Lexical Definition

‎οὐ‎ ou (oo) no ^G:PRT-N
a primary word

+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but.

• the absolute negative (compare ‎μή‎) adverb
• no or not

Abbott-Smith

οὐ, before a vowel with smooth breathing οὐκ, before one with rough breathing οὐχ (but improperly οὐχ ἰδού, Ac 2:7, WH, mg.; cf. WH, Intr., § 409; M, Pr., 44, 244), [in LXX for לֹא, אַיִן, אֵין;] neg. particle,
not, no, used generally c. indic. and for a denial of fact (cf . μή);
1. absol. (accented), οὔ, no: Mt 13:29, Jo 1:21 21:5; οὒ οὔ, Mt 5:37, Ja 5:12.
2. Most freq. negativing a verb or other word, Mt 1:25 10:26, 38, Mk 3:25 9:37, Jo 8:29, Ac 7:5, Ro 1:16, Phl 3:3, al.; in litotes, οὐκ ὀλίγοι (i.e. very many), Ac 17:4, al.; οὐκ ἄσημος, Ac 21:39; πᾶς . . . οὐ, c. verb, (like Heb. כֹּל לֹא), no, none, Mt 24:22, Mk 13:20, Lk 1:37, Eph 5:5, al.; in disjunctive statements, οὐκ . . . ἀλλά, Lk 8:52, Jo 1:33, Ro 8:20, al.; c. 2 pers. fut. (like Heb. לֹא, c. impf.), as emphatic prohibition, Mt 4:7, Lk 4:12, Ro 7:7, al.
3. With another negative,
(a) strengthening the negation: Mk 5:37, Jo 8:15 12:19, Ac 8:39, al.;
(b) making an affirmative: Ac 4:20, I Co 12:15.
4. With other particles: οὐ μή (v.s. μή); οὐ μηκέτι, Mt 21:19; with μή interrog., Ro 10:18, I Co 9:4, 5 11:22.
5. Interrogative, expecting an affirmative answer (Lat. nonne): Mt 6:26, Mk 4:21, Lk 11:40, Jo 4:35, Ro 9:21, al.

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

οὐ,

the negative of fact and statement, as μή of will and thought; οὐ denies, μή rejects; οὐ is absolute, μή relative; οὐ objective, μή subjective. —The same differences hold for all compounds of οὐ and μή, and some examples of οὐδέ and οὐδείς are included below.—As to the Form, see infr. G. USAG[Refs 5th c.BC+]

