Διὸς βροντή

βροντ-ή, ἡ,

A thunder, Διὸς μεγάλοιο κεραυνὸν δεινήν τε β. Il.21.199;

ὑπὸ βροντῆς πατρὸς Διός 13.796

;

Ζηνός τε βροντῇ Od.20.121

; ἀστραπὴ καὶ β. Hdt.3.86;

β. στεροπῇ τε A.Supp.34

(anap.);

β. καὶ κεραυνίᾳ φλογί Id.Pr. 1017

; βροντῆς μύκημα ib. 1062 (anap.), cf. 1083 (anap.);

β. δ' ἐρράγη δι' ἀστραπῆς S.Fr. 578

, etc.: in pl., Id.OC 1514, X.HG1.6.28, Thphr. Sign.21, etc.; χθόνιαι β. Ar.Av. 1745: metaph.,

τούτου τὰς β. οἶδ' ὅτι δείσεις Lib.Ep.98.4

.

II the state of one struck with thunder, astonishment, ἐπεάν σφι θεὸς ἐμβάλῃ β. Hdt.7.10.έ. ( βρομτᾱ, cf. βρέμω.)

πτερ-ωτός, ή, όν, also ός, όν S.OC 1460:—

A feathered, Hdt.2.76;

τοξεύματα E.HF 571

, cf. Or. 274; [ἡ ψυχὴ] ἦν τὸ πάλαι π. Pl.Phdr. 251b; προσκεφάλαια π. stuffed with feathers, Poll.6.10.

II winged,

ὄφιες Hdt.2.75

; ὄχος, ἅρματα, A.Pr. 135 (lyr.), E.IA 250 (lyr.), etc.;

Διὸς βροντή S.

l.c.;

Ἅιδας E.Alc. 261

(lyr., dub. l.);

ὄνειροι Luc.VH2.34

: metaph.,

π. ἰξὸς ὀμμάτων Ἔρως Tim.Com.2

.

2 π. φθόγγος a sound as of wings in the air, Ar.Av. 1198.

3 π. χιτωνίσκοι tunics with flaps, Plu.2.330b.

4 Astrol., epith. of certain signs, Vett.Val.10.9, Heph.Astr.1.1, Cat.Cod.Astr.1.104, al.

5 πτερωτοί (sc. ὄρνιθες) winged creatures, birds, E.Ba. 257; gen.

πτερωτῶν A.Supp. 510

, E. Hel. 747;

π. γένος Arist.HA 490a12

; τὰ π. τῶν ζῴων, οἷον τὰς ὄρνιθας ib. 518b35; ἔντομα, καὶ ἄπτερα καὶ π. ib. 523b18; sts. of birds, as a sub-division of τὰ πτηνά, opp. τὰ πτιλωτά, τὰ δερμόπτερα, ib. 490a6.

στεροπ-ή, ἡ, poet. word,

A like ἀστεροπή, ἀστραπή, flash of lightning,

σ. πατρὸς Διός Il.11.66

, cf. Hes.Th. 845;

ἀκτῖνες στεροπᾶς ἀπορηγνύμεναι Pi.P.4.198

; στεροπᾶν κεραυνῶν τε πρύτανις, i.e. Zeus, ib.6.24;

ἕλικες.. στεροπῆς ζάπυροι A.Pr. 1084

(anap.);

βροντῇ στεροπῇ τε Id.Supp.34

(anap.), etc.

2 generally of dazzling light, gieam,

χαλκοῦ στεροπή Il.11.83

, Od.4.72; of the sun,

ὦ λαμπρᾷ στεροπᾷ φλεγέθων S.Tr.99

(lyr.).

τέρας, τό: gen. [dialect] Ep. αος (not in Hom. or Hes.), [dialect] Ion. εος Hdt.8.37: pl., nom. [dialect] Ep.

A

τέραα Od.12.394

, [dialect] Ion.

