conjunction
mēde
Strong’sG3366
and not, not even
stem mēde-57 times in the New Testamentin 18 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
μηδέ functions as a negative connecting particle, used to carry on a preceding negation or prohibition: it means "and not," "nor," "neither... nor" when it joins two clauses or items after another negative such as μή 123. In this use it links statements the way οὐδέ does, but continues a negation rather than a plain statement 13.
It also works as an adverb strengthening a single negated word or phrase, meaning "not even" 123.
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
μηδέ,
negative particle,related to οὐδέ as μή to οὐ,
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G3366 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
(μή, δέ) negative Particle (compare οὐδέ): as conjunction, and not (Epic dialect also, but not), nor, connecting two whole clauses, used with the same constructions as μή, μή τι σὺ ταῦτα.. διείρεο μηδὲ μετάλλα Refs 8th c.BC+; τεκνοῦσθαι, μηδ᾽ ἄπαιδα θνῄσκειν Refs 5th c.BC+
2 in μηδέ.. μηδέ.. the first μ. may belong to μηδέ A, e.g. Refs 8th c.BC+; but μήτε cannot follow μηδέ:—for μηδέ after οὐδέ, see at {οὐ} Refs 4th c.BC+
B as adverb, joined with a single word or phrase, not even, not either, Refs 8th c.BC+; repeated emphatically, μηδ᾽ ὅντινα γαστέρι μήτηρ κοῦρον ἐόντα φέροι μηδ᾽ ὃς φύγοι let not the babe unborn —no let not even it escape, Refs 8th c.BC+ —for μηδέ τι see at {μήτις}.
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.
57 occurrences, every one of them listed
mēde56×
Matthew 6:25“nor”… merimnavōr ta psucha vu tinem esthiaveia, mēde te sōme vu tinem endueveia; ouchi …… do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more …
Matthew 7:6Mē dōaveia tem hagiem toi kunoi, mēde balaveia toin margaritoin vu emprosthen toiu …… give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to …
Matthew 10:9mē kteveia chruson mēde arguron mēde chalkon eis tain zōnain …Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts.
Matthew 10:9mē kteveia chruson mēde arguron mēde chalkon eis tain zōnain vu,… take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts.
Matthew 10:10mē pēran eis hodan mēde duo chitōnoin mēde hupodēmeim mēde rabdan; …Take no bag for the road, or second tunic, or sandals, or staff …
Matthew 10:10… pēran eis hodan mēde duo chitōnoin mēde hupodēmeim mēde rabdan; axios gar tos …… for the road, or second tunic, or sandals, or staff; for the worker …
Matthew 10:10… hodan mēde duo chitōnoin mēde hupodēmeim mēde rabdan; axios gar tos ergatos tau …… road, or second tunic, or sandals, or staff; for the worker is worthy …
Matthew 10:14kai hos an mē decheteia vin mēde akouateia toin logoin vu, exerchorōntois exō …… if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust …
Matthew 22:29“nor”… autoi; Planovō mē oidarēntois tain grafain mēde tan dunamian tou theou;… You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.
Matthew 23:10mēde kaliveia kathēgētois, hoti kathēgētos vu atō …Nor are you to be called instructors …
Matthew 24:20… mē geneteia tas fugas vu cheimōnou mēde sabbate;… will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath.
Mark 6:11… hos an topos mē decheteia vin mēde akoualeia vu, ekporeuorōntois ekeithen ektinassavar ton …If anyone will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust …
Mark 12:24… houtem planovō mē oidarēntois tain grafain mēde tan dunamian tou theou?… you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?
Mark 13:15“or”tos epi teu dōmeu mē katabainatar mēde eiserchatar tinem airara ek tau oikiau …… no one on the housetop go back inside to retrieve anything from his house.
Luke 3:14… nis? kai legata autoi; Mēdenon diaseiaveia mēde sukofantaveia, kai arkovōr tei opsōniei vu.… Do not take money by force or false accusation,” he said. “Be content …
Luke 12:22… mē merimnavōr ta psucha tinem esthiaveia, mēde te sōme tinem endueveia.… your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will …
Luke 14:12… deipnem, mē fōnasōr toin filoin su mēde toin adelfoin su mēde toin sungenoin …… banquet, do not invite your friends or brothers or relatives or rich neighbors …
Luke 14:12… filoin su mēde toin adelfoin su mēde toin sungenoin su mēde geitonoin plousioin, …… not invite your friends or brothers or relatives or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they …
Luke 14:12… adelfoin su mēde toin sungenoin su mēde geitonoin plousioin, mēpote kai autois antikalaleia …… your friends or brothers or relatives or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite …
Luke 16:26… diabainara enthen pros vin mē dunoleiō, mēde ekeithen pros nin diaperaleiō.… cannot cross from here to you, nor can anyone cross from there to …
Luke 17:23… Idou ekei; Idou hōde; mē aperchaveia mēde diōkaveia.… He is!’ Do not go out or chase after them.
John 4:15“or”… houtem tem hudem, hina mē dipsameiō mēde dierchomeiō enthade antlarō.… give me this water so that I will not get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
John 14:27… vi. mē tarassotōr vu tas kardias mēde deiliatōr.… let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.
