What does οὖν (oûn) mean in the Bible?
” It helps a writer move from what has been stated to a conclusion, consequence, response, or next step. John the Baptist’s command to produce fruit follows his call to repentance.
Greek · G3767
οὖν
(Adverbially) certainly, or (conjunctionally) accordingly
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οὖν G3767
Pronunciation oûn
What does οὖν (oûn) mean in the Bible?
” It helps a writer move from what has been stated to a conclusion, consequence, response, or next step. John the Baptist’s command to produce fruit follows his call to repentance.
Reader summary
Full entry for οὖν (G3767) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G3767?
The BSB source-word alignment has 503 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include then (125), So (121), - (89), therefore (76), . . . (14).
Where does οὖν (oûn) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 1:17. Its strongest book concentrations include John (203), Acts (61), Matthew (57), Romans (48).
What This Word Actually Means
Oun is a Greek inferential or transitional particle often rendered “therefore,” “then,” “so,” or “accordingly. ” It helps a writer move from what has been stated to a conclusion, consequence, response, or next step. John the Baptist’s command to produce fruit follows his call to repentance. Romans 5:1 moves from Paul’s argument about justification to peace with God.
Romans 6:12 draws an ethical consequence from union with Christ in His death and life. Romans 8:12 states an obligation shaped by life in the Spirit, and Ephesians 4:1 turns gospel exposition toward a worthy walk. Oun does not create the logic or identify how far back the inference reaches. Faithful teaching traces the argument, states the connecting reason, and preserves gospel indicatives before gospel-shaped imperatives.
How the Bible Uses It
Oun marks inference, consequence, transition, or continuation. Its force becomes clear only when readers trace the preceding argument and the conclusion or response that follows.
- Matt.3.8
Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance.
John calls for fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. The particle ties exhortation to the warning and message.
- Rom.5.1
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Paul says therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God. The particle marks a major gospel inference.
- Rom.6.12
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires.
Therefore do not let sin reign. The particle moves doctrine into moral command.
- Rom.8.12
Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation, but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.
Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation. The particle carries the argument into Spirit-shaped living.
- Eph.4.1
As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:
Paul urges a worthy walk, then, as a prisoner in the Lord. The particle connects doctrine and calling to exhortation.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It then 125× Matthew 1:17, Matthew 3:8, Matthew 6:23, Matthew 7:12
So 121× Matthew 5:23, Matthew 6:2, Matthew 7:11, Matthew 10:26
- 89× Matthew 6:8, Matthew 6:22, Matthew 12:12, Matthew 13:28
therefore 76× Matthew 5:48, Matthew 6:31, Matthew 6:34, Matthew 7:24
. . . 14× Luke 14:33, Luke 21:7, John 8:12, Acts 25:11
[When] 10× Matthew 18:31, John 6:5, John 6:14, John 6:19
vvv 10× Matthew 13:40, Luke 3:18, John 5:18, John 18:27
At this 9× John 6:41, John 6:52, John 7:35, John 8:59
Now 6× Luke 20:29, Acts 1:18, Hebrews 2:14, Hebrews 7:11
So then 6× Matthew 5:19, Matthew 6:9, Matthew 23:20, Luke 20:33
Meanwhile 5× John 12:9, John 12:17, John 18:19, Acts 11:19
and 4× Matthew 3:10, Luke 3:9, John 4:52, John 19:42
[and] 3× John 19:16, John 20:11, Acts 17:20
[But] 2× Acts 2:30, Acts 26:22
As a result 2× John 11:54, Acts 17:12
[only] 1× Romans 4:9
{you,} then 1× Romans 2:21
And after 1× Acts 8:25
As soon as 1× John 21:7
At once 1× Acts 22:29
Because of 1× John 21:23
Because of this 1× John 9:16
But 1× Acts 25:4
Now then 1× 1 Corinthians 11:20
On account of this 1× John 2:18
Since 1× Acts 19:36
So [when] 1× Acts 25:17
still 1× John 9:18
Surely 1× Acts 26:4
That 1× John 3:29
That is why 1× John 8:24
then [has become] 1× Galatians 4:15
then, [is] 1× Romans 3:27
Therefore, since 1× 1 Peter 4:1
Thus 1× Luke 20:44
Yet 1× John 4:45
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 1:17 οὖν to then Conjunction Matthew 3:8 οὖν to then Conjunction Matthew 3:10 οὖν to and Conjunction Matthew 5:19 οὖν to So then Conjunction Matthew 5:23 οὖν to So Conjunction Matthew 5:48 οὖν to therefore Conjunction Matthew 6:2 οὖν to So Conjunction Matthew 6:8 οὖν to - Conjunction Matthew 6:9 οὖν to So then Conjunction Matthew 6:22 οὖν to - Conjunction
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 1:17
Aligned rows 503
Books represented 23
Matthew 57 Mark 6 Luke 33 John 203 Acts 61 Romans 48 1 Corinthians 19 2 Corinthians 10 Galatians 6 Ephesians 7 Philippians 6 Colossians 5 1 Thessalonians 2 2 Thessalonians 1 1 Timothy 4 2 Timothy 3 Philemon 1 Hebrews 13 James 5 1 Peter 5 2 Peter 1 3 John 1 Revelation 6
Source forms
οὖν 500x oun Matthew 1:17, Matthew 3:8, Matthew 3:10, Matthew 5:19
〈οὖν〉 2x oun Matthew 14:15, John 13:26
οὖν‿ 1x oun Philippians 3:8
Parsing patterns
Conjunction 503x Matthew 1:17, Matthew 3:8, Matthew 3:10, Matthew 5:19
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- State the grace, truth, warning, or argument that grounds the response introduced by oun.
