conjunction
hotan
Strong’sG3752
when, whensoever
stem hotan-123 times in the New Testamentin 17 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
ὅταν means "whenever" — a time word used to mark an action as happening at some indefinite point in the future, whenever the stated condition or circumstance is met 1234. It regularly introduces a clause about something expected to occur, without saying exactly when 13, and normally takes a verb in the subjunctive mood for this future, hypothetical use 13.
Alongside this, the word is also used, especially in the Greek Old Testament and occasionally in the New Testament, with a plain indicative verb to describe something happening or recurring "when" it does occur, rather than a merely hypothetical future case 13. Strong's adds that in this use it can also shade into meanings like as long as, till, or while 2.
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
ὅταν (for ὅτ’ ἄν = ὅτε ἄν),
temporal particle, with a conditional sense, usually of things expected to occur in an indefinite future;G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G3752 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidhot'-an
whenever (implying hypothesis or more or less uncertainty); also causatively (conjunctionally) inasmuch as
King Jamesas long (soon) as, that, + till, when(-soever), while.
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
for ὅτ᾽ ἄν (ὅτε ἄν) as sometimes in codices: adverb of Time,
A whenever, with a conditional force, so as nearly to ={ἐάν} (see. εἰ Refs 5th c.BC+, referring to an indefinite future Refs 8th c.BC+; also of events like ly to recur,Refs: also in Epic dialect ὅτε κεν Refs 8th c.BC+: repeated for rhetorical effect, ὅ. ὡς ὑβρίζων, ὅ. ὡς ἐχθρὸς ὑπάρχων, ὅ. κονδύλοις, ὅ. ἐπὶ κόρρης Refs 4th c.BC+
A.b later causal, since, ὅταν.. ᾖ since it is, Refs 4th c.BC+; in earlier examples the application to the particular case is less directly expressed, καὶ τοῦτο τυφλὸν ὅταν ἐγὼ βλέπω βραχύ this too (i.e. my staff) is blind when I am (= when its owner is) short-sighted, Refs 5th c.BC+
A.2 never with indicative in early authors, except in Refs 8th c.BC+; and in Refs 8th c.BC+: but frequently in LXX with imperfect indicative, as ὅταν εἰσήρχετο LXX+2nd c.BC+: also with aorist indicative, LXX+NT: with future indicative, ὅταν ἕξουσι Refs 2nd c.AD+; ὅταν ὄψεσθε (variant{ὄψησθε}) NT: with present indicative, ὅταν δείκνυται Refs 1st c.BC+
A.3 never with optative in early authors, except in indirect speech, where in orat. recta the subjunctive with ὅταν would have stood, as perhaps Refs 4th c.BC+; ὅτε κεν followed by ἵκοι, Refs 8th c.BC+
A.II Special usages:
A.II.1 to introduce a simile,Refs 8th c.BC+
A.II.2 πρίν γ᾽ ὅ., ={πρίν γε ἢ ὅ}. (see. ὅτε Refs 4th c.BC+
A.II.3 εἰς ὅτε κεν until such time as.., Refs
A.II.4 ὅ. τάχιστα, Latin cum primum, Refs 5th 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.
123 occurrences, 100 of them printed here — the rest are in the reader
hotan85×
Matthew 5:11makariois avō hotan oneidizaleia vin kai diōkaleia kai legaleia …Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and …
Matthew 6:5Kai hotan proseuchoveiō, ouk evi hōs tois hupokritois; …And when you pray, do not be like …
Matthew 6:6sis de hotan proseuchoseiō, eiserchasar eis tem tameiem su …But when you pray, go into your inner …
Matthew 10:19hotan de paradōaleia vin, mē merimnaveia pōs …But when they hand you over, do not …
Matthew 10:23hotan de diōkaleiō vin en ta pola …When they persecute you in one town …
Matthew 13:32“when”… mikroterem men atō panteiu teiu spermeiu, hotan de auxaniteia megoterem teiu lachaneiu atō …Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes …
Matthew 15:2“when”… ouk gar niptolō tain cheirain autoiu hotan arton esthialeiō.… They do not wash their hands before they eat.”
