ὅσος G3745
A correlative pronoun meaning 'as many as, as much as, whatever, whoever, how much, as long as'; marks quantity, extent, degree, or duration relative to a reference set.
This versatile correlative pronoun is the Greek language's primary tool for expressing relative quantity and extent. In its most common use, it gathers up a whole set of things or persons — 'as many as believed' (Acts 4:34), 'whatever you wish' (Matt 7:12). It can also function proportionally ('to the degree that,' Matt 25:40), exclamatorily ('how great things!' Mark 5:19-20), or temporally ('as long as,' Rom 7:1). Spanish cuantos and French qui both reflect the pronoun's flexibility, while German so-viel ('so much/many') nicely captures the quantitative core. The word's range from marketplace arithmetic to eschatological proportionality makes it one of the New Testament's quiet workhorses.
Senses
1. as much as / whatever (things) — The neuter or feminine plural use referring to things, events, or amounts: 'whatever things, as much as, all that.' Encompasses 45 occurrences where hosos gathers an entire class of objects or actions. Spanish cuantas-cosas ('how many things') is particularly expressive. Key passages include Matt 7:12 ('whatever you wish others to do for you'), Matt 18:18 ('whatever you bind on earth'), and Phil 4:8 ('whatever things are true... think on these'). The pronoun draws a boundary around a complete set. 45×
AR["كُلَّ-مَا", "كُلُّ-مَا", "ما", "مَا"]·ben["যা", "যা-কিছু"]·DE["die", "so-viel"]·EN["as-many-as", "as-much-as", "whatever"]·FR["que"]·heb["אֲשֶׁר", "אֶת-כָּל-מָה-שֶׁ-", "כָּל-אֲשֶׁר", "כָּל-מָה-שֶׁ-", "כָּל־אֲשֶׁר", "כָּל־מָה", "מַה"]·HI["जितन", "जितनअ", "जो-कुछ"]·ID["apa-pun", "apa-pun-yang", "apa-saja", "apapun", "sebanyak", "sebanyak-yang", "sesuatu-yang", "yang"]·IT["i-quali"]·jav["ingkang", "menapa-mawon", "pinten", "punapa", "punapa-kemawon", "punapa-kémawon", "samukawis-ingkang"]·KO["-것들을", "~만큼", "무엇이든", "무엇이든지", "얼마든지"]·PT["o-que", "quantas", "quantas-coisas", "quanto", "que", "tudo-quanto"]·RU["сколько", "чего", "что", "что-бы"]·ES["cuantas", "cuantas-cosas", "cuanto"]·SW["alivyo-navyo", "ambavyo", "ambayo", "chochote", "niliyowaamuru", "yo-yote", "yote", "yoyote"]·TR["ne", "ne-kadar", "ne-kadar-çok"]·urd["جتنا", "جو", "جو کچھ", "جو-کچھ"]
Matt 7:12, Matt 13:44, Matt 13:46, Matt 17:12, Matt 18:18, Matt 18:18, Matt 18:25, Matt 21:22, Matt 23:3, Matt 28:20, Mark 3:28, Mark 9:13 (+33 more)
2. as many as (persons) — The masculine plural use referring to persons: 'as many as, all who, whoever' — 33 occurrences pointing to people within a group. Spanish cuantos and French qui both render the personal reference. Prominent in healing narratives (Matt 14:36, Mark 6:56: 'as many as touched him were healed') and in Acts' summaries of conversion (Acts 2:39, 4:6). This personal use carries an inclusive, boundary-drawing force: everyone within the specified group, without exception. 33×