τέρεα Hdt.

l.c.,

τεράᾰτᾰ D.P.604

, Q.S.5.43;

τέρᾱ A.R.4.1410

, but

τέρᾰ Nic.Th. 186

; τέρα (quantity not stated) [dialect] Att.acc. to Moer.p.369 P., cf.Ar.Ra. 1343; gen. [dialect] Ep.

τεράων Il.12.229

,

τερέων Alc.155

; [dialect] Att. τερῶν acc. to Moer.l.c., Thom.Mag.p.348 R.; dat. [dialect] Ep.

τεράεσσι Il.4.398

, al.; later

τέρασι LXX De.26.8

, al.: the forms τέρατ-ος, -ι, -α, -ων are Hellenistic, Moer.pp.366,369 P., Thom.Mag.p.348 R. (

τέρατα LXX Ex.4.21

, al., τεράτων ib.Ps. 104 ( 105).27); gen. sg. τέρως v.l. in Paus.10.26.3: lengthd. metri gr.

τείρεα Il.18.485

(= IG42(1).129.9), Arat.692, A.R. 3.1362;

τείρεσιν h.Mart.7

; later

τείρεσσι IG14.2461.11

([place name] Massilia):— sign, wonder, marvel, portent,

ἡμῖν μὲν τόδ' ἔφηνε τ. Ζεύς Il.2.324

; ᾐτέομεν δὲ θεὸν φῆναι τ. Od.3.173;

τοῖσιν.. θεοὶ τέραα προὔφαινον 12.394

;

τέρας ἧκε Κρόνου πάϊς 21.415

; Ζεὺς δ' Ἔριδα προΐαλλε.., πολέμοιοτ. μετὰ χερσὶν ἔχουσαν a sign of coming battle, Il.11.4; esp. of signs in heaven, ἀστέρα ἧκε Κρόνου πάϊς.., ναύτῃσι τ. 4.76;

ἴρισσιν ἐοικότες, ἅς τε Κρονίων ἐν νέφεϊ στήριξε τ. μερόπων ἀνθρώπων 11.28

, cf. 17.548; and with pass. Verbs,

τ. φανήτω Od.20.101

:—so always when the first syll. is lengthd., v. supr.:—also in Prose,

ἢν δὲ χειμῶνος βροντὴ γένηται, ὡς τέρας θωμάζεται Hdt.4.28

, cf. 6.98;

τ. πέμπειν X.Mem. 1.4.15

;

ἐφάνη Hdt.7.57

;

ἐπιγίνεταί σφι τέρεα Id.8.37

, cf. Hes.Th. 744, Pi.O.13.73, etc.; freq. in NT,

σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα Ev.Marc.13.22

, al.

II in concrete sense, monster, Διὸς τ. αἰγιόχοιο, of the Gorgon's head, Il.5.742; of a serpent, 12.209, h.Ap. 302; δάϊον τ., of Typhoeus, A.Pr. 354; ἀπρόσμαχον τ., of Cerberus, S.Tr. 1098; οὔρειον τ., of the Sphinx, E.Ph. 806 (lyr.); ταῦρον, ἄγριον τ. Id.Hipp. 1214, cf. 1247;

ὅλον τ. ὀπτήσας.. βασιλεῖ παρέθηκε κάμηλον Antiph. 172.7

(anap.), cf. Epicr.3.13; used by Cicero of Caesar, Att.8.9.4.

2 monstrous birth, monstrosity, Pl.Cra. 393b, 394a, Aeschin.3.111, Arist.GA 769b30, 773a3, Vett.Val.341.13; ὡς ἔθρεψεν ἔκπαγλον τ. A. Ch. 548.

III in colloquial language,

τέρας λέγεις καὶ θαυμαστόν Pl.Hp.Ma. 283c

, cf. Tht. 163d;

τέρας λέγεις, εἰ.. Id.Men. 91d

; 'a marvel' of a cup, Theoc.1.56: pl., of incredible statements, Phld. Mus.p.74 K.

χθόνιος, α, ον, also ος, ον S.OC 1727 (lyr.), E.Hipp. 1201, Hel. 345 (lyr.): ([etym.] χθών):—

A in, under, or beneath the earth, θεός, δαίμων, Hes.Th. 767, A.Th. 522 (lyr.); Ἄϊδα στόμα, of the cavern at Taenarus, Pi.P.4.43, cf. S.OC 1727 (lyr.);

χ. λίμνη E.Alc. 902

(anap.); Ζεὺς χ., of Hades or Pluto, Hes.Op. 465; κτύπησε Ζεὺς χ., of noise from beneath the earth, S.OC 1606;

βροντήματα χ. A.Pr. 994

;

ἠχὼ χ. ὡς βροντὴ Διός E.Hipp.

l.c., cf. Ar.Av. 1750 (lyr.); χ. θεοί gods of the nether world, opp. ὕπατοι, A.Ag.89 (anap.), etc.;

χ. δαίμονες Id.Pers. 628

(anap.); χθόνιοι alone,

μᾶνις χθονίων Pi.P.4.159

, cf. A.Pers. 641 (lyr.), Ch. 399 (lyr.), al., Pl.Lg. 828c, 959d (but [dialect] Ion. χθονίη, ἡ, earlier name of Γῆ, Pherecyd.Syr.1, cf. Dam.Pr. 124bis; χ. θεαί, i.e. Demeter and Persephone, Hdt.6.134, 7.153; of the Erinyes, S.OC 1568 (lyr.); χ. Ἅιδας, Ἅιδης, E.Alc. 237 (lyr.), Andr. 544 (anap.); χ. Ἑρμῆς, as conductor of the dead, A.Ch.1, S.El. 111 (anap.), Aj. 832, Ar.Ra. 1145, Plu.Arist.21; χ. πορεία, opp. οὐρανία, Pl.R. 619e; χθονίᾳ φρενί, of the dead, Pi.P.5.101;

χ. Ἑκάτη Ar.Fr. 500

(anap.); χάρις ἡ χ. grace with the gods below, S.OC 1752 (lyr.); χ. φάμα rumour that is heard in the world below, Id.El. 1066 (lyr.).

II sprung from the earth,

Τιτῆνες Hes.Th. 697

; of Echion, one of the Theban γηγενεῖς, E.Ba. 541 (lyr.), cf. Paus.9.5.3, etc.; but also of mankind, ὁ χ. ἄνθρωπος, opp. ὁ ἐν οὐρανῷ.. λαχὼν τὴν ὑπόστασιν, Procl. in Prm.p.765 S. Adv. χθονίως in an earthly manner, opp. οὐρανίως, Id.Sacr. p.148 B.

2 in or of the country, θεοί, ἡρῷσσαι, E.Hec.79 (anap.), A.R.4.1322; native,

Ἄρεος.. πάγον.. ξυνῄδη χθόνιον ὄντα S.OC 948

;

γενεᾶς χθονίων ἀπ' Ἐρεχθειδᾶν Id.Aj. 202

(anap.).

III of things, of the earth, χ. κόνις (sed leg. γαΐα, Hsch.), A.Th. 736 (codd., lyr.); opp. ἀέριος, E.Fr.27.4 (lyr.);

πρηστήρ Arist.Mu. 395a10

.—Poet. word, used once or twice in Pl. and in late Prose (v. supr.).

ἴκταρ (A), Adv.

A close together, thickly (= πυκνῶς, Hsch.),

κεραυνοὶ ἴ. ἅμα βροντῇ τε καὶ ἀστεροπῇ ποτέοντο Hes.Th. 691

.

II Prep. c. gen., close to, hard by,

ἴ. μελάθρων A.Ag. 116

(lyr.);

ἴ. ἥμενοι Διός Id.Eu. 998

(lyr.): c. dat., Alcm.23.80: abs., ταῦτα πρὸς τύραννον.. οὐδ' ἴ. βάλλει do not strike even near him, are quite wide of the mark, prov. in Pl.R. 575c, cf. Ael.NA15.29.

------------------------------------

ἴκταρ (B), τό,=

A pudendum muliebre, Hp.Mul.2.174 (restored fr. Erot. and Gal.19.105: ἧπαρ ([etym.] ἦπαρ) codd. Hp.).

------------------------------------

ἴκταρ (C), ὁ, some kind of

A fish, Call.Fr.38:—also [full] ἰκτάρα, ἡ, Hsch.; = albula, Gloss.; cf. κτάρα.

μέγας, μεγάλη, μέγα (Hom.+) comp. μείζων and beside it, because of the gradual disappearance of feeling for its comp. sense, μειζότερος 3J 4 (APF 3, 1906, 173; POxy 131, 25; BGU 368, 9; ApcSed 1:5 [cp. J 15:13]; s. B-D-F §61, 2; W-S. §11, 4; Mlt-H. 166; Gignac II 158). Superl. μέγιστος (2 Pt 1:4).

① pert. to exceeding a standard involving related objects, large, great

ⓐ of any extension in space in all directions λίθος Mt 27:60; Mk 16:4. δένδρον Lk 13:19 v.l. (TestAbr B 3 p. 107, 6 [Stone p. 62]). κλάδοι Mk 4:32. Buildings 13:2. Fish J 21:11. A mountain (Tyrtaeus [VII B.C.], Fgm. 4, 8 D.²; Ps.-Aristot., Mirabilia 138; Theopomp. [IV B.C.]: 115 Fgm. 78 Jac.) Rv 8:8. A star vs. 10. A furnace 9:2 (ParJer 6:23). A dragon (Esth 1:1e; Bel 23 Theod.) 12:3, 9. ἀετός (Ezk 17:3; ParJer 7:18 [RHarris; om. Kraft-Purintun]) vs. 14. μάχαιρα a long sword 6:4. ἅλυσις a long chain 20:1. πέλαγος AcPl Ha 7, 23 (first hand).

ⓑ with suggestion of spaciousness ἀνάγαιον a spacious room upstairs Mk 14:15; Lk 22:12. θύρα a wide door 1 Cor 16:9. A winepress Rv 14:19 (ληνός μ. ‘trough’ JosAs 2:20); χάσμα a broad chasm (2 Km 18:17) Lk 16:26. οἰκία (Jer 52:13) 2 Ti 2:20.

ⓒ with words that include the idea of number ἀγέλη μ. a large herd Mk 5:11. δεῖπνον a great banquet, w. many invited guests (Da 5:1 Theod.; JosAs 3:6) Lk 14:16. Also δοχὴ μ. (Gen 21:8) Lk 5:29; GJs 6:2.

ⓓ of age (Jos., Ant. 12, 207 μικρὸς ἢ μέγας=‘young or old’); to include all concerned μικροὶ καὶ μεγάλοι small and great (PGM 15, 18) Rv 11:18; 13:16; 19:5, 18; 20:12. μικρῷ τε καὶ μεγάλῳ Ac 26:22. ἀπὸ μικροῦ ἕως μεγάλου (Gen 19:11; 4 Km 23:2; 2 Ch 34:30; POxy 1350) 8:10; Hb 8:11 (Jer 38:34). μέγας γενόμενος when he was grown up 11:24 (Ex 2:11). ὁ μείζων the older (O. Wilck II, 144, 3 [128 A.D.]; 213, 3; 1199, 2; LXX; cp. Polyb. 18, 18, 9 Σκιπίων ὁ μέγας; 32, 12, 1) Ro 9:12; 13:2 (both Gen 25:23).

② pert. to being above average in quantity, great πορισμός a great means of gain 1 Ti 6:6. μισθαποδοσία rich reward Hb 10:35.