Matthew 19:28… tois akoloutharantois mi en ta palingenesia, hotan kathizateia tos huios tou anthrōpou epi …… in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on …
Matthew 21:40hotan oun erchateia tos kurios tou ampelōnou, …Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard returns …
Matthew 23:15… tan xēran poiara henon prosēluton, kai hotan geneteia poiavō auton huion geennau diplouoteron …… to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him …
Matthew 24:32“when”… de tau sukau mathavar tan parabolan; hotan ēdē tos klados autau geneteia hapalos …Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout …
Matthew 24:33houtōs kai vis, hotan horaveia panteim houteim, gnōskavō hoti engus …So also, when you see all these things, you …
Mark 3:11“whenever”kai teim pneumeim teim akatharteim, hotan auton theōrale, prospiptale auto kai krazale …And when the unclean spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and cried out, “You are …
Mark 4:15“when”… hodan hopou sperotō tos logos, kai hotan akoualeia euthuos erchotō tos Satanos kai …… along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away …
Mark 4:16“when”… tois epi teim petrōdeeim sperorōntois, hois hotan akoualeia ton logon euthuos meta charau …… are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. They hear the word and at once receive it with joy.
Mark 4:29“when”hotan de paradōateia tos karpos, euthuos apostelatō …… soon as the grain is ripe, he swings …
Mark 4:31“when”hōs kokko sinapieu, hos hotan speriteia epi tau gēau, mikroterem arōntem …It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the …
Mark 4:32“when”kai hotan speriteia, anabainatō kai genotō megoterem panteiu …… be the largest of all garden plants …
Mark 8:38… tos huios tou anthrōpou epaischuniti auton hotan erchateia en ta doxa tou patrou …… will also be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father’s glory …
Mark 9:9“when”… mēdeno heim horala diēgeleia, ei mē hotan tos huios tou anthrōpou ek nekroiu …… not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
Mark 11:19Kai hotan opse geneta, ekporeuole exō tau polau.And when evening came, Jesus and His disciples …
Mark 11:25“whenever”kai hotan stēkavō proseuchorōntois, afiēkavōr ei tinem echavō …And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against another, forgive it, so …
Mark 12:25hotan gar ek nekroiu anastēaleia, oute gamalō …When the dead rise, they will neither …
Mark 13:4“when”… houteim eti, kai tinem tem sēmem hotan mellateiō houteim suntelorō panteim.… when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to be fulfilled?”
Mark 13:7hotan de akouaveia polemoin kai akoain polemoiu, …When you hear of wars and rumors …
Mark 13:11kai hotan agaleiō vin paradōarōntois, mē promerimnavōr tinem …But when they arrest you and hand you …
Mark 13:28“when”… de tau sukau mathavar tan parabolan; hotan ēdē tos klados autau hapalos geneteia …Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout …
Mark 13:29houtōs kai vis, hotan horaveia houteim genorōnteim, gnōskavōr hoti engus …So also, when you see these things happening, know …
Mark 14:7… toin ptōchoin echavō meta heautoiu, kai hotan thelaveiō dunovō autoi euōs poiara, min …… you, and you can help them whenever you want. But you will not …
Luke 5:35ercheli de hēmerais, kai hotan apariteia apo autoiu tos numfios tote …But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from …
Luke 6:22Makariois avō hotan misaleia vin tois anthrōpois, kai hotan …Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they …
Luke 6:22… hotan misaleia vin tois anthrōpois, kai hotan aforizaleia vin kai oneidizaleia kai ekbalaleia …… you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you …
Luke 6:26Ouai hotan kalōs vin legaleia pantois tois anthrōpois, …Woe to you when all men speak well of you …
Luke 8:13“when”tois de epi tau petrau hois hotan akoualeia meta charau decholō ton logon, …The seeds on rocky ground are those who hear the word and receive it with joy, but they have no root. They believe for a season, but in the time of …
