conjunction
ē
Strong’sG2228
or, than
stem ē-346 times in the New Testamentin 24 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
Ἤ is a connecting particle with two main uses.
Used disjunctively, it means "or," joining two words, phrases, or clauses as alternatives 1234. It can link single words ("this or that") or introduce a contrasting or alternative statement, often in a question 13. Repeated as ἢ... ἤ, it means "either... or" 13. Combined with other particles it can carry related nuances, such as "or even," "or also," or (in classical usage outside the New Testament) "or else, otherwise" 13. It is also used to introduce one side of a direct or indirect double question, corresponding to English "or" in "is it this or that?" 13.
Used comparatively, it means "than," following a comparative word or expression to mark what something is being compared against 1234. It appears after phrases meaning "before" (πρίν ἤ, "before") and after positive adjectives with a comparative sense, as well as after words like "another" or "wish," still carrying the sense "than" 1.
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
ἤ,
disjunctive and comparative particle (Bl., §36, 12; 77, 11);G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G2228 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saiday
disjunctive, or; comparative, than
Froma primary particle of distinction between two connected terms;
King Jamesand, but (either), (n-)either, except it be, (n-)or (else), rather, save, than, that, what, yea.
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 also ἠέ (in signification Refs 4th c.BC+, conjunction with two chief senses, Disj. (or) and comparative (than).
A DISJUNCTIVE, or, ἐγὼ.. ἢ ἄλλος Ἀχαιῶν Refs 8th c.BC+; θεόσυτος ἢ βρότειος ἢ κεκραμένη Refs 4th c.BC+
A.2 ἢ.. ἤ either.. or, ἢ νῦν δηθύνοντ᾽ ἢ ὕστερον αὖτις ἰόντα Refs 8th c.BC+, etc.; so ἢ.. ἤτοι.. Refs 5th c.BC+ is emphasized, later no distinction is implied, NT+2nd c.BC+; ἤ repeated any number of times, ἐγὼ δέ κεν αὐτὸς ἕλωμαι ἢ τεὸν ἢ Αἴαντος ἰὼν γέρας ἢ Ὀδυσῆος Refs 8th c.BC+; ἤ is probably wrongly accented in codices of Refs 8th c.BC+ adverb Refs 4th c.BC+
A.3 or else, otherwise, εἰδέναι δεῖ περὶ οὗ ἂν ᾖ ἡ βουλή, ἢ παντὸς ἁμαρτάνειν ἀνάγκη Refs 5th c.BC+; ζῶντα κακῶς λέγειν ἐκώλυσε.., ἢ τρεῖς δραχμὰς ἀποτίνειν ἔταξε Legal Refs 6th c.BC+
A.II in Questions or Deliberations in Disj. form(the accentuation is ἢ (ἠέ) followed by ἦ (ἦε), Refs 2nd c.AD+
A.II.1 Direct questions,
A.II.1.a introduced by ἢ (ἠέ), ἢ δολιχὴ νοῦσος ἦ Ἄρτεμις ἰοχέαιρα.. κατέπεφνε; Refs 8th c.BC+
A.II.1.b without an introductory Particle, θεός νύ τις ἦ βροτός ἐσσ; art thou a goddess or a mortal? Refs 8th c.BC+ frequently in codices of Refs 8th c.BC+; ἄρτι δὲ ἥκεις ἢ πάλα; Refs 5th c.BC+; preceded by πότερον, πότερον δοκεῖ σοι κάκιον εἶναι, τὸ ἀδικεῖν ἢ τὸ ἀδικεῖσθα; Refs
A.II.2 Indirect questions, frequently epexegetic of a preceding question and identical in form with direct questions.