③ pert. to being above standard in intensity, great δύναμις Ac 4:33; 19:8 D. Esp. of sound: loud φωνή Mk 15:37; Lk 17:15; Rv 1:10; φωνῇ μεγάλῃ (LXX; TestAbr A 5 p. 82, 20f [Stone p. 12]; ParJer 2:2; ApcMos 5:21) Mt 27:46, 50; Mk 1:26; 5:7; 15:34; Lk 4:33; 8:28; 19:37; 23:23 (Φωναῖς μεγάλαις), 46; J 11:43; Ac 7:57, 60; 8:7; Rv 5:12; 6:10 al.; μεγ. φωνῇ (ParJer 5:32); Ac 14:10; 16:28; μεγ. τῇ φωνῇ (ParJer 9:8; Jos., Bell. 6, 188) 14:10 v.l.; 26:24; ἐν φωνῇ μ. Rv 5:2. μετὰ σάλπιγγος μεγάλης with a loud trumpet call Mt 24:31. κραυγή (Ex 11:6; 12:30) Lk 1:42; Ac 23:9; cp. μεῖζον κράζειν cry out all the more Mt 20:31. κοπετός (Gen 50:10) Ac 8:2.—Of natural phenomena: ἄνεμος μ. a strong wind J 6:18; Rv 6:13. λαῖλαψ μ. (Jer 32:32) Mk 4:37. βροντή (Sir 40:13) Rv 14:2. χάλαζα Rv 11:19; 16:21a. χάλαζα λίαν μ. σφόδρα AcPl Ha 5, 7. σεισμὸς μ. (Jer 10:22; Ezk 3:12; 38:19; Jos., Ant. 9, 225) Mt 8:24; 28:2; Lk 21:11a; Ac 16:26. γαλήνη μ. a deep calm Mt 8:26; Mk 4:39; φῶς μ. a bright light (JosAs 6:3; ParJer 9:18 [16]; Plut., Mor. 567f: a divine voice sounds forth from this light; Petosiris, Fgm. 7, ln. 39 τὸ ἱερὸν ἄστρον μέγα ποιοῦν φῶς) Mt 4:16a; GJs 19:2 (Is 9:1). καῦμα μ. intense heat Rv 16:9 (JosAs 3:3).—Of surprising or unpleasant events or phenomena of the most diverse kinds (ἀπώλεια Dt 7:23; θάνατος Ex 9:3; Jer 21:6; κακόν Philo, Agr. 47) σημεῖα (Dt 6:22; 29:2) Mt 24:24; Lk 21:11b; Ac 6:8. δυνάμεις 8:13. ἔργα μ. mighty deeds (cp. Judg 2:7) Rv 15:3. μείζω τούτων greater things than these J 1:50 (μείζονα v.l.); cp. 5:20; 14:12. διωγμὸς μ. a severe persecution Ac 8:1; θλῖψις μ. (a time of) great suffering (1 Macc 9:27) Mt 24:21; Ac 7:11; Rv 2:22; 7:14. πειρασμός AcPl Ha 8, 22. πληγή (Judg 15:8; 1 Km 4:10, 17 al.; TestReub 1:7; TestSim 8:4; Philo, Sacr. Abel. 134) 16:21b. θόρυβος GJs 21:1; AcPl Ha 1, 28f (restored, s. AcPlTh [Aa I 258, 6]) λιμὸς μ. (4 Km 6:25; 1 Macc 9:24) Lk 4:25; Ac 11:28; ἀνάγκη μ. Lk 21:23; πυρετὸς μ. a high fever (s. πυρετός) 4:38.—Of emotions: χαρά great joy (Jon 4:6; JosAs 3:4; 4:2 al.; Jos., Ant. 12, 91) Mt 2:10; 28:8; Lk 2:10; 24:52. φόβος great fear (X., Cyr. 4, 2, 10; Menand., Fgm. 388 Kö.; Jon 1:10, 16; 1 Macc 10:8; TestAbr B 13 p. 117, 18 [Stone p. 82]; JosAs 6:1; GrBar 7:5) Mk 4:41; Lk 2:9; 8:37; Ac 5:5, 11; AcPl Ha 3, 33. θυμὸς μ. fierce anger (1 Macc 7:35) Rv 12:12. μείζων ἀγάπη greater love J 15:13. λύπη profound (Jon 4:1; 1 Macc 6:4, 9, 13; TestJob 7:8) Ro 9:2. σκυθρωπία AcPl Ha 7, 36. πίστις firm Mt 15:28. ἔκστασις (cp. Gen 27:33; ParJer 5:8, 12) Mk 5:42.

