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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" 16 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 (34 occurrences):
"who" (9x) "which" (6x) "whom" (6x) "whoever" (4x) "what" (3x) "he" (3x) "when" (1x) "one" (1x) "another" (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
G3739-12 Matthew 13:23 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG who as who
G3739-08 Matthew 13:23 ὃ o-3 PRO.I NOM N SG some which that
G3739-08 Matthew 13:23 ὃ o-4 PRO.I NOM N SG some which that
G3739-08 Matthew 13:23 ὃ o-5 PRO.I NOM N SG some which that
G3739-11 Matthew 13:31 ὃν on PRO.R ACC M SG which being that being
G3739-08 Matthew 13:32 ὃ o PRO.R NOM N SG which which that
G3739-06 Matthew 13:33 ἣν en PRO.R ACC F SG which in which
G3739-13 Matthew 13:33 οὗ ou PRO.R GEN M SG which of whom which
G3739-11 Matthew 13:44 ὃν on PRO.R ACC M SG which being that being
G3739-06 Matthew 13:48 ἣν en PRO.R ACC F SG which in which
G3739-08 Matthew 14:7 ὃ o PRO.R ACC N SG whatever which what
G3739-13 Matthew 14:22 οὗ ou PRO.D GEN M SG he should of whom he
G3739-12 Matthew 15:5 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG whoever as whoever
G3739-08 Matthew 15:5 ὃ o PRO.R ACC N SG that which that
G3739-06 Matthew 15:13 ἣν en PRO.D ACC F SG that in which
G3739-08 Matthew 16:19 ὃ o PRO.R ACC N SG whatever which that
G3739-08 Matthew 16:19 ὃ o-2 PRO.R ACC N SG whatever which that
G3739-12 Matthew 16:25 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG whoever as who
G3739-12 Matthew 16:25 ὃς os-2 PRO.R NOM M SG whoever as who
G3739-08 Matthew 17:5 ᾧ o-3 PRO.R DAT M SG whom which that
G3739-13 Matthew 17:9 οὗ ou PRO.D GEN M SG when of whom when
G3739-12 Matthew 18:5 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG whoever as who
G3739-12 Matthew 18:6 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG whoever as who
G3739-13 Matthew 18:7 οὗ ou PRO.R GEN M SG whom of whom of that one
G3739-13 Matthew 18:19 οὗ ou PRO.D GEN N SG that of whom which
G3739-12 Matthew 18:23 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG who as who
G3739-12 Matthew 18:28 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG who as who
G3739-13 Matthew 18:30 οὗ ou PRO.R GEN M SG he should of whom he
G3739-13 Matthew 18:34 οὗ ou PRO.D GEN M SG which of whom he
G3739-08 Matthew 19:6 ὃ o PRO.R ACC N SG what which that
G3739-12 Matthew 19:9 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG whoever as whoever
G3739-10 Matthew 19:11 οἷς ois PRO.R DAT M PL those to whom to whom to whom
G3739-08 Matthew 20:4 ὃ o PRO.R NOM N SG whatever which what
G3739-08 Matthew 20:15 ὃ o PRO.R ACC N SG what which what
G3739-08 Matthew 20:22 ὃ o-2 PRO.R ACC N SG that which that
G3739-10 Matthew 20:23 οἷς ois PRO.R DAT M PL to whom to whom to whom
G3739-12 Matthew 20:26 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG whoever as who
G3739-12 Matthew 20:27 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG whoever as who
G3739-01 Matthew 21:15 ἃ a PRO.D ACC N PL that which things which
G3739-11 Matthew 21:24 ὃν on PRO.R ACC M SG which being that being
G3739-11 Matthew 21:35 ὃν on PRO.D ACC M SG one being whom
G3739-11 Matthew 21:35 ὃν on-2 PRO.D ACC M SG one being whom
G3739-11 Matthew 21:35 ὃν on-3 PRO.D ACC M SG one being whom
G3739-11 Matthew 21:42 ὃν on PRO.R ACC M SG which being that being
G3739-11 Matthew 21:44 ὃν on PRO.R ACC M SG whom being whom
G3739-12 Matthew 22:5 ὃς os PRO.D NOM M SG one as one
G3739-12 Matthew 22:5 ὃς os-2 PRO.D NOM M SG the other as another
G3739-14 Matthew 22:10 οὓς ous PRO.R ACC M PL whom whom that whom
G3739-12 Matthew 23:16 ὃς os PRO.R NOM M SG whoever as whoever
G3739-12 Matthew 23:16 ὃς os-2 PRO.R NOM M SG but whoever as but whoever
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