adjective
mēdenos
Strong’sG3367
no one, nothing
stem mēden-91 times in the New Testamentin 22 of 27 books7 of 26 forms occur
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
μηδείς (feminine μηδεμία, neuter μηδέν) means no one, none, nothing — "not even one" 1234. It stands to οὐδείς (the other Greek word for "no one") much as the negative particle μή stands to οὐ 1. It can be used as a pronoun on its own ("no one," "nothing") or with a following noun in the genitive ("none of...") 1, and functions grammatically as "no" or "not any" before a noun as well as "nothing" as an object of a verb 12.
The neuter form μηδέν is also used adverbially, meaning in no respect, not at all 13.
When μηδείς or μηδέν is combined with another negative word built on μή, the second negative does not cancel the first but reinforces it, making the denial stronger 13.
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
μηδείς, -δεμία, -δέν
(and -θέν, Ac 27:33, a Hellenistic form; v. Bl., § 6, 7; Thackeray, Gr., 58), related to οὐδείς 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 G3367 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
(i.e. μηδὲ εἷς, μηδὲ μία, μηδὲ ἕν): feminine μηδὲ ἴα or μηδεΐα (or -έϊα) Refs:— not one, not even one, nobody (in neuter nothing), once in Refs 8th c.BC+
2 μηδὲ εἷς (so written) is found in Attic dialect Inscrr., as Refsnot even one, μηδὲ ἕν Refs 5th c.BC+: frequently with an intervening Particle or preposition, μηδ᾽ ἂν ἕνα Refs 5th c.BC+; μηδ᾽ ὑφ᾽ ἑνός, μηδ᾽ ὑπὸ μιᾶς, Refs
II nobody, naught, good for naught, κἄμ᾽ ἴσον τῷ μ. Refs 5th c.BC+; μηδέν or τὸ μηδέν as substantive, naught, nothing, κεἰ τὸ μ. ἐξερῶ Refs; μ. λέγειν to say what is naught, Refs 5th c.BC+; of persons, τὸ μ. a good-for-nothing, τὸ μ. εἶναι, of a eunuch, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἧττον αὐτοῖς ἔνι ἢ τὸ μ., i.e. it is a mere impossibility, Refs 5th c.BC+; also μ. εἶναι without the Article, Refs 2nd c.AD+
III neuter μηδέν as adverb, not at all, by no means, μηδὲν ἐγκέλευ᾽ ἄγαν Refs 5th c.BC+: with an adverb, μ. αἰνικτηρίως Refs 5th c.BC+ — When other negatives, also derived from μή, are used with it, they do not destroy, but strengthen the negation, μηδέποτε μηδὲν αἰσχρὸν ποιήσας ἔλπιζε λήσειν never hope to escape, when you have done anything base. Refs 5th c.BC+; compare μηθείς.
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.
Biblang forms
Every form this word takes in Biblang, with the Greek it corresponds to and how often the New Testament uses it.
| Job in the sentence case | masculine singular | feminine singular | neuter singular | masculine plural | feminine plural | neuter plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | mēdenos15×μηδεὶς | mēdenas | mēdenem36×μηδὲν | mēdenois | mēdenais | mēdeneim |
| object accusative | mēdenon9×μηδένα | mēdenan7×μηδεμίαν | mēdenoin | mēdenain | ||
| direct address vocative | mēdenor | mēdenar | mēdenoir | mēdenair | ||
| of, belonging to genitive | mēdenou | mēdenau | mēdeneu3×μηδενὸς | mēdenoiu | mēdenaiu | mēdeneiu |
| to, for dative | mēdeno17×μηδενὶ | mēdena | mēdene4×μηδενὶ | mēdenoi | mēdenai | mēdenei |
Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
mēden is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
91 occurrences, every one of them listed
mēdenos“no one”subjectnominative singular15×
Matthew 9:30… embrimita autoi tos Iēsus legarōntos; Horavōr mēdenos gnōskatōr;… Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one finds out about this!”
Mark 5:43kai diasteleta autoi polleim hina mēdenos gnōskateia houtem, kai legata dōira auta …Then Jesus gave strict orders that no one should know about this, and He …
Mark 11:14… Mēketi eis ton aiōnon ek su mēdenos karpon esthiatoia. kai akouale tois mathētois …… He said to the tree, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again …
1 Corinthians 3:18Mēdenos heauton exapatatōr; ei tinos dokatō sofos …Let no one deceive himself. If any of you …
1 Corinthians 3:21“no one”hōste mēdenos kauchotōr en anthrōpoi; panteim gar vu …… stop boasting in men. All things are yours,
1 Corinthians 10:24mēdenos tem heautou zētatōr alla tem tou …No one should seek his own good, but …
Galatians 6:17Teu loipeu kopoin mi mēdenos parechatōr, mis gar teim stigmeim tou …From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear …
Ephesians 5:6Mēdenos vin apatatōr kenoi logoi, dia houteim …Let no one deceive you with empty words, for …
Colossians 2:4houtem legamō hina mēdenos vin paralogizoteiō en pithanologia.I say this so that no one will deceive you by smooth rhetoric.
