adverb
mēge
Greekμήγε (mēge)
Strong’sG3361
otherwise, if not
stem mēge-5 times in the New Testament
Translated as
What it means
μήγε, v.s. γε.
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G3361 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidmay
(adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas G3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether
Froma primary particle of qualified negation (whereas G3756 expresses an absolute denial);
King Jamesany but (that), X forbear, + God forbid, + lack, lest, neither, never, no (X wise in), none, nor, (can-)not, nothing, that not, un(-taken), without.
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
mēge5×
Luke 5:36“*”legate de kai parabolan pros autoin hoti Oudenos epiblēmem apo himatieu kaineu schizaratos epiballatō epi himatiem palaiem; ei de mēge, kai tem kainem schizati kai te palaie ouk sumfōnati tem epiblēmem tem apo teu kaineu.He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will tear the new garment as well, and the patch from the new will not match the old.
Luke 5:37“*”kai oudenos ballatō oinon neon eis askoin palaioin; ei de mēge, rēgnuati tos oinos tos neos toin askoin, kai autos ekchiti kai tois askois apollueli;And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will spill, and the wineskins will be ruined.
Luke 10:6“otherwise”kai ean ateiō ekei huios eirēnau, epanapauiti epi auton tas eirēnas vu; ei de mēge, epi vin anakamptati.If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.
Luke 13:9“otherwise”kan men poiateia karpon eis tem mellarōtem ei de mēge, ekkoptasi autan.If it bears fruit next year, fine. But if not, you can cut it down.’”
Luke 14:32“otherwise”ei de mēge, ēti autou porrō arōtou presbeian apostelaratos erōtatō teim pros eirēnan.And if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace.