conjunction
ara
Strong’sG686
then, therefore, since
stem ar-49 times in the New Testamentin 12 of 27 booksnever changes form
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
Then, therefore, so — a word that draws a conclusion or inference from what has just been said, marking the connection between a statement and what follows from it 4. It expresses this inference in a more subjective, informal way than the stricter word for "therefore" 1. It typically stands as the second word in its clause, though it can also open the conclusion of a sentence built on an "if" clause, or come first in a sentence 1. It is frequent in direct and indirect questions ("who then…", "what then…") 1, and appears in strengthened combined forms meaning something like "so then" or "then indeed" 1. Strong's likewise describes it as marking an inference that can be more or less decisive, corresponding to English words such as "no doubt," "perhaps," "truly," "wherefore," "then," and "therefore" 2.
Classical Greek writers never allowed this word to begin a sentence, but the New Testament does use it as the very first word of a sentence or clause 3.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
ἄρα,
illative particle, expressing a more subjective or informal inference than οὖν,G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G686 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidar'-ah
a particle denoting an inference more or less decisive (as follows)
Fromprobably from G142 (through the idea of drawing a conclusion);
King Jameshaply, (what) manner (of man), no doubt, perhaps, so be, then, therefore, truly, wherefore.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
Epic dialect ῥά (which is enclitic and used after monosyllables, ἦ, ὅς, γάρ, etc., or words ending in a vowel or diphthong, e.g. ἐπεί), before a consonant ἄρ (perhaps cf. Lithuanian i[rtilde] 'and'): expressing consequence, then, or mere succession, there and then, and in many derived uses.
A EARLIER USAGE: to denote,
A.I immediate transition, there and then, straightway, ὣς φάτο βῆ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ὌνειροςRefs 8th c.BC+: after a participle, ὣς εἰπὼν κατ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἕζετοRefs 5th c.BC+; οὕτως ἄραRefs 5th c.BC+; often in apodosi, as αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ θηήσατο.. αὐτίκ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἤλυθενRefs 8th c.BC+: in enumerations, e. g. in Homer's catalogue, then, next, οἱ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ Ἀθήνας εἶχονRefs; so in genealogies, Σίσυφος.. ὁ δ᾽ ἄ. Γλαῦκον τέκεθ᾽ υἱόνRefs
A.I.2 to draw attention, mark you! τὸν τρεῖς μὲν ἐπιρρήσσεσκον.. τῶν ἄλλων Ἀχιλεὺς δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἐπιρρήσσεσκε καὶ οἶοςRefs: to point a moral or general statement, φευγόντων δ᾽ οὔτ᾽ ἂρ κλέος ὄρνυται οὔτε τις ἀλκήRefs
A.II connexion, such as,
A.II.1 that of antecedent and consequent, οἰνοχόει.. ἄσβεστος δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἐνῶρτο γέλωςRefs: also in questions, τίς τ᾽ ἄρ τῶν ὄχ᾽ ἄριστος ἔη; who then (say you) was.. ? Refshe it was, whom.., Refs, thus, then he spoke.—This usage is universal in Greek.