Colossians 2:18“no one”mēdenos vin katabrabeuatōr thelarōntos en tapeinofrosuna kai …… who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you with speculation …
1 Timothy 4:12mēdenos su tau neotau katafronatōr, alla tupos …Let no one despise your youth, but set an …
Titus 2:15… parakalasōr kai elenchasōr meta pantau epitagau; mēdenos su perifronatōr.… and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.
James 1:13mēdenos peirazorōntos legatōr hoti Apo theou peirazomō; …When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me …
1 John 3:7teknieim, mēdenos planatōr vin; tos poiarōntos tan dikaiosunan …Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices …
Revelation 3:11erchomō tachu; kratasōr hem echasō, hina mēdenos labateia ton stefanon su.… to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
mēdenon“no one”objectaccusative singular9×
Luke 3:14… poianeia kai nis? kai legata autoi; Mēdenon diaseiaveia mēde sukofantaveia, kai arkovōr tei …… And what should we do?” “Do not take money by force or false …
Luke 10:4“no one”… ballantiem, mē pēran, mē hupodēmeim, kai mēdenon kata tan hodan aspazeveia.… purse or bag or sandals. Do not greet anyone along the road.
John 8:10anakuptarantos de tos Iēsus kai mēdenon theaserantos plēn tau gunaikau legata auta, …Then Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are …
Acts 9:7“no one”… stēalelē eneois, akouarōntois men tau fōnau mēdenon de theōrarōntois.… with Saul stood there speechless. They heard the voice but did not …
Acts 10:28… proserchorō allofulo; kami tos theos deikata mēdenon koinon ē akatharton legarō anthrōpon;… has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.
Acts 24:23“not … any”… tērorō auton echarō tē anesian kai mēdenon kōluarō toiu idioiu autou hupēretarō auto.… centurion to keep Paul under guard, but to allow him some freedom and permit his friends to minister to his needs.
1 Thessalonians 3:3“no one”tem mēdenon sainorō en tai thlipsiai houtai. autois …so that none of you would be shaken by these trials. For …
2 Thessalonians 2:3mē tinos vin exapatateia kata mēdenon tropon; hoti ean mē erchateia tas …Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come …
Titus 3:2mēdenon blasfēmarō, amachoin arō, epieikoin, pantan endeikorōntoin …to malign no one, and to be peaceable and gentle …
mēdeno“no one”to, fordative singular17×
Matthew 8:4“no one”kai legatō auto tos Iēsus; Horasōr mēdeno legaseia, alla hupagasōr siauton deikasar to …Then Jesus instructed him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and …
Matthew 16:20“no one”tote diasteleta toi mathētoi hina mēdeno legaleia hoti autos atō tos christos.Then He admonished the disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ.
Matthew 17:9“no one”… oreu enteleta autoi tos Iēsus legarōntos; Mēdeno legaveia tem horamem heōs hou tos …… down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Do not tell anyone about this vision until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
Mark 1:44kai legatō auto; Horasōr mēdeno mēdenem legaseia, alla hupagasōr siauton deikasar …“See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the …
Mark 7:36“no one”kai diasteleta autoi hina mēdeno legaleiō; hosem de autoi diastelote, autois …Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more He ordered them, the more widely they proclaimed it.
Mark 8:30“no one”kai epitimata autoi hina mēdeno legaleiō peri autou.And Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about Him.
Mark 9:9“no one”… ek teu oreu diasteleta autoi hina mēdeno heim horala diēgeleia, ei mē hotan …… coming down the mountain, Jesus admonished them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the …
Luke 5:14“no one”kai autos parangelata auto mēdeno legara, alla apercharantos deikasar siauton to …“Do not tell anyone,” Jesus instructed him. “But go, show yourself to the priest and …
Luke 8:56“no one”… gonevois autau; tos de parangelata autoi mēdeno legara tem genarēntem.Her parents were astounded, but Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.
Luke 9:21“no one”Tos de epitimarantos autoi parangelata mēdeno legarō houtem,Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone.
Acts 4:17“no”… mēketi lalarō epi te onome houte mēdeno anthrōpoiu.… not to speak to anyone in this name.”
Acts 11:19“no one”… heōs Foinikau kai Kuprau kai Antiocheiau mēdeno lalarōntois ton logon ei mē monem …… Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the message only to Jews.
