τεθνάναι νομίσασα λυσιτελεῖν ἢ ζῆν

λῡσῐτελ-έω, prop.

A indemnify for expenses incurred, or pay what is due, and then ' pay', i.e. profit, avail (cf. λύω v. 2), c. dat.,

I with subject expressed, οὔ φημ' ἂν λυσιτελεῖν σφῷν [τοῦτο] Ar.Pl. 509;

λυσιτελεῖ ἡμῖν ἡ δικαιοσύνη Pl. Prt. 327b

;

δοῦλος τοιοῦτος οἷος μηδενὶ δεσπότῃ λυσιτελεῖν X.Mem.2.1.15

.

2 mostly impers., λυσιτελεῖ μοι it profits me, is better for me, c. part.,

οἷς οὐδ' ἅπαξ ἐλυσιτέλησε πειθομένοις Lys.25.27

;

πολλοῖς δὴ ἐλυσιτέλησεν ἀδικήσασι Pl.Alc.1.113d

: c. inf.,

λ. προϊέναι Id.Tht. 181b

; τεθνάναι νομίσασα λυσιτελεῖν ἢ ζῆν thinking it better to be dead than alive, And.1.125, cf. Pl.R. 407a, X.Cyr.2.4.12 (v.l.), PHamb.27.17 (iii B. C.), etc.: c. dat. pers., it profits one to do so and so,

οὐ γάρ οἱ λυσιτελέειν.. δικάζειν Hdt.1.97

;

ὅτι μοι λυσιτελοῖ ὥσπερ ἔχω ἔχειν Pl. Ap. 22e

, cf. X.Hier.7.13: sts. c. acc. pers., it is good that..,

λυσιτελεῖ τὸν μέλλοντα κακῶς ἰητρεύεσθαι ἀμφότερα καταγῆναι τὰ σκέλεα Hp. Fract.19

, cf. Pl.R. 406d: abs.,

ἐλυσιτέλει γάρ Axionic.6.6

.

3 in bad sense, conspire, as gloss on ἐς τὸ κακὸν ἀλλήλοισι συντιμωρεῖ (Hp. Acut.17), Gal.15.494 (v.l. συντελεῖ).

II neut. part. as Subst., τὸ λυσιτελοῦν profit, gain, advantage, Th.6.85, Pl.R. 336d, D.2.28; a wrong etym. is given in Pl.Cra. 417c.

ἤ particle (Hom.+).

① marker of an alternative, or, disjunctive particle (B-D-F §446; Rob. 1188f)

ⓐ separating

α. opposites, which are mutually exclusive λευκὴν ἢ μέλαιναν Mt 5:36. ἰδοὺ ἐκεῖ [ἢ] ἰδοὺ ὧδε Lk 17:23. ψυχρὸς ἢ ζεστός Rv 3:15. ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἢ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων from God or fr. humans Mt 21:25. δοῦναι ἢ οὔ to give or not (to give) 22:17; cp. Mk 12:14. ἀγαθὸν ποιῆσαι ἢ κακοποιῆσαι 3:4. Cp. Lk 2:24; Ro 14:4; 1 Cor 7:11 (cp. Ath. 2:4 ἀγαθὸς ἢ πονηρός).

β. related and similar terms, where one can take the place of the other or one supplements the other τὸν νόμον ἢ τοὺς προφήτας Mt 5:17 (JosAs 2:11 ἀνὴρ … ἢ παιδίον ἄρρεν; Just., D. 93, 4 φιλίαν ἢ ἀγάπην; schol. on Soph., Oed. Col. 380 Papag. ἢ ἀντὶ τοῦ καὶ ἐστί) πόλιν ἢ κώμην 10:11. ἔξω τ. οἰκίας ἢ τ. πόλεως ἐκείνης vs. 14. πατέρα ἢ μητέρα vs. 37. τέλη ἢ κῆνσον 17:25. οὐ μὴ ἀποκριθῆτέ μοι ἢ ἀπολύσητε Lk 22:68 v.l. πρόσκομμα ἢ σκάνδαλον Ro 14:13; cp. vs. 21 v.l. εἰς τίνα ἢ ποῖον καιρόν 1 Pt 1:11. νοῆσαι ἢ συνιέναι B 10:12. Cp. Mk 4:17; 10:40; Lk 14:12; J 2:6; Ac 4:34; 1 Cor 13:1; AcPlCor 2:26. In enumerations as many as six occurrences of ἤ are found: Mk 10:29; Ro 8:35; cp. Mt 25:44; Lk 18:29; 1 Cor 5:11; 1 Pt 4:15 (Just., A II, 1, 2).—ἤτε … ἤτε (Hom. et al.; PRossGeorg III, 2, 4 [IIIA.D.]) ἤτε ἄρσενα ἤτε θήλειαν whether it is a boy or a girl GJs 4:1 pap (εἴτε … εἴτε codd.).—ἢ καὶ or (even, also) (PLond III, 962, 5 p. 210 [254/61 A.D.]; EpJer 58) ἢ καὶ ὡς οὗτος ὁ τελώνης Lk 18:11; cp. 11:12; 12:41; Ro 2:15; 4:9; 14:10; 1 Cor 16:6; 2 Cor 1:13b.—ἤ for καί Mk 3:33 v.l.; Col 2:16 v.l.

