adverb

palai

Greekπάλαι (palai)

Strong’sG3819

of old, long ago

stem palai-7 times in the New Testamentin 7 of 27 books

Translated as

long ago4×all along1×already1×former1×

What it means

πάλαι,

adv. of time,

[in LXX: Is 48:5, 7 (מֵאָז), etc.;]

long ago, of old, in time past (denoting past time absolutely, as πρότερον relatively): Mt 11:21, Lk 10:13, He 1:1, Ju 4; as adj., c. art., II Pe 1:9; of time just past, Mk 6:47 (WH, mg.), 15:44 (WH, mg., R, txt.); c. durat. praes. (RV, all this time), II Co 12:19.†

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

Strong’s G3819 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from

Saidpal'-ahee

(adverbially) formerly, or (by relatively) sometime since; (elliptically as adjective) ancient

Fromprobably another form for G3825 (through the idea of retrocession);

King Jamesany while, a great while ago, (of) old, in time past.

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.

Words built on the same stem

palaios — παλαιός, old, ancient, worn out palaiimō — παλαιόω, I make old, declare obsolete

Where it appears

7 occurrences, every one of them listed

palai6×

Matthew 11:21“long ago”Ouai si, Chorazin; ouai si, Bēthsaida; hoti ei en Tura kai Sidōna ginela tais dunamiais tais gineratais en vi, palai an en sakko kai spoda metanoala.“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

Mark 15:44“already”tos de Pilatos thaumazata ei ēdē thnēskatē, kai proskaleratos ton kenturiōnon eperōtata auton ei palai apothnēskata;Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead, so he summoned the centurion to ask if this was so.

Luke 10:13“long ago”Ouai si, Chorazin; ouai si, Bēthsaida; hoti ei en Tura kai Sidōna ginila tais dunamiais tais gineratais en vi, palai an en sakko kai spoda katherōtois metanoala.Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

Hebrews 1:1“long ago”Polumerōs kai polutropōs palai tos theos lalaratos toi patēroi en toi profētoiOn many past occasions and in many different ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets.

2 Peter 1:9“former”ho gar mē pareiatō houteim, tuflos atō muōpazarōtos, lēthan lambaratos tou katharismou taiu palai autou hamartēmeiu.But whoever lacks these traits is nearsighted to the point of blindness, having forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

Jude 1:4“long ago”pareisduala gar tinois anthrōpois, tois palai prografirētois eis houtem tem krimem, asebois, tan tou theou nu charian metatitharōtois eis aselgeian kai ton monon despoton kai kurion nu Iēsun Christon arnerōtois.For certain men have crept in among you unnoticed — ungodly ones who were designated long ago for condemnation. They turn the grace of our God into a license for immorality, and they deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Palai1×

2 Corinthians 12:19“all along”Palai dokavō hoti vi apologenō? katenanti theou en Christo lalanō. teim de panteim, agapētoir, huper tau vu oikodomau,Have you been thinking all along that we were making a defense to you? We speak before God in Christ, and all of this, beloved, is to build you up.