A.II.2.a εἴπ᾽ ἄγε,.. ἤ ῥ᾽ ἐθέλει.., ἦ ἀπέειπε.. Refs 8th c.BC+; πότερον or πότερα.. ἤ.. Refs 5th c.BC+
A.II.2.b without introductory Particle, οὐδέ τι οἶδα ζώει ὅ γ᾽ ἦ τέθνηκε Refs 8th c.BC+
B COMPARATIVE, than, as, after a comparative, Refs 8th c.BC+; οὐδ᾽ ὅσον ἤ.. not so much as.. , not more than.. , Refs 3rd c.BC+ to wish rather than.. , see at {βούλομαι} IV, αἱρέω Refs 5th c.BC+; so φθάνειν ἤ.. to come sooner than.. , NT+8th c.BC+
B.2 joining two Comparatives which refer to the same subject, πάντες κ᾽ ἀρησαίατ᾽ ἐλαφρότεροι πόδας εἶναι ἢ ἀφνειότεροι Refs 8th c.BC+
B.3 rarely after a superlative, πλεῖστα θωμάσια ἔχει Αἴγυπτος ἢ ἄλλη πᾶσα χώρη Refs 5th c.BC+
B.4 ἢ οὐ is used when a negative precedes, οὐδέν τι μᾶλλον ἐπ᾽ ἡμέας ἢ οὐ καὶ ἐπ᾽ ὑμέας Refs 5th c.BC+: after an implied negative, ὠμὸν.. πόλιν ὅλην διαφθεῖραι μᾶλλον ἢ οὐ τοὺς αἰτίους Refs
B.5 frequently omitted with numerals after πλείων, ἐλάττων, μείων, ἔτη.. πλείω ἑβδομήκοντα variant in Refs 5th c.BC+: sometimes with an infinitive or conditional clause, τί γὰρ ἀνδρὶ κακὸν μεῖζον ἁμαρτεῖν Refs 5th c.BC+; τίς εὐπραξία σπανιωτέρα.., εἰ [δύναμις] πάρεστιν (for ἢ δύναμιν παρεῖναι); Refs 5th c.BC+
B.6 pleonastic with a genitive, τίς ἂν αἰσχίων εἴη ταύτης δόξα, ἢ δοκεῖν.. Refs 5th c.BC+
B.7 the Disj. and comparative uses are found together in Refs 8th c.BC+ better, either to die once for all or win life, than long to toil in battle. [ἢ οὐ, ἢ οὐκ combine by Synizesis into one syllable in Trag. and Comedy texts, Refs 5th c.BC+; so usually in Epic dialect, Refs 8th c.BC+
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.
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
346 occurrences, 100 of them printed here — the rest are in the reader
ē99×
Matthew 1:18… mētērau autou Mariau to Iōsēf, prin ē sunerchara autoin heuriskita en gastra echarōntas …… was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was …
Matthew 5:17… nomizaveia hoti erchama kataluara ton nomon ē toin profētoin; ouk erchama kataluara alla …… have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come …
Matthew 5:18“or”… ouranos kai tas gēas, iōtem henem ē henas keraias ouk mē parerchateia apo …… truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law …
Matthew 5:36… ouk dunosō henan trichan leukan poiara ē melanan.… cannot make a single hair white or black.
Matthew 6:24Oudenos dunotō duo kurioi douleuarō; ē gar ton henon misati kai ton …No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and …
Matthew 6:24… henon misati kai ton heteron agapati, ē henou antecheti kai tou heterou katafronati. …… the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the …
Matthew 6:31mē oun merimnaveia legarōntois; Tinem esthianeia? ē; Tinem pinaneia? ē; Tinem peribaleneia?… worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What …
Matthew 6:31… legarōntois; Tinem esthianeia? ē; Tinem pinaneia? ē; Tinem peribaleneia?… eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
Matthew 7:4“or”ē pōs legasi to adelfo su; Afiēkasar …How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take …
Matthew 7:9“or”ē tinos atō ek vu anthrōpos, hon …Which of you, if his …
Matthew 7:10ē kai ichthon aitati mē ofion epidōati …Or if he asks for a fish …
Matthew 7:16… autoin. mēti sullegalō apo akanthaiu stafulain ē apo triboloiu sukeim?… them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Matthew 9:5… eukopoterem, legara; Afiēkolō su tais hamartais, ē legara; Egerasōr kai peripatasōr?… to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?