A.II.2 explanation of that which precedes, χωόμενον κατὰ θυμὸν ἐϋζώνοιο γυναικὸς τήν ῥα.. ἀπηύρων whom (and for this cause he was angry) they had taken away, Refs; εἰ μὴ ὑπερφίαλον ἔπος ἔκβαλε.. φῆ ῥ᾽ ἀέκητι θεῶν φυγέειν for he said, Refs 8th c.BC+; so with relatives, ἐκ δ᾽ ἔθορε κλῆρος ὃν ἄρ᾽ ἤθελον αὐτοί the very one which.., Refs 8th c.BC+
B LATER USAGE, always with inferential force: 1. in drawing conclusions (more subjective than οὖν), ἄριστον ἄ. ἡ εὐδαιμονίαRefs 4th c.BC+: especially by way of informal inference, as it seems, οὐκ ἄ. σοί γε πατὴρ ἦν ΠηλεύςRefs 8th c.BC+; οὕτω κοινόν τι ἄ. χαρᾷ καὶ λύπῃ δάκρυά ἐστιν so true is it that.., Refs 5th c.BC+; so in announcing the discovery or correction of an error, as οὐκ ἐννενοήκαμεν ὅτι εἰσὶν ἄ... Refs 5th c.BC+; εἰκότως ἄ. οὐκ ἐγίγνετο· ὡς γὰρ ἐγὼ νῦν πυνθάνομαι.. Refs 5th c.BC+
B.2 in questions, expressing the anxiety of the questioner, τίς ἄ. ῥύσετα; who is there to save ? Refs 4th c.BC+; so in exclamations to heighten the expression of emotion, οἵαν ἄρ᾽ ἥβην.. ἀπώλεσεν what a band of youth was that.. ! Refs; so ὡς ἄραRefs 5th c.BC+; πῶς ἄ.; οὕτως ἄ., etc.; ἄ. alone, ἔζης ἄ.Refs 5th c.BC+: especially in ironical comments, Refs 5th c.BC+
B.3 epexegetic, namely, ἐρῶ, ὡς ἄ... Refs 5th c.BC+
B.4 for τοι ἄρα, τἄρα, see entry τοι Refs
B.5 εἰ (or ἐάν) μὴ ἄ. unless perhaps, Refs 5th c.BC+; separated from εἰ μή, Refs 5th c.BC+
B.6 in hypothetical clauses, to indicate the improbability of the supposition, ἢν ἄ. ποτὲ κατὰ γῆν βιασθῶσινRefs 5th c.BC+; or simply, perhaps (sometimes separated from εἰ), εἴ τις οὖν ὑμῶν ἄ... ὑπελάμβανενRefs 5th c.BC+
C IN CRASIS, frequently τἄρα, μεντἄρα, οὐτἄρα: also δήξομἄρα for δήξομαι ἄ., Refs 5th c.BC+; οἰμώξετἄρα, κλαύσἄρα, Refs 5th c.BC+
D ἄρα never stands first in the sentence in Classical Greek Refs 4th c.BC+, but is found at the beginning of an apodosis in NT, and first in a sentence, NT+2nd c.AD+; in conclusion of syllogism, Refs 2nd c.AD+
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Words built on the same stem
Other words sharing the exact same stem — not merely related in meaning.
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
49 occurrences, every one of them listed
ara44×
Matthew 7:20“thus”ara ge apo toiu karpoiu autoiu epignōskevi …So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Matthew 12:28… pneume theou mis ekbalamō teim daimoneim, ara fthanata epi vin tas basileias tou …… demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come …
Matthew 18:1… tois mathētois to Iēso legarōntois; Tinos ara megoteros atō en ta basileia toiu …… came to Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom …
Matthew 19:25… tois mathētois ekplēssole sfodra legarōntois; Tinos ara dunotō sōzira?… were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
Matthew 19:27… afiēkana panteim kai akolouthana si; tinem ara eti ni?… left everything to follow You. What then will there be for us?”
Matthew 24:45Tinos ara atō tos pistos doulos kai fronimos …Who then is the faithful and wise servant …
Mark 4:41“then”… megon, kai legale pros allēloin; Tinos ara houtos atō hoti kai tos anemos …… they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the …
Luke 1:66… en ta kardia autoiu, legarōntois; Tinem ara tem paidiem houtem eti? kai gar …… in their hearts and asked, “What then will this child become?” For the …
Luke 8:25“then”… de thaumazala, legarōntois pros allēloin; Tinos ara houtos atō hoti kai toi anemoi …… Frightened and amazed, they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and …
Luke 11:20… en daktulo theou ekbalamō teim daimoneim, ara fthanata epi vin tas basileias tou …… demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come …
Luke 11:48ara marturois avō kai suneudokavō tei ergei …So you are witnesses consenting to the …
Luke 12:42kai legata tos kurios; Tinos ara atō tos pistos oikonomos, tos fronimos, …And the Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager …
Luke 22:23… archela suzētarō pros heautoin tem tinos ara atoiō ek autoiu tos houtem mellarōntos …Then they began to question among themselves …
Acts 12:18… ouk oligos en toi stratiōtoi, tinem ara tos Petros geneta.… no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.
