Biblangbeta

conjunction

mēpote

Greekμήποτε (mēpote)

Strong’sG3379

lest at any time, lest, perhaps

stem mēpote-25 times in the New Testamentin 7 of 27 books

Translated as

lest11×so that … not4×otherwise3×or2×can … be1×certainly1×never1×perhaps1×whether1×

What it means

μήποτε

(= μή ποτε, and so written in WH, exc. Mt 25:9),

negative particle,

related to οὔποτε as μή to οὐ.

1. As neg. particle, never: He 9:17 (R, mg., but v. infr.; WH, txt., μή τότε).
2. As conjc., lest ever, lest haply (the idea of chance rather than of time seems to prevail in NT): Mt 4:6(LXX) 5:25 7:6 13:15(LXX), 29 15:32 27:64, Mk 4:12(LXX) 14:2, Lk 4:11 12:58 14:12, 29, Ac 28:27; after verbs of fearing or taking heed, Lk 21:34, He 2:1 3:12 4:1; with ellipse of the verb or ptcp., Lk 14:8, Ac 5:39; in later writers (v. M, Pr., 192 f.), perhaps, Mt 25:9.
3. As interrogative;
(a) in direct questions, like μή, expecting a negative answer: Jo 7:26, He 9:17, (R, txt., cf. Westc., in l.; but v. supr.);
(b) in indirect questions, whether haply, if haply: Lk 3:15, II Ti 2:25.†

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

Strong’s G3379 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from

Saidmay'-pot-eh

not ever; also if (or lest) ever (or perhaps)

Fromfrom G3361 and G4218;

King Jamesif peradventure, lest (at any time, haply), not at all, whether or not.

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

25 occurrences, every one of them listed

mēpote24×

Matthew 4:6“so that … not”kai legatō auto; Ei huios asō tou theou, ballasar siauton katō; grafitē gar hoti Toi angeloi autou entelleti peri su kai epi cheiraiu airali sin, mēpote proskoptaseia pros lithon ton podon su.“If You are the Son of God,” he said, “throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command His angels concerning You, and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”

Matthew 5:25“lest”asōr eunoarōtos to antidiko su tachuem heōs hotinou asō meta autou en ta hoda, mēpote sin paradōateia tos antidikos to krito, kai tos kritos to hupēreto, kai eis fulakan ballisi;Reconcile quickly with your adversary, while you are still on the way to court. Otherwise, he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.

Matthew 7:6“or”Mē dōaveia tem hagiem toi kuōnoi, mēde ballaveia toin margaritoin vu emprosthen toiu choiroiu, mēpote katapatali autoin en toi podoi autoiu kai strefiratois rēgnualeia vin.Do not 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 pieces.

Matthew 13:15“otherwise”pachunita gar tas kardias tou laou houtou, kai tei ouei bareōs akouala, kai toin ofthalmoin autoiu kammuala; mēpote horaleia toi ofthalmoi kai tei ouei akoualeia kai ta kardia suniēkaleia kai epistrefaleia, kai iemi autoin.For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’

Matthew 13:29“lest”tos de fēatō; Ou, mēpote sullegarōtois teim zizanieim ekrizaveia hama autoi ton siton;‘No,’ he said, ‘if you pull the weeds now, you might uproot the wheat with them.

Matthew 15:32“lest”Tos de Iēsus proskaleratos toin mathētoin autou legata; Splanchnizemō epi ton ochlon, hoti ēdē hēmerais treis prosmenalō mi kai ouk echalō tinem esthialeia; kai apoluara autoin nēstioin ouk thelamō, mēpote ekluileia en ta hoda.Then Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may faint along the way.”

Matthew 27:64“otherwise”keleuasar oun asfalizira ton tafon heōs tau tritau hēmerau, mēpote ercharatois tois mathētois autou kleptaleia auton kai legaleia to lao; Egeirita apo toiu nekroiu, kai eti tas eschatas planas cheirōnas tau prōtau.So give the order that the tomb be secured until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come and steal Him away and tell the people He has risen from the dead. And this last deception would be worse than the first.”