Matthew 10:11eis han de an polan ē kōman eiserchaveia, exetazavar tinos en auta …Whatever town or village you enter, find out who …
Matthew 10:14… logoin vu, exerchorōntois exō tau oikiau ē tau polau ekeinau ektinassavar ton koniorton …… feet when you leave that home or town.
Matthew 10:15… Sodomeiu kai Gomorreiu en hēmera krisiau ē ta pola ekeina.… Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
Matthew 10:19… de paradōaleia vin, mē merimnaveia pōs ē tinem lalaveia; dōiti gar vi en …… not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour …
Matthew 10:37tos filarōntos patron ē mētēran huper min ouk atō mu …Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not …
Matthew 10:37… mu axios; kai tos filarōntos huion ē thugatran huper min ouk atō mu …… Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not …
Matthew 11:3legata auto; Sis asō tos erchorōntos ē heteron prosdokanō?… the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?”
Matthew 11:22… Sidōna anektoterem eti en hēmera krisiau ē vi.… Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
Matthew 11:24… Sodomeiu anektoterem eti en hēmera krisiau ē si.… Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
Matthew 12:5ē ouk anagnōskava en to nomo hoti …Or haven’t you read in the Law …
Matthew 12:25… kata heautau erēmotō, kai pantas polas ē oikias merizirantas kata heautau ouk stēiti.… be laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not …
Matthew 12:29ē pōs dunotō tinos eiserchara eis tan …Or again, how can anyone enter a …
Matthew 12:33… kalem kai ton karpon auteu kalon, ē poiavar tem dendrem saprem kai ton …… and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its …
Matthew 13:21… alla proskairos atō, generantau de thlipsiau ē diōgmou dia ton logon euthuos skandalizotō.… for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word …
Matthew 15:4… tan mētēran, kai; Tos kakologarōntos patron ē mētēran thanato teleutatōr;… and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’
Matthew 15:5… legavō; Hos an legateia to patro ē ta mētēra; Dōrem hem ean ek …… if anyone says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received …
Matthew 16:14… allosois de Ēliaon, heterois de Ieremion ē henon toiu profētoiu.… say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
Matthew 16:26… kerdainateia tan de psuchan autou zēmiiteia? ē tinem dōati anthrōpos antallagmem tau psuchau …… whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in …
Matthew 17:25“or”… tau gēau apo tinoiu labalō teleim ē kēnson? apo toiu huioiu autoiu ē …… He asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs and taxes: from their own sons, or from others?”
Matthew 17:25… ē kēnson? apo toiu huioiu autoiu ē apo toiu allotrioiu?… and taxes: from their own sons, or from others?”
Matthew 18:8Ei de tas cheiras su ē tos podos su skandalizatō sin, ekkoptasar …If your hand or your foot causes you to sin …
Matthew 18:8… atō eiserchara eis tan zōan kullon ē chōlon, ē duo cheirain ē duo …… for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have two hands …
Matthew 18:8… eis tan zōan kullon ē chōlon, ē duo cheirain ē duo podoin echarōnton …… to enter life crippled or lame than to have two hands and two …
Matthew 18:8“or”… kullon ē chōlon, ē duo cheirain ē duo podoin echarōnton balira eis tem …… life crippled or lame than to have two hands and two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire.
