μειζότερος

μειζότερος s. μέγας.

μέγας

big: masc nom comp sg

μέγᾰς, μεγάλη [pron. full] [ᾰ], me/ga?μέγαςX, gen. μεγάλου, ης, ου, dat. μεγάλῳ, ῃ, ῳ, acc. μέγᾰν, μεγάλην, μέγᾰ; dual μεγάλω, α, w; pl. μεγάλοι, μεγάλαι, μεγάλα, etc.: the stem μεγάλο- is never used in sg. nom. and acc. masc. and neut., and only once in voc. masc.,

A

ὦ μεγάλε Ζεῦ A.Th. 822

(anap.).

I big, of bodily size: freq. of stature,

εἶδος.. μ. ἦν ὁράασθαι Od.18.4

;

κεῖτο μ. μεγαλωστί Il.16.776

;

ἠΰς τε μ. τε Od.9

. 508; φῶτα μέγαν καὶ καλόν ib. 513;

καλή τε μεγάλη τε 15.418

;

κάρτα μεγάλη καὶ εὐειδής Hdt.3.1

; φύσιν τίν' εἶχε φράζε; Answ.

μέγας S.OT 742

.

b full-grown, of age as shown by stature,

νῦν δ' ὅτε δὴ μ. εἰμί Od.2.314

;

μήτε μέγαν μήτ' οὖν νεαρῶν τινα A.Ag. 358

(anap.); later, elder of two persons of the same name, Wilcken Chr. 305 (iii B. C.);

Σκιπίων ὁ μ. Plb.18.35.9

.

c of animals, μ. ἵπποι, βοῦς, σῦς, Il.2.839, 18.559, Od.19.439;

αἰετός Pi.I.6(5).50

.

2 generally, vast, high, οὐρανός, ὄρος, πύργος, Il.1.497, 16.297, 6.386; wide, πέλαγος, λαῖτμα θαλάσσης, Od.3.179, 5.174; long, ἠϊών, αἰγιαλός, Il.12.31,2.210: sts. opp.

ὀλίγος, κῦμα οὔτε μέγ' οὔτ' ὀ. Od.10.94

; but usu. opp. μικρός or

σμικρός, πρὸς ἑαυτὸ ἕκαστον καὶ μ. καὶ σμικρόν Anaxag. 3

;

τὸ ἄπειρον ἐκ μεγάλου καὶ μικροῦ Arist.Metaph. 987b26

, etc.

II of quality or degree, great, mighty, freq. epith. of gods,

ὁ μ. Ζεύς A. Supp. 1052

(lyr.), etc.; μεγάλα θεά, of Demeter and Persephone, S. OC 683 (lyr.); θεοὶ μεγάλοι, of the Cabiri, IG12(8).71 ([place name] Imbros), etc.; Μήτηρ μ., of Cybele, SIG1014.83 (Erythrae, iii B. C.), 1138.3 (Delos, ii B. C.);

Μήτηρ θεῶν μ. OGI540.6

([place name] Pessinus), etc.;

Ἴσιδος μ. μητρὸς θεῶν PStrassb.81.14

(ii B.C.);

μ. ἡ Ἄρτεμις Ἐφεσίων Act.Ap.19.28

; τίς θεὸς μ. ὡς ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν; LXX Ps.76(77).13;

ὁ μ. θεός Ep.Tit.2.13

; of men,

μ. ἠδὲ κραταιός Od.18.382

;

ὀλίγος καὶ μ. Callin.1.17

, etc.; μέγας ηὐξήθη rose to greatness, D.2.5; ἤρθη μ. ib.8; βασιλεὺς ὁ μ., i. e. the King of Persia, Hdt.1.188, etc. (θεῶν β. ὁ μ., of Zeus, Pi.O. 7.34);

βασιλεὺς μ. A.Pers.24

(anap.); as a title of special monarchs,

Ἀρδιαῖος ὁ μ. Pl.R. 615c

;

ὁ μ. Ἀλέξανδρος Ath.1.3d

;

ὁ μ. ἐπικληθεὶς Ἀντίοχος Plb.4.2.7

, etc.;

μ. φίλος E.Med. 549

;

πλούτῳ τε κἀνδρείᾳ μ. Id.Tr. 674

;

ἐπὶ μέγα ἦλθεν ἰσχύος Th.2.97

.

2 strong, of the elements, etc., ἄνεμος, λαῖλαψ, Ζέφυρος, Od.19.200, 12.408, 14.458; of properties, passions, qualities, feelings, etc., of men, θάρσος, πένθος, ποθή, etc., 9.381, Il.1.254, 11.471, etc.;

ἀρετή Od.24.193

, Pi. O.8.5;

θυμός Il.9.496

, E.Or. 702;

κλέος Il.6.446

;

ἄχος 9.9

;

πυρετός Ev.Luc.4.38

(incorrect acc. to Gal.7.275); ἡ μ. νοῦσος epilepsy, Hp. Epid.6.6.5, cf. Gal.17(2).341.

3 of sounds, great, loud, ἀλαλητός, ἰαχή, πάταγος, ὀρυμαγδός, Il.12.138, 15.384, 21.9, 256; θόρυβοι, κωκυτός, S.Aj. 142 (anap.), E.Med. 1176;

οὐκ ἔστι ὅκως τι νεῖκος ἔσται ἢ μέγα ἢ σμικρόν Hdt.3.62

;

μὴ φώνει μέγα S.Ph. 574

.

4 generally, great, mighty,

ὅρκος Il.19.113

; ὄλβος, τιμά, Pi.O.1.56, P.4.148; μ. λόγος, μῦθος, a great story, rumour, A.Pr. 732, S.Aj. 226 (lyr.); ἐρώτημα a big, i. e. difficult, question, Pl.Euthd. 275d, Hp.Ma. 287b; weighty, important,

τόδε μεῖζον Od.16.291

; μέγα ποιέεσθαί τι to esteem of great importance, Hdt.3.42, cf. 9.111;

μέγα γενέσθαι εἴς τι X.HG7.5.6

;

μ. ὑπάρχειν πρός τι Id.Mem.2.3.4

;

μέγα διαφέρειν εἴς τι Pl.Lg. 78o

c; οὐκ ἂν εἴη παρὰ μέγα τὸ δικολογεῖν not of great importance, Phld.Rh.2.85 S.; τὸ δὲ μέγιστον and what is most important, Th.4.70, cf. 1.142; οἱ μέγιστοι καιροί the most pressing emergencies, D.20.44; μ. ὠνησάμενοι χρημάτων for large sums, Plb. 4.50.3, etc.

5 with a bad sense, over-great, μέγα εἰπεῖν to speak big, and so provoke divine wrath, Od.22.288;

λίην μέγα εἶπες 3.227

, 16.243;

μέγα ἔργον 3.261

, Pi.N.10.64;

ἔργων μ. A.Ag. 1546

(anap.);

ὠμὸν τὸ βούλευμα καὶ μ. Th.3.36

; ἔπος μ., μ. λόγοι, S.Aj. 423 (lyr.), Ant. 1350 (anap.); μ. γλῶσσα ib. 127 (anap.);

μηδὲν μέγ' εἴπῃς Id.Aj. 386

;

μὴ μέγα λέγε Pl.Phd. 95b

;

μὴ μεγάλα λίαν λέγε Ar.Ra. 835

;

μέγα φρονεῖν S.OT 1078

, E.Hipp.6;

μεγάλα φρονεῖν Ar.Ach. 988

; μεγάλα, μεῖζον ἢ δικαίως πνεῖν, E.Andr. 189, A.Ag. 376 (lyr.);

μέγα τι παθεῖν X.An.5.8.17

;

μὴ μέγα λέγων μεῖζον πάθῃς E. HF 1244

.

6 of style. impressive, Demetr.Eloc. 278; μεῖζον more striking, ib. 103.

7 of days, long, Gal.12.714.

B Adv. μεγάλως [ᾰ] greatly, mightily, Od.16.432, Hes.Th. 429, Hdt.1.16,30, al., X.Cyr.8.2.10, Parth.28.1, etc.; strengthd.,

μάλα μ. Il.17.723

;

δμαθέντες μ. A.Pers. 907

(lyr.); with Adjs., Hdt. 1.4, 7.190.

II more freq. neut. sg. μέγα as Adv., very much, exceedingly, μ. χαῖρε all hail!, v. l. for μάλα in Od.24.402; esp. with Verbs expressing strong feeling,

μ. κεν κεχαροίατο Il.1.256

;

μ. κήδεται 2.27

, etc.: with Verbs expressing power, might,

μ. πάντων.. κρατέει 1.78

;

ὃς μ. πάντων.. ἤνασσε 10.32

;

πατρὸς μ. δυναμένοιο Od.1.276

, cf. Hom.Epigr.15.1, A.Eu. 950 (anap.), E.Hel. 1358 (lyr.), Ar.Ra. 141, Pl.R. 366a;

μ. δύνασθαι παρά τινι Th.2.29

;

πλουτέειν μ. Hdt.1.32

; or those expressing sound, loudly, μ. ἰάχειν, ἀῧσαι, βοῆσαι, εὔξασθαι, ἀμβῶσαι, Il.2.333, 14.147, 17.334, Od.17.239, Hdt.1.8 (also pl.,

μεγάλ' εὔχετο Il.1.450

; μ. αὐδήσαντος, μ. ἤπυεν, Od.4.505, 9.399): strengthd.,

μάλα μ. Il.15.321

;

μ. δ' ἔβραχε φήγινος ἄξων 5.838

, etc.: so in Trag. with all kinds of Verbs, μ. στένειν, σθένειν, χλίειν, A.Ag. 711 (lyr.), 938, Ch. 137: also in pl.,

μεγάλα.. δυστυχεῖς Id.Eu. 791

(lyr.).