Luke 9:26… houton tos huios tou anthrōpou epaischuniti, hotan erchateia en ta doxa autou kai …… Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and …
Luke 11:21hotan tos ischuros kathoplizorēntos fulassateiō tan heautou …When a strong man, fully armed, guards …
Luke 11:34… teu sōmeu atō tos ofthalmos su. hotan tos ofthalmos su haplouos ateiō, kai …… is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole …
Luke 11:36“when”… tinem skoteinem, eti fōteinem holem hōs hotan tos luchnos ta astrapa fōtizateiō sin.… full of light, with no part of it in darkness, you will be radiant, as though a lamp were shining …
Luke 12:11hotan de eisferaleiō vin epi tain sunagōgain …When you are brought before synagogues, rulers …
Luke 12:55kai hotan noton pnarōnton, legavō hoti Kausōnos eti, …And when the south wind blows, you say …
Luke 13:28… klauthmos kai tos brugmos toiu odontoiu, hotan horeveia Abraam kai Isaak kai Iakōb …… be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and …
Luke 14:10alla hotan kaliseia poreuirantos anapiptasar eis ton eschaton …But when you are invited, go and sit …
Luke 14:10“when”… anapiptasar eis ton eschaton topon, hina hotan erchateia tos kalarēntos sin legati si; …… and sit in the last place, so that your host will come and tell you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in front of everyone at the table with …
Luke 14:13alla hotan dochan poiaseiō, kalasōr ptōchoin, anapēroin, chōloin, …But when you host a banquet, invite the …
Luke 16:4“when”gnōskama tinem poiameia, hina hotan metastēimeia ek tau oikonomiau decheleia min …I know what I will do so that after my removal from management, people will welcome me into their …
Luke 16:9… ek tou mamōnou tau adikiau, hina hotan eklipateia decheleia vin eis tain aiōniain …… make friends for yourselves so that when it is gone, they will welcome …
Luke 17:10houtōs kai vis, hotan poiaveia panteim teim diatassiranteim vi, legavōr …So you also, when you have done everything commanded of …
Luke 21:7“when”… houteim eti, kai tinem tem sēmem hotan mellateiō houteim genorō?… when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
Luke 21:9hotan de akouaveia polemoin kai akatastasiain, mē …When you hear of wars and rebellions …
Luke 21:30“as soon as”hotan proballaleia ēdē, bleparōntois apo heautoiu gnōskavō …… you can see for yourselves and know that summer …
Luke 21:31houtōs kai vis, hotan horaveia houteim genorōnteim, gnōskavōr hoti engus …So also, when you see these things happening, know …
Luke 23:42kai legate; Iēsur, mimnēskisar mu hotan erchaseia en ta basileia su.Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!”
John 2:10“when”… prōtem ton kalon oinon tithatō, kai hotan methuileia ton elassōnon; sis tērasē ton …… said, “Everyone serves the fine wine first, and then the cheap wine after the guests are drunk. But you have saved the fine wine …
John 4:25… hoti Messios erchotō, tos legorōntos christos; hotan erchateia ekeinos, anangelati ni hapanteim.… that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything …
John 5:7… asthenarōntos; Kurior, anthrōpon ouk echamō hina hotan tarassiteia tem hudem balateia min eis …… to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I …
John 7:27… oidanē pothen atō; tos de christos hotan erchoteiō oudenos gnōskatō pothen atō.… know where this man is from. When the Christ comes, no one will …
John 7:31… eis auton, kai legale; Tos christos hotan erchateia mē pollotereim sēmeim poiati heiu …… however, believed in Him and said, “When the Christ comes, will He perform …
John 8:44… hoti ouk atō alētheias en auto. hotan lalateiō tem pseudem, ek teiu idieiu …… there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native …
John 9:5“as long as”hotan en to kosmo ameiō, fōtem amō …While I am in the world, I am the light of the …
John 10:4hotan teim idieim panteim ekbalateia, emprosthen auteiu …When he has brought out all his …
John 13:19… vi pro teu genera, hina pisteuaveia hotan geneteia hoti mis amō.… now before it happens, so that when it comes to pass, you will …
John 14:29… nun legamē vi prin genera, hina hotan geneteia pisteuaveia.… you before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe.
