3365. médamós

Lexicon

médamós: By no means, not at all, never

Original Word: μηδαμῶς
Part of Speech: Adverb, Negative
Transliteration: médamós
Pronunciation: may-dam-OS
Phonetic Spelling: (may-dam-oce')
Definition: By no means, not at all, never
Meaning: by no means, not at all.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

not so.

Adverb from a compound of me and amos (somebody); by no means -- not so.

see GREEK me

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
adverb from médamos; from méde and hamos (anyone)
Definition
by no means
NASB Translation
no means (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3365: μηδαμῶς

μηδαμῶς (adverb from μηδαμός, and this from μηδέ, and ἆμος someone (perhaps allied with ἅμα, which see)) (from Aeschylus, Herodotus down), by no means, not at all: namely, τοῦτο γένοιτο, in replies after an imperative (A. V. Not so), Acts 10:14; Acts 11:8. (the Sept. for חָלִילָה.)

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek negative particle μή (mē) meaning "not" and the adverbial form δαμῶς (damōs), which is related to the idea of "in any way" or "at all."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct Hebrew equivalent for μηδαμῶς, similar expressions of strong negation can be found in Hebrew, such as the use of לֹא (lo) for "no" or "not" and חָלִילָה (chalilah) for "far be it" or "God forbid." These terms are used in the Hebrew Bible to convey strong denial or rejection, similar to the function of μηδαμῶς in the Greek New Testament.

Usage: This word is used in the New Testament to emphasize a strong denial or to reject a proposition emphatically. It is often translated as "by no means" or "certainly not" in English translations.

Context: The Greek adverb μηδαμῶς (mēdamōs) appears in the New Testament as a forceful expression of negation. It is employed to convey a strong denial or rejection of a statement or action. The use of μηδαμῶς is relatively rare, highlighting its function as an emphatic negation. In the context of the New Testament, it serves to underscore the impossibility or inadmissibility of a particular scenario or proposition.

For example, in the Berean Standard Bible, μηδαμῶς is used in Acts 10:14, where Peter responds to a divine vision with, "By no means, Lord!" This response indicates Peter's initial refusal to accept the command to eat unclean animals, reflecting his adherence to Jewish dietary laws. The use of μηδαμῶς here underscores the strength of Peter's conviction and his initial resistance to the new revelation.

The adverb is also found in other contexts where a strong denial is necessary to clarify doctrinal truths or ethical standards. Its usage is consistent with the broader biblical theme of affirming truth and rejecting falsehood or error.

Forms and Transliterations

Μηδαμως μηδαμώς Μηδαμῶς Medamos Medamôs Mēdamōs Mēdamō̂s

Englishman's Concordance

Acts 10:14 Adv
GRK: Πέτρος εἶπεν Μηδαμῶς κύριε ὅτι
NAS: said, By no means, Lord,
KJV: Peter said, Not so, Lord; for
INT: Peter said In no way Lord for

Acts 11:8 Adv
GRK: εἶπον δέ Μηδαμῶς κύριε ὅτι
NAS: But I said, 'By no means, Lord,
KJV: But I said, Not so, Lord: for
INT: I said moreover In no way Lord for

Strong's Greek 3365
2 Occurrences

Μηδαμῶς — 2 Occ.