④ pert. to being relatively superior in importance, great

ⓐ of rational entities: of God and other deities θεός (SIG 985, 34 θεοὶ μεγάλοι [LBlock, Megaloi Theoi: Roscher II 2523–28, 2536–40; SCole, Theoi Megaloi, The Cult of the Great Gods at Samothrace ’84]; 1237, 5 ὀργὴ μεγάλη τ. μεγάλου Διός; OGI 50, 7; 168, 6; 716, 1; PStras 81, 14 [115 B.C.] Ἴσιδος μεγάλης μητρὸς θεῶν; POxy 886, 1; PTebt 409, 11; 22 ὁ θεὸς μ. Σάραπις, al.; PGM 4, 155; 482; 778 and oft.; 3052 μέγ. θεὸς Σαβαώθ; 5, 474; Dt 10:17 al. in LXX; En 103:4; 104:1; Philo, Cher. 29 al.; Jos., Ant. 8, 319; SibOr 3, 19; 71 al.—Thieme 36f) Tit 2:13 (Christ is meant). Ἄρτεμις (q.v.) Ac 19:27f, 34f (cp. Ael. Aristid. 48, 21 K.=24 p. 471 D. the outcry: μέγας ὁ Ἀσκληπιός); s. New Docs 1, 106 on this epithet in ref. to deities. Simon the magician is called ἡ δύναμις τ. θεοῦ ἡ καλουμένη μεγάλη Ac 8:10b (s. δύναμις 5). The angel Michael Hs 8, 3, 3; cp. 8, 4, 1.—Of people who stand in relation to the Divinity or are otherw. in high position: ἀρχιερεύς (s. ἀρχιερεύς 2a and ἱερεύς aβ.—ἀρχ. μέγ. is also the appellation of the priest-prince of Olba [s. PECS 641f] in Cilicia: MAMA III ’31 p. 67, ins 63; 64 [I B.C.]) Hb 4:14. προφήτης (Sir 48:22) Lk 7:16. ποιμήν Hb 13:20. Gener. of rulers: οἱ μεγάλοι the great ones, those in high position Mt 20:25; Mk 10:42. Of people prominent for any reason Mt 5:19; 20:26; Mk 10:43; Lk 1:15, 32; Ac 5:36 D; 8:9 (MSmith, HWolfson Festschr., ’65, 741: μ. here and Lk 1:32 may imply a messianic claim).—μέγας in the superl. sense (2 Km 7:9.—The positive also stands for the superl., e.g. Sallust. 4 p. 6, 14, where Paris calls Aphrodite καλή=the most beautiful. Diod S 17, 70, 1 πολεμία τῶν πόλεων=the most hostile [or especially hostile] among the cities) Lk 9:48 (opp. ὁ μικρότερος).—Comp. μείζων greater of God (Ael. Aristid. 27, 3 K.=16 p. 382 D.; PGM 13, 689 ἐπικαλοῦμαί σε, τὸν πάντων μείζονα) J 14:28; Hb 6:13; 1J 3:20; 4:4. More prominent or outstanding because of certain advantages Mt 11:11; Lk 7:28; 22:26f; J 4:12; 8:53; 13:16ab; 1 Cor 14:5. More closely defined: ἰσχύϊ καὶ δυνάμει μείζων greater in power and might 2 Pt 2:11. μεῖζον τοῦ ἱεροῦ someth. greater than the temple Mt 12:6. μείζων with superl. mng. (Ps.-Apollod., Epit. 7, 8 Wagner: Ὀδυσσεὺς τρεῖς κριοὺς ὁμοῦ συνδέων … καὶ αὐτὸς τῷ μείζονι ὑποδύς; Appian, Bell. Civ. 2, 87 §366 ἐν παρασκευῇ μείζονι= in the greatest preparation; Vett. Val. 62, 24; TestJob 3:1 ἐν μείζονι φωτί) Mt 18:1, 4; 23:11; Mk 9:34; Lk 9:46; 22:24, 26.

