ὁσάκις
hosákis
G3740 adverb
SILEX Entry
Definition
An adverb indicating frequency: however many times, as often as, each time that something occurs. Used to refer to all instances of a repeated event or action, often in conjunction with a conditional particle (typically ἄν in the New Testament), to emphasize recurrence or repetition of the action.
Semantic Range
as many times as, as often as, whenever, every time that, each time that
Root / Etymology
Formed from the relative pronoun ὅσος ('as many as, as much as') with the adverbial suffix -ακις, indicating repetition or frequency. Directly parallels the use of -κις in other Greek adverbs of repetition (e.g., πολλάκις, 'often').
Historical & Contextual Notes
ὁσάκις appears in both classical and Koine Greek to mean 'as many times as' or 'whenever.' In the New Testament, it frequently occurs with ἄν (ὁσάκις ἄν), forming a construction equivalent to 'whenever' in English and denoting an event that may happen any number of times, with a focus on repetition. This adverb does not carry every nuance of the English 'often,' which may include mere frequency without the explicit repetition implied by ὁσάκις. Early Greek literature uses similar adverbial forms, but ὁσάκις is rare prior to Koine; its construction is characteristically Greek and finds frequent use in the Septuagint and New Testament. English translations (e.g., 'as often as,' 'whenever') generally convey the core sense, though the full phrase may not always render the conditional nuance present in the Greek.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
multiple adverb from ὅς; how (i.e. with ἄν, so) many times as:--as oft(-en) as.
Root Family
ὁσάκις (hosakis) — as many times as, as often as, however many times
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3740-01 |
ὁσάκις | osakis | ADV |
as often as | as often as | as often as | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3740-01 |
1 Corinthians 11:25 | ὁσάκις | osakis | ADV |
as often as | as often as | as often as |
G3740-01 |
1 Corinthians 11:26 | ὁσάκις | osakis | ADV |
as often as | as often as | as often as |
G3740-01 |
Revelation 11:6 | ὁσάκις | osakis | ADV |
as often as | as often as | as often as |