Acts 23:22“no one”… oun chiliarchos apoluata ton neaniskon parangelarantos mēdeno eklalara hoti houteim emfanizasa pros min.So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Do not tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”
Romans 12:17mēdeno kakosem anti kakoseu apodōarōntois; pronoorōntois kaleim …Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what …
Romans 13:8Mēdeno mēdenem ofeilavōr, ei mē tem allēloin …Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love …
2 Corinthians 6:3“anything”mēdenan en mēdeno dōarōntois proskopan, hina mē mōmiteia tas …We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no one …
1 Timothy 5:22cheirain tacheōs mēdeno epitithasōr, mēde koinōnasōr hamartai allotriai; siauton …Do not be too quick in the laying …
mēdenan“no”objectaccusative singular7×
Acts 13:28kai mēdenan aitian thanatou heuriskarantois aitela Pilaton anairira …And though they found no ground for a death sentence, they …
Acts 25:17“no”sunercharantoiu oun enthade anabolan mēdenan poierantos ta hexēs kathizarantos epi teu …So when they came here with me, I did not delay. The next day I sat on the judgment seat and ordered …
Acts 28:18… anakrinarantois min boulole apoluara dia tem mēdenan aitian thanatou huparcharō en mi;… to release me, because there was no basis for a death sentence against …
2 Corinthians 6:3mēdenan en mēdeno dōarōntois proskopan, hina mē …We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that …
1 Timothy 5:14“no”boulomō oun neoterain gamarō, teknogonarō, oikodespotarō, mēdenan aforman dōarō to antikeiorōnto loidoriau charin;… advise the younger widows to marry, have children, and manage their households, denying the adversary occasion for slander.
Hebrews 10:2… ouk an pauela prosferorōntais, dia tem mēdenan echarō ēti suneidēsian hamartaiu toin latreuarōntoin …… cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt the guilt of …
1 Peter 3:6“any”… geniva tekneim agathopoiarōntais kai mē foborōntais mēdenan ptoēsian.… are her children if you do what is right and refuse to give way to fear.
mēdenem“nothing”subject or objectdirect singular36×
Matthew 27:19… pros auton tas gunaikas autou legarōntas; Mēdenem si kai to dikaio ekeino, polleim …… wife sent him this message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man …
Acts 8:24… huper mu pros ton kurion hopōs mēdenem eperchateia epi min heiu legavē.… the Lord for me, so that nothing you have said may happen to …
Galatians 6:3ei gar dokatō tinos arō tinem mēdenem arōntos, frenapatatō heauton;… he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Titus 3:13“nothing”… nomikon kai Apollon spoudaiōs propempasar, hina mēdenem autoi leipateiō.… Zenas the lawyer and Apollos, so that they will have …
Mark 1:44“nothing”kai legatō auto; Horasōr mēdeno mēdenem legaseia, alla hupagasōr siauton deikasar to …“See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and …
Mark 5:26… dapanarantas teim para autau panteim kai mēdenem ōfelirantas alla mallon eis tem cheirōnem …… spent all she had, but to no avail. Instead, her condition had only …
Mark 6:8kai parangelata autoi hina mēdenem airaleiō eis hodan ei mē rabdan …He instructed them to take nothing but a staff for the journey …
Luke 3:13tos de legata pros autoin; Mēdenem polloterem para tem diatassorēntem vi prassavōr.“Collect no more than you are authorized,” he …
Luke 4:35… eis tem mesem exerchata apo autou mēdenem blaptarantem auton.… before them all and came out without harming him.
Luke 6:35… echthroin vu kai agathopoiavōr kai daneizavōr mēdenem apelpizarōntois; kai eti tos misthos vu …… them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will …
Luke 9:3kai legata pros autoin; Mēdenem airavōr eis tan hodan, mēte rabdan …“Take nothing for the journey,” He told them …
Acts 4:21“no”tois de prosapeilerantois apoluala autoin, mēdenem heuriskarōntois tem pōs kolazeleia autoin, dia …After further threats they let them go. They could not find a way to punish them, because all …
Acts 10:20… anastēarantos katabainasar kai poreuosōr sun autoi mēdenem diakrinorōntos, hoti mis apostelamē autoin.… up! Go downstairs and accompany them without hesitation, because I have sent them.”
Acts 11:12“not”… de tem pneumem mi sunerchara autoi mēdenem diakrinaranton. erchala de sun mi kai …The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers also went with me, and we …
Acts 15:28“no”… te pneume te hagie kai ni mēdenem polloterem epitithorō vi barosem plēn houteiu …… good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements:
Acts 16:28… de fōna mega tos Paulos legarōntos; Mēdenem prassaseia siauto kakosem, hapantois gar anō …… out in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself! We are all here!”