- Call for the passage’s actual consequence rather than a generic application attached to “therefore.”
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that every oun marks a formal logical deduction.
- Do not claim that the particle alone identifies the full scope of its preceding grounds.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. (adverbially) certainly, or (conjunctionally) accordingly
Strong's G3767
Lexical occurrences 494 verses Greek text appearances 528 times 16 shown below Word forms 1 form 494 references Verse guides 0 guides
Source Gloss
(adverbially) certainly, or (conjunctionally) accordingly
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 528 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 1:17 Conjunction
οὖν oun
therefore, then
Read verse Matthew 3:8 Conjunction
οὖν oun
therefore, then
Read verse Matthew 3:10 Conjunction
οὖν oun
therefore, then
Read verse Matthew 5:19 Conjunction
οὖν oun
therefore, then
Read verse Matthew 5:23 Conjunction
οὖν oun
therefore, then
Read verse Matthew 5:48 Conjunction
οὖν oun
therefore, then
Read verse Matthew 6:2 Conjunction
οὖν oun
therefore, then
Read verse Matthew 6:8 Conjunction
οὖν oun
therefore, then
Read verse Matthew 6:9 Conjunction
οὖν oun
therefore, then
Read verse Matthew 6:22 Conjunction
οὖν oun
therefore, then
Read verse Matthew 6:23 Conjunction
οὖν oun
therefore, then
Read verse Matthew 6:31 Conjunction
οὖν oun
therefore, then
Read verse Matthew 6:34 Conjunction
οὖν oun
therefore, then
Read verse Matthew 7:11 Conjunction
οὖν oun
therefore, then
Read verse Matthew 7:12 Conjunction
οὖν oun
therefore, then
Read verse Matthew 7:24 Conjunction
οὖν oun
therefore, then
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 1 case and number pattern. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns 1 Aligned forms 494
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Matt 1:17 · Matt 3:8 · Matt 3:10 · Matt 5:19 · Matt 5:23 · Matt 5:48 · Matt 6:2 · Matt 6:8 · Matt 6:9 · Matt 6:22 · Matt 6:23 · Matt 6:31 · Matt 6:34 · Matt 7:11 · Matt 7:12 · Matt 7:24 494×
Word Origins
οὖν is a primary word - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Oun trains readers to ask what the “therefore” is there for, but faithful tracing must be more precise than a slogan. Romans 5:1 gathers Paul’s preceding argument about justification by faith into the believer’s peace with God through Jesus Christ. Romans 6:12 draws a command about sin’s reign from the reality that believers have died and live with Christ. Romans 8:12 follows the Spirit’s life-giving work with a new obligation not owed to the flesh.
Ephesians 4:1 turns the letter from gospel riches toward a walk worthy of God’s calling. Matthew 3:8 links repentance with fitting fruit. The particle marks movement, while the argument supplies its strength. Preaching should therefore recover the prior grace, state the actual inference, and call for the response the text requires.
Anchor passage
Rom.5.1
Doctrinal connections
- Matt.3.8 connects John’s call to repentance with fruit that corresponds to repentance rather than serving as its empty substitute.
- Rom.5.1 draws the consequence of justification by faith: believers have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Rom.6.12 moves from union with Christ and new life to the command not to let sin reign in the mortal body.
- Rom.8.12 follows the Spirit’s indwelling and life-giving work with an obligation no longer owed to the flesh.
- Eph.4.1 turns Paul’s exposition of God’s saving purpose toward a worthy walk shaped by humility, patience, unity, holiness, and love.
- Phil.2.12 connects Christ’s humiliation and exaltation with the church’s obedient working out of salvation under God’s active work within them.
Oun is a postpositive particle, which means it commonly appears after the first word or phrase of its clause even when English places “therefore” first. It can mark strong inference, practical consequence, narrative transition, resumptive continuation, or a lighter “then.” The local artifact currently groups about 494 occurrences. Discourse context determines the strength and the amount of preceding material gathered into the connection.
From Old to New Testament
Scripture repeatedly moves from God’s character and saving acts to covenant response: because the Lord has acted, His people are called to trust, worship, holiness, justice, and love. Oun marks many New Testament movements within that canonical pattern. The particle serves grace-grounded obedience when the interpreter faithfully carries the prior divine action into the resulting appeal.
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
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain