ουκ αν

This article considers the meaning and usage of the phrase ουκ αν. The list of New Testament and LXX passages containing this phrase is included at the end of this article. As could be seen in the New Testament, and as confirmed also by the LXX, ουκ αν means "not at all, by no means". For example, in Mt 24:43 we read, ει ηδει ο οικοδεσποτης ποια φυλακη ο κλεπτης ερχεται ... ουκ αν ειασεν διορυγηναι την οικιαν αυτου "if the house owner had known in what watch the thief would come ... he would not have allowed his house to be broken into." The meaning "not at all, by no means" seems obvious in most passages. This fact helps interpret other passages in which this meaning might not be equally obvious. For example, by applying the meaning "not at all, by no means" to 1Co 11:31, which states ει γαρ εαυτους διεκρινομεν ουκ αν εκρινομεθα, we obtain the translation "For if we judged ourselves, we would not at all be judged."

There is one instance in which ουκ αν appears in a question and should be interpreted differently. In Heb 10:1-2 we read that κατ ενιαυτον ταις αυταις θυσιαις ας προσφερουσιν εις το διηνεκες ουδεποτε δυναται τους προσερχομενους τελειωσαι επει ουκ αν επαυσαντο προσφερομεναι δια το μηδεμιαν εχειν ετι συνειδησιν αμαρτιων τους λατρευοντας απαξ κεκαθαρμενους " ... year by year, by the same sacrifices which they bring continually, the law is never able to perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased somehow to be offered, because the worshipers, once cleansed, would no longer have had the consciousness of sins?" An interpretation in which Heb 10:2 is not a question is impossible, since this would lead to a statement that sacrifices are not offered following immediately after a statement saying that they are offered continually (Heb 10:1). Thus, Heb 10:2 has to be interpreted as a question. In Heb 10:2, ουκ indicates a question expecting a positive answer. Moreover, αν indicates that one way or another the sacrifices would not be offered more than once for the same person, if in fact they would perfect the worshiper. Thus, αν was translated above "somehow". The interpretation of Heb 10:1-2 is that if sacrifices perfected the people, than this must have been why they were required. But if this were the role of sacrifices, why would the law require them to be offered continually for the same person? It follows that sacrifices were not meant to perfect people but they served as a reminder of sins (Heb 10:3).

Formally, in a statement of the form ουκ αν S, denoting by w a way in which the statement S could be satisfied, let S(w) denote the truth value of S when w is assumed. Let W be the set of possible ways w, where W is restricted to the ways that the speaker considers to be reasonable. Then, ουκ αν S states that no w in W exists for which S(w) is true. This is equivalent to for all w in W, S(w) is false (that is, there is no way S can be true). For example, in Mt 24:22 we read, ει μη εκολοβωθησαν αι ημεραι εκειναι ουκ αν εσωθη πασα σαρξ "unless those days had been cut short, no flesh would be saved". In other words, considering all the ways granted to the men of those days by which they could escape, none would be able to escape unless the days were cut short. Not all conceivable ways are considered, but only those that will be available to the men of those days. When the Scripture quotes what various people were saying, a distinction may have to be made between what the quote claims to be true and the truth of the claim. For example, this can be seen in Jn 18:30, in which those who brought Jesus to Pilate said, ει μη ην ουτος κακοποιος ουκ αν σοι παρεδωκαμεν αυτον "If this man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered him over to thee". After delivering over a sinless person to Pilate, they were claiming that there was no way they could have handed over a person who was not an evildoer.

