A primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than -- and, but (either), (n-)either, except it be, (n-)or (else), rather, save, than, that, what, yea. Often used in connection with other particles. Compare especially ede, eper, etoi.

see GREEK ede

see GREEK eper

see GREEK etoi

1. to distinguish things or thoughts which either mutually exclude each other, or one of which can take the place of the other: or (Latinaut,vel);

a. to distinguish one thing from another in words of the same construction: Matthew 5:17 (τόν νόμον ἤ τούς προφήτας), Matthew 5:36 (λευκήν ἤ μέλαιναν); Matthew 6:31; Matthew 7:16; Mark 6:56; Mark 7:11; Luke 2:24; Luke 9:25; John 7:48; John 13:29; Acts 1:7; Acts 3:12; Acts 4:7; Romans 1:21; Romans 3:1; 1 Corinthians 4:3; 1 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Corinthians 10:19; Galatians 1:10, etc.

b. after an interrogative or a declarative sentence, before a question designed to prove the same thing in another way: Matthew 7:4, 9; Matthew 12:29; Matthew 16:26; Matthew 26:53; Mark 8:37; Luke 13:4; Luke 14:31; Luke 15:8; Romans 9:21; Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 6:16.

c. before a sentence contrary to the one just preceding, to indicate that if one be denied or refuted the other must stand: Matthew 20:15 (i. e. or, if thou wilt not grant this, is thine eye etc.); Romans 3:29; 1 Corinthians 9:6; 1 Corinthians 10:22; 1 Corinthians 11:14 (Rec.); ; 2 Corinthians 11:7; ἤ ἀγνοεῖτε etc., Romans 6:3; Romans 7:1 (cf. Romans 6:14); ἤ οὐκ ὀικατε etc., Romans 11:2; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 16, 19.

d. ἤ ... ἤ, either ... or, Matthew 6:24; Matthew 12:33; Luke 16:13; Acts 24:20; 1 Corinthians 14:6.

2. in a disjunctive question it corresponds to the Latinan afterutrum;

a. preceded by πότερον, John 7:17; cf. Klotz ad Dev. 2:2, p. 574f; preceded by the interrogative μή, 1 Corinthians 9:8; preceded by μήτι, 2 Corinthians 1:17.

b. without an intertog. particle in the first member of the interrogation: τί ἐστι εὐκοπώτερον, εἰπεῖν ... ἤ εἰπεῖν, Matthew 9:5; Mark 2:9; Luke 5:23; add, Matthew 21:25; Matthew 23:17, 19; Matthew 27:17; Mark 3:4; Luke 7:19; Acts 8:34.

c. ἤ ... ἤ ... ἤ, Mark 13:35.

3. as a comparative conjunction, than;

a. after comparatives: Matthew 10:15; Matthew 11:22; Luke 9:13; Luke 16:17; John 3:19; John 4:1 (Tr marginal reading omits; WH brackets ἤ); Acts 4:19; Romans 13:11, and often. ἤ is lacking after πλείους followed by a noun of number: Matthew 26:53 T Tr WH; Acts 4:22; Acts 23:13, 21; Acts 24:11 (where Rec. adds ἤ); cf. Matthiae, § 455 note 4; Kühner, ii., p. 847; (Jelf, § 780 Obs. 1); Winers Grammar, 595 (554); (Buttmann, 168 (146)); Lob. ad Phryn., p. 410f.

b. after ἕτερον: Acts 17:21.

c. πρίν ἤ, before that, before, followed by accusative with an infinitive (cf. Buttmann, § 139, 35; Winer's Grammar, § 44, 6, also, p. 297 (279)): Matthew 1:18; Mark 14:30; Acts 2:20 R G WH marginal reading; Acts 7:2; followed by the aorist subjunc, Luke 2:26 Tr text omits; WH brackets ἤ; R G (others ἕως); followed by present optative, Acts 25:16.

d. after θέλω equivalent to to prefer: 1 Corinthians 14:19 (followed by ἤπερ, 2 Macc. 14:42); examples from Greek authors are given in Klotz ad Devar. 2:2, p. 589f; Winers Grammar, § 35, 2 c.; (Buttmann, § 149, 7); Kühner, ii., p. 841; (Jelf, § 779 Obs. 3).

e. after οὐ: John 13:10 R G, where after οὐ χρείαν ἔχει the sentence goes on as though the writer had said οὐκ ἄλλου τίνος χρείαν ἔχει, (cf. Winers Grammar, 508 (478)).

f. after positive notions, to which in this way a comparative force is given: after καλόν ἐστι (it is good ... rather than) equivalent to it is better, Matthew 18:8; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; cf. Menander's saying καλόν τό μή ζῆν, ἤ ζῆν ἀθλιως, and Plautus rud. 4, 4, 70 tacita mulier est bona semper, quam loquens; similar examples in the O. T. are Genesis 49:12; Psalm 117:8 (); Jonah 4:3, 8; Tobit 6:13 Tobit 12:8; Sir. 20:25 Sir. 22:15; 4 Macc. 9:1; also after λυσιτελεῖ (it is gain ... rather than) equivalent to it is better (Tobit 3:6), Luke 17:2; after χαρά ἐστι (there will be joy ... more than), Luke 15:7; see examples from Greek authors in Alexander Buttmann (1873) Gram. § 149, 7; (Buttmann, p. 360 (309)); Winer, Kühner, others, as above.

4. with other particles;

a. ἀλλ' ἤ, see ἀλλά, I. 10, p. 28a.

b. ἤ γάρ, see γάρ, I. at the end c. ἤ καί (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 53, 6 note), α. or even, or also (Latinautetiam,veletiam): (Matthew 7:10 L T Tr WH); Luke 11:11 G L T Tr WH; Luke 11:12; Luke 18:11; Romans 2:15; 1 Corinthians 16:6; 2 Corinthians 1:13. β. or also (Latinanetiam) (in a disjunctive question): Luke 12:41; Romans 4:9.

d. ἤπερ, than at all (Latinquamforte; German alsetwa), after a comparitive (cf. Jelf, § 779 Obs. 5): John 12:43 (L ἤ περ, WH marginal reading ὑπέρ) (2 Macc. 14:42; Homer, Hesiod).

e. ἤτοι ... ἤ, either indeed (cf. Kühner, § 540, 5) ... or: Romans 6:16 (Wis. 11:19; Herodotus and following).