Matthew 18:9… atō monofthalmon eis tan zōan eiserchara, ē duo ofthalmoin echarōnton balira eis tan …… to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be …
Matthew 18:13… vi hoti chairatō epi aute mallon ē epi tei enenēkonta ennea tei mē …… rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not …
Matthew 18:16… akouateia, paralabasar meta su ēti henon ē duo, hina epi stomeu duo marturoiu …… he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every …
Matthew 18:16… duo, hina epi stomeu duo marturoiu ē treis stēiteia pantem rēmem;… established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’
Matthew 18:20hou gar alō duo ē treis sunagorēntois eis tem ēmem onomem, …For where two or three gather together in My name …
Matthew 19:24… atō kamēlan dia trupēmeu rafisau eiserchara ē plousion eis tan basileian tou theou.… through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter …
Matthew 19:29kai pantos hotinos afiēkata oikiain ē adelfoin ē adelfain ē patron ē …And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or …
Matthew 19:29… pantos hotinos afiēkata oikiain ē adelfoin ē adelfain ē patron ē mētēran ē …… who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or …
Matthew 19:29… afiēkata oikiain ē adelfoin ē adelfain ē patron ē mētēran ē gunaikan ē …… left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or …
Matthew 19:29… ē adelfoin ē adelfain ē patron ē mētēran ē gunaikan ē tekneim ē …… or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or …
Matthew 19:29… ē adelfain ē patron ē mētēran ē gunaikan ē tekneim ē agroin heneken …… or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for …
Matthew 19:29… ē patron ē mētēran ē gunaikan ē tekneim ē agroin heneken teu onomeu …… or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake …
Matthew 19:29… ē mētēran ē gunaikan ē tekneim ē agroin heneken teu onomeu mu, hekatontaplasiōneim …… or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My …
Matthew 20:15… hem thelamō poiara en tei ēmei? ē tos ofthalmos su ponēros atō hoti …… I please with what is mine? Or are you envious because I am …
Matthew 21:25… tem Iōannou pothen ate? ek ouranou ē ek anthrōpoiu? tois de dialogizole en …… John’s baptism? Was it from heaven or from men?” They deliberated among themselves …
Matthew 22:17… si dokatō; exestinatō dōara kēnson Kaisaro ē ou?… lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
Matthew 23:17… tinos gar megoteros atō, tos chrusos ē tos naos tos hagiazarantos ton chruson?… fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?
Matthew 23:19tufloir, tinem gar megoterem, tem dōrem ē tem thusiastēriem tem hagiazarōntem tem dōrem?… men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred?
Matthew 24:23… vi legateia; Idou hōde tos christos, ē; Hōde, mē pisteuaveia;… you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe …
Matthew 25:37… pote sin horana peinarōnton kai trefana, ē dipsarōnton kai potizana?… see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to …
Matthew 25:38… de sin horana xenon kai sunagana, ē gumnon kai peribalana?… a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?
Matthew 25:39pote de sin horana asthenarōnton ē en fulaka kai erchana pros sin?When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’
Matthew 25:44… legarōntois; Kurior, pote sin horana peinarōnton ē dipsarōnton ē xenon ē gumnon ē …… when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked …
Matthew 25:44… pote sin horana peinarōnton ē dipsarōnton ē xenon ē gumnon ē asthenon ē …… we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick …
Matthew 25:44… horana peinarōnton ē dipsarōnton ē xenon ē gumnon ē asthenon ē en fulaka …… hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison …
Matthew 25:44… ē dipsarōnton ē xenon ē gumnon ē asthenon ē en fulaka kai ouk …… thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did …
Matthew 25:44… ē xenon ē gumnon ē asthenon ē en fulaka kai ouk diakonana si?… a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister …
Matthew 26:53“or”ē dokasō hoti ouk dunomō parakalara ton …… not aware that I can call on My Father …
Matthew 27:17… thelavō apoluameia vi, Iēsun ton Barabbon ē Iēsun ton legorōnton christon?… me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”
Mark 2:9… to paralutiko; Afiēkolō su tais hamartais, ē legara; Egerasōr kai airasar ton krabatton …… a paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up …
Mark 3:4… legatō autoi; Exestinatō tei sabbatei agathopoiara ē kakopoiara, psuchan sōzara ē apoktenara? tois …… on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life …
Mark 3:4… sabbatei agathopoiara ē kakopoiara, psuchan sōzara ē apoktenara? tois de siōpale.… to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” But they were …
Mark 3:33“or”… legatō; Tinas atō tas mētēras mu ē tois adelfois mu?… Jesus replied, “Who are My mother and My brothers?”
Mark 4:17… alla proskairois alō, eita generantau thlipsiau ē diōgmou dia ton logon euthuos skandalizolō.… for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word …
Mark 4:21… luchnos hina hupo ton modion tithiteia ē hupo tan klinan, ouk hina epi …… to put it under a basket or under a bed? Doesn’t he set …
Mark 4:30“or”… Pōs homoianeia tan basileian tou theou, ē en tina autan parabola tithaneia?… can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it?
