Ei
A.
B.
C.
D.
The conditional particle ei (ei)) is a primary particle of conditionality.
It is often used in connection or composition with other particles.
This conditional particle occurs in all kinds of ancient literature of every period.
It has a variety of functions that are determined especially by the mood and tense of the verb, or by the
particle’s relationship to other words in the sentence.
E. Although word is very flexible it still retains its basic meaning of “if” or “since.”
F. The multiple functions stem from this base.
G. Liddel and Scott list the following usages and meanings for the particle ei (page 480-481);
1. Interjectionally, come now
2. In conditions, if
a. With indicative
(1) With all tenses to state a condition, with nothing implied as to its fulfillment
(2) To express a general condition, if ever, whenever
(3) With future either to express a future supposition emphatically
(4) With historical tenses, implying that the condition is or was unfulfilled
(5) With imperfect, referring to present time or to continued or repeated action in past time
(6) With aorist referring to past time
(7) Rarely with pluperfect referring to action finished in the past or present time
b. With subjunctive, ei is regularly joined with an
(1) When the apodosis is future to express a future condition more distinctly and vividly than ei c.
opt., but less so than ei c. fut. Ind.
(2) When the apodosis is present, denoting customary or repeated action, to express a general
condition, if ever, whenever
(3) With rhetorical present in apodosis
c. With optative
(1) To express a future condition less definitely and than ean c. subj. usu. With opt. With an in apod.
(2) In Homer sometimes with present optative to express an unfulfilled present condition
(3) When the apodosis is past, denoting customary or repeated action, to express a general condition
in past time (corresponding to use of subj. in present time)
(4) In oratio obliqua after past tenses, representing ean c. subj. or ei with a primary (never an
historical) tense of the indicative in oratio recta
(5) C. opt. With an, only when the clause serves as apodasis as well as protasis
d. C. inf. In oratio obliqua, only in Herodotus
e. After verbs denoting wonder, delight, indignation, disappointment, contentment, and similar emotions,
ei c. ind. Is used of hoti, to express the object of the feeling in a hypothetical form
f. In citing a fact as a ground of argument or appeal, as surely as, since
g. Elliptical constructions
(1) With apodosis implied in the context, ei having the force of in case, supposing that
(2) With apodosis suppressed for rhetorical reasons
(3) With the verb of the protasis omitted, chiefly in the following expressions:
i. Ei me, except
ii. Ei de me but if not
iii. Ei de sts. Stands for ei de me
iv. Ei gar for if so
v. Ei tis if any, i.e. as much as or more than any
vi. Ei pote or eiper pote now if ever
vii. Ei pothen, if
viii. Ei pos
h. With other particles
(1) For the distinction between kai ei even if, and ei kai even though
(2) For hos ei
(3) For ei ara, v. area
i. In negative oaths
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3.
In indirect questions, whether, followed by the indic. Subj. or opt., according to the principles of oratio
obliqua
a. With indicative after primary tenses, representing the same tense in the direct question
b. With subjunctive after primary tenses, representing a dubitative subj. in the direct question
c. Optative after past tenses, representing either of the two previous constructions in the direct question
d. With optative and an when this was the form of the direct question
e. The negative used with ei in indirect questions is ou, when ou would be used in the direct question
H. According to Bauer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature
classifies the particle ei under 7 major categories (pages 219-220):
1. Conditional Particle: “if”
a. With the indicative in all tenses, to express a condition thought of as real or to denote assumptions
relating to what has already happened
b. With the present, imperfect, aorist, or pluperfect indicative to express an unreal (contrary to fact)
condition
c. Ei with subj
d. Ei wth the optative is rare
2. After verbs of emotion: “that”
3. In causal clauses, when an actual case is taken as a supposition, where we also can use if instead of since.
4. In aposiopesis.
5. Interrogative particle
a. With direct questions
b. Frequently in indirect questions whether
(1) With present indicative
(2) With subjunctive
(3) With optative
6. Combined with other particles, with the other particles following.
a. Ei ara s. ara
b. Ei de kai but if, and if, and even if
c. Ei de me if not, otherwise
(1) After affirmative clauses, with the aorist ind. And an in the apodasis
(2) After negative clauses, otherwise
d. Ei kai even if, even though, although
e. Ei men ar for if
f. Ei men oun if, then
g. Ei mentoi if, however
h. Ei me after negatives
(1) Except, if not, mostly without a verb depending on ei me
(2) But
i. Ei meti unless indeed, unless perhaps
j. Ei oun if, therefore
k. Eiper if indeed, if after all, since
l. Ei pos, if perhaps, if somehow
(1) With optative ei pos if somehow
(2) With future indicative whether, perhaps
m. Eite-eite if-if, whether-or
(1) With a verb in present indicative
(2) With no verb
7. Used with the indefinite pronoun.
I. The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon lists the following in regards to this particle (pages 169-172):
1. Conditional
a. With the indicative of all tenses, when anything is simply and generally assumed to be, or to be done,
or to have been done, or to be about to be
(1) With the indicative present followed in the apodosis by the indicative present
(2) Followed by an imperative in the apodasis either the present, as or the aorist
(3) Followed by the future in the apodasis
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2.
