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ὅς

hós

G3739 relative pronoun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A relative pronoun introducing clauses that refer back to a previously mentioned noun or idea ('who,' 'which,' 'that'); used to relate additional information, qualify, or give a description about the antecedent. The core function is to establish a relationship between the antecedent and the relative clause. Sometimes with demonstrative force in certain poetic or elevated registers. In rare constructions, may also be used in indirect questions, or as a connector where a relative sense is implied.

Semantic Range

who (as subject or object), which (referring to things), that (introducing a qualifying clause), whoever, whichever, he who, she who, it which; occasionally with demonstrative nuance

Root / Etymology

Derives from the Proto-Indo-European pronominal stem *yo-/*so-, related to the definite article ὁ (ho) but functionally distinct as a relative pronoun. Forms include ὅς (masculine nominative singular), ἥ (feminine nominative singular), ὅ (neuter nominative/accusative singular), and respective oblique cases. Cognate with Latin 'qui, quae, quod' and Sanskrit 'yas.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

ὅς is the standard Koine Greek relative pronoun, present since Homeric and Classical periods, but its forms and syntactic patterns stabilize further in Hellenistic Greek. In the New Testament and Septuagint, ὅς and its forms (ἥ, ὅ, οὗ, etc.) broadly cover relative pronoun usage, functioning much as 'who,' 'which,' or 'that' in English. The relative pronoun may agree with its antecedent in gender and number, but its case is determined by its function in the relative clause. Unlike the article ὁ, which marks definiteness, ὅς introduces information relating to or identifying the antecedent. English translations rarely capture subtle Greek distinctions: whereas Greek may omit the pronoun in places, English often requires an explicit one. In poetic or elevated speech, ὅς can also have slightly demonstrative force ('he who'). Related to but not to be confused with ὁ (article) or τις (indefinite pronoun).

Translation Consistency

primary "that" 24 occurrences

‘That’ is a neutral, natural English relative connector that can refer to people or things and serve as subject or object. It avoids case-specific forms (who/whom/which), fits the typical range of ὅς in both restrictive and demonstrative uses, and supports the primary goal of strict consistency across all morphological forms.

Alternatives (26 occurrences):
"who" (12x) "whom" (6x) "whoever" (3x) "which" (3x) "she" (1x) "what" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article ὁ); the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that:--one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc. See also οὗ.

Root Family

ὅς- (hós) — who, which, that (relating to an antecedent)

Root ὅς- who, which, that (relating to an antecedent)

Word Forms

14 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3739-08 ὅ o PRO.R NOM N SG which which that 365
G3739-11 ὃν on PRO.R ACC M SG whom being whom 247
G3739-12 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG who as who 219
G3739-01 ἃ a PRO.R ACC N PL which which things that which things 118
G3739-13 οὗ ou PRO.D GEN M SG whom of whom of that one 116
G3739-06 ἣν en PRO.R ACC F SG which in which 98
G3739-14 οὓς ous PRO.R ACC M PL whom whom that whom 53
G3739-07 ἧς es PRO.R GEN F SG which of whom which 49
G3739-10 οἷς ois PRO.R DAT M PL which to whom to whom 46
G3739-05 ᾗ e PRO.D DAT F SG which the that 40

Occurrences in Scripture

1406 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3739-07 Matthew 1:16 ἧς es PRO.R GEN F SG whom of whom whom
G3739-08 Matthew 1:23 ὅ o PRO.R NOM N SG which which that
G3739-13 Matthew 1:25 οὗ ou PRO.D GEN M SG that of whom she
G3739-11 Matthew 2:9 ὃν on PRO.R ACC M SG which being that being
G3739-11 Matthew 2:16 ὃν on PRO.R ACC M SG which being that being
G3739-13 Matthew 3:11 οὗ ou PRO.R GEN M SG whose of whom of whom
G3739-13 Matthew 3:12 οὗ ou PRO.R GEN M SG whose of whom of whom
G3739-08 Matthew 3:17 ᾧ o-3 PRO.R DAT M SG whom which that
G3739-12 Matthew 5:19 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG whoever as who
G3739-12 Matthew 5:19 ὃς os-2 PRO.R NOM M SG whoever as who
G3739-12 Matthew 5:21 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG whoever as who
G3739-12 Matthew 5:22 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG whoever as and whoever
G3739-12 Matthew 5:22 ὃς os-2 PRO.R NOM M SG whoever as and whoever
G3739-12 Matthew 5:31 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG Whoever as who
G3739-12 Matthew 5:32 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG whoever as who
G3739-11 Matthew 6:8 ὧν on PRO.R GEN N PL what being that being
G3739-08 Matthew 7:2 ᾧ o DET DAT N SG what which that
G3739-08 Matthew 7:2 ᾧ o-2 DET DAT N SG what which that
G3739-11 Matthew 7:9 ὃν on PRO.R ACC M SG whom being whom
G3739-08 Matthew 8:4 ὃ o-2 PRO.D ACC N SG that which that
G3739-06 Matthew 10:11 ἣν en PRO.R ACC F SG whichever in which
G3739-12 Matthew 10:14 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG whoever as whoever
G3739-08 Matthew 10:26 ὃ o PRO.R NOM N SG that which that
G3739-08 Matthew 10:26 ὃ o-2 PRO.R NOM N SG that which that
G3739-08 Matthew 10:27 ὃ o PRO.R ACC N SG what which that
G3739-08 Matthew 10:27 ὃ o-2 PRO.R ACC N SG what which that
G3739-12 Matthew 10:38 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG whoever as who
G3739-12 Matthew 10:42 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG whoever as who
G3739-01 Matthew 11:4 ἃ a PRO.R ACC N PL what which things that which things
G3739-12 Matthew 11:6 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG whoever as who
G3739-13 Matthew 11:10 οὗ ou PRO.R GEN M SG whom of whom of that one
G3739-12 Matthew 11:10 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG who as who
G3739-01 Matthew 11:16 ἃ a PRO.R NOM N PL who which things which
G3739-03 Matthew 11:20 αἷς ais PRO.R DAT F PL which to whom in which
G3739-08 Matthew 11:27 ᾧ o-3 PRO.R DAT M SG to whom which that
G3739-08 Matthew 12:2 ὃ o PRO.R ACC N SG that which that
G3739-08 Matthew 12:4 ὃ o PRO.R ACC N SG which which that
G3739-12 Matthew 12:11 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG who as who
G3739-11 Matthew 12:18 ὃν on PRO.R ACC M SG whom being whom
G3739-11 Matthew 12:18 ὃν on-2 PRO.R ACC M SG whom being whom
G3739-12 Matthew 12:32 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG whoever as who
G3739-12 Matthew 12:32 ὃς os-2 PRO.R NOM M SG whoever as who
G3739-08 Matthew 12:36 ὃ o PRO.D ACC N SG that which that
G3739-01 Matthew 13:4 ἃ a PRO.I NOM N PL some which things that which things
G3739-08 Matthew 13:8 ὃ o PRO.I NOM N SG which which that
G3739-08 Matthew 13:8 ὃ o-2 PRO.I NOM N SG some which that
G3739-08 Matthew 13:8 ὃ o-3 PRO.I NOM N SG some which that
G3739-08 Matthew 13:12 ὃ o PRO.R ACC N SG what which what
G3739-01 Matthew 13:17 ἃ a PRO.R ACC N PL what which things that which things
G3739-01 Matthew 13:17 ἃ a-2 PRO.R ACC N PL what which things that which things
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