John 16:4alla houteim lalamē vi hina hotan erchateia tas hōras auteiu mnēmoneuaveiō auteiu …… told you these things so that when their hour comes, you will remember …
John 16:13hotan de erchateia ekeinos, tem pneumem tau …However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He …
John 16:21“when”tas gunaikas hotan tiktateiō lupan echatō, hoti erchata tas …A woman has pain in childbirth because her time has come; but when …
John 16:21… echatō, hoti erchata tas hōras autau; hotan de gennateia tem paidiem, ouketi mnēmoneuatō …… because her time has come; but when she brings forth her child, she …
John 21:18… zōnase siauton kai peripatase hopou thelase; hotan de gēraskaseia, ekteinasi tain cheirain su, …… and walked where you wanted; but when you are old, you will stretch …
Acts 23:35Diakouemi su, fēate, hotan kai tois katēgorois su parageneleia; keleuarantos …… said, “I will hear your case when your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered …
Romans 2:14hotan gar ethneim teim mē nomon echarōnteim …Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the …
Romans 11:27… houtas autoi tas para mu diathēkas, hotan afairemeia tain hamartain autoiu.… this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
1 Corinthians 3:4hotan gar legateiō tinos; Mis men amō …For when one of you says, “I follow …
1 Corinthians 13:10hotan de erchateia tem teleiem, tem ek …but when the perfect comes, the partial passes …
1 Corinthians 14:26Tinem oun atō, adelfoir? hotan sunerchoveiō, hekastos psalmon echatō, didachan echatō, …What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a …
1 Corinthians 15:27… gar hupotassata hupo toin podoin autou. hotan de legateia hoti panteim hupotassotē, dēlem …… put everything under His feet.” Now when it says that everything has been …
1 Corinthians 15:28hotan de hupotassiteia auto teim panteim, tote …And when all things have been subjected to …
1 Corinthians 15:54hotan de tem fthartem houtem endueteia aftharsian …When the perishable has been clothed with …
1 Corinthians 16:2… hem tinem ean euodoteiō, hina mē hotan erchameia tote logeiais genoleiō.… income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will be …
Matthew 9:15… atō tos numfios? ercheli de hēmerais hotan apariteia apo autoiu tos numfios, kai …… them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from …
Matthew 26:29… tau ampelau heōs tau hēmerau ekeinau hotan autem pinameiō meta vu kainem en …… from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you …
Mark 2:20ercheli de hēmerais hotan apariteia apo autoiu tos numfios, kai …But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from …
Mark 12:23“when”en ta anastasia hotan anastēaleia tinou autoiu eti gunaikas? tois …In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be? For all …
Mark 14:25… tau ampelau heōs tau hēmerau ekeinau hotan autem pinameiō kainem en ta basileia …… of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the …
1 Corinthians 15:24eita tem telem, hotan paradōateiō tan basileian to theo kai …Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to …
1 Corinthians 15:24“when”… tan basileian to theo kai patro, hotan katargateia pantan archan kai pantan exousian …… hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power.
Revelation 10:7… hēmerai tau fōnau tou hebdomou angelou, hotan mellateiō salpizarō, kai telita tem mustēriem …… the voice of the seventh angel, when he begins to sound his trumpet …
Hotan15×
Matthew 6:2Hotan oun poiaseiō eleēmosunan, mē salpizaseia emprosthen …So when you give to the needy, do …
Matthew 6:16“whenever”Hotan de nēsteuaveiō, mē genovōr hōs tois …When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for …
Matthew 12:43Hotan de tem akathartem pneumem exerchateia apo …When an unclean spirit comes out of …
Matthew 24:15Hotan oun horaveia tem bdelugmem tau erēmōsiau …So when you see standing in the holy …
Matthew 25:31Hotan de erchateia tos huios tou anthrōpou …When the Son of Man comes in …
Mark 13:14Hotan de horaveia tem bdelugmem tau erēmōsiau …So when you see the abomination of desolation …
Luke 11:2legata de autoi; Hotan proseuchoveiō, legavōr; Patror, hagiazitar tem onomem …So Jesus told them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be …
Luke 11:24Hotan tem akathartem pneumem exerchateia apo tou …When an unclean spirit comes out of …
Luke 12:54“when”Legate de kai toi ochloi; Hotan horaveia nefelan anatellarōntan epi dusmaiu, eutheōs …Then Jesus said to the crowds, “As soon as you see a cloud rising in the west, you say …
Luke 14:8Hotan kaliseia hupo tinou eis gamoin, mē …“When you are invited to a wedding …
Luke 14:12Legate de kai to kalarēnto auton; Hotan poiaseiō aristem ē deipnem, mē fōnasōr …… the man who had invited Him, “When you host a dinner or a …
Luke 21:20Hotan de horaveia kuklorōntan hupo stratopedeiu Ierousalēm, …But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies …
John 8:28legata oun tos Iēsus; Hotan hupsaveia ton huion tou anthrōpou, tote …So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son …
John 15:26Hotan erchateia tos paraklētos hon mis pempami …When the Advocate comes, whom I will …
Acts 24:22… horarēntos teim peri tau hodau, legarantos; Hotan Lusios tos chiliarchos katabainateia diagnōskemi teim …… Way, adjourned the hearing and said, “When Lysias the commander comes, I will …