Biblangbeta

adverb

exaifnōs

Greekἐξαίφνης (exaifnēs)

Strong’sG1810

suddenly, unexpectedly

stem exaifn-5 times in the New Testamentin 3 of 27 books

Translated as

suddenly5×

What it means

ἐξ-αίφνης (WH, ἐξέφνης, exc. Ac 22:6; v. App., p. 151, and cf. M, Pr., 35), adv.

(< ἄφνω), [in LXX chiefly for פִתְאׄם;]

suddenly Mk 13:36, Lk 2:13 9:39, Ac 9:3 22:6.†

G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.

Strong’s G1810 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from

Saidex-ah'-eef-nace

of a sudden (unexpectedly)

Fromfrom G1537 and the base of G160;

King Jamessuddenly.

James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.

Every form

This word never changes. It is spelled the same wherever it appears, so there is nothing to learn beyond the word itself.

Where it appears

5 occurrences, every one of them listed

exaifnōs5×

Mark 13:36“suddenly”mē ercharatos exaifnōs heuriskateia vin katheudarōtoin;Otherwise, he may arrive without notice and find you sleeping.

Luke 2:13“suddenly”kai exaifnōs gineta sun to angelo plēthem stratiau ouraniau ainarōtoiu ton theon kai legarōtoiu;And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying:

Luke 9:39“suddenly”kai idou pneumem lambatō auton, kai exaifnōs krazatō, kai sparassatō auton meta afrou kai mogōs apochōratō apo autou suntribarōtem auton;A spirit keeps seizing him, and he screams abruptly. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It keeps mauling him and rarely departs from him.

Acts 9:3“suddenly”en de te poreuerō gineta auton engizarō ta Damaska, exaifnōs tē auton periastraptata fōtem ek tou ouranou,As Saul drew near to Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.

Acts 22:6“suddenly”Gineta de mi poreuerōto kai engizarōto ta Damaska peri mesēmbrian exaifnōs ek tou ouranou periastraptara fōtem hikanem peri min,About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.