μεταξύ G3342
Between (spatial or relational); next, in the interval following; meanwhile, in the intervening time.
A preposition and adverb whose core meaning is 'in the middle space between two points.' In most New Testament uses it marks spatial or relational betweenness--between you and your brother (Matt 18:15), between Abel and Zechariah (Matt 23:35), or the great chasm fixed between paradise and torment (Luke 16:26). Spanish 'entre' and German 'zwischen' render this consistently. The word can also mark temporal intervals: at Acts 13:42, it points to 'the next Sabbath' (the one in between), with Spanish shifting to 'siguiente.' At John 4:31, it functions as a pure temporal adverb meaning 'meanwhile' or 'in the meantime,' captured by Spanish 'entre tanto.'
Senses
1. sense 1 — Between--marking spatial position or relational separation between two entities. Used of the space between persons (Matt 18:15, 'between you and him'), between historical figures (Matt 23:35, between Abel and Zechariah), and the unbridgeable gulf between Abraham's side and Hades (Luke 16:26). Spanish 'entre,' French 'entre,' and German 'zwischen' all converge on this core spatial-relational meaning across seven occurrences. 7×
AR["بَينَ","بَيْنَ","فيما-بَينَهُم"]·ben["মধ্যে","মাঝখানে","মাঝে"]·DE["zwischen","zwischen-"]·EN["between"]·FR["entre","entre-"]·heb["אוֹתָנוּ","בֵּין","בֵּיןְךָ"]·HI["-मेइन","बीच"]·ID["antara","di-antara"]·IT["fra-","tra"]·jav["antawis","antawisipun","ing-antawis","wonten-ing-tengah"]·KO["-사이에","사이에"]·PT["entre","entre-si"]·RU["между","между-"]·ES["entre"]·SW["-","kati","kati-ya","katikati-ya"]·TR["arasinda-","arasında"]·urd["-میں-درمیان","بیچ","درمیان"]
2. sense 2 — Next, the intervening one in a temporal sequence. At Acts 13:42, the people ask Paul to speak again 'the next Sabbath' (to metaxu sabbaton)--the Sabbath lying between this one and the one after. Spanish 'siguiente' (next/following) captures the sequential sense, while French and German retain the generic 'entre/zwischen,' showing that this temporal-sequential nuance is contextually derived rather than lexically marked in most languages. 1×
AR["بَينَ"]·ben["মাঝে"]·DE["zwischen"]·EN["next"]·FR["entre"]·heb["שַׁבָּת-הַבָּאָה"]·HI["अगले"]·ID["antara"]·IT["fra-"]·jav["antawis"]·KO["다음"]·PT["seguinte"]·RU["следующую"]·ES["siguiente"]·SW["kati"]·TR["sonraki"]·urd["درمیان-کے"]
3. sense 3 — Meanwhile, in the intervening time--a purely temporal adverbial use. At John 4:31, while Jesus speaks with the Samaritan woman, the disciples urge him 'meanwhile' (en to metaxu) to eat. Spanish 'entre tanto' preserves the spatial metaphor embedded in temporal usage, literally 'between so much [time],' while the underlying Greek uses the same spatial root to bridge a gap in narrative time. 1×
AR["أَثْنَاءِ"]·ben["ফাঁকে"]·DE["zwischen"]·EN["meanwhile"]·FR["entre"]·heb["בֵּינַתַיִם"]·HI["बीच"]·ID["sementara-itu"]·IT["tra"]·jav["antawis"]·KO["그-사이에"]·PT["entremeio"]·RU["между-тем"]·ES["entre-tanto"]·SW["wakati-huo-huo"]·TR["bu-arada"]·urd["مانگ-رہے-تھے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
μεταξύ (late form μετοξύ Refs 1st c.AD+, adverb, (μετά, ξύν) properly in the midst: hence, __I as adverb, __I.1 of Place, betwixt, between, once in Refs 8th c.BC+ __I.2 of Time, between-whiles, meanwhile, Refs 5th c.BC+; τὰ μ. the intervening events, Refs 5th c.BC+present participle, μ. ὀρύσσων ἐπαύσατο in the midst of his digging, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐξαναστάντες μ. δειπνοῦντες in the middle of…