__I as the negative of single words,
__II as the negative of the sentence.
__I οὐ adhering to single words so as to form a quasi-compound with them:—with Verbs: οὐ δίδωμι withhold, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὐκ εἰῶ prevent, [Refs]; οὐκ ἐθέλω refuse, [Refs]; οὔ φημι deny, [οὐ when the \_construction\_ requires it, e.g. εἰ μή φησι ταῦτα ἀληθῆ εἶναι 4th c.BC: Lycurgus Orator 34 ">Refs 4th c.BC+]; but sometimes οὐ is retained, εἰ δ᾽ ἂν.. οὐκ ἐθέλωσιν [οὐ φάσκῃ 5th c.BC: Lysias Orator 13.76 ">Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐάντε.. οὐ (variant{μή}) φῆτε ἐάντε φῆτε [οὐκ ἐθέλων 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 4.224, 300, 6.165, etc.:— with Adjectives: οὐκ ἀέκοντε 5.366, 768, +others; οὐ πολλήν 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 6.7, etc.:— with Adverbs: οὐχ ἥκιστα [prev. author] 1.68, etc.: rarely with Verbal Nouns (see. below 11.10).">Refs 8th c.BC+] —On the use of οὐ in contrasts, see below [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II as negativing the whole sentence,
__II.1 οὐ is frequently used alone, sometimes with the ellipsis of a definite Verb, οὔκ (i.e. ἀποκερῇ), ἄν γε ἐμοὶ πείθῃ [Refs 5th c.BC+]: sometimes as negativing the preceding sentence, [Refs 5th c.BC+] and the accusative; sometimes without μά, οὐ τὸν πάντων θεῶν θεὸν πρόμον Ἅλιον [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.2 with indicative of statement, τὴν δ᾽ ἐγὼ οὐ λύσω [Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὐ φθίνει Κροίσου φιλόφρων ἀρετά [οὐκ ἂν ὑπεξέφυγε 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 8.369. ">Refs 8th c.BC+]
__II.3 with subjunctive in future sense, only in Epic dialect, οὐ γάρ τίς με βίῃ γε ἑκὼν ἀέκοντα δίηται [οὐκ ἄν τοι χραίς μῃ κίθαρις 3.54, compare 11.387. ">Refs]
__II.4 with optative in potential sense (without ἄν or κεν), also Epic dialect, ὃ οὐ δύο γ᾽ ἄνδρε φέροιεν [Refs]
__II.5 with optative and ἄν, κείνοισι δ᾽ ἂν οὔ τις.. μαχέοιτο [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.6 in dependent clauses οὐ is used,
__II.6.a with ὅτι or ὡς, after Verbs of saying, knowing, and showing, ἐκ μέν τοι ἐρέω.. ὡς ἐγὼ οὔ τι ἑκὼν κατερύκομαι [Refs 8th c.BC+]: so with indicative or optative and ἄν, ἀπελογοῦντο ὡς οὐκ ἄν ποτε οὕτω μωροὶ ἦσαν [οὐκ ἂν δικαίως αὐτοὺς δέχοισθε μαθεῖν χρή 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.40, compare 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Institutio Cyri (Cyropaedia)” 1.1.3, etc.: with \_optative\_ representing \_indicative\_ in indirect speech, ἔλεξε παιδὶ σῷ.. ὡς.. Ἕλληνες οὐ μενοῖεν 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Persae” 358, compare 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Philoctetes” 346, 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.38, 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Historia Graeca (Hellenica)” 6.1.1, 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Apologia” 22b, etc.: for μή">Refs 5th c.BC+] in such sentences, see at {μή} [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.6.b in all causal sentences, and in temporal and Relat. sentences unless there is conditional or final meaning, χωσαμένη, ὅ οἱ οὔ τι θαλύσια.. ῥέξε [οὐ κάρτα θεραπεύεται 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 3.80; διότι οὐκ ἦσαν δίκαι, οὐ δυνατοὶ ἦμεν παρ᾽ αὐτῶν ἃ ὤφειλον πράξασθαι 5th c.BC: Lysias Orator 17.3; μή με κτεῖν᾽, ἐπεὶ οὐχ ὁμογάστριος Ἕκτορός εἰμι 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 21.95, etc.; νῦν δὲ ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἐθέλεις.., εἶμι 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Protagoras” 335c; ἐπειδὴ τὸ χωρίον οὐχ ἡλίσκετο 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.102; νηπιάχοις