Mark 4:12“lest”hina bleparōtois blepaleiō kai mē horaleia, kai akouarōtois akoualeiō kai mē suniēkaleiō, mēpote epistrefaleia kai afiēkiteia autoi.so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”

Mark 14:2“lest”legale gar; Mē en ta heorta, mēpote eti thorubos tou laou.“But not during the feast,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”

Luke 4:11“so that … not”kai hoti Epi cheiraiu airali sin mēpote proskoptaseia pros lithon ton podon su.and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”

Luke 12:58“or”hōs gar hupagasō meta tou antidikou su epi archōnon, en ta hoda dōasar ergasian apallassirē apo autou, mēpote katasurateiō sin pros ton kriton, kai tos kritos sin paradōati to praktōro, kai tos praktōros sin ballati eis fulakan.Make every effort to reconcile with your adversary while you are on your way to the magistrate. Otherwise, he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and the officer may throw you into prison.

Luke 14:8“lest”Hotan kaliseia hupo tinou eis gamoin, mē katakliniseia eis tan prōtoklisian, mēpote entimoteros su ateiō kalirētos hupo autou“When you are invited to a wedding banquet, do not sit in the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited.

Luke 14:12“lest”Legate de kai to kalarēto auton; Hotan poiaseiō aristem ē deipnem, mē fōnasōr toin filoin su mēde toin adelfoin su mēde toin sungenoin su mēde geitōnoin plousioin, mēpote kai autois antikalaleia sin kai gineteia antapodomem si.Then Jesus said to the man who had invited Him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or brothers or relatives or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite you in return, and you will be repaid.

Luke 14:29“otherwise”hina mēpote titharatou autou themelion kai mē ischuarōtou ektelara pantois tois theōrarōtois archeleia auto empaizarōOtherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him,

Luke 21:34“so that … not”Prosechavōr de heautoi mēpote barileia vu tais kardiais en kraipala kai metha kai merimnai biōtikai, kai efistanateia epi vin aifnidias tas hēmeras ekeinasBut watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life — and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.

Acts 5:39“lest”ei de ek theou atō, ouk dunevi kataluara autoin; mēpote kai theomachois heuriskiveia. peithila de auto,But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.”

Acts 28:27“lest”pachunita gar tas kardias tou laou houtou, kai tei ouei bareōs akouala, kai toin ofthalmoin autoiu kammuala; mēpote horaleia toi ofthalmoi kai tei ouei akoualeia kai ta kardia suniēkaleia kai epistrefaleia, kai iemi autoin.For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’

Hebrews 2:1“so that … not”Dia houtem datō perissoterōs prosecharō nin tei akouiratei, mēpote pararraneia.We must pay closer attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

Hebrews 3:12“lest”blepavōr, adelfoir, mēpote eti en tino vu kardias ponēras apistiau en te afistanara apo theou zōarōtou,See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God.

Hebrews 4:1“lest”Fobineia oun mēpote kataleipirōtau epangeliau eiserchara eis tan katapausian autou dokateiō tinos ek vu husterarē;Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be deemed to have fallen short of it.

Luke 3:15“whether”Prosdokarōtou de tou laou kai dialogizerōtoiu pantoiu en tai kardiai autoiu peri tou Iōannou, mēpote autos atoiō tos christos,The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John could be the Christ.

John 7:26“can … be”kai ide parrēsia lalatō kai oudenem auto legalō; mēpote alēthōs gnōskala tois archōnois hoti houtos atō tos christos?Yet here He is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying anything to Him. Have the rulers truly recognized that this is the Christ?

2 Timothy 2:25“perhaps”en prauta paideuarōton toin antidiatitherōtoin, mēpote dōateia autoi tos theos metanoian eis epignōsian alētheiau,He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.

Hebrews 9:17“never”diathēkas gar epi nekroi bebaias, epei mēpote ischuatō hote zōatō tos diatitheratos.because a will does not take effect until the one who made it has died; it cannot be executed while he is still alive.

Mēpote1×

Matthew 25:9“certainly”apokrinila de tais fronimais legarōtais; Mēpote ouk mē arkateia ni kai vi; poreuevōr mallon pros toin pōlarōtoin kai agorazavar heautai.‘No,’ said the wise ones, ‘or there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’