ὃς

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 ὃς

   HOS

   Whoever
2. clause🔊 ὃς γὰρ ⸀ἐὰν θέλῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ σῶσαι ἀπολέσει αὐτήν·

   HOS GAR e-AN THE-lê TÊN psy-KHÊN au-TOO SÔ-sai a-po-LE-sei au-TÊN

   for Whoever if wants his the life to save will lose it
3. sentence🔊 ὃς γὰρ ⸀ἐὰν θέλῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ σῶσαι ἀπολέσει αὐτήν· ὃς δʼ ἂν ἀπολέσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ εὑρήσει αὐτήν.

   HOS GAR e-AN THE-lê TÊN psy-KHÊN au-TOO SÔ-sai a-po-LE-sei au-TÊN HOS d AN a-po-LE-sê TÊN psy-KHÊN au-TOO HE-ne-ken e-MOO heu-RÊ-sei au-TÊN

   for Whoever if wants his the life to save will lose it but whoever if loses his the life for the sake of me will find it

Exegesis

The verse consists of two parallel conditional-relative clauses introduced by hos {ὃς | hòs} ‘whoever’, forming a general statement.

In the first clause, hos gar ean thelei tēn psuchēn autoû sōsai {ὃς γὰρ ἐὰν θέλῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ σῶσαι | hòs gàr eàn thélē tēn psuchḗn autoû sôsai}, the particle ean {ἐὰν | eàn} ‘if, whenever’ with the present subjunctive thelei {θέλῃ | thélē} ‘desires’ establishes an open condition, and the infinitive sōsai {σῶσαι | sôsai} ‘to save’ conveys purpose.

In the second clause, hos de an apolésē tēn psuchēn autoû héneken emou {ὃς δʼ ἂν ἀπολέσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ | hòs dé àn apolésē tēn psuchḗn autoû héneken emou}, the aorist subjunctive apolésē {ἀπολέσῃ | apolésē} ‘might lose’ indicates the decisive act, and the prepositional phrase héneken emou {ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ | héneken emou} ‘for the sake of’ marks motivation.

Root and etymology

ouranos🔊 οὐρανόςomicron–upsilon–rho–alpha–nu–omicron–sigma

“sky, heaven”

• 🔊 ἐπουράνιοςepourániosheavenly, in the heavensEphesians 1:20