ⓑ of things: great, sublime, important μυστήριον (GrBar 1:6; 2:6; ApcMos 34; Philo, Leg. All. 3, 100 al.; Just., A I, 27, 4) Eph 5:32; 1 Ti 3:16. Of the sabbath day that begins a festival period J 19:31; MPol 8:1b. Esp. of the day of the divine judgment (LXX; En 22:4; ApcEsdr 3:3 p. 27, 7 Tdf.; Just., D. 49, 2 al.; cp. TestAbr A 13 p. 92, 11 [Stone p. 32]) Ac 2:20 (Jo 3:4); Jd 6; Rv 6:17; 16:14. Of Paul’s superb instructional ability μ̣ε̣γάλῃ καθ̣[ηγήσει] AcPl Ha 6, 30f.—μέγας in the superl. sense (Plut., Mor. 35a w. πρῶτος; Himerius, Or. 14 [Ecl. 15], 3 μέγας=greatest, really great; B-D-F §245, 2; s. Rob. 669) ἐντολή Mt 22:36, 38. ἡμέρα ἡ μ. τῆς ἑορτῆς the great day of the festival J 7:37 (cp. Lucian, Pseudolog. 8 ἡ μεγάλη νουμηνία [at the beginning of the year]); Mel., P. 79, 579; 92, 694 ἐν τῇ μ. ἐορτῇ; GJs 1:2; 2:2 (s. deStrycker on 1:2). Of Mary’s day of parturition ὡς μεγάλη ἡ σήμερον ἡμέρα what a great day this is GJs 19:2. μείζων as comp. (Chion, Ep. 16, 8 philosophy as νόμος μείζων=higher law; Sir 10:24) J 5:36; 1J 5:9. μ. ἁμαρτία J 19:11 (cp. schol. on Pla. 189d ἁμαρτήματα μεγάλα; Ex 32:30f). τὰ χαρίσματα τὰ μείζονα the more important spiritual gifts (in the sense Paul gave the word) 1 Cor 12:31. As a superl. (Epict. 3, 24, 93; Stephan. Byz. s.v. Ὕβλαι: the largest of three cities is ἡ μείζων [followed by ἡ ἐλάττων, and finally ἡ μικρά=the smallest]. The comparative also performs the function of the superlative, e.g. Diod S 20, 22, 2, where πρεσβύτερος is the oldest of 3 men) Mt 13:32; 1 Cor 13:13 (by means of the superl. μ. Paul singles out from the triad the one quality that interests him most in this connection, just as Ael. Aristid. 45, 16 K. by means of αὐτός at the end of the θεοί singles out Sarapis, the only one that affects him).—The superl. μέγιστος, at times used by contemporary authors, occurs only once in the NT, where it is used in the elative sense very great, extraordinary (Diod S 2, 32, 1) ἐπαγγέλματα 2 Pt 1:4.—On the adv. usage Ac 26:29 s. ὀλίγος 2bβ.—Neut. pl. μεγάλα ποιεῖν τινι do great things for someone Lk 1:49 (cp. Dt 10:21). λαλεῖν μεγάλα καὶ βλασφημίας utter proud words and blasphemies Rv 13:5 (Da 7:8; cp. En 101:3). ἐποίει μεγ̣[ά]λα καὶ [θα]υ̣[μά]σ̣ι̣α̣ (Just., A I, 62, 4) (Christ) proceeded to perform great and marvelous deeds AcPl Ha 8, 33/BMM verso 6.

⑤ pert. to being unusual, surprising, neut. μέγα εἰ … θερίσομεν; is it an extraordinary thing (i.e. are we expecting too much = our colloquial ‘is it a big deal’) if we wish to reap? 1 Cor 9:11. οὐ μέγα οὖν, εἰ it is not surprising, then, if 2 Cor 11:15 (on this constr. cp. Pla., Menex. 235d; Plut., Mor. 215f; Gen 45:28; s. AFridrichsen, ConNeot 2, ’36, 46).—B. 878f; 1309. DELG. M-M. TW. Sv.