τὸ μέλλειν ἀγαθά

μέλλω, [tense] impf. ἔμελλον and ἤμελλον (v. infr.), [dialect] Ep.

A

μέλλον Il.17.278

, Od.1.232, 9.378, B.12.164; [dialect] Ep., [dialect] Ion.

μέλλεσκον Theoc.25.240

, Mosch.2.109: [tense] fut.

μελλήσω D.6.15

, Ev.Matt.24.6: [tense] aor.

ἐμέλλησα Th.3.55

, X.HG5.4.65, etc., and ἠμ- (v. infr.):—[voice] Pass. and [voice] Med., v. infr. v.—Only [tense] pres. and [tense] impf. in Hom., Hes., Lyr., and Trag.: [tense] aor. only in Prose (exc. Thgn., v. infr.): the [tense] impf. ἤμελλον with long augm. is established by the metre in Hes.Th. 898, Thgn.906, Ar.Ec. 597, Ra. 1038 (both anap.), A.R.1.1309 (cf. Sch. ad loc.), Call.Del. 58: [tense] aor. 1

ἠμέλλησα Thgn.259

; ἤμελλον is not found in earlier [dialect] Att. Inscrr., but occurs in Pap., as PPetr.2p.146 (iii B. C.), Phld.Rh.1.145 S. (but

ἔμελλον Hyp.Ath.7

, Arist.Ath.25.3).

I to be destined or likely to, indicating an estimated certainty or strong probability in the present, past, or future (cf. Aristonic. ap. Sch.Il.10.326, 11.817, 16.46,al.): a. c. [tense] pres. inf. (or its equivalent), of a probability in the present, ὅθι που μέλλουσιν ἄριστοι βουλὰς βουλεύειν where belike the best are holding counsel, Il.10.326; ᾧ μέλλεις εὔχεσθαι to whom thou doubtless prayest, 11.364; μέλλεις δὲ σὺ ἴδμεναι doubtless thou knowest, Od.4.200; τὰ δὲ μέλλετ' ἀκουέμεν belike you have heard it, Il.14.125, cf. Od.4.94;

οὕτω που Διὶ μέλλει ὑπερμενέϊ φίλον εἶναι Il.2.116

; ὄλβον δὲ θεοὶ μέλλουσιν ὀπάζειν methinks it is the gods who give wealth, Od.18.19; εἰ δ' οὕτω τοῦτ' ἐστίν, ἐμοὶ μέλλει φίλον εἶναι you may be sure it is my good pleasure, Il.1.564. b. c. [tense] aor. inf., of a probability in the past, μέλλω που ἀπεχθέσθαι Διὶ πατρί I must have become hateful to father Zeus, 21.83; κελευσέμεναι δέ σ' ἔμελλε δαίμων a god must surely have bidden thee, Od.4.274; πολλάκι που μέλλεις ἀρήμεναι you must often have prayed, 22.322; μέλλω ἀθανάτους ἀλιτέσθαι I must have sinned against the immortals, 4.377; ἄλλοτε δή ποτε μᾶλλον ἐρωῆσαι πολέμοιο μέλλω at any other time rather than this I may have drawn back.., Il.13.777; μέλλει μέν πού τις καὶ φίλτερον ἄλλον ὀλέσσαι before now, no doubt, a man has lost.., 24.46, cf. 18.362;

τοῦ δ' ἤδη μέλλουσι κύνες ταχέες τ' οἰωνοὶ ῥινὸν ἀπ' ὀστεόφιν ἐρύσαι Od.14.133

; of a destiny in the past, ἔμελλεν οἷ αὐτῷ θάνατον.. λιτέσθαι he was fated to have been praying for his own death, Il.16.46; ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἄρ' ἔμελλον ἑταίρῳ κτεινομένῳ ἐπαμῦναι since I was (i.e. am) not destined to have succoured my comrade when they were slaying him, 18.98: c. [tense] pres. inf., οὐκ ἄρ' ἔμελλες ἀνάλκιδος ἀνδρὸς ἑταίρους ἔδμεναι he was to turn out no helpless man whose comrades you ate, Od.9.475. c. c. [tense] fut. inf., of a destin y or probability in the future, ἅ οὐ τελέεσθαι ἔμελλον which were not to be accomplished, Il.2.36; τάχα δ' ἀνστήσεσθαι ἔμελλεν ib. 694;

ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἄρ' ἔμελλον ἔγωγε νοστήσας οἶκόνδε.. εὐφρανέειν ἄλοχον 5.686

, cf. 12.113, 22.356, Od.13.293, 384;

μέλλον ἔτι ξυνέσεσθαι ὀϊζυῖ πολλῇ 7.270

; περὶ τρίποδος γὰρ ἔμελλον θεύσεσθαι they were to have run.., Il.11.700, cf. E.HF 463;

χρόνῳ ἔμελλέ σ' Ἕκτωρ.. ἀποφθίσειν S.Aj. 1027

;

ἔμελλον ἄρα παύσειν ποθ' ὑμᾶς τοῦ κοάξ Ar.Ra. 268

;

φεύγεις; ἔμελλόν σ' ἆρα κινήσειν ἐγώ Id.Nu. 1301

, cf. V. 460, Pl. 103, Ach. 347: c. [tense] pres. inf., καὶ γὰρ ἐγώ ποτ' ἔμελλον ἐν ἀνδράσιν ὄλβιος εἶναι I had a chance of being, might have been.., Od.18.138;

μέλλεν ποτὲ οἶκος ὅδ' ἀφνειὸς καὶ ἀμύμων ἔμμεναι, ὄφρ' ἔτι κεῖνος ἀνὴρ ἐπιδήμιος ἦεν 1.232

: c. [tense] aor. inf. (cf. infr. 11),

οὐδεὶς ἂν οὐδὲ μελλήσειε γενέσθαι ἀγαθός Arist.EN 1105b11

: with inf. understood, [τὰ μὲν] πάσχουσι, τὰ δὲ μέλλουσι [πάσχειν] A.Pers. 814; ἀλλ' οὐχ οὑμὸς τοῦτο πέπονθεν βίος οὐ μὰ Δί' οὐδέ γε μέλλει no, not likely! Ar.Pl. 551;

οὐδὲν.. οὔτε ἐπάθετε οὔτε ἐμελλήσατε Th.3.55

;

οὔτ' ἐμὲ ἀπέφηνεν ἡ βουλὴ οὔτ' ἐμέλλησεν Din.1.49

.

d in εἰ clauses, εἰ μέλλει πόλις εἶναι if it is to be a city, Pl.Prt. 324e: c. [tense] fut. inf., εἰ ἐμέλλομεν.. ἀνοίσειν if we were to refer.., Id.Phd. 75b: c. [tense] aor. inf.,

εἰ μέλλομεν.. δηλῶσαι Id.Lg. 713a

, cf. Smp. 184d, Plt. 268d, al.: so in part.,

τὴν μέλλουσαν οἰκήσεσθαι πόλιν καλῶς Arist. Pol. 1261a3

, etc.

e in final clauses, ξυνεπιμέλεσθαι ᾗ μέλλει ἄριστα ἕξειν, = ᾗ ἄριστα ἕξει, Th.8.39;

εἴχομεν ἂν.. ἐπιστάτην λαβεῖν.. ὃς ἔμελλεν.. ποιήσειν Pl.Ap. 20b

, cf. App.Syr.46, etc.

f in questions, the inf. being understood, τί οὐ μέλλω ( μέλλεις, etc.); why shouldn't I? why is it not likely that I should?, i. e. yes, of course, τὸν υἱὸν ἑόρακας αὐτοῦ; Answ. τί δ' οὐ μέλλω (sc. ἑορακέναι); of course I have, X. HG4.1.6; τί δ' οὐ μέλλει, εἴπερ γε δρᾷ αὐτό; Pl.R. 605c; πῶς γὰρ οὐ μέλλει; Id.Phd. 78b, etc.; ἀλλὰ τί μέλλει; what (else) would you expect? i. e. yes, of course, Id.R. 349d, Hp.Mi. 373d.