3.
(4) Followed by the perfect or the aorist in the apodosis, where it is declared that, if this or that is,
something else has or has not occurred
(5) Followed by the imperfect, either with or without an, where in the protasis something is simply
assumed to be, but the apodasis shows that what has been assumed cannot be the case
(6) With a question as the apodasis
(7) With the indicative future
(8) With the indicative perfect
(9) With the indicative aorist followed by the present in the apodasis
b. Not infrequently, when a conclusion is drawn from something that is quite certain, ei with the
indicative is used argumentatively so as to be equivalent in sense to epei
c. When it is said what would have been, or what would be now or in the future, if something else were
or had been, ei is used with the imperfect, pluperfect and aorist indicative; in the apodasis it is followed
in the direct disc. By an with the imperfect or the pluperfect or the aorist; sometimes an is omitted
(1) Ei with the imperfect followed in the apodasis by an with the imperfect
(2) Ei with the pluperfect followed in the apodasis by an with the pluperfect or the aorist in the sense
of the Latin pluperfect subjunctive
(3) With the aorist in the same sense as the Latin pluperfect subjunctive
d. As in classic Greek, ei with the indicative is often joined to verbs expressing wonder, surprise, or other
strong emotion (where hoti might be expected), when the thing spoken of is either not quite certain, or,
although certain, yet in accordance with the well-known Greek urbanity is represented as not quite free
from doubt
e. Contrary to Greek usage, in imitation of the Hebrew sa, ei with the indicative is so used in oaths and
asservations that by aposiopesis the formula of imprecation [constituting the apodasis] is suppressed
f. Sometimes, as in classic Greek, after a protasis with ei and the indicative, the apodasis is suppressed on
account of mental agitation and left to be supplied by the reader or the hearer from the context
g. The conditional ei is joined with the optative to indicate that the condition is merely thought of or
stated as a possibility
(1) Univ. in short intercalated clauses
(2) Where it indicates that something may occur repeatedly
(3) Where the condition represents the mind and judgement of others
h. With the subjunctive, when it is assumed that something may take place, but whether it will in reality
is unknown before the event, in order to make the event seem to be more certain, than if ean were
used.
Interrogative, whether
a. As in Greek writings in an indirect question after verbs of seeing, asking, deliberating, knowing,
saying
(1) With the indicative present
(2) With the indicative future
(3) With the indicative aorist
(4) With the subjunctive aorist
b. Contrary to the usage of Greek authors, like the Hebrew and interrogative sa, it is used in the Sept.
and the NT (esp. by Luke) also in direct questions, and, in opposition to those who have striven to
absolve the sacred writers from this misuse of the particle
Ei with other particles and with the indefinite pronoun tis, ti
a. Ei ara
b. Eige
c. Ei de kai
(1) But if also, so that kai belongs to some word that follows
(2) But through, but even if, so that kai belongs to ei
d. Ei de me, but if not; if it is or were otherwise
e. Ei kai
(1) If even, if also
(2) Though, although
f. Kai ei, even if
g. Ei me
(1) In a conditional protasis, with the same sentence of moods and tenses as the simple ei
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J.
(2) It serves, with the entire following sentence, to limit or correct what has just been said, only, save
that
(3) Ei me very often coalesce into one particle, as it were, which takes the same verb as the preceding
negation: unless, iq, except, save
(4) Iktos ei me, arising from the blending of the two expressions ei me and ektos ei
h. Ei men, assuredly, surely, in oaths
i. Ei me ti or meti, unless in some respect, unless perchance, unless indeed
j. Ei ou, if not
(1) When the idea to which ou belongs is antithetic
(2) The ou coalesces, as it were, with the word to which it belongs into a single idea
k. Ei oun, if then
l. Eiper
m. Ei pos, if any way, if by any means, if possibly with the optative present; interrogatively, with the
indicative future; with the subjunctive aorist, so that before ei the word skopon or peiromenos must be
mentally supplied
n. Eite…eite
(1) whether…or
(2) whether…or
o. ei tis, ei ti
Louw and Nida list the following meanings (Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic
Domains volume 2):
1. A marker of condition, real or hypothetical, actual or contrary to fact – ‘if’ (page 786).
2. A marker of cause or reason on the basis that an actual case is regarded formally as a supposition – ‘since,
because’ (page 781).
3. A marker of an indirect question as content – ‘whether, if, that’
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