Lexical Summary ara: therefore (an illative particle) Original Word: ἄραTransliteration: ara Phonetic Spelling: (ar'-ah) Part of Speech: Particle, Disjunctive Particle Short Definition: therefore (an illative particle) Meaning: then, therefore Strong's Concordance no doubt, perhaps, then, therefore, truly, wherefore. Probably from airo (through the idea of drawing a conclusion); a particle denoting an inference more or less decisive (as follows) -- haply, (what) manner (of man), no doubt, perhaps, so be, then, therefore, truly, wherefore. Often used in connection with other particles, especially ge or oun (after) or ei (before). Compare also ara. see GREEK airo see GREEK ge see GREEK oun see GREEK ei see GREEK ara Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 686: ἄρα (1)ἄρα (1), an illative particle (akin, as it seems, to the verbal root ἈΡΩ to join, to be fitted (cf. Curtius, § 488; Vanicek, p. 47)), whose use among native Greeks is illustrated fully by Kühner, ii., §§ 509, 545; (Jelf, §§ 787-789), and Klotz ad Devar. ii., pp. 160-180, among others; (for a statement of diverse views see Bäumlein, Griech. Partikeln, p. 19f). It intimates that, under these circumstances something either is so or becomes so (Klotz, the passage cited, p. 167): Latinigitur, consequently (differing from οὖν in 'denoting a subjective impression rather than a positive conclusion.' Liddell and Scott (see 5 below)). In the N. T. it is used frequently by Paul, but in the writings of John and in the so-called Catholic Epistles it does not occur. On its use in the N. T. cf. Winer's Grammar, §§ 53, 8 a. and 61, 6. It is found: 1. subjoined to another word: Romans 7:21; Romans 8:1; Galatians 3:7; ἐπεί ἄρα since, if it were otherwise, 1 Corinthians 7:14; ( 2. By a use doubtful in Greek writings (cf. Buttmann, 371 (318); (Winers Grammar, 558 (519))) it is placed at the beginning of a sentence; and so, so then, accordingly, equivalent to ὥστε with a finite verb: ἄρα μαρτυρεῖτε (μάρτυρες ἐστε T Tr WH), Luke 11:48 (Matthew 23:31 ὥστε μαρτυρεῖτε); Romans 10:17; 1 Corinthians 15:18; 2 Corinthians 5:14 (15) (in L T Tr WH no conditional protasis preceding); 2 Corinthians 7:12; Galatians 4:31 (L T Tr WH διό); Hebrews 4:9. 3. in an apodosis, after a protasis with εἰ, in order to bring out what follows as a matter of course (German soistja the obvious inference is): Luke 11:20; Matthew 12:28; 2 Corinthians 5:14(15) (R G, a protasis with εἰ preceding); Galatians 2:21; Galatians 3:29; Galatians 5:11; Hebrews 12:8; joined to another word, 1 Corinthians 15:14. 4. with γέ, rendering it more pointed, ἄραγε (L Tr uniformly ἄρα γέ; so R WH in Acts 17:27; cf. Winers Grammar, p. 45; Lipsius Gram. Untersuch., p. 123), surely then, so then (Latinitaqueergo): Matthew 7:20; Matthew 17:26; Acts 11:18 (L T Tr WH omit γέ); and subjoined to a word, Acts 17:27 (Winer's Grammar, 299 (281)). 5. ἄρα οὖν, a combination peculiar to Paul, at the beginning of a sentence (Winers Grammar, 445 (414); Buttmann, 371 (318) ("ἄραadinternampotiuscaussamspectat, οὖνmagisadexternam." Klotz ad Devar. ii., p. 717; ἄρα is the more logical, οὖν the more formal connective; "ἄρα is illative, οὖν continuative," Winers, the passage cited; cf. also Kühner, § 545, 3)) (R. V.) so then (Latinhincigitur): Romans 5:18; Romans 7:3, 25; Romans 8:12; Romans 9:16, 18; Romans 14:12 (L Tr omit WH brackets οὖν); 19 (L marginal reading ἄρα); Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 2:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; 2 Thessalonians 2:15. STRONGS NT 686: ἄραγε [ἄραγε, see ἄρα, 4.] |