μηδαμῶς
mēdamōs
surely not
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Greek word "μηδαμῶς" (mēdamōs) is a negating adverb with the meaning of "surely not." This means it emphasizes the speaker's strong denial of a possibility or situation. The presence of "μη" (mē) at the beginning, a strong negating prefix, underscores the absolute nature of the negation. In the Bible, this word appears only twice, indicating its limited but distinct usage. Its significance lies in its forceful negation, highlighting situations or possibilities which the speaker unequivocally rejects. The word provides a nuanced expression of denial, suggesting a sense of intensity or strong disagreement. Given its specific occurrence in just two instances, one can infer that "μηδαμῶς" (mēdamōs) is a particular linguistic choice made by the original authors to convey a precise shade of meaning, likely in contexts where a more emphatic denial is warranted.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences across the text