2 of Space, far,

μέγα προθορών Il.14.363

; ἄνευθε μέγα far away, 22.88;

οὐκ ἂν μέγα τι τῆς ἀληθείας παρεξέλθοις Pl.Phlb. 66b

.

3 with Adjs., as μέγ' ἔξοχος, μέγα νήπιος, Il.2.480, 16.46; μ. νήπιε Orac. ap. Hdt.1.85;

μ. πλούσιος Id.1.32

, 7.190;

ὦ μέγ' εὔδαιμον κόρη A.Pr. 647

: with [comp] Comp. and [comp] Sup., by far, μέγ' ἀμείνονες, ἄριστος, φέρτατος, Il.4.405, 2.82, 16.21.

C degrees of Comparison (regul. μεγαλώτερος, -ώτατος late, EM780.1,2):

1 [comp] Comp. μείζων, ον, gen. ονος, [dialect] Ep., [dialect] Att. (also Delph., SIG 246 H 260 (iv B. C.)); [dialect] Ion., Arc., [dialect] Dor., [dialect] Aeol. μέζων, ον, Heraclit. 25, Hp.Acut.44, Hdt.1.26, IG7.235.16 ([place name] Oropus), 5(2).3.18 ([place name] Tegea), Epich.62 (also early [dialect] Att., IG12.22.65, but [με] ίζων ib.6.93, by analogy of ὀλείζων ib.76,95); dat. pl.

μεζόνεσσι Diotog.

ap. Stob.4.7.62: written μέσδων in Sapph.Supp.7.6, Plu.Lyc.19: cf. [full] μέττον· μεῖζον, Hsch. (dub.); later

μειζότερος 3 Ep.Jo.4

(used as title, elder, POxy. 943.3 (vi A. D.), etc.);

μειζονώτερος A.Fr. 434

:—greater, longer, taller, Il.3.168, 9.202, etc.; freq. also, too great,

γέρας Pl.Sph. 231a

; Μηνόφιλος μείζων M. the elder, Ostr.Bodl.vC 2 (ii A. D.); as title, μειζων κώμης headman of a village, POxy.1626.5 (iv A. D.), etc.: generally, the higher authority, PLond.2.214.22 (iii A. D.), POxy.1204.17 (pl., iii A. D.); οὔτε μεῖζον οὔτε ἔλαττον, a strong form of denial, nothing whatever, D.H.Comp.4;

οὐδαμὰ προὔφηνεν οὔτε μείζον' οὔτ' ἐλάττονα S.Tr. 324

. Adv.

μειζόνως E.Hec. 1121

, Th.1.130, X.Cyn.13.3, Isoc.9.21, etc.; [dialect] Ion.

μεζόνως Hdt.3.128

, Herod.4.80, etc.: neut. as Adv.,

μεῖζον σθένειν S.Ph. 456

, E.Supp. 216;

μ. ἰσχύειν D.Ep.3.28

;

ἐπὶ μ. ἔρχεται S.Ph. 259

.

2 [comp] Sup. μέγιστος, η, ον, Il.2.412, etc.: neut. as Adv.,

μέγιστον ἴσχυσε S.Aj. 502

; δυνάμενος μ., c. gen., Hdt.7.5, 9.9: with another [comp] Sup.,

μέγιστον ἐχθίστη E.Med. 1323

: in pl.,

χαῖρ' ὡς μέγιστα S.Ph. 462

;

θάλλει μ. Id.OC 700

(lyr.);

τὰ μέγιστ' ἐτιμάθης Id.OT 1203

(lyr.); ἐς μέγιστον ib. 521;

ἐς τὰ μ. Hdt.8.111

:—late [comp] Sup.

μεγιστότατος PLond.1.130.49

(i/ii A. D.). (Cf. Skt. majmán- 'greatness', Lat. magnus, Goth. mikils 'great'.)

μειζόν-ως, [full] μειζότερος, [full] μείζων,

A v. μέγας.

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.