οἷς οὔ τι μέλει πολεμήϊα ἔργα 8th c.BC: Ilias Homerus Epicus “Illiad” 2.338, etc.">Refs 8th c.BC+]: in causal relative sentences, οἵτινές σε οὐχὶ ἐσώσαμεν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; especially in the combinations, οὐκ ἔστιν ὅστις οὐ.., as οὐκ ἔστ᾽ ἐραστὴς ὅστις οὐκ ἀεὶ φιλεῖ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐδείς ἐστιν ὅστις οὐ.. [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.6.c after ὥστε with indicative or optative with ἄν, ὥστ᾽ οὐ δυνατόν σ᾽ εἵργειν ἔσται [οὐκ ἂν ἐθελήσαιμεν 5th-6th c.BC: Isocrates Orator 8.45; οὐκ ἂν ὡρκίζομεν αὐτὸν ὥστε τῆς εἰρήνης ἂν διημαρτήκει καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἀμφότερ᾽ εἶχε 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 18.30: ὥστε οὐ with ">Refs 5th c.BC+]infinitive is almost invariably due to indirect speech, ὥστ᾽ οὐκ αἰσχύνεσθαι (for οὐκ αἰσχύνονται) [Refs 5th c.BC+]—Rarely not in indirect speech, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.7 in a conditional clause μή is necessary, except,
__II.7.a in [Refs 8th c.BC+] clause precedes the apodosis and the verb is indicative, εἰ δέ μοι οὐκ ἐπέεσσ᾽ ἐπιπείσεται [Refs 8th c.BC+]
__II.7.b when the εἰ clause is really causal, as after Verbs expressing surprise or emotion, μὴ θαυμάσῃς, εἰ πολλὰ τῶν εἰρημένων οὐ πρέπει σοι [οὐδεὶς ἐς ἑκατοστὸν ἔτος περιέσται 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 7.46, compare 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Ajax” 1242; so also δεινὸν γὰρ ἂν εἴη πρῆγμα, εἰ Σάκας μὲν καταστρεψάμενοι δούλους ἔχομεν, Ἕλληνας δὲ οὐ τιμωρησόμεθα 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 7.9, compare 5th-6th c.BC: Andocides Orator 1.102, 5th c.BC: Lysias Orator 20.8 (probably), 4th c.BC: Demosthenes Orator 8.55; οὐκ αἰσχρόν, εἰ τὸ μὲν Ἀργείων πλῆθος οὐκ ἐφοβήθη τὴν Λακεδαιμονίων ἀρχήν, ὑμεῖς δ᾽ ὄντες Ἀθηναῖοι βάρβαρον ἄνθρωπον.. φοβήσεσθ; [prev. author] 15.23, compare 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 5.97, 5th c.BC: Lysias Orator 22.13. ">Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.7.c when οὐ belongs closely to the next word (see. [Refs 4th c.BC+], or is quoted unchanged, εἰ, ὡς νῦν φήσει, οὐ παρεσκευάσατο [Refs 4th c.BC+]; εἰ δ᾽ οὐκέτ᾽ ἐστί (i.e. ὥσπερ λέγεις), τίνι τρόπῳ διεφθάρη ; [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.8 οὐ is used with infinitive in indirect speech, when it represents the indicative of orat. recta, φαμὲν δέ οἱ οὐ τελέεσθαι [οὐκ εἶναι αὐτόνομοι 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.67, compare 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 348c, 5th-6th c.BC: Xenophon Historicus “Institutio Cyri (Cyropaedia)” 1.6.18; οἶμαι.. οὐκ ὀλίγον ἔργον αὐτὸ εἶναι 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 369b, compare 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Oedipus Tyrannus” 1051, 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.71, etc.; ἡγήσαντο ἡμᾶς οὐ περιόψεσθαι [prev. work] 39. (For the occasional use of μή, see at {μή} 5th c.BC: Bacchylides Lyricus 5c">Refs 8th c.BC+]; sometimes we have οὐ and μή in consecutive clauses, οἶμαι σοῦ κάκιον οὐδὲν ἂν τούτων κρατύνειν μηδ᾽ ἐπιθύνειν χερί [οὐ διδακτὸν εἶναι μηδὲ.. παρασκευαστόν 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Protagoras” 319b.) ">Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.9 οὐ is used with the participle, when it can be resolved into a finite sentence with οὐ, as after Verbs of knowing and showing, τὸν κατθανόνθ᾽ ὁρῶντες οὐ τιμώμενον [οὐ πολλοὺς τοὺς Θηβαίους ὄντας 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 2. 