ἐάν G1437
If, in the event that — conditional particle introducing hypothetical or potential clauses
Ean is the standard Greek conditional conjunction that pairs with the subjunctive mood to mark a situation as possible but not yet realized. It differs from the simple ei ('if' with indicative) by leaving the outcome genuinely open. Across 339 NT occurrences it structures Jesus' teaching ('if anyone would come after me,' Matt 16:24), apostolic exhortation, and legal-style conditions. Translators uniformly render it 'if' (Spanish 'si,' French 'si,' German 'wenn'), though its subjunctive coloring adds a nuance of contingency that flat English 'if' can obscure.
Senses
1. if, in the event that (conditional particle) — A conditional conjunction introducing a protasis whose fulfillment is presented as possible but uncertain, regularly followed by the subjunctive mood. It frames the 'if' clause of third-class conditions, where the speaker neither assumes nor denies the outcome. Key passages include Matt 5:13 ('if salt loses its flavor') and 1 John 1:9 ('if we confess our sins'), where the open contingency is theologically deliberate. 339×
AR["-", "إِنْ", "إِنْ-لَمْ", "فَ-إِنْ"]·ben["যদি"]·DE["wenn"]·EN["If", "if", "if-", "unless-"]·FR["si"]·heb["אֲשֶׁר", "אִם"]·HI["-", "अगर", "यदि"]·ID["-jika", "Jika", "jika"]·IT["se"]·jav["Manawi", "Menawi", "ingkang", "manawi", "menawi", "nanging-manawi"]·KO["-이든", "만일"]·PT["Se", "não", "portanto", "que", "quer", "se"]·RU["Если", "если"]·ES["*-si", "Si", "si"]·SW["Kama", "Kwa-maana-ikiwa", "ambaye", "ambaye-ikiwa", "asiye-", "basi-ikiwa", "ikiwa", "isipozidi", "kama", "kwa-maana-ikiwa", "lakini-ikiwa", "ukitaka,", "utakako-"]·TR["Eğer", "eğer"]·urd["اگر", "بھی", "کوئی", "کہیں-بھی"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐάν (so early Attic Inscrr., as Refs 4th c.BC+, also contraction ἤν and ἄν, see at {ἤν},{ἄν} (B) [ᾱ], which by crasis with καί become κἄν:—if haply, if, regularly followed by subjunctive: for its use and for examples, see at {εἰ} Refs 5th c.BC+ __II in Hellenistic and late Greek, ={ἄν} after relative Pronouns and Conjunctions, as ὃς ἐάν whosoever, LXX+5th c.BC+