Bible Lexicons

1. For the construction c. inf. denoting result ";so as to,"; the stress being laid on the dependence of the result on its cause (cf. Matthew 8:24, Luke 4:29, al.) we may cite BGU I. 27.13 (ii/A.D.) (= Selections, p.101) καθ᾽ ἡμέραν προσδεχόμ [ε ]θα διμι [σ ]σωρίαν, ὥστε ἕως σήμερον μηδέν᾽ ἀπολελύσθαι τῶν μετὰ σίτου, ";daily we are wailing for our discharge, so that up till today no one of us in the corn service has been let go,"; P Oxy X.1279.14 (A.D.139) ἐπιδέχομαι μισθώσασθαι ἐκ τοῦ δημοσίου. . . ἀρούρας τρεῖς. . . ὥστε κατ᾽ ἔτος σπεῖραι καὶ ξυλαμῆσαι οἷς ἐὰν αἱρῶμαι, ";I consent to lease from the State three arourae, on condition that I may sow and plant the land with any crop which I choose"; (Edd.), ib. 1255.7 (A.D. 292) ἐπειθεμένου σου ἡμῖν ὥστε ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ ἔχειν τοὺς καρποὺς ἐν ταῖς ἁλωνίαις, ";having been enjoined by you to keep in safety the crops at the threshing floors"; (Edd.), ib. VI. 891.12 (A.D. 294) ἔδοξεν ὥστε σὲ μὲν προστῆναι, ";it was decided you should preside"; (Edd.). For the omission of ὥστε before the inf. (as in Acts 5:3, Colossians 4:6,Hebrews 5:5; Hebrews 6:10), cf. P Oxy III. 526.4 (ii/A.D.) οὐκ ἤμην ἀπαθὴς ἀλόγως σε καταλείπιν, ";I was not so unfeeling as toleaveyou without reason"; (Edd.).

2. For the strict consecutive ὥστε c. ind. (as in John 3:16, Galatians 2:13), cf. P Oxy XIV.1672.6 (A.D. 37–41) πεπράκαμεν χό (ας) λβ ̄ ξένοις προσώποις ἐν οἷς ἦν καὶ πολλὰ λέα οἰνάρια [[ὥστε ]] ἐκ (δραχμῶν) ε ̄ μετὰ χάριτος, ὥστε αἱ πράσεις ἡμῶν καλλιότεραι γεγ [ό ]νασι λείαν, καὶ ἐλπίζομεν ὅτι καλλιότεραι τούτων γενήσονται, ";we sold 32 choes to some Strangers, including a quantity of quite thin wine, at the rate of 5 drachmae, thankfully, so that our sales have become much more favourable, and we hope that they will become more favourable than this"; (Edd.).

3. The consecutive ὥστε C. subj., as in 1 Corinthians 5:8, may be illustrated by BGU III. 874.1 (Byz.) ἄλλοτε γεγράφηκα ὑμῖν ὥστε πέμψηται (l. πέμψητε) εἰς Π ̣αρμοῦθιν καὶ δέξηται (l. δέξησθε) τὰ δύο χρύσινα παρὰ τοῦ διάκονος, and with the imper., as in 1 Corinthians 3:21, by P Oxy X. 1293.13 (A.D. 117–138) ἔδει αὐτῶι διδώναι (l. διδόναι)· ὥστε τοῦ λοιποῦ γράφεται (l. γράφετε), ";you ought to have given him (a letter); so in future write"; (Edd.).

4. Some miscellaneous exx, may be added. For ὥστε = ";namely,"; cf. P Ryl II. 75.11 (late ii/A.D.) an account of judicial proceedings, where the prefect decides, τύπος ἐστὶν καθ᾽ ὃν ἔκρεινα πολλάκις καὶ τοῦτο δίκαιον εἶναί μοι φαίνεται ἐπὶ τῶν ἐκ ̣[[ξιστανο –με ]]μένων, ὥστε, εἴ τι ἐπὶ περιγρ [α ]φῇ τῶν δανιστῶν ἐποίησαν, ἄκοιρον εἶναι, ";there is a principle according to which I have often judged and which seems to me fair in the case of those who resign their property, namely, that if they have done anything to defraud their creditors, the resignation shall not be valid"; (Edd.). For ὥστε = ὡς, cf. ib. 155.21 (A.D. 138–161) ὥστε ἐὰν αἱρῆται, ";as she pleases."; For ὥστε εἰς, cf. P Hal I. 7.4 (B.C. 232) ὥστε εἰς [ξέ ]νια φοίνικας, ";dates for gifts to guests."; With this last passage cf. the banker’s receipt P Tebt II. 280.3 (B.C. 126) Ἡρακλείδει τρα (πεζίτῃ) ὥστε βασιλεῖ παρὰ Σοκονώπιος, ";Sokonobis to Heraclides the banker for the king"; (Edd.), and P Lond 848 verso.2 (A.D. 213?) (= III. p. 209) δὸς Λάδωνι ὥστε τῇ γυναῖκι Ἀγαθείνου ἐρίων πόκους πέντε, ";give to Ladon for the wife of Agathinus five fleeces.";