The Usage of Negatives in the New
Testament.
This Is
Appendix 105 From The Companion Bible.
There
are two principal negatives used in the New Testament, all others being
combinations of one or other of these with other particles.
- ou
(before a vowel ouk ; before an aspirated vowel ouch)
= no, not; expressing full and direct negation, independently and
absolutely; not depending on any condition expressed or implied.
(a)
ouchi, a strengthened form, often used in questions.
- me
= no, not; expressing conditional negation, depending on feeling,
or on some idea, conception, or hypothesis.
- Hence,
ou is objective.
- me is subjective.
- ou denies a matter of fact.
- me denies a matter of feeling.
- ou denies absolutely.
- me denies conditionally.
- ou negatives an affirmation.
- me negatives a supposition, and prohibits or
forbids.
- ou is generally used with the Indicative Mood.
- me with the other moods of the verb.
For
the difference, see John 3:18
: "He that believeth on Him is not (ou)
condemned : but he that believeth not (me, supposing
such a case) is condemned already, because he hath not (me)
believed (according to the supposition made)".
See also Matthew 22: 29
: "Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures".
Had the negative here been "ou" it would imply
the fact that they did not know, because of not
possessing them. But it is "me", implying the feeling;
they did not wish to know.
The same distinctions apply to all the compounds of ou
and me respectively.
- ou
me. The two negatives when combined lose their distinctive
meanings, and form the strongest and most emphatic asseveration; but,
solemn and strong as it is, whenever it was used by a human being the
result always belied it, and the speaker never made it good :-
Matthew
16:22.
Peter said, "This shall not be unto Thee".
(But it was)
Matthew 26:35.
Peter said, "I will not deny Thee".
(But he did)
John 11:56.
Some said, "What think ye, that He will not
come to the feast?" (But He did)
John 13:8.
Peter said, "Thou shalt never wash my feet".
(But He did)
John 20:25.
Thomas said, "Except I shall see ... I will not
believe". (But he did)
2.
On the other hand, when the Lord used this solemn asservation it was
always absolutely true, and was, or will yet be made good. It is
variously rendered, as a simple negative (as above); no, not, by no
means, in no wise, or in no case, &c.
This expression was used by our Lord on forty-six
separate occasions (omitting the parallel passages, which are placed
within brackets), adding three (Matthew 25: 9.
Luke 8:17,
and John 16:7),
and omitting two (Matthew 24:2
and Luke 22:34),
with the critical texts. They are as follows, and are all worthy of
the closest attention (see Matthew 5:18;
16:28;
24:34.
John 6:37;
&c.).
Matthew 5: 18,
20, 26;
10:23, 42;
13:14, 14;
15:6;
16:28
(Mark 9:1;
Luke 9:27);
18:3
(Luke 18:17);
23:39;
24:2, 2
(omitted by all, but retained in Mark 13:2),
21, 34
(Mark 13:30.
Luke 21:32),
35
(Mark 13:31.
Luke 21:33);
25:9
(added by all); 26:29
(Mark 14:25.
Luke 22:18).
Mark 9: 41;
13:2, 2
(omitted in Matthew 24:2,
retained here); 16:18.
Luke 6: 37,
37;
8:-17
(added by most); 10:19;
12:59;
13:35;
18:7, 30;
21:18;
22:16, 34
(omitted by all, retained in John 13:38),
67, 68.
John 4: 14,
48;
6:35, 35,
37;
8:12, 51,
52;
10:5, 28;
11:26;
13:38
(omitted in Luke 22:34,
but retained here); 16:7
(added by some).
3. The expression ou me is used
once by an angel (Luke 1: 15).
4. Fourteen times by Paul : three in Acts (13: 41;
28:26, 26),
and eleven times in his Epistles (Romans 4:8.
1
Corinthians 8:13.
Galatians 4:30;
5:16.
1
Thessalonians 4:15;
5:3.
Hebrews 8:11,
12;
10:17;
13:5, 5).
5. Twice by Peter ( 1
Peter 2:6.
2
Peter 1:10).
6. Sixteen times in the Apocalypse (one being
added in all the critical texts, 9: 6)
: Revelation 2:11;
3:3, 5, 12;
9:6;
15:4;
18:7, 14,
21, 22, 22, 22, 23, 23;
21:25, 27.
The occurrences are thus eighty-four in all (twelve sevens). See Appendix
10.
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