις ἐὰν μέλ ̣λῃς πέμψαι, P Oxy XII. 1488.20 (ii/A.D.) ἔμελλον γὰρ ἀνελθεῖν, and ib. VII. 1067.17 (iii/A.D.) εἰ μέλλεις ἐλθεῖν ἐλθέ, ";come if you are coming,"; and by the aor. inf. pass. in P Goodsp Cairo 3.10 (iii/B.C.) ἡνίκα ἤμελλον κοιμηθῆναι ἔγραψα ἐπιστόλια β ̄, and P Par 47.12 (c. B.C. 153) (= Witkowski, 2 p. 89, Selections, p. 22) κἂν ι ̣̔̓δῆς ὅτι μέλλομεν σωθῆναι, τότε βαπτιζώμεθα, ";and even if you know that we are about to be saved, just at that time we are immersed in trouble."; According to Meisterhans Gr. p. 169 the ἠ –augment appears in the Attic inscrr. after B.C. 300. Only one instance of the ἐ –augment is found at Priene, viz. Priene 11.5 (c. B.C. 297) ἔμελ ̣[λον τυχεῖν (see Rouffiac Recherches, p. 27). For the NT usage see Moulton Gr. ii. p. 188. Εἰς τὸ μέλλον in the sense of ";next year"; is seen in P Lond 1231.4 (A.D. 144) (= III. p. 108) τὴν εἰς τὸ μ ̣[έ ]λλον γε ̣ω ̣ργείαν —a good parallel to the meaning in Luke 13:9 as against AV ";then after that,"; RV ";thenceforth"; : cf. Field Notes, p. 65.
In Matthew 24:6 μελλήσετε δὲ ἀκούειν πολέμους the meaning may be ";you must then be prepared to hear of wars,"; but this use of the fut. tense is out of the question in 2 Peter 1:12 μελλήσω ἀεὶ ὑμᾶς ὑπομιμνήσκειν, as Mayor ad l. points out, and accordingly he prefers with Field (Notes, p. 240) to read μελήσω instead of μελλήσω with the meaning, ";I shall take care to remind you."; In MGr μελλούμενο is used for ";the future."; For compounds, like μελλοπρόεδρος, ";a future president,"; cf. P Giss I. p. 87 f.
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