Lexical Definition

‎ἄρα‎ ára (ar'-ah) therefore ^G:CONJ
probably from ‎αἴρω‎ (through the idea of drawing a conclusion)

haply, (what) manner (of man), no doubt, perhaps, so be, then, therefore, truly, wherefore.

• a particle denoting an inference more or less decisive (as follows)

Abbott-Smith

ἄρα, illative particle, expressing a more subjective or informal inference than οὖν,
then: prop. (as in cl.), the second word in the sentence, Ro 7:21 8:1, Ga 3:7; ἐπεὶ ἄρα, I Co 7:14 (with another word between) 5:10; as the first word, Lk 11:48, Ac 11:18, Ro 10:17, I Co 15:18, II Co 5:15 7:12, He 4:9; so prop. in apodosis after protasis with εἰ, Mt 12:28, Lk 11:20, Ga 2:21 3:29 5:11, He 12:8 (κενὸν ἄρα), I Co 15:14; often in interrogations, direct and indirect, τίς (τί) ἄρα, Mt 18:1 19:25, 27 24:45, Mk 4:41, Lk 1:66 8:25 12:42 22:23, Ac 12:18; εἰ ἄρα, Mk 11:13, Ac 8:22; εἴπερ ἄρα, I Co 15:15; οὐκ ἄρα, Ac 21:38; μήτι ἄρα, II Co 1:17; in strengthened forms, ἄρα γε, ἄραγε, Mt 7:20 17:26, Ac 17:27, and more freq. ἄρα οὖν (Epp. Paul.), so then, Ro 5:18 7:3, 25 8:12 9:16, 18 14:12, 19, Ga 6:10, Eph 2:19, I Th 5:6, II Th 2:15 (Bl., § 77, 2; 78, 5; MM, s.v.).†

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

ἄρα,

Epic dialect ῥά (which is enclitic and used after monosyllables, ἦ, ὅς, γάρ, etc., or words ending in a vowel or diphthong, e.g. ἐπεί), before a consonant ἄρ (perhaps cf. Lithuanian i[rtilde] 'and'): expressing consequence, then, or mere succession, there and then, and in many derived uses.

__A EARLIER USAGE: to denote,
__A.I immediate transition, there and then, straightway, ὣς φάτο βῆ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ Ὄνειρος[Refs 8th c.BC+]: after a participle, ὣς εἰπὼν κατ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἕζετο[Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὕτως ἄρα[Refs 5th c.BC+]; often in apodosi, as αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ δὴ θηήσατο.. αὐτίκ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἤλυθεν[Refs 8th c.BC+]: in enumerations, e. g. in Homer's catalogue, then, next, οἱ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ Ἀθήνας εἶχον[Refs]; so in genealogies, Σίσυφος.. ὁ δ᾽ ἄ. Γλαῦκον τέκεθ᾽ υἱόν[Refs]
__A.I.2 to draw attention, mark you! τὸν τρεῖς μὲν ἐπιρρήσσεσκον.. τῶν ἄλλων Ἀχιλεὺς δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἐπιρρήσσεσκε καὶ οἶος[Refs]: to point a moral or general statement, φευγόντων δ᾽ οὔτ᾽ ἂρ κλέος ὄρνυται οὔτε τις ἀλκή[Refs]
__A.II connexion, such as,
__A.II.1 that of antecedent and consequent, οἰνοχόει.. ἄσβεστος δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἐνῶρτο γέλως[Refs]: also in questions, τίς τ᾽ ἄρ τῶν ὄχ᾽ ἄριστος ἔη; who then (say you) was.. ? [Refs]he it was, whom.., [Refs], thus, then he spoke.—This usage is universal in Greek.
__A.II.2 explanation of that which precedes, χωόμενον κατὰ θυμὸν ἐϋζώνοιο γυναικὸς τήν ῥα.. ἀπηύρων whom (and for this cause he was angry) they had taken away, [Refs]; εἰ μὴ ὑπερφίαλον ἔπος ἔκβαλε.. φῆ ῥ᾽ ἀέκητι θεῶν φυγέειν for he said, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; so with relatives, ἐκ δ᾽ ἔθορε κλῆρος ὃν ἄρ᾽ ἤθελον αὐτοί the very one which.., [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__B LATER USAGE, always with inferential force: 1. in drawing conclusions (more subjective than οὖν), ἄριστον ἄ. ἡ εὐδαιμονία[Refs 4th c.BC+]: especially by way of informal inference, as it seems, οὐκ ἄ. σοί γε πατὴρ ἦν Πηλεύς[Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὕτω κοινόν τι ἄ. χαρᾷ καὶ λύπῃ δάκρυά ἐστιν so true is it that.., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; so in announcing the discovery or correction of an error, as οὐκ ἐννενοήκαμεν ὅτι εἰσὶν ἄ... [Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἰκότως ἄ. οὐκ ἐγίγνετο· ὡς γὰρ ἐγὼ νῦν πυνθάνομαι.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.2 in questions, expressing the anxiety of the questioner, τίς ἄ. ῥύσετα; who is there to save ? [Refs 4th c.BC+]; so in exclamations to heighten the expression of emotion, οἵαν ἄρ᾽ ἥβην.. ἀπώλεσεν what a band of youth was that.. ! [Refs]; so ὡς ἄρα[Refs 5th c.BC+]; πῶς ἄ.; οὕτως ἄ., etc.; ἄ. alone, ἔζης ἄ.[Refs 5th c.BC+]: especially in ironical comments, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.3 epexegetic, namely, ἐρῶ, ὡς ἄ... [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.4 for τοι ἄρα, τἄρα, see entry τοι [Refs]
__B.5 εἰ (or ἐάν) μὴ ἄ. unless perhaps, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; separated from εἰ μή, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B.6 in hypothetical clauses, to indicate the improbability of the supposition, ἢν ἄ. ποτὲ κατὰ γῆν βιασθῶσιν[Refs 5th c.BC+]; or simply, perhaps (sometimes separated from εἰ), εἴ τις οὖν ὑμῶν ἄ... ὑπελάμβανεν[Refs 5th c.BC+]
__C IN CRASIS, frequently τἄρα, μεντἄρα, οὐτἄρα: also δήξομἄρα for δήξομαι ἄ., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οἰμώξετἄρα, κλαύσἄρα, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__D ἄρα never stands first in the sentence in Classical Greek [Refs 4th c.BC+], but is found at the beginning of an apodosis in [NT], and first in a sentence, [NT+2nd c.AD+]; in conclusion of syllogism, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: Matt.12.28 ☩ Rom.10.17 ☩ Luke.11.48}