II to be about to, in purely temporal sense, c. [tense] fut. inf.,

Ἕκτορα δῖον ἔτετμεν ἀδελφεόν, εὖτ' ἄρ' ἔμελλε στρέψεσθ' ἐκ χώρης Il.6.515

; ὁ μέν μιν ἔμελλε γενείου.. ἁψάμενος λίσσεσθαι (perh. [tense] pres. inf.),

ὁ δ' αὐχένα μέσσον ἔλασσε 10.454

;

ἄλεισον ἀναιρήσεσθαι ἔμελλε Od.22.9

, cf. Il.23.544, 2.39, 6.52, 393; δειπνήσειν μέλλομεν, ἢ τί; Ar.Av. 464, cf. Eq. 931 (lyr.), Th.2.8, etc.: c. [tense] pres. inf., τί μέλλεις δρᾶν; Ar.V. 1379,Th. 215, cf. Ec. 760, Ach. 493, Av. 498, al.;

μέλλω μαίνεσθαι Lyr.Alex.Adesp.1.23

: more rarely c. [tense] aor. inf.,

παθεῖν A.Pr. 625

;

κτανεῖν S.OT 967

(nisi leg. κτενεῖν) ; ἀναλαβεῖν, λιπεῖν, θανεῖν, E.Or. 292, Heracl. 709, Med. 393; ἀπολέσαι, λαβεῖν, Ar.Av. 366, Ach. 1159 (lyr.);

προσθεῖναι Th.3.92

;

οὐδὲ ἐμέλλησαν οὐδὲ διενοήθησαν ἐνθέσθαι D.35.19

: Phryn.316 wrongly condemns this constr.—The inf. is sts. omitted, τὸ μέλλειν ἀγαθά (sc. πράσσειν or πράξειν ) the expectation of good things, E.Or. 1182, cf. IA 1118.

III to be always going to do without ever doing: hence, delay, put off, freq. in Trag. (also in [voice] Med. μέλλομαι, v. infr. IV fin.): in this signf. usu. folld. by [tense] pres. inf., S.OT 678 (lyr.), OC 1627, etc.; τοὺς ξυμμάχους.. οὐ μελλήσομεν τιμωρεῖν· οἱ δ' οὐκέτι μέλλουσι κακῶς πάσχειν we shall not delay to succour our allies, for their sufferings are not being delayed, Th.1.86: freq. with μὴ οὐ, A.Pr. 627, S.Aj. 540: with μή, τί μέλλομεν.. μὴ πράσσειν κακά; E.Med. 1242: rarely folld. by [tense] aor. inf., Id.Ph. 299 (lyr.), Rh. 673: inf. is freq. omitted, τί μέλλεις; why delayest thou? A.Pr.36, cf. Pers. 407, Ag. 908, 1353, S.Fr. 917, Th.8.78, etc.;

μακρὰ μ. S.OC 219

(lyr.);

Ἄρης στυγεῖ μέλλοντας E. Heracl. 723

;

ἴωμεν καὶ μὴ μέλλωμεν ἔτι Pl.Lg. 712b

; μέλλον τι.. ἔπος a hesitating word, which one hesitates to speak, E. Ion 1002; μέλλων σφυγμός a hesitating pulse, Gal.8.653.

IV part. μέλλων is used quasi-adjectivally, ὁ μ. χρόνος the future time, Pi.O.10(11).7, A.Pr. 839, Arist.Top. 111b28: Gramm., ὁ μέλλων the future tense, D.T.638.23, A.D.Synt.69.28, etc.; ἡ μ. αὐτοῦ δύναμις his future power, Pl.R. 494c;

