ἔμελλον
méllō
were about
To be about (to do or to undergo) something, to be on the point of, to intend, to be destined or expected to (do or undergo); generally indicates imminence or a futurity with a sense of intention, expectation, or necessity. The term can introduce an action that is impending or destined, and in some cases carries a modal force emphasizing inevitability or obligation.
John 7:39 · Word #8
Lexicon G3195
| Lemma | μέλλω |
| Transliteration | méllō |
| Strong's | G3195 |
| Definition | To be about (to do or to undergo) something, to be on the point of, to intend, to be destined or expected to (do or undergo); generally indicates imminence or a futurity with a sense of intention, expectation, or necessity. The term can introduce an action that is impending or destined, and in some cases carries a modal force emphasizing inevitability or obligation. |
Morphology V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state of being |
| Tense | IMPF — Imperfect — Continuous or repeated past action |
| Voice | ACT — Active — The subject performs the action |
| Mood | IND — Indicative — States a fact or reality |
| Person | 3P — 3rd person — The one spoken about ("he/she/it/they") |
| Number | PL — Plural — More than one |
Common Translation
| Phrase | were about |
| Literal | were-about-to |
Lexical Info
| Lemma | μέλλω |
| Strong's | G3195 |
SIBI-P1 Translation G3195-02
they were about to
| Morphological Notes | Verb; imperfect tense (past ongoing), active voice, indicative mood, 3rd person plural (also attested in 1st person singular form ἤμελλον = "I was about to"). |
| Rendering Rationale | The imperfect active indicative, 3rd person plural, expresses an ongoing or unfolding past state of imminence or expectation. "They were about to" preserves both the imperfect aspect (past continuous) and the root sense of impending or destined action. |
View full lexicon entry for G3195 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
they were about to
| Same as P1 | Yes |
| Rationale | P1 'they were about to' is a contextually sound rendering of 'emellon'. |