Mark 6:56“or”kai hopou an eisporeuote eis kōmain ē eis polain ē eis agroin en …And wherever He went — villages and towns and countrysides — they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him just to let them …
Mark 6:56“or”… eisporeuote eis kōmain ē eis polain ē eis agroin en tai agorai tithale …… wherever He went — villages and towns and countrysides — they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him just to let them …
Mark 7:10… mētēran su, kai; Tos kakologarōntos patron ē mētēran thanato teleutatōr;… and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’
Mark 7:11… legavō; Ean legateia anthrōpos to patro ē ta mētēra; Korban, hem atō Dōrem, …… a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received …
Mark 7:12… afiēkavō auton oudenem poiara to patro ē ta mētēra,… to do anything for his father or mother.
Mark 9:43… sin kullon eiserchara eis tan zōan ē tain duo cheirain echarōnton aperchara eis …… for you to enter life crippled than to have two hands and go …
Mark 9:45… sin eiserchara eis tan zōan chōlon ē toin duo podoin echarōnton balira eis …… for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be …
Mark 9:47… eiserchara eis tan basileian tou theou ē duo ofthalmoin echarōnton balira eis tan …… kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be …
Mark 10:25… dia tau trumaliau tau rafisau dierchara ē plousion eis tan basileian tou theou …… through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter …
Mark 10:29… vi, oudenos atō hos afiēkata oikian ē adelfoin ē adelfain ē mētēran ē …… no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or …
Mark 10:29… atō hos afiēkata oikian ē adelfoin ē adelfain ē mētēran ē patron ē …… who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or …
Mark 10:29… afiēkata oikian ē adelfoin ē adelfain ē mētēran ē patron ē tekneim ē …… left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or …
Mark 10:29… ē adelfoin ē adelfain ē mētēran ē patron ē tekneim ē agroin heneken …… or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for …
Mark 10:29… ē adelfain ē mētēran ē patron ē tekneim ē agroin heneken mu kai …… or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for My sake …
Mark 10:29… ē mētēran ē patron ē tekneim ē agroin heneken mu kai heneken teu …… or mother or father or children or fields for My sake and for …
Mark 10:38… pinara tem potēriem hem mis pinamō, ē tem baptismem hem mis baptizomō baptizira?… drink the cup I will drink, or be baptized with the baptism I …
Mark 10:40tem de kathizara ek dexeiu mu ē ek euōnumeiu ouk atō ēmem dōara, …But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to grant …
Mark 11:28“or”… auto; En poia exousia houteim poiasō? ē tinos si dōata tan exousian houtan …“By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You the authority to do …
Mark 11:30… baptismem tem Iōannou ek ouranou ate ē ek anthrōpoiu? apokrinivar mi.John’s baptism — was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me!”
Mark 12:14… theou didaskasō; exestinatō dōara kēnson Kaisaro ē ou? dōaneia ē mē dōaneia?… lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them or …
Mark 12:14… dōara kēnson Kaisaro ē ou? dōaneia ē mē dōaneia?… or not? Should we pay them or not?”
Mark 13:32Peri de tau hēmerau ekeinau ē tau hōrau oudenos oidatē, oude tois …No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in …
Mark 13:35… pote tos kurios tau oikiau erchotō, ē opse ē mesonuktiem ē alektorofōniau ē …… master of the house will return — whether in the evening, at midnight, when …
Mark 13:35“or”… kurios tau oikiau erchotō, ē opse ē mesonuktiem ē alektorofōniau ē prōi,… when the master of the house will return — whether in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning.
Mark 13:35“or”… oikiau erchotō, ē opse ē mesonuktiem ē alektorofōniau ē prōi,… of the house will return — whether in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning.
Mark 13:35… ē opse ē mesonuktiem ē alektorofōniau ē prōi,… at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning.
Ē1×
Matthew 12:33“either”Ē poiavar tem dendrem kalem kai ton …Make a tree good and its fruit …