ὅστις G3748
who, which (indefinite relative pronoun); whoever, whatever (generalizing relative)
Senses
1. who, which (indefinite relative pronoun) — The standard relative pronoun function of hostis/hētis/hoti, meaning 'who,' 'which,' or 'that,' introducing relative clauses that identify or describe a person or thing. This is the overwhelmingly dominant NT usage, covering plural forms (οἵτινες, αἵτινες) and singular forms (ὅστις, ἥτις, ἅτινα) across all genders. The distinction between the 'who' cluster (referring to persons: Matt 7:15; 16:28; 19:12; 21:41; 25:1; Mark 4:20; 9:1; 12:18; 15:7; Luke 8:3, 15; 9:30; Rom 16:6, 12; etc.) and the 'which' cluster (referring to things: Matt 23:27; 27:62; Luke 1:20; 2:4, 10; 8:26; John 21:25; Acts 11:28; 12:10; 16:12; 1 Cor 3:17; 5:1; Gal 4:24; Col 2:23; etc.) is purely an English translation choice, not a genuine Greek semantic distinction. Hebrew consistently 'asher throughout, Arabic alladhī/allatī, Korean geu/geudeul-eun, Spanish quien/el cual/los cuales. 123×
AR["اللواتي","اللَّذانِ","اللَّواتي","اللَّوَاتِي","الَّذينَ","الَّذِينَ"]·ben["αἵτιΨেς-যারা","যারা"]·DE["die","wer-auch"]·EN["who"]·FR["qui"]·heb["אֲשֶׁר"]·HI["जिनहोने","जिन्हें","जिन्होंने","जो","सुनते-हैं"]·ID["orang-yang","siapa-pun","yaitu","yang"]·IT["i-quali"]·jav["Ingkang","ingkang","kang"]·KO["-그들은","-는","-들이","-이들은","~하는-자들은","그들-은","그들은","누구든지","어떤-이들은"]·PT["as-quais","os-quais","os-que","que"]·RU["которые"]·ES["las-cuales","los-cuales","quienes"]·SW["-","ambao","ambao-","kutoka","wale","walifanywa-matowashi","walijifanya-matowashi","watampa"]·TR["-ki","bazıları","bunların-hepsi","ki","kim","onlar","onlar-ki"]·urd["جنہوں-نے","جنہیں","جو","وہ-جو"]
Matt 7:15, Matt 16:28, Matt 19:12, Matt 19:12, Matt 19:12, Matt 21:41, Matt 25:1, Matt 27:55, Mark 4:20, Mark 9:1, Mark 12:18, Mark 15:7 (+38 more)
2. whoever, whatever (generalizing relative) — The generalizing or indefinite relative use of hostis meaning 'whoever,' 'anyone who,' or 'whatever,' where the relative clause has a conditional or universal force rather than identifying a specific antecedent. Found in Jesus' teaching: Matt 5:39, 41 'whoever strikes/compels'; Matt 7:24 'whoever hears'; Matt 10:32-33 'whoever confesses/denies'; Matt 12:50 'whoever does the will'; Matt 13:12 'whoever has/does not have'; Matt 18:4 'whoever humbles himself'; Matt 19:29 'whoever has left'; Matt 23:12 'whoever exalts/humbles'; Luke 14:15, 27 'whoever does not carry'; Gal 5:10 'whoever troubles you'; also the neuter ἅτινα 'whatever' (Phil 3:7 'whatever things were gain'). Distinguished from the simple relative by Hebrew mī/mī-she ('whoever') rather than 'asher ('who/which'), and by English and Spanish translations using 'whoever' rather than 'who.' Acts 3:23 also carries this generalizing force. 17×
AR["أيًّا-كانَ","أَيُّ-مَن","لِمَنْ","ما","مَن","مَنْ","وَمَن"]·ben["কারণ-যার","কিন্তু-যার","যা-কিছু","যে","যে-কেউ","যেই"]·DE["der","die","wer-auch"]·EN["Whoever","whatever","who","whoever"]·FR["qui"]·heb["אֲשֶׁר","כִּי-מִי","מִי","מִי-שֶׁ","מִי־שֶׁ","מַה"]·HI["जो","जो-कोइ","जो-कोई","जो-कोएए","जो-भि"]·ID["Siapa-pun","Siapapun","apa yang","barangsiapa","siapa","siapa-pun","siapa-saja","yang"]·IT["che","il-quale"]·jav["Sinten","Sinten-kémawon","bab-bab-ingkang","ingkang","sinten","sinten-kemawon","sinten-kémawon"]·KO["-가","~하는-자는-누구든지","누구든지","어떤-것들이"]·PT["Quem","aquele-que","o-que","qualquer-que","quem","quem-quer-que"]·RU["Ибо-кто","Кто","а-кто","ибо-кто","кто","кто-бы","что"]·ES["cualquiera","cualquiera-que","el-que","las-cosas-que","quien","quienquiera"]·SW["-hayo","ameacha","atakayejinyenyekeza","kwa-maana","lakini","ye-yote","yeyote"]·TR["hangi","her-kim","kim","kim-ki"]·urd["جس-کسی-نے","جس-کے-پاس","جو","جو-کوئی","جو-کوئی-بھی","جو-کچھ"]
Matt 5:39, Matt 5:41, Matt 7:24, Matt 10:32, Matt 10:33, Matt 12:50, Matt 13:12, Matt 13:12, Matt 18:4, Matt 19:29, Matt 23:12, Matt 23:12 (+5 more)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ὅστις, ἥτις, ὅ τι (sometimes written ὅ, τι to distinct it from ὅτι, that): Refs 8th c.BC+ has also the masculine collateral form ὅτις Refs 8th c.BC+ and Ionic dialect and Refs 4th c.AD+ and the neuter ὅττι Refs 8th c.BC+—In some forms only the second part is inflected, i.e. genitive ὅτου Refs 5th c.BC+, Epic dialect ὅττεο Refs 8th c.BC+[same place], contraction ὅττευ Refs 8th c.BC+; perhaps also…