AR["كَمْ", "كُلُّ", "كُلُّ الَّذينَ", "كُلُّ مَنْ", "كُلُّ-الَّذينَ", "كُلُّ-مَنْ", "كُلِّ-مَن"]·ben["যত", "যত-জন", "যতজন", "যারা-কিছু"]·DE["die", "so-viel"]·EN["as-many-as"]·FR["qui"]·heb["כַּמָּה", "כָּל-", "כָּל-אֲשֶׁר"]·HI["-वंश-के", "इन", "क्योंकि", "जितने", "जितने-भी", "जितनों", "जितनों-ने", "मानते-थे", "रखकर"]·ID["Barangsiapa", "Sebab-barangsiapa", "Sebanyak", "Semua-orang", "barangsiapa", "kita-semua-yang", "sebab-barangsiapa", "sebanyak", "sebanyak-yang", "semua-yang"]·IT["i-quali", "quanti"]·jav["Sedaya-tiyang-ingkang", "Sinten-ingkang", "Sinten-kemawon-ingkang-", "Sinten-sinten", "kita-sedaya-ingkang", "pinten-pinten", "saben", "samanten", "sapa-waé", "sapinten", "sedaya-ingkang", "sedaya-tiyang-ingkang", "sinten-kemawon-ingkang-", "sinten-kémawon", "sinten-sinten-ingkang", "sintena"]·KO["-가", "~만큼", "누구든지", "말한-자들-이", "모든-이들-이", "모든-이들이", "모든-자들", "모든-자들이", "얼마나", "얼마나-가", "얼마나-많이든", "얼마든", "얼마든지", "왜냐하면"]·PT["Quantos", "quantos", "todos-os-que"]·RU["Сколькие", "Сколько", "все-которые", "сколькие", "сколькие-", "скольких", "сколько", "что"]·ES["Cuantos", "cuantos"]·SW["Wote", "sisi-wote", "wale", "wengi", "wote", "wote-"]·TR["Kacimiz", "Kimler", "Ne-kadar-çok", "kadar-çok", "kadarları", "kaç-tane", "kim", "ne-kadar", "ne-kadar-çok", "ne-kadarki"]·urd["جتنوں", "جتنوں-نے", "جتنے", "جتنے-بھی"]
3. to the degree that (proportional) — A proportional or comparative use indicating degree or scalar extent: 'as much as, to the degree that, in proportion to.' Found in 14 passages including the pivotal Matt 25:40 ('inasmuch as you did it to the least of these'), where hosos establishes the proportional equivalence between service to the lowly and service to Christ. Mark 7:36 uses it strikingly: 'the more he charged them, the more (hoso) they proclaimed it.' German dem ('to whom/which') gestures at this dative-of-degree construction. 14×
AR["أَنَّ", "بِقَدْرِ", "بِقَدْرِ-مَا", "دامَ", "كُلَّمَا", "مَا"]·ben["পর্যন্ত", "যত", "যতটা"]·DE["das", "dem", "die", "so-viel"]·EN["-", "as", "as-much-as", "by-as-much-as", "how-long"]·FR["que", "qui", "à-qui"]·heb["בְּכַמָּה", "כְּכָל-אֲשֶׁר", "כְּמָה", "כְּמָה-שֶׁ-", "כְּמוֹ", "כְּפִי", "כַּמָּה", "כָּל-אֲשֶׁר", "מָה", "שֶׁ-"]·HI["के-तो", "जितना", "जितनी"]·ID["Sebanyak", "hal", "karena", "mana", "sama", "sebanyak", "seberapa", "sejauh", "selama", "semakin"]·IT["che", "il-quale", "quanti"]·jav["Sangsaya", "dangunipun", "pinten-pinten", "samangsa", "sami", "sangsaya", "sapinten", "saweg", "sepinten"]·KO["-이", "-할수록", "~만큼", "만큼", "얼마나", "원하는-만큼"]·PT["mais", "quanto", "que", "tanto-quanto"]·RU["-", "насколько", "сколько", "скольку", "такова-же-как", "чем-более", "язычников"]·ES["cuanto", "en-cuanto", "que", "tanta-como", "tanto"]·SW["Zaidi", "ambayo", "kadiri", "kadiri-", "kadiri-ya", "kiasi", "kiasi-ambacho", "kwa-kadiri", "wakati"]·TR["Ne-kadar", "ne-kadar"]·urd["جب-تک", "جتنا", "جتنی"]
4. how much / how many (exclamatory) — An exclamatory or rhetorical use expressing magnitude: 'how much! how many! how great!' — 14 occurrences concentrated in Mark, where the healed demoniac is told to report hosa ('how great things') the Lord has done (Mark 5:19-20). Spanish cuantas-cosas preserves the exclamatory wonder. This sense shifts from correlation to emphatic declaration, marveling at the sheer extent of divine action. 14×