μ. φυλάξασθαι χρέος Pi.O.7.40

; τὸν μ. βλαστόν ( καρπόν codd.) Thphr.HP4.15.1: esp. in neut., τὸ μέλλον, τὰ μέλλοντα things to come, the future, Pi.O.2.56, A.Pr. 102, Th.1.138, 4.71, Pl.Tht. 178e, etc.; opp. to what is simply future ([etym.] τὸ ἐσόμενον), Arist.Div.Somn. 463b29, cf. GC 337b4; εἰς τὸ μέλλον (sc. ἔτος) Ev.Luc.13.9, cf. PLond.3.1231.4 (ii A. D.), Plu.Caes.14:—also in [voice] Med., τὰ ἰσχυρότατα ἐλπιζόμενα μέλλεται your strongest pleas are hopes in futurity, Th.5.111:— but

V [voice] Pass. μέλλομαι, ὡς μὴ μέλλοιτο τὰ δέοντα that the necessary steps might not be delayed, X.An.3.1.47; ἐν ὅσῳ ταῦτα μέλλεται while these delays are going on, D.4.37: [tense] fut. μελλήσομαι dub. l. in Procop. Goth.2.30: [tense] pf. part. μεμελλημένος, = μέλλων, σφυγμός Gal.9.308.

μέλλω (Hom.+) fut. μελλήσω; impf. ἔμελλον (all edd. J 6:6; Ac 21:27) and ἤμελλον (all edd. Lk 7:2; 19:4; J 4:47; 12:33; 18:32; Hb 11:8; s. B-D-F §66, 3; W.-S. §12, 3; Mlt-H. 188. In Att. ins the ἠ-appears after 300 B.C. [Meisterhans³-Schw. 169]. In IPriene ἐ-occurs only once: 11, 5 [c. 297 B.C.]).

① to take place at a future point of time and so to be subsequent to another event, be about to, used w. an inf. foll.

ⓐ only rarely w. the fut. inf., w. which it is regularly used in ancient Gk. (Hom. et al.), since in colloquial usage the fut. inf. and ptc. were gradually disappearing and being replaced by combinations with μέλλω (B-D-F §338, 3; 350; s. Rob. 882; 889). W. the fut. inf. μ. denotes certainty that an event will occur in the future μ. ἔσεσθαι (SIG 914, 10 μέλλει ἔσεσθαι; 247 I, 74 ἔμελλε … [δώσε]ιν; Jos., Ant. 13, 322; Mel., P. 57, 415) will certainly take place or be Ac 11:28; 24:15; 27:10; 1 Cl 43:6; cp. Dg 8:2.

ⓑ w. the aor. inf. (rarely in ancient Gk. [but as early as Hom., and e.g. X., Cyr. 1, 4, 16]; Herodas 3, 78 and 91; UPZ 70, 12 [152/1 B.C.]; PGiss 12, 5; POxy 1067, 17; 1488, 20; Ex 4:12; Job 3:8; 2 Macc 14:41; JosAs 29:3; ParJer 9:13; GrBar 4:15 [Christ.]; ApcMos13; s. Phryn. p. 336; 745ff Lob.; WRutherford, New Phryn. 1881, 420ff) be on the point of, be about to, μ. ἀποκαλυφθῆναι be about to be revealed Ro 8:18. τὸ δωδεκάφυλον τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ μέλλον ἀπολέσθαι the twelve tribes of Israel that were about to be destroyed 1 Cl 55:6. ἤμελλεν προαγαγεῖν Ac 12:6. ἀποθανεῖν Rv 3:2. ἐμέσαι vs. 16. τεκεῖν 12:4.

ⓒ w. the pres. inf. So mostly (ca. 80 times in the NT.; oft. in lit., ins, pap, LXX; TestAbr B 4 p. 108, 14 [Stone p. 64]; ApcEsdr 6:23f p. 32, 2f Tdf.; EpArist; Demetr.: 722 Fgm. 7 Jac.; Just., A I, 51, 8; D. 32, 4 al.; Tat. 14, 1; Mel., P. 38, 263; Ath. 32, 1).