Acts 19:36“nothing”… darōntem atō vin katastelorēntoin huparcharō kai mēdenem propetem prassarō.… are undeniable, you ought to be calm and not do anything rash.
Acts 23:29… enkalorōnton peri zētēmeiu tou nomou autoiu, mēdenem de axiem thanatou ē desmoiu echarōnton …… their own law, but there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.
Acts 25:25mis de katalabema mēdenem axiem auton thanatou prassarē, autou de …But I found he had done nothing worthy of death, and since he …
Acts 27:33“nothing”… Tessareskaidekatan sēmeron hēmeran prosdokarōntois asitois diatelavō, mēdenem proslaberantois;… to eat: “Today is your fourteenth day in constant …
Acts 28:6… pollem de autoiu prosdokarōntoiu kai theōrarōntoiu mēdenem atopem eis auton genorōntem, metaballerantois legale …… waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed …
Romans 13:8“anything”Mēdeno mēdenem ofeilavōr, ei mē tem allēloin agaparō; …… indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he …
1 Corinthians 10:25pantem tem en makelle pōlorōntem esthiavōr mēdenem anakrinarōntois dia tan suneidēsian,… anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,
1 Corinthians 10:27… poreuorō, pantem tem paratithorōntem vi esthiavōr mēdenem anakrinarōntois dia tan suneidēsian;… go, eat anything set before you without raising questions of conscience.
2 Corinthians 6:10… hōs ptōchois polloin de ploutizarōntois, hōs mēdenem echarōntois kai panteim katecharōntois.… poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
2 Corinthians 11:5“not in the least”logizomō gar mēdenem husterarē toiu huperlian apostoloiu;I consider myself in no way inferior to those …
2 Corinthians 13:7… ton theon mē poiara vin kakosem mēdenem, ouk hina nis dokimois fanineia, alla …… God that you will not do anything wrong — not that we will appear …
Philippians 2:3mēdenem kata eritheian mēde kata kenodoxian, alla …Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty …
Philippians 4:6mēdenem merimnavōr, alla en pante ta proseucha …Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and …
2 Thessalonians 3:11“not”… gar tinoin peripatarōntoin en vi ataktōs, mēdenem ergazorōntoin alla periergazorōntoin;For we hear that some of you are leading undisciplined lives, accomplishing nothing, but being busybodies.
1 Timothy 5:21… angeloiu, hina houteim fulassaseia chōris prokrimeu, mēdenem poiarōntos kata prosklisian.… principles without bias, and to do nothing out of partiality.
1 Timothy 6:4tufotē, mēdenem epistorōntos, alla nosarōntos peri zētēsiain kai …he is conceited and understands nothing. Instead, he has an unhealthy interest …
Titus 2:8… akatagnōston, hina tos ek enantiau entrapiteia mēdenem echarōntos legarō peri nu faulem.… opposes us will be ashamed, having nothing bad to say about us.
James 1:6“without any”aitatōr de en pistia, mēdenem diakrinorōntos, tos gar diakrinorōntos eoikatē kludōno …But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown …
3 John 1:7huper gar teu onomeu exerchala mēdenem labarōntois apo toiu ethnikoiu.… on behalf of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.
Revelation 2:10mēdenem fobosōr heim mellasō pascharō. idou mellatō …Do not fear what you are about to …
mēdeneu“nothing”of, belonging togenitive singular3×
Acts 19:40… kinduneuanō enkalorō stasiau peri tau sēmeron mēdeneu aitieu huparcharōnteu peri heu ouk duneni …… for today’s events, and we have no justification to account for this commotion.”
Acts 23:14“nothing”… toi presbuteroi legala; Anatheme anathematizana heautoin mēdeneu geuera heōs hou apoktenaneia ton Paulon.… priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.
1 Thessalonians 4:12“nothing”… peripataveiō euschēmonōs pros toin exō kai mēdeneu chreian echaveiō.… you will behave properly toward outsiders, without being …
mēdene“no”to, fordative singular4×
1 Corinthians 1:7hōste vin mē husterorō en mēdene charisme, apekdechorōntoin tan apokalupsian tou kuriou …Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly await …
2 Corinthians 7:9“no”… lupiva gar kata theon, hina en mēdene zēmiiveia ek nu.… to repentance. For you felt the sorrow that God had intended, and so were not harmed in any way by us.
Philippians 1:28“anything”kai mē pturorōntois en mēdene hupo toiu antikeiorōntoiu hotinas atō autoi …without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a clear …
James 1:4“nothing”… hina aveiō teleiois kai holoklērois, en mēdene leiporōntois.… its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.