ⓑ ἤ … ἤ either … or Mt 6:24; 12:33; Lk 16:13; AcPlCor 1:7f. ἤ … ἤ … ἤ either … or … or (Philod., οἰκ. col. 22, 41 Jensen; Just., A I, 28, 4 al; Mel., P. 36, 246f) 1 Cor 14:6 (ἤ four times as Libanius, Or. 28 p. 48, 15 F and Or. 31 p. 130, 7; Just., D. 85, 3). Eph 5:4 v.l. ἤτοι … ἤ (Hdt., Thu. et al. [s. Kühner-G. II 298]; PTebt 5, 59; PRyl 154, 25; Wsd 11:18; TestSol 10:28 C [without ἤ]; Philo, Op. M. 37; Jos., Ant. 18, 115; Just., D. 6, 1; 100, 3; Ath. 8, 1 and R. 52, 26) either … or Ro 6:16.

ⓒ In neg. statements ἤ comes to mean nor, or, when it introduces the second, third, etc., item ἰῶτα ἓν ἢ μία κεραία οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ Mt 5:18. πῶς ἢ τί how or what 10:19; cp. Mk 7:12; J 8:14; Ac 1:7. οὐκ ἐδόξασαν ἢ ηὐχαρίστησαν Ro 1:21. διαθήκην οὐδεὶς ἀθετεῖ ἢ ἐπιδιατάσσεται Gal 3:15. ἵνα μή τις δύνηται ἀγοράσαι ἢ πωλῆσαι so that no one can either buy or sell Rv 13:17.—Phil 3:12.—Likew. in neg. rhetorical questions; here present-day English idiom, making the whole sentence neg., requires the transl. or Mt 7:16; cp. Mk 4:21; 1 Cor 1:13; Js 3:12.

ⓓ Gener., ἤ oft. occurs in interrog. sentences

α. to introduce and to add rhetorical questions (Just., D 2, 4 al.; Ath. 8:3 al.) ἢ δοκεῖς ὅτι; or do you suppose that? Mt 26:53. ἢ Ἰουδαίων ὁ θεὸς μόνον; or is God the God of the Judeans alone? Ro 3:29. ἢ ἀγνοεῖτε; or do you not know? 6:3; 7:1; also ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε; 11:2; 1 Cor 6:9, 16, 19; cp. 10:22; 2 Cor 11:7.

β. to introduce a question which is parallel to a preceding one or supplements it Mt 7:10; οὐκ ἀνέγνωτε …; ἢ οὐκ ἀνέγνωτε …; have you not read … ? Or have you not read … ? Mt 12:(3), 5; cp. Lk 13:4; Ro 2:4; 1 Cor 9:6 (cp. Just., D. 27, 5 al.; Mel., P. 74, 541 ἢ οὐ γέγραπταί σοι …;)—Mt 20:15; 1 Cor 11:22; 2 Cor 3:1.

γ. in the second member of direct or indir. double questions: πότερον … ἤ (Aeschyl., Hdt. et al.) whether, if … or J 7:17; B 19:5; D 4:4; Hs 9, 28, 4. ἤ … ἤ … ἤ … ἤ whether … or … or … or (Hom.; Theognis 913f; oracle in Hdt. 1, 65, 3; Theocr. 25, 170f et al.; s. Kühner-G. II 530, 12) Mk 13:35. Usu. the first member is without the particle Mt 27:17; J 18:34; Ac 8:34; Ro 4:10; 1 Cor 4:21; Gal 1:10; 3:2, 5.

δ. used w. an interrog. word, mostly after another interrog. sentence ἢ τίς; Mt 7:9; Mk 11:28; Lk 14:31; 20:2; J 9:21; Ro 3:1; 2 Cl 1:3; 6:9. τίς …; τίς …; ἢ τίς …; 1 Cor 9:7. τί …; ἢ τί …; what … ? Or what? Mt 16:26; 1 Cor 7:16.—ἢ πῶς: ἢ πῶς ἐρεῖς; or how can you say? Mt 7:4; cp. 12:29; Lk 6:42 v.l. (cp. JosAs 6:2; Tat. 17, 3 al.).

② a particle denoting comparison, than, rather than

ⓐ after a comparative before the other member of the comparison ἀνεκτότερον … ἤ more tolerable … than Mt 10:15; cp. 11:22, 24; Lk 10:12. εὐκοπώτερον … ἤ Mt 19:24; Mk 10:25; cp. Lk 9:13; J 4:1. μᾶλλον ἤ more, rather … than Mt 18:13; J 3:19; Ac 4:19; 5:29; 1 Cor 9:15; 1 Cl 2:1a; 14:1; 21:5. For numerals without ἤ after πλείων and ἐλάσσων, e.g. Mt 26:53 (πλείους ἤ v.l. and var. edd.), s. B-D-F §185, 4 (cp. comp. Ath. 16, 8 μηδὲν πλέον [ἢ corr.] ὅσον ἐκελεύσθησαν).

