3760. oudamós

Lexicon

oudamós: By no means, in no way, not at all

Original Word: οὐδαμῶς
Part of Speech: Adverb, Negative
Transliteration: oudamós
Pronunciation: oo-dam-oce'
Phonetic Spelling: (oo-dam-oce')
Definition: By no means, in no way, not at all
Meaning: by no means, not at all.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

by no means

Adverb from (the feminine) of oudeis; by no means -- not.

see GREEK oudeis

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from oudamos (not even one, cf. médamós)
Definition
by no means
NASB Translation
no means (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3760: οὐδαμῶς

οὐδαμῶς (from οὐδαμός, not even one; and this from οὐδέ and ἆμος (allied perhaps with ἅμα; cf. Vanicek, p. 972; Curtius, § 600)), adverb, from Herodotus (and Aeschylus) down, by no means, in no wise: Matthew 2:6.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from οὐδείς (oudeis), meaning "no one" or "nothing," combined with the adverbial suffix -μῶς (-mōs), which indicates manner or degree.

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct Hebrew equivalent for the Greek adverb οὐδαμῶς, similar expressions of strong negation can be found in Hebrew, such as לֹא (lo, Strong's Hebrew 3808), which means "no" or "not," and is used to convey negation in various contexts throughout the Old Testament. Another related term is בַּל (bal, Strong's Hebrew 1077), which also signifies negation or prohibition. These Hebrew terms, like οὐδαμῶς, serve to express definitive negation in their respective scriptural contexts.

Usage: This adverb is used in the New Testament to emphasize a strong negation, often in response to a question or statement, to assert that something is absolutely not the case.

Context: The Greek adverb οὐδαμῶς appears in the New Testament as a forceful expression of negation. It is employed to convey an emphatic denial or rejection of a proposition or possibility. The term underscores the impossibility or non-existence of a particular situation or action. In the Berean Standard Bible, οὐδαμῶς is translated as "by no means" or "certainly not," reflecting its role in reinforcing the certainty of a negative statement.

For example, in Matthew 5:20, Jesus uses a form of this word to emphasize the necessity of surpassing the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees to enter the kingdom of heaven: "For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." Here, the use of οὐδαμῶς underscores the impossibility of entering the kingdom without exceeding the specified standard of righteousness.

The adverb is also found in other contexts where a strong denial is required, serving as a linguistic tool to eliminate any doubt or ambiguity regarding the negation being expressed. Its usage is consistent with the broader biblical theme of absolute truths and moral certainties.

Forms and Transliterations

ουδαμως ουδαμώς οὐδαμῶς oudamos oudamôs oudamōs oudamō̂s

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 2:6 Adv
GRK: γῆ Ἰούδα οὐδαμῶς ἐλαχίστη εἶ
NAS: OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST
KJV: of Juda, art not the least among
INT: land of Judah in no way least are

Strong's Greek 3760
1 Occurrence

οὐδαμῶς — 1 Occ.