Keraia
Lexicon

ἀλλά

allabutHow to read Greek
greekNew TestamentConjunction639 occurrences27 books604 verses

Definition

ἀλλά (ἀλλ᾽ usually bef. α and υ, often bef. ε and η, rarely bef. ο and ω, never bef. ι; Tdf., Pr., 93 f.; WH, App., 146),

adversative particle,

stronger than δέ; prop. neuter pl. of ἄλλος, used adverbially, with changed accent; hence prop. otherwise, on the other hand (cf. Romans 3:31);

1. opposing a previous negation, but: οὐ (μὴ) . . . ἀ., Matthew 5:15, 17, Mark 5:39, John 7:16, al.; rhetorically subordinating but not entirely negativing what precedes, οὐ . . . ἀ., not so much . . . as, Mark 9:37, Matthew 10:20, John 12:44, al.; with ellipse of the negation, Matthew 11:7-9, Acts 19:2, 1 Corinthians 3:6; 6:11; 7:7, 2 Corinthians 7:1, Galatians 2:3, al.; in opposition to a foregoing pos. sentence, ἀ. οὐ, Matthew 24:6, 1 Corinthians 10:23; οὐ μόνον . . . ἀ. καί, John 5:18, Romans 1:32, al.; elliptically, after a negation, ἀ. ἵνα, Mark 14:49, John 1:8; 9:3, al.; = εἰ μή (Bl., §77, 13; M, Pr., 241; but cf. WM, §iii, 10), Matthew 20:23, Mark 4:22.

2. Without previous negation, to express opposition, interruption, transition, etc., but: John 16:20; 12:27, Galatians 2:14; before commands or requests, Acts 10:20; 26:16, Matthew 9:18, Mark 9:22, al.; to introduce an accessory idea, 2 Corinthians 7:11; in the apodosis after a condition or concession with εἰ, ἐάν, εἴπερ, yet, still, at least, Mark 14:29, 1 Corinthians 9:2, 2 Corinthians 4:16, Colossians 2:5, al.; after μέν, Acts 4:17, Romans 14:20, 1 Corinthians 14:17; giving emphasis to the following clause, ἀλλ᾽ ἔρχεται ὥρα, yea, etc., John 16:2; so with neg., ἀλλ᾽ οὐδέ, nay, nor yet, Luke 23:15.

3. Joined with other particles (a practice which increases in late writers; Simcox, LNT, 166), ἀ. γε, yet at least, Luke 24:21, 1 Corinthians 9:2; ἄ ἤ., save only, except, Luke 12:51, 2 Corinthians 1:13; ἀ. μὲν οὖν, Philippians 3:8 (on this usage, see MM, VGT, see word).

Hebrew words it translates

The Hebrew words that the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament renders as ἀλλά:

Usage patterns

Old TestamentNew Testament

Occurrences

639 total
  1. Romans 1:21ἀλλὰ · but
    For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts.
  2. Romans 1:32ἀλλὰ · but
    Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them.
  3. Romans 2:13ἀλλ’ · but [it is]
    For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.
  4. Romans 2:29ἀλλ’ · No; ἀλλ’ · but
    No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise does not come from men, but from God.
  5. Romans 3:27ἀλλὰ · but
    Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of works? No, but on that of faith.
  6. Romans 3:31ἀλλὰ · Instead
    Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Certainly not! Instead, we uphold the law.
  7. Romans 4:2ἀλλ’ · but
    If Abraham was indeed justified by works, he had something to boast about, but not before God.
  8. Romans 4:4ἀλλὰ · but
    Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation.
  9. Romans 4:10ἀλλ’ · but
    In what context was it credited? Was it after his circumcision, or before? It was not after, but before.
  10. Romans 4:12ἀλλὰ · but
    And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
  11. Romans 4:13ἀλλὰ · but
    For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not given through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
  12. Romans 4:16ἀλλὰ · but
    Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may rest on grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
  13. Romans 4:20ἀλλὰ · but
    Yet he did not waver through disbelief in the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
  14. Romans 4:24ἀλλὰ · but
    …but also for us, to whom righteousness will be credited—for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
  15. Romans 5:3ἀλλὰ · but
    Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
  16. Romans 5:11ἀλλὰ · but
    Not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
  17. Romans 5:14ἀλλὰ · Nevertheless
    Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who did not sin in the way that Adam transgressed. He is a pattern of the One to come.
  18. Romans 5:15Ἀλλ’ · But
    But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many!
  19. Romans 6:5ἀλλὰ
    For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection.
  20. Romans 6:13ἀλλὰ · but
    Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness.
  21. Romans 6:14ἀλλὰ · but
    For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
  22. Romans 6:15ἀλλὰ · but
    What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? Certainly not!
  23. Romans 7:7ἀλλὰ · Indeed
    What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law. For I would not have been aware of coveting if the law had not said, “Do not covet.”
  24. Romans 7:13ἀλλὰ · But
    Did that which is good, then, become death to me? Certainly not! But in order that sin might be exposed as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
  25. Romans 7:15ἀλλ’ · But
    I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate, I do.
  26. Romans 7:17ἀλλὰ · but [it is]
    In that case, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
  27. Romans 7:19ἀλλὰ · Instead
    For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do.
  28. Romans 7:20ἀλλὰ · but [it is]
    And if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
  29. Romans 8:4ἀλλὰ · but
    …so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
  30. Romans 8:9ἀλλὰ · but
    You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
  31. Romans 8:15ἀλλὰ · but
    For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption to sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
  32. Romans 8:20ἀλλὰ · but
    For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope
  33. Romans 8:23ἀλλὰ · but
    Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
  34. Romans 8:26ἀλλὰ · but
    In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.
  35. Romans 8:32ἀλλὰ · but
    He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?
  36. Romans 8:37Ἀλλ’ · No
    No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
  37. Romans 9:7ἀλλ’ · On the contrary
    Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
  38. Romans 9:8ἀλλὰ · but [it is]
    So it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring.
  39. Romans 9:10ἀλλὰ · but
    Not only that, but Rebecca’s children were conceived by one man, our father Isaac.
  40. Romans 9:12ἀλλ’ · but
    …not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”
  41. Romans 9:16ἀλλὰ · but
    So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
  42. Romans 9:24ἀλλὰ · but
    …including us, whom He has called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles?
  43. Romans 9:32ἀλλ’ · but
    Why not? Because their pursuit was not by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,
  44. Romans 10:2ἀλλ’ · but
    For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge.
  45. Romans 10:8Ἀλλὰ · But
    But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:
  46. Romans 10:16Ἀλλ’ · But
    But not all of them welcomed the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”
  47. Romans 10:18Ἀλλὰ · But
    But I ask, did they not hear? Indeed they did: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”
  48. Romans 10:19Ἀλλὰ · instead
    I ask instead, did Israel not understand? First, Moses says: “I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation without understanding.”
  49. Romans 11:4Ἀλλὰ · [And]
    And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”