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Greek · G3195 · unreviewed

μέλλω

To ensue

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μέλλω G3195
Pronunciation méllō

What does μέλλω (méllō) mean in the Bible?

μέλλω (méllō) is a Greek word meaning "to ensue". μέλλω, [in LXX: Job. Conveys impending certainty of the passion.

Full entry for μέλλω (G3195) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to ensue
Extended definition

Expresses certainty of future action, whether from intention, compulsion, or divine necessity.

to be about to be or do;

1with inf. (Bl., §62, 4; 68, 2; M, Pr., 114);
aof intending or being about to do of one's own free will: with inf. praes., Mat.2:13, Luk.10:1, Act.3:3 5:35, Heb.8:5, 2Pe.1:12 (Field, Notes, 240), al.; with inf. aor. (Bl., §58, 3), Act.12:6, Rev.3:16;
bof compulsion, necessity or certainty: with inf. praes., Mat.16:27, Luk.9:31, Jhn.6:71, Rom.4:24, al.; with inf. aor., Rom.8:18, Gal.3:23, Rev.3:2 12:4.
2Ptcp., ὁ μέλλων: absol., Rom.8:38, 1Co.3:22; τὰ μ., Col.2:17; εἰς τὸ μ. (Field, Notes, 65); with subst., Mat.3:7 12:32 (ὁ αἰὼν ὁ μ.; LXX for עַד), Act.24:25, 1Ti.4:8, Heb.2:5, al.
Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Why This Word Matters
Conveys impending certainty of the passion. Luke 9:43b–45
Grammatical Forms

How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.

Tenses
Present Imperfect Future
Voices
Active
Indicative states a fact or reality 47×
Present Active Matt 2:13 · Matt 16:27 · Matt 17:12 · Matt 17:22 · Luke 9:44 · Luke 19:11 · John 7:35 · Acts 17:31 · Acts 23:3 · Acts 26:23 · Rom 4:24 · Rev 1:19 · Rev 2:10 · Rev 12:5 · Rev 17:8 · John 14:22 27×
Imperfect Active Luke 7:2 · Luke 9:31 · Luke 10:1 · Luke 19:4 · John 4:47 · John 6:6 · John 6:71 · John 11:51 · John 12:33 · John 18:32 · Acts 12:6 · Acts 16:27 · Acts 27:33 · Heb 11:8 · John 7:39 · Acts 21:27 18×
Future Active Matt 24:6 · 2 Pet 1:12 2×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 53×
Present Active Matt 11:14 · Luke 22:23 · Luke 24:21 · John 12:4 · Acts 20:7 · Acts 20:13 · Acts 21:37 · Acts 26:2 · Heb 8:5 · Matt 3:7 · Luke 3:7 · 1 Tim 4:8 · 1 Pet 5:1 · Rev 3:10 · Rev 12:4 · Acts 26:22 53×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 6×
Present Active Acts 11:28 · Acts 19:27 · Acts 24:15 · Acts 25:4 · Acts 27:10 · Acts 28:6 6×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 3×
Present Active Mark 13:4 · Luke 21:7 · Rev 10:7 3×
109 total occurrences across all forms in the biblical text Morphology: MorphGNT SBLGNT — CC BY-SA 3.0
Discourse Aspect

How this verb appears across 109 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).

Aspect
ongoing 27 prospective 2 background 18 subjunctive 3 infinitive 6 participle 53
Tense
present 89 imperfect 18 future 2
Voice
active 109
Mood
participle 53 indicative 47 infinitive 6 subjunctive 3
NT Occurrences
Matthew 2:13 μέλλει present active indicative ongoing Matthew 3:7 μελλούσης present active participle participle Matthew 11:14 μέλλων present active participle participle Matthew 12:32 μέλλοντι present active participle participle Matthew 16:27 μέλλει present active indicative ongoing Matthew 17:12 μέλλει present active indicative ongoing Matthew 17:22 Μέλλει present active indicative ongoing Matthew 20:22 μέλλω present active indicative ongoing Matthew 24:6 μελλήσετε future active indicative prospective Mark 10:32 μέλλοντα present active participle participle Mark 13:4 μέλλῃ present active subjunctive subjunctive Luke 3:7 μελλούσης present active participle participle Luke 7:2 ἤμελλεν imperfect active indicative background Luke 9:31 ἤμελλεν imperfect active indicative background Luke 9:44 μέλλει present active indicative ongoing Luke 10:1 ἤμελλεν imperfect active indicative background Luke 13:9 μέλλον present active participle participle Luke 19:11 μέλλει present active indicative ongoing Luke 19:4 ἤμελλεν imperfect active indicative background Luke 21:36 μέλλοντα present active participle participle Luke 21:7 μέλλῃ present active subjunctive subjunctive Luke 22:23 μέλλων present active participle participle Luke 24:21 μέλλων present active participle participle John 4:47 ἤμελλεν imperfect active indicative background John 6:15 μέλλουσιν present active indicative ongoing John 6:6 ἔμελλεν imperfect active indicative background John 6:71 ἔμελλεν imperfect active indicative background John 7:35 μέλλει present active indicative ongoing John 7:35 μέλλει present active indicative ongoing John 7:39 ἔμελλον imperfect active indicative background John 11:51 ἔμελλεν imperfect active indicative background John 12:33 ἤμελλεν imperfect active indicative background John 12:4 μέλλων present active participle participle John 14:22 μέλλεις present active indicative ongoing John 18:32 ἤμελλεν imperfect active indicative background Acts 3:3 μέλλοντας present active participle participle Acts 5:35 μέλλετε present active indicative ongoing Acts 11:28 μέλλειν present active infinitive infinitive Acts 12:6 ἤμελλεν imperfect active indicative background Acts 13:34 μέλλοντα present active participle participle +69 more occurrences

Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.

Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)

Biblical Occurrences

Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.

New Testament Witnesses
Luke 9:43b–45 μέλλει méllō
is about to
Appears In

Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.

μέλλω · τελευτάω G3195, G5053
was about to die
μέν · εἰς · μέλλω · ποιέω · καρπός G3303, G1519, G3195, G4160, G2590
if indeed it should produce fruit in the future
παραδίδωμι · μέλλω G3860, G3195
is about to be handed over, delivered up
Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

Acts 24 — Paul Before Felix: Resurrection Hope, Clear Conscience, and Coming Judgment Matthew 3 — The Forerunner, the Kingdom, and the Beloved Son

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

Sources

MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0

Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0

STEPBible Data — CC BY 4.0

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