μηδέ G3366
Nor, and not; as adverb: not even — negative particle extending or intensifying denial
A compound of μή and δέ, this particle serves as the subjunctive/imperative counterpart to οὐδέ, linking negative clauses ('nor') or intensifying a negation ('not even'). Jesus uses it prolifically in the Sermon on the Mount to pile up prohibitions: 'Do not worry about your life... nor about your body' (Matt 6:25), 'Do not take gold, nor silver, nor copper' (Matt 10:9–10). In a handful of passages, the adverbial force emerges — Mark 2:2 describes a crowd so dense that 'not even' the area around the door could hold them. Spanish 'ni' and German 'und nicht' consistently reflect both the conjunctive and intensifying roles.
3. not even — The adverbial, intensifying use: 'not even,' emphasizing the extremity of a situation. In Mark 2:2, so many gathered that 'not even (μηδέ) the space at the door' could contain them. In Mark 3:20, the crowd was so pressing that they could 'not even (μηδέ) eat bread.' The Spanish 'ni siquiera' ('not even') makes this scalar, intensifying force explicit, distinguishing it from the simple conjunctive 'nor.' This sense highlights the extraordinary — situations that exceed normal expectation. 3×
AR["ولا","وَلَا"]·ben["এমনকি","না"]·DE["und-nicht"]·EN["Not-even","not-even"]·FR["ni"]·heb["אַף-לֹא","וְאַל"]·HI["जगह","न","रोटी"]·ID["Jangan","bahkan","bahkan-tidak"]·IT["neppure"]·jav["Sampun-ngantos","dalah"]·KO["도-않다","심지어-아니","조차"]·PT["Nem","nem"]·RU["И-не","даже","ни"]·ES["Ni","ni-siquiera"]·SW["Usiingie","hata-si-"]·TR["Ne-de","hatta"]·urd["نہ","نہ-بھی"]
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
1. nor — The primary conjunctive use: 'nor,' 'and not' — connecting a negative clause to a preceding negation, extending the scope of denial or prohibition. This is the dominant New Testament function, appearing heavily in Jesus' instructions: 'Do not worry about your life, nor (μηδέ) about your body' (Matt 6:25); 'Do not give what is holy to dogs, nor (μηδέ) cast your pearls before swine' (Matt 7:6). The Spanish 'ni' and French 'ni' exactly mirror this linking-negation function, chaining prohibitions into a rhetorical sequence. 51×
AR["ولا","وَ-لا","وَ-لَا","وَلا","وَلا-","وَلَا"]·ben["আরও-না","এবং-না","না","না-ও","নাও"]·DE["und-nicht"]·EN["nor","nor-"]·FR["ni"]·heb["וְ-אַל","וְ-לֹא","וְ-לֹא-בְּ-","וְאַל","וְלֹא","כְּתוּבִים"]·HI["तुम्हारी","न","न-ही"]·ID["atau-tidak","dan-jangan","jangan","jangan-juga","jangan-pula","juga-tidak","tidak-juga"]·IT["neppure"]·jav["<sampun-ngantos","boten-ugi","lan-ugi-mboten","mboten-ugi","sampun-ngantos-ugi","ugi-mboten","utawi","utawi-boten"]·KO["-도-않고","~도-말고","~도-않고","도-마라","도-아니","또는","또한","아니다"]·PT["nem"]·RU["и-не","ни","ни-"]·ES["ni"]·SW["itakuwa","msiitwe","nguvu","wala"]·TR["ne-de"]·urd["نہ","نہ-ہی"]
Matt 6:25, Matt 7:6, Matt 10:9, Matt 10:9, Matt 10:10, Matt 10:10, Matt 10:10, Matt 10:14, Matt 22:29, Matt 23:10, Matt 24:20, Mark 6:11 (+38 more)
2. nor — The same conjunctive 'nor' function in a concentrated Pauline passage: 1 Cor 10:7–10, where Paul strings together warnings from Israel's wilderness history — 'do not become idolaters... nor (μηδέ) let us act immorally... nor (μηδέ) let us test Christ... nor (μηδέ) grumble.' Though functionally identical to sense 1, the clustering in a single paraenetic unit with Old Testament typology gives these occurrences a distinctive rhetorical texture. Spanish 'Ni' and French 'ni' again capture the cumulative prohibitive chain. 4×
AR["وَلا"]·ben["নাও"]·DE["und-nicht"]·EN["nor-"]·FR["ni-"]·heb["וְ-אַל-"]·HI["न-हो"]·ID["Jangan"]·IT["ne-"]·jav["sampun-ugi"]·KO["않-도록하고"]·PT["Nem"]·RU["И-не"]·ES["Ni"]·SW["Wala"]·TR["ne de-"]·urd["نہ"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
μηδέ, (μή, δέ) negative Particle (compare οὐδέ): as conjunction, and not (Epic dialect also, but not), nor, connecting two whole clauses, used with the same constructions as μή, μή τι σὺ ταῦτα.. διείρεο μηδὲ μετάλλα Refs 8th c.BC+; τεκνοῦσθαι, μηδ᾽ ἄπαιδα θνῄσκειν Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 in μηδέ.. μηδέ.. the first μ. may belong to μηδέ A, e.g. Refs 8th c.BC+; but μήτε cannot follow μηδέ:—for μηδέ…