3362. ean mé
Lexicon
ean mé: unless, except

Original Word: ἐὰν μή
Part of Speech: Conjunction
Transliteration: ean mé
Pronunciation: eh-an may
Phonetic Spelling: (eh-an' may)
Definition: unless, except
Meaning: before, but, except

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
before, but, except

I.e. ean and me; if not, i.e. Unless -- X before, but, except, if, no, (if, + whosoever) not.

see GREEK me

see GREEK ean

HELPS Word-studies

3362 eán mḗ (consisting of 1437 /eán, "if" and 3361 /mḗ, "not") – unless; literally, "if not."

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
see ean and .

Topical Lexicon
Word Origin: A combination of the conditional particle ἐάν (ean, Strong's 1437) and the negative particle μή (mē, Strong's 3361).

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct Hebrew equivalent for the Greek conditional phrase ἐὰν μή, similar conditional expressions can be found in Hebrew using the conjunction אִם (im, Strong's 518) for "if" and the negative particle לֹא (lo, Strong's 3808) for "not." These are used in various combinations to express conditional negations in the Hebrew Bible.

Usage: This phrase is used to introduce a conditional clause that expresses an exception or a condition that must be met for the main clause to be true. It often appears in contexts where a negative condition is set forth, implying that something will not happen unless a specific condition is fulfilled.

Context: The phrase ἐὰν μή is a conditional expression found in the New Testament, used to denote an exception or a necessary condition. It is a compound of ἐάν, which introduces a conditional clause, and μή, a negative particle. This construction is typically translated as "unless" or "except" in English.

In the New Testament, ἐὰν μή is frequently used by Jesus in His teachings to emphasize the necessity of certain conditions for entering the Kingdom of God or for understanding spiritual truths. For example, in John 3:3 (BSB), Jesus says, "Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." Here, ἐὰν μή sets the condition of being "born again" as essential for seeing the kingdom of God.

The phrase also appears in contexts where it highlights the exclusivity of a particular path or action. In Matthew 18:3 (BSB), Jesus states, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." The use of ἐὰν μή underscores the necessity of humility and childlike faith as prerequisites for entering the kingdom.

Theologically, ἐὰν μή serves to underscore the importance of faith, repentance, and obedience in the Christian life. It often marks the boundary between those who are in alignment with God's will and those who are not, emphasizing the conditional nature of certain spiritual promises and truths.

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