Acts 21:38“then”ouk ara sis asō tos Aiguptios tos pro …“Aren’t you the Egyptian who incited a …
Romans 7:3ara oun zōarōntou tou androu moichalidas chrēmatizati …So then, if she is joined to …
Romans 7:21Heuriskamō ara ton nomon to thelarōnto mi poiarō …So this is the principle I have …
Romans 8:1Oudenem ara nun katakrimem toi en Christo Iēso;Therefore, there is now no condemnation for …
Romans 9:16ara oun ouk tou thelarōntou oude tou …So then, it does not depend on …
Romans 9:18“so”ara oun hon thelatō elēatō, hon de …Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants …
Romans 10:17“so”ara tas pistias ek akoau, tas de …Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of …
Romans 14:12ara hekastos nu peri heautou logon dōati.So then, each of us will give …
Romans 14:19ara oun teim tau eirēnau diōkaneiō kai …So then, let us pursue what leads …
1 Corinthians 5:10“then”… kai harpagoi ē eidōlolatroi, epei ofeilave ara ek tou kosmou exerchara.… sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.
1 Corinthians 7:14… tas apistas en to adelfo; epei ara teim tekneim vu akatharteim atō, nun …… her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are …
1 Corinthians 15:14“then”ei de Christos ouk egerotē, kenem ara tem kērugmem nu, kenas kai tas …And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is worthless, and so is …
1 Corinthians 15:15“then”… ton Christon, hon ouk egerata eiper ara nekrois ouk egerolō.… He raised Christ from the dead, but He did not raise Him if in fact the dead are not raised.
1 Corinthians 15:18ara kai tois koimirantois en Christo apolela.Then those also who have fallen asleep …
2 Corinthians 1:17“then”houtem oun boulorōntos mēti ara ta elafria chrema? ē heim bouleuomō …When I planned this, did I do it carelessly? Or do I …
2 Corinthians 5:14… houtem hoti henos huper pantoiu apothnēskata; ara tois pantois apothnēskala;… convinced that One died for all, therefore all died.
2 Corinthians 7:12ara ei kai grafama vi, ouk heneken …So even though I wrote to you …
Galatians 2:21… theou; ei gar dia nomou dikaiosunas, ara Christos dōreōs apothnēskata.… if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.
Galatians 3:7Gnōskavōr ara hoti tois ek pistiau, houtois huiois …Understand, then, that those who have faith are …
Galatians 3:29ei de vis Christou, ara tou Abraam spermem avō, kata epangelian …And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs …
Galatians 5:11… peritoman ēti kērussamō, tinem ēti diōkomō? ara katargotē tem skandalem tou staurou.… why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has …
Galatians 6:10“then”ara oun hōs kairon echanō, ergazoneiō tem …Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to …
Ephesians 2:19“then”ara oun ouketi avō xenois kai paroikois, …Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but …
1 Thessalonians 5:6“therefore”ara oun mē katheudaneiō hōs tois loipois, …… let us not sleep as the others do, but …
2 Thessalonians 2:15“so”ara oun, adelfoir, stēkavōr, kai kratavōr tain …Therefore, brothers, stand firm and cling to the traditions we …
Hebrews 4:9“therefore”ara apolipotō sabbatismos to lao tou theou;There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
Hebrews 12:8… avō paideiau hau metochois genalē pantois, ara nothois kai ouk huiois avō.… not experience discipline like everyone else, then you are illegitimate children and not …
Mark 11:13“perhaps”… apo makrothen echarōntan fulleim erchata ei ara tinem heuriskati en auta, kai ercharantos …… tree in leaf, He went to see if there was any fruit on it. But when He reached …
Acts 8:22“possible”… houtau, kai disar tou kuriou ei ara afiēkiti si tas epinoias tau kardiau …… your wickedness, and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive you for the intent of your heart.
Acts 17:27zētarō ton theon ei ara ge psēlafaloia auton kai heuriskaloia, kai …… that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find …
Ara5×
Matthew 17:26… toiu allotrioiu, fēate auto tos Iēsus; Ara ge eleutherois alō tois huiois.“From others,” Peter answered. “Then the sons are exempt,” Jesus said …
Acts 11:18… hēsuchazala kai doxazala ton theon legarōntois; Ara kai tei ethnei tos theos tan …… and they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles …
Romans 5:18Ara oun hōs dia heneu paraptōmeu eis …So then, just as one trespass brought …
Romans 7:25… dia Iēsu Christou tou kuriou nu. Ara oun autos mis to men nouo …… God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I serve …
Romans 8:12“so”Ara oun, adelfoir, ofeiletois anō, ouk ta …Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation, but it is not to the …