G3780 G3780
not? do not? — a rhetorical negative particle expecting an affirmative answer
Ouchi is a strengthened form of the Greek negative ou, used almost exclusively in rhetorical questions that expect the hearer to agree: 'Do not even the tax collectors do the same?' (Matt 5:46). Its 53 occurrences appear overwhelmingly in direct speech — Jesus challenging his listeners, Paul pressing an argument, or a narrator posing a pointed question. The rhetorical force transforms negation into affirmation: by asking 'is it not so?,' the speaker compels assent. Spanish captures this with '(acaso) no,' French with 'est-ce que... ne pas,' and German with 'nicht' in interrogative constructions — each language employing its own mechanism for signaling that a negative question expects a positive response.
Senses
1. not? (rhetorical/interrogative negation) — A strengthened negative particle (ou + chi) employed in rhetorical questions that anticipate an affirmative answer, effectively functioning as an appeal for agreement rather than a true negation. Jesus uses it repeatedly in the Sermon on the Mount to challenge minimalist ethics (Matt 5:46-47 'do not even the tax collectors do the same?') and to argue from lesser to greater (Matt 6:25-26 'is not life more than food?'). All 53 occurrences serve this rhetorical-interrogative function, distinguishing ouchi from the plain declarative negative ou. 53×
AR["أَ-لَيْسَ", "أَلا", "أَلَا", "أَلَيسَ", "أَلَيسَت", "أَلَيْسَ", "أَلَيْسَتْ"]·ben["Οὐχὶ-না-কি", "কি-না", "নয়-কি", "না", "না-কি", "নাকি"]·DE["nicht"]·EN["Not", "Was-not", "not", "was-it-not-necessary"]·FR["est-ce-que"]·heb["הֲ-לֹא", "הֲלֹא"]·HI["क्य-न", "क्य-नहिन", "क्यअ-नहिन", "क्या-नहीं"]·ID["Bukankah", "bukankah", "tidak", "tidakkah"]·IT["-"]·jav["Punapa-sanes", "Punapa-sanès", "menapa-mboten", "menapa-sanès", "punapa", "punapa-boten", "punapa-mboten", "punapa-sanes"]·KO["~아니냐", "~아닌가", "~아닙니까", "~않겠느냐", "아니", "아니냐", "아닌가", "않겠느냐"]·PT["Não", "não"]·RU["Не", "не", "разве-не"]·ES["No", "acaso-no", "no", "¿No", "¿no"]·SW["Huyu-si", "Si", "dinari", "hata-", "je", "si"]·TR["-mi", "Değil-mi", "Değil-miydi", "değil-mi", "değil-miydi"]·urd["دونوں", "نہیں", "کیا-نہیں"]
Matt 5:46, Matt 5:47, Matt 6:25, Matt 10:29, Matt 12:11, Matt 13:27, Matt 13:56, Matt 18:12, Matt 20:13, Luke 1:60, Luke 4:22, Luke 6:39 (+38 more)
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
Included with: οὐ, the negative of fact and statement, as μή of will and thought; οὐ denies, μή rejects; οὐ is absolute, μή relative; οὐ objective, μή subjective. —The same differences hold for all compounds of οὐ and μή, and some examples of οὐδέ and οὐδείς are included below.—As to the Form, see infr. G. USAGRefs 5th c.BC+ __I as the negative of single words, __II as the negative of the…