AR["بِكُلِّ-ما", "بِما", "جِدًّا", "كَمْ"]·ben["কত", "কতটা", "যত", "যা", "যা-যা"]·DE["den", "die", "so-viel"]·EN["as-many-as", "as-much-as", "how", "how-many-things", "how-much", "very", "what-things"]·FR["que"]·heb["אֵת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר", "כְּכָל-אֲשֶׁר", "כַּמָּה", "כָּל-אֲשֶׁר"]·HI["कितना", "कितना,", "कितनि", "कितनी", "किया-है", "जितना", "जो"]·ID["berapa-banyak", "betapa-banyak", "betapa-besar", "sebanyak-apa", "sebentar", "sebentar,", "sebesar-apa", "segala-sesuatu", "yang"]·IT["i-quali", "quanti"]·jav["ingkang-kathah", "pinten", "punapa-kémawon", "samanten", "sanget", "sepira"]·KO["그것을", "만큼", "무엇이든지", "얼마나", "얼마나-많은-것들을", "얼마나-많이"]·PT["quantas", "quantas-coisas", "quanto", "quantos", "quantos-serviços"]·RU["как", "сколько", "скоро"]·ES["cuantas-cosas", "cuanto", "cuantos", "cuántas", "cuántas-cosas"]·SW["ambazo", "jinsi", "kidogo", "mambo-mengi", "mengi-kiasi-gani", "ni-kiasi-gani", "sana", "yote"]·TR["ne-kadar"]·urd["جتنا", "جتنی", "جتنے", "جو", "جو-کچھ", "کتنی"]
5. as long as (temporal duration) — A temporal use marking duration: 'as long as, for as long as, while.' Five occurrences, typically in the phrase eph' hoson ('for as long a time as'), including Rom 7:1 ('the law has authority over a person as long as he lives'), 1 Cor 7:39 ('bound as long as her husband lives'), and Gal 4:1 ('as long as the heir is a child'). Spanish cuanto and German den both translate the temporal extent, though less precisely than the Greek construction which elegantly maps quantity onto time. 5×
AR["حَيثُما", "ما", "ما دامَ", "مَا"]·ben["যত", "যতক্ষণ", "যতদিন"]·DE["den"]·EN["as-long-as"]·FR["que"]·heb["כְּמָה", "כַּמָּה", "כָּל", "כָּל-זְמַן", "שֶׁ-"]·HI["जब-तक", "जितने", "समय"]·ID["Selama", "aku", "barangsiapa", "sebanyak", "sepanjang"]·IT["che", "il-quale", "quanti"]·jav["pinten", "sauntara", "suwene"]·KO["동안", "얼마나", "얼마나-오랫동안", "얼마든지"]·PT["Enquanto-", "quanto", "tanto-quanto"]·RU["времени", "сколько"]·ES["a-cuanto", "cuanto"]·SW["kadiri", "kwa-kadri", "muda-", "wote", "wowote"]·TR["ne kadar süre", "ne-kadar"]·urd["جب-تک", "جتنا", "جتنی-دیر", "عرصہ"]
Related Senses
H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)H0259 1. one (cardinal numeral) (940×)H8147 1. cardinal number two (666×)G3956 1. all (collective plural) (616×)H3967 1. cardinal numeral hundred (550×)H1419a 1. great, large (general quality) (486×)H7969 1. cardinal number three (431×)H0505 1. cardinal number thousand (427×)H7651 1. seven (cardinal number) (393×)G1520 1. cardinal number one (339×)H6240 1. ten (cardinal number) (334×)H6242 1. twenty (cardinal number) (315×)H2568 1. cardinal number five (309×)H0702 1. four (cardinal number) (277×)G3956 2. every, each (distributive) (227×)H8337 1. six (cardinal number) (215×)G3956 3. all things, everything (substantive) (211×)G3956 4. (187×)H6235 1. ten (177×)G3173 1. great in size or extent (176×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ὅσος, Epic dialect ὅσσος, η, ον, both forms in Refs 8th c.BC+; ὅσσος also in Refs 4th c.BC+; and in many dialects, e. g. Lesb., Refs 7th c.BC+ ii 18 (ὄσσος), argument, Refs 4th c.BC+; Central Cretan dialect ὄζος Refs, and ὄττος Refs adjective:—of Size, as great as, how great; of Quantity, as much as, how much; of Space, as far as, how far; of Time, as long as, how long; of Number, as many as, how…