α. be about to, be on the point of ἤμελλεν τελευτᾶν he was at the point of death (Aristot. Fgm. 277 [in Apollon. Paradox. 27] and Diod S 6, 4, 3 μέλλων τελευτᾶν; cp. Jos., Ant. 4, 83; 12, 357) Lk 7:2. Also ἤμελλεν ἀποθνῄσκειν (Artem. 4, 24 p. 217, 5 γραῦς μέλλουσα ἀποθνῄσκειν; Aesop, Fab. 131 P.=202 H.; 233 P.=216 H.; 2 Macc 7:18; 4 Macc 10:9) J 4:47. ἤμελλεν ἑαυτὸν ἀναιρεῖν he was about to kill himself Ac 16:27. Of God’s eschat. reign μέλλειν ἔρχεσθαι 1 Cl 42:3. Of heavenly glory ἡ μέλλουσα ἀποκαλύπτεσθαι 1 Pt 5:1. Cp. Lk 19:4; J 6:6; Ac 3:3; 5:35; 18:14; 21:27; 22:26; 23:27.—Occasionally almost = begin ἤμελλον γράφειν Rv 10:4. ὅταν μέλλῃ ταῦτα συντελεῖσθαι πάντα when all these things are (or begin) to be accomplished Mk 13:4; cp. Lk 21:7; Rv 10:7.

β. in a weakened sense it serves simply as a periphrasis for the fut. (PMich III, 202, 8ff; 13ff [105 A.D.].—Mayser II/1, 226) ὅσα λαλῶ ἢ καὶ μ. λαλεῖν (=ἢ καὶ λαλήσω) what I tell or shall tell Hm 4, 4, 3. So esp. oft. in Hermas: μ. λέγειν v 1, 1, 6; 3, 8, 11; m 11:7, 17; Hs 5, 2, 1. μ. ἐντέλλεσθαι v 5:5; m 5, 2, 8. μ. κατοικεῖν Hs 1:1; 4:2. μ. χωρεῖν (=χωρήσω) IMg 5:1. μ. βασιλεύειν GJs 23:2.—Substitute for the disappearing fut. forms (inf. and ptc. B-D-F §356); for the fut. inf.: προσεδόκων αὐτὸν μέλλειν πίμπρασθαι Ac 28:6; for the fut. ptc.: ὁ μέλλων ἔρχεσθαι Mt 11:14. ὁ τοῦτο μέλλων πράσσειν the one who was going to do this Lk 22:23; cp. 24:21; Ac 13:34. οἱ μέλλοντες πιστεύειν those who were to believe (in him) in the future 1 Ti 1:16; 1 Cl 42:4; Hm 4, 3, 3. μέλλοντες ἀσεβεῖν those who were to be ungodly in the future 2 Pt 2:6 v.l. (s. 3, end). Of Christ ὁ μέλλων κρίνειν 2 Ti 4:1; 7:2. οἱ μέλλοντες ἀρνεῖσθαι = οἱ ἀρνησόμενοι Hv 2, 2, 8. πυρὸς ζῆλος ἐσθίειν μέλλοντος τοὺς ὑπεναντίους raging fire that will devour the opponents Hb 10:27.

γ. denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind μέλλει Ἡρῴδης ζητεῖν τὸ παιδίον Herod intends to search for the child Mt 2:13. οὗ ἤμελλεν αὐτὸς ἔρχεσθαι where he himself intended to come Lk 10:1. μέλλουσιν ἔρχεσθαι they intended to come J 6:15. Cp. vs. 71; 7:35; 12:4; 14:22; Ac 17:31; 20:3, 7, 13ab; 23:15; 26:2; 27:30; Hb 8:5; 2 Pt 1:12. τί μέλλεις ποιεῖν; what do you intend to do? Hs 1:5. οὐ μ. ποιεῖν I have no intention of doing MPol 8:2. μ. προσηλοῦν they wanted to nail him fast 13:3. μ. λαμβάνειν we wanted to take him out 17:2.

② to be inevitable, be destined, inevitable

ⓐ w. pres. inf. to denote an action that necessarily follows a divine decree is destined, must, will certainly … μ. πάσχειν he is destined to suffer Mt 17:12; B 7:10; 12:2; cp. 6:7. μ. σταυροῦσθαι must be crucified 12:1. μ. παραδίδοσθαι Mt 17:22; Lk 9:44; 16:5. ἔμελλεν ἀποθνῄσκειν J 11:51; