Definition
μή,
subjective negative particle,
used where the negation depends on a condition or hypothesis, expressed or understood, as distinct from οὐ, which denies absolutely. μή is used where one thinks a thing is not, as distinct from an absolute negation. As a general rule, οὐ negatives the indic, μή the other moods, incl, ptcp. [In LXX for אֵין ,אַיִן ,אַל ]
I. As a neg. adv., not;
1. with ref. to thought or opinion: John 3:18, Titus 1:11, 2 Peter 1:9.
2. In delib. questions, with subjc. (M, Pr., 185): Mark 12:14, Romans 3:8.
3. In conditional and final sentences, after εἰ, ἐάν, ἄν, ἵνα, ὅπως: Matthew 10:14, Mark 6:11; 12:19, Luke 9:5, John 6:50, Romans 11:25, al.
4. C. inf. (see M, Pr., 234f., 239, 255),
(a) after verbs of saying, etc.: Matthew 2:12; 5:34, Mark 12:18, Acts 15:38, Romans 2:21, al.;
(b) with artic. inf.: after a prep., Matthew 13:5, Mark 4:5, Acts 7:19, 1 Corinthians 10:6, al.; without a prep., Romans 14:13, 2 Corinthians 2:1, 13, 1 Thessalonians 4:6;
(with) in sentences expressing consequence, after ὥστε: Matthew 8:28, Mark 3:20, 1 Corinthians 1:7, 2 Corinthians 3:7, al.
5. C. ptcp. (see M, Pr., 231f., 239), in hypothetical references to persons of a certain character or description: Matthew 10:28; 12:30, Luke 6:49, John 3:18, Romans 4:5, 1 Corinthians 7:38, 1 John 3:10, al.; where the person or thing being definite, the denial is a matter of opinion: John 6:64, 1 Corinthians 1:28; 4:7, 18, 2 Corinthians 5:21, al.; where the ptcp. has a concessive, causal or conditional force, if, though, because not: Matthew 18:25, Luke 2:45, John 7:49, Acts 9:26, Romans 2:14; 5:13, 2 Corinthians 3:14, Galatians 6:9, Jude 5; where the ptcp. has a descriptive force (being such as), not: Acts 9:9, Romans 1:28, 1 Corinthians 10:33, Galatians 4:8, Hebrews 12:27, al.
6. μή prohibitive, in indep. sentences,
(a) with subjc. praes., 1 of person(s) pl.: Galatians 5:26; 6:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:6, 1 John 3:18;
(b) with imperat. praes., usually where one is bidden to desist from what has already begun (cf. M, Pr., 122ff.): Matthew 7:1, Mark 5:36, Luke 6:30, John 2:16; 5:45, Acts 10:15, Romans 11:18, James 2:1, Revelation 5:5, al.;
(with) forbidding that which is still future: with imperat. aor., 3 of person(s), Matthew 24:18, Mark 13:15, Luke 17:31, al.; with subjc. aor., 2 of person(s), Matthew 3:9; 10:26, Mark 5:7, Luke 6:29, John 3:7, Romans 10:6, al.;
(d) with optative, in wishes: 2 Timothy 4:16 (LXX); μὴ γένοιτο (see M, Pr., 194; Bl., §66, 1), Luke 20:16, Romans 3:3, al.; μή τις, Mark 13:5, al.
II. As a conj.,
1. after verbs of fearing, caution, etc., that, lest, perhaps (M, Pr., 192f.): with subjc. praes., Hebrews 12:15; with subjc. aor., Matthew 24:4, Mark 13:5, Luke 21:8, Acts 13:40, Galatians 5:15, al.; ὅρα μή (see M, Pr., 124, 178), elliptically, Revelation 19:10; 22:9; with indic, fut. (M, Pr., l.with), Colossians 2:8.
2. in order that not: with subjc. aor., Mark 13:36, 2 Corinthians 8:20; 12:6.
III. Interrogative, in hesitant questions (M, Pr., 170), or where a negative answer is expected: Matthew 7:9, 10, Mark 2:19, John 3:4, Romans 3:3; 10:18, 19, 1 Corinthians 1:13, al.; μή τις, Luke 22:35, al.; before οὐ (Romans 10:17, al. in Pl.), expecting an affirm, ans.; οὐ μή, Luke 18:7, John 18:11.
IV. οὐ μή as emphatic negation (cf. M, Pr., 188, 190ff.; Bl. §64, 5), not at all, by no means: with indic, fut., Matthew 16:22, John 6:35, Hebrews 10:17, al.; with subjc. aor., Matthew 24:2, Mark 13:2, Luke 6:37, John 13:8, 1 Corinthians 8:13, al.
Hebrew words it translates
Usage patterns
Occurrences
- “If You are the Christ, tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe.
- And if I ask you a question, you will not answer.
- Luke 23:28μὴ · {do} notBut Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
- But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.
- …but they did not find His body. They came and told us they had seen a vision of angels, who said that Jesus was alive.
- John 2:16μὴ · How dare youTo those selling doves He said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!”
- John 3:2μὴ · notHe came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him.”
- John 3:3μήJesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
- John 3:4μὴ“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?”
- John 3:5μήJesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
- John 3:7μὴDo not be amazed that I said, ‘You must be born again.’
- No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.
- For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
- John 3:18μὴ; μὴWhoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
- Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
- John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.
- Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock?”
- But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”
- The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water so that I will not get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
- John 4:33Μή · [Could]So the disciples asked one another, “Could someone have brought Him food?”
- John 4:48μὴ; μὴJesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.”
- Afterward, Jesus found the man at the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you.”
- So Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does.
- …so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
- John 5:28μὴ · {Do} notDo not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice
- Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, in whom you have put your hope.
- And when everyone was full, He said to His disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over, so that nothing will be wasted.”
- John 6:20μὴ · {do} notBut Jesus spoke up: “It is I; do not be afraid.”
- The next day, the crowd that had remained on the other side of the sea realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded it with His disciples, but they had gone away alone.
- John 6:27μὴ · {Do} notDo not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”
- John 6:35μὴ; μὴJesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst.
- Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away.
- John 6:39μὴ · noneAnd this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day.
- John 6:43Μὴ · Stop“Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus replied.
- “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
- …not that anyone has seen the Father except the One who is from God; only He has seen the Father.
- John 6:50μὴ · notThis is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die.
- So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you have no life in you.
- However, there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him.)
- Then Jesus said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has granted it to him.”
- So Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you want to leave too?”
- John 7:15μὴ · withoutThe Jews were amazed and asked, “How did this man attain such learning without having studied?”
- John 7:23μὴ · {will} notIf a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses will not be broken, why are you angry with Me for making the whole man well on the Sabbath?
- John 7:24μὴ · StopStop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”
- John 7:26Μή‿Yet here He is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying anything to Him. Have the rulers truly recognized that this is the Christ?
- Many in the crowd, however, believed in Him and said, “When the Christ comes, will He perform more signs than this man?”
- At this, the Jews said to one another, “Where does He intend to go that we will not find Him? Will He go where the Jews are dispersed among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?