ὅστις G3748
Indefinite relative pronoun 'who, which, whoever'; sometimes generalizing to 'whoever, whatever.'
A compound relative pronoun (formed from hos + tis) that carries a subtly different force from the simple relative hos. In its standard usage—accounting for the vast majority of its 140 NT occurrences—it introduces relative clauses much like ordinary 'who' or 'which,' identifying or describing persons and things (Matt 7:15; 16:28). But its indefinite component surfaces in a generalizing function meaning 'whoever' or 'anyone who,' lending a conditional or universal sweep to the clause. Spanish captures this shift well, moving from 'los cuales' / 'quienes' in the specific sense to 'cualquiera que' in the generalizing sense.
Senses
1. who, which (indefinite relative pronoun) — The standard relative-pronoun function meaning 'who,' 'which,' or 'that,' introducing clauses that identify or describe a specific referent. This is the dominant NT usage (123 of 140 occurrences). Cross-lingual glosses converge on simple relative forms: Spanish 'quienes / los cuales,' French 'qui,' German 'die.' Found throughout narrative and didactic contexts, as in Matt 7:15 (false prophets 'who come to you') and Matt 16:28 ('some standing here who will not taste death'). 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) — A generalizing or indefinite relative meaning 'whoever,' 'anyone who,' or 'whatever,' where the clause carries conditional or universal force. Spanish shifts tellingly to 'cualquiera que' and 'el que,' marking the open-ended scope. This usage is concentrated in Jesus's ethical teaching: 'whoever strikes you on the right cheek' (Matt 5:39), 'whoever compels you to go one mile' (Matt 5:41), and 'whoever confesses me before men' (Matt 10:32). 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)
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
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…