Acts 4:18… autoin parangelala tem katholou mē fthengorō mēde didaskarō epi te onome tou Iēsu.… and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name …
Acts 21:21… legarōntos mē peritemarō autoin teim tekneim mēde tei ethei peripatarō.… them not to circumcise their children or observe our customs.
Romans 6:13mēde parastēavōr teim meleim vu hopleim adikiau …Do not present the parts of your body …
Romans 9:11mēpō gar gennirantoiu mēde prassarantoiu tinem agathem ē faulem, hina …Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad …
Romans 14:21kalem tem mē esthiara kreateim mēde pinara oinon mēde en he tos …… is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything …
Romans 14:21… mē esthiara kreateim mēde pinara oinon mēde en he tos adelfos su proskoptatō …… to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything to cause your …
1 Corinthians 5:8“or”hōste heortazaneiō, mē en zuma palaia mēde en zuma kakiau kai ponēriau, alla …Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old bread, leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the …
1 Corinthians 5:11… ē methusos ē harpagos, to toiouto mēde sunesthiarō.… swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
1 Corinthians 10:7mēde eidōlolatrois genovōr, kathōs tinois autoiu; hōsper …Do not be idolaters, as some of them …
1 Corinthians 10:8mēde porneuaneiō, kathōs tinois autoiu porneuala, kai …We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of …
1 Corinthians 10:9mēde ekpeirazaneiō ton Christon, kathōs tinois autoiu …We should not test Christ, as some of them …
1 Corinthians 10:10“nor”mēde gonguzavōr, kathaper tinois autoiu gonguzala, kai …… not complain, as some of them did, and were killed …
2 Corinthians 4:2“or”… tau aischunau, mē peripatarōntois en panourgia mēde dolarōntois ton logon tou theou, alla …… secret and shameful ways. We do not practice deceit, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight …
Ephesians 4:27“nor”mēde dōavōr topon to diabolo.… do not give the devil a foothold.
Philippians 2:3mēdenem kata eritheian mēde kata kenodoxian, alla ta tapeinofrosuna allēloin …Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider …
Colossians 2:21Mē hapteseia mēde geueseia mēde thinganaseia,“Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”?
Colossians 2:21Mē hapteseia mēde geueseia mēde thinganaseia,“Do not handle, do not taste, do not …
2 Thessalonians 2:2… tacheōs saleuira vin apo tou nouou mēde throorō mēte dia pneumeu mēte dia …not to be easily disconcerted or alarmed by any spirit or message …
1 Timothy 1:4“nor”mēde prosecharō muthoi kai genealogiai aperantai, hotinais …… themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculation …
1 Timothy 5:22“not”cheirain tacheōs mēdeno epitithasōr, mēde koinōnasōr hamartai allotriai; siauton hagnon tērasōr.Do not be too quick in the laying on of hands and thereby share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
1 Timothy 6:17“nor”… to nun aiōno parangelasōr mē hupsēlofronarō mēde elpizarē epi ploutou adēlota, alla epi …… in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God …
2 Timothy 1:8… epaischuniseia tem marturiem tou kuriou nu mēde min ton desmion autou, alla sunkakopathasar …… of the testimony of our Lord, or of me, His prisoner. Instead, join …
Hebrews 12:5“or”… Huior mu, mē oligōrasōr paideiau kuriou, mēde ekluosōr hupo autou elenchorōntos;… as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He …
1 Peter 3:14… ton de fobon autoiu mē fobiveia mēde tarassiveia,… is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not …
1 Peter 5:2… mē anankastōs alla hekousiōs kata theon, mēde aischrokerdōs alla prothumōs,… willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed, but out of …
1 Peter 5:3mēde hōs katakurieuarōntois toiu klēroiu alla tupois …not lording it over those entrusted to …
1 John 2:15Mē agapavōr ton kosmon mēde teim en to kosmo. ean tinos …Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone …
1 John 3:18“or”Teknieim, mē agapaneiō logo mēde ta glōssa alla en erge kai …Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.
Mark 2:2kai sunagila pollois hōste mēketi chōrarō mēde teim pros tan thuran, kai lalate …… that there was no more room, not even outside the door, as Jesus spoke …
Mark 3:20… tos ochlos, hōste mē dunorō autoin mēde arton esthiara.… that He and His disciples could not even eat.
Ephesians 5:3“not even”… de kai akatharsias pantas ē pleonexias mēde onomazotōr en vi, kathōs prepatō hagioi,But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.
2 Thessalonians 3:10… hoti ei tinos ouk thelatō ergazorō mēde esthiatōr.… is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.”
Titus 2:3“nor”… hōsautōs en katastēme hieroprepain, mē diabolain mēde oino pollo doulorēntain, kalodidaskalain,Older women, likewise, are to be reverent in their behavior, not slanderers or addicted to much wine, but teachers …
Mēde1×
Mark 8:26“not even”… apostelata auton eis oikon autou legarōntos; Mēde eis tan kōman eiserchaseia.Jesus sent him home and said, “Do not go back into the village.”