List of verses containing ουκ αν

(Mt 24:43) εκεινο δε γινωσκετε οτι ει ηδει ο οικοδεσποτης ποια φυλακη ο κλεπτης ερχεται εγρηγορησεν αν και ουκ αν ειασεν διορυγηναι την οικιαν αυτου

(Lk 12:39) τουτο δε γινωσκετε οτι ει ηδει ο οικοδεσποτης ποια ωρα ο κλεπτης ερχεται εγρηγορησεν αν και ουκ αν αφηκεν διορυγηναι τον οικον αυτου

(Jn 11:21) ειπεν ουν η μαρθα προς τον ιησουν κυριε ει ης ωδε ο αδελφος μου ουκ αν ετεθνηκει

(Jn 11:32) η ουν μαρια ως ηλθεν οπου ην ο ιησους ιδουσα αυτον επεσεν εις τους ποδας αυτου λεγουσα αυτω κυριε ει ης ωδε ουκ αν απεθανεν μου ο αδελφος

(1Co 2:8) ην ουδεις των αρχοντων του αιωνος τουτου εγνωκεν ει γαρ εγνωσαν ουκ αν τον κυριον της δοξης εσταυρωσαν

(Jn 18:30) απεκριθησαν και ειπον αυτω ει μη ην ουτος κακοποιος ουκ αν σοι παρεδωκαμεν αυτον

(Mt 23:30) και λεγετε ει ημεν εν ταις ημεραις των πατερων ημων ουκ αν ημεν κοινωνοι αυτων εν τω αιματι των προφητων

(Jn 9:41) ειπεν αυτοις ο ιησους ει τυφλοι ητε ουκ αν ειχετε αμαρτιαν νυν δε λεγετε οτι βλεπομεν η ουν αμαρτια υμων μενει

(Heb 4:8) ει γαρ αυτους ιησους κατεπαυσεν ουκ αν περι αλλης ελαλει μετα ταυτα ημερας

(Heb 8:7) ει γαρ η πρωτη εκεινη ην αμεμπτος ουκ αν δευτερας εζητειτο τοπος

(Mt 24:22) και ει μη εκολοβωθησαν αι ημεραι εκειναι ουκ αν εσωθη πασα σαρξ δια δε τους εκλεκτους κολοβωθησονται αι ημεραι εκειναι

(Mk 13:20) και ει μη κυριος εκολοβωσεν τας ημερας ουκ αν εσωθη πασα σαρξ αλλα δια τους εκλεκτους ους εξελεξατο εκολοβωσεν τας ημερας

(Ga 1:10) αρτι γαρ ανθρωπους πειθω η τον θεον η ζητω ανθρωποις αρεσκειν ει γαρ ετι ανθρωποις ηρεσκον χριστου δουλος ουκ αν ημην

(Mt 12:7) ει δε εγνωκειτε τι εστιν ελεον θελω και ου θυσιαν ουκ αν κατεδικασατε τους αναιτιους

(1Co 11:31) ει γαρ εαυτους διεκρινομεν ουκ αν εκρινομεθα

(Jdg 8:19) και ειπεν γεδεων αδελφοι μου και υιοι της μητρος μου ησαν ζη κυριος, ει εζωογονηκειτε αυτους, ουκ αν απεκτεινα υμας.

(Jdg 13:23) και ειπεν αυτω η γυνη αυτου ει ηθελεν ο κυριος θανατωσαι ημας, ουκ αν ελαβεν εκ χειρος ημων ολοκαυτωμα και θυσιαν και ουκ αν εδειξεν ημιν ταυτα παντα και καθως καιρος ουκ αν ηκουτισεν ημας ταυτα.

(Jdg 14:18) και ειπαν αυτω οι ανδρες της πολεως εν τη ημερα τη εβδομη προ του ανατειλαι τον ηλιον τι γλυκυτερον μελιτος, και τι ισχυροτερον λεοντος; και ειπεν αυτοις σαμψων ει μη ηροτριασατε εν τη δαμαλει μου, ουκ αν εγνωτε το προβλημα μου.

(Ob 1:5) ει κλεπται εισηλθον προς σε η λησται νυκτος, που αν απερριφης; ουκ αν εκλεψαν τα ικανα εαυτοις; και ει τρυγηται εισηλθον προς σε, ουκ αν υπελιποντο επιφυλλιδα;

ουκ αν in a question

(Heb 10:2) επει ουκ αν επαυσαντο προσφερομεναι δια το μηδεμιαν εχειν ετι συνειδησιν αμαρτιων τους λατρευοντας απαξ κεκαθαρμενους



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