ⓑ also without a preceding comp. (Kühner-G. II 303; B-D-F §245, 3).

α. w. verbs without μᾶλλον (Job 42:12) χαρὰ ἔσται ἐπὶ ἑνὶ ἢ ἐπὶ ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα there will be more joy over one than over 99 Lk 15:7. λυσιτελεῖ … ἤ it would be better … than 17:2 (cp. Andoc. 1, 125 τεθνάναι νομίσασα λυσιτελεῖν ἢ ζῆν; Tob 3:6 BA). θέλω … ἤ I would rather … than 1 Cor 14:19 (cp. Epict. 3, 1, 41; BGU 846, 16 [II A.D.] θέλω πηρὸς γενέσται [= γενέσθαι], εἲ [= ἢ] γνοῦναι, ὅπως ἀνθρόπῳ ἔτι ὀφείλω ὀβολόν ‘I had rather become maimed than know that I still owe someone an obol’ [1/6 of a drachma]; Hos 6:6; 2 Macc 14:42; Jos., Ant. 18, 59; Just., A I, 15, 8. βούλομαι … ἤ I had rather …, than as early as Hom., e.g. Il. 1, 117).

β. after the positive degree (as early as Hdt. 9, 26) καλόν ἐστιν … ἤ it is better … than Mt 18:8, 9; Mk 9:43, 45, 47; 1 Cl 51:3 (Gen 49:12; Ps 117:8f; Sir 20:25; 22:15; Jon 4:3, 8; 4 Macc 9:1. Cp. Polyaenus 8, 49 καλὸν ἀποθανεῖν ἢ ζῆν; Philemon Com. no. 203 θανεῖν κράτιστόν [=far better] ἐστιν ἢ ζῆν ἀθλίως).

γ. ἤ is used in comparison, w. the idea of exclusion (Ps.-Callisth. 1, 37, 4 μέμφεσθε τὸν ἑαυτῶν βασιλέα ἢ ἐμέ=‘blame your own king, not me’; Gen 38:26 δεδικαίωται Θαμαρ ἢ ἐγώ; 2 Km 19:44; Just., A I, 15, 8 on Lk 5:32 θέλει ὁ πατὴρ τὴν μετάνοιαν ἢ τὴν κόλασιν) δεδικαιωμένος ἢ ἐκεῖνος rather than (= and not) the other man Lk 18:14 v.l.

ⓒ οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἤ nothing else than (cp. X., Cyr. 2, 3, 10; 7, 5, 41; Jos., Ant. 8, 104; Tat. 15, 2; cp. οὐδὲν ἄλλο … ἤ Just., A I, 33, 6 al.; Ath. 18, 1 μὴ εἶναι … ἕτερον τρόπον … ἢ τοῦτον) Ac 17:21. τί … ἤ what other … than (X., Oec. 3, 3; TestJob 42:5; s. Kühner-G. II 304, 4) 24:21.

ⓓ πρὶν ἤ before (Ionism, very rare in Attic wr., but common in the Koine [e.g. Nicol. Dam.: 90 Fgm. 130, 14 p. 397, 9 Jac.; Diod S 1, 64, 7; 1, 92, 4; Jos., Ant. 8, 345; Just., A I, 12, 10 al.; Tat. 6:1 al.]: ATschuschke, De πρίν particulae apud scriptores aetatis Augusteae prosaicos usu, diss. Bresl. 1913, 31; 33. S. also πρίν a).

α. w. aor. inf. foll. (Aelian, VH 1, 5; Herodian 2, 3, 2; Wsd 2:8; Sir 11:8 al.) and accompanying acc. (Nicol. Dam.: 90 Fgm. 128, 14 [Βίος] p. 397, 9 Jac.; Aelian, VH 1, 21; PSI 171, 25 [II B.C.]; Sir 48:25; Tob 2:4; 3:8; 8:20; TestReub 1:1) Mt 1:18; Mk 14:30; Ac 7:2.

β. foll. by aor. subj. and ἄν Lk 2:26 (without ἄν Jos., Ant. 4, 10).

γ. foll. by pres. opt. Ac 25:16.

ⓔ used w. other particles

α. ἀλλʼ ἤ s. ἀλλά 1a.

β. ἤπερ than (Hom., Il. 1, 260; 9, 26, 7; Hdt.; Polyb. 2, 51; 61; 2 Macc 14:42; 4 Macc 15:16; Jos., Bell. 5, 10, Ant. 18, 62; Just., A I, 29, 1) after μᾶλλον J 12:43 (cp. Tob 14:4 S ἐν τ. Μηδίᾳ ἔσται σωτηρία μᾶλλον ἤπερ ἐν Ἀσσυρίοις; Tat. 13, 3; 14, 1; without μᾶλλον 40, 1; Diod S 13, 60, 3 πλείονα ἤπερ); after πλέον IEph 6:2 (Lat.).—ἢ γάρ Lk 18:14 v.l. may derive from ἤ + παρʼ.—DELG. M-M. EDNT.