3; ἔργῳ δηλώσω οὐ παραγενόμενος 5th c.BC: Antipho Orator 2.4.8, etc.">Refs 5th c.BC+]; or into a causal sentence, τῶν βαρβάρων οἱ πολλοὶ ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ διεφθάρησαν νέειν οὐκ ἐπιστάμενοι [οὐκ ἀπὸ ξυμβάσεως ἀνοιχθεῖσαν διήρπασαν 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 4.130 ">Refs 5th c.BC+]; or into a concessive sentence, δόξω γυναῖκα καίπερ οὐκ ἔχων ἔχειν [Refs 5th c.BC+] and participle, ὡς οὐχὶ συνδράσουσα νουθετεῖς τάδε [οὐ ποιήσοντες ταῦτα 5th c.BC: Lysias Orator 12.73, compare 5th c.BC: Sophocles Tragicus “Philoctetes” 884, “Aj.” 682, 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 7.99, 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.2, 5, 28, 68, 90; ὥσπερ οὐ πάντας τούτῳ τῷ τεκμηρίῳ χρωμένους 4th c.BC: Lycurgus Orator 90, compare 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 8.1, 5th-6th c.BC: Isocrates Orator 4.11 ">Refs 5th c.BC+]:—for exceptions, see at {μή} [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.9.b when the participle is used with the Article, μή is generally used, unless there is a distinct reference to a fact, when οὐ is occasionally found, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς οὐκ οὔσης ἔτι [πόλεως] ὁρμώμενοι [οὐδὲν εἰδότας [prev. author] 4.111; οἱ οὐκ ἐθέλοντες 5th c.BC: Antipho Orator 6.26; τῶν οὐ βουλομένων 5th-6th c.BC: Andocides Orator 1.9; τοὺς οὐδὲν ἀδικοῦντας ἀκρίτους ἀπέκτειναν 5th c.BC: Lysias Orator 12.82, compare τὸν οὐδὲ συμπενθῆσαι τὰς τῆς πατρίδος συμφορὰς τολμήσαντα (preceded by τὸν.. μήτε ὅπλα θέμενον ὑπὲρ τῆς πατρίδος μήτε τὸ σῶμα παρασχόντα κτλ.) 4th c.BC: Lycurgus Orator 43; τὸ οὐχ εὑρημένον 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Respublica” 427e. ">Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.10 Adjectives and abstract Substantives with the article commonly take μή (see. μή [οὐ">Refs 5th c.BC+] is occasionally used, τὰς οὐκ ἀναγκαίας πόσεις [οὐδένας 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Iphigenia Aulidensis” 371; τὸν οὐδέν [prev. author] “Ph.” 598 (whereas ὁ μηδείς, τὸ μηδέν is the rule)">Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὴν τῶν γεφυρῶν οὐ διάλυσιν the non- dissolution of the bridges, the fact of their notbeing broken up, [οὐ περιτείχισις [prev. author] 3.95; ἡ τῶν χωρίων οὐκ ἀπόδοσις [prev. author] 5.35, compare 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Hippolytus” 196 (\_anapaest meter\_)">Refs 5th c.BC+]; so without the article, ἐν οὐ καιπῷ [οὐ πάλης ὕπο [prev. work] 455. ">Refs]
__II.11 for οὐ μή, see entry
__II.12 in questions οὐ ordinarily expects a positive answer, οὔ νυ καὶ ἄλλοι ἔασι..; [Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὐχ ὁράᾳς..; dost thou not see? [οὐκ.. ᾐσθόμη; 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Prometheus Vinctus” 956: so as a strong form of \_imperative\_,;\_ 4th-5th c.BC: Aeschylus Tragicus “Agamemnon” 273, “fragment” 310; πῶς δ᾽ οὐχ; [prev. author] “Supp.” 918, 5th-6th c.BC: Aristophanes Comicus “Pax” 1027; ἐμὸς μὲν οὐχί 5th c.BC: Euripides Tragicus “Iphigenia Aulidensis” 859: also in Prose, 5th c.BC: Thucydides Historicus 1.120, +others, NT.1Cor.5.12, etc.">NT+8th c.BC+]: the diphthong is genuine and always written ου (ουκ, ουδε, etc.) in early Inscrr., [Refs 4th c.BC+]; οὐ abbreviated ο, Suid. see at {Φιλοξένου γραμμάτιον}.
__H ACCENTUATION. οὐ is oxytone accusative to Hdn.Gr.1.494 (text doubtfulin 504): [οὐ ={οὒ}) καταπύθεται ὄμβρῳ, says λύουσι.. τῇ προσῳδίᾳ λέγοντες τὸ ου ὀξύτερον (i.e. οὗ), compare 178b3. In codices the word is written oxytone when followed by a pause (see. supr. B), and is usually written without any accent in other cases. ">Refs 8th c.BC+]
__H.I οὐ in connexion with other Particles will be found in alphabetical order, οὐ γάρ, οὐ μή, etc.—The corresponding forms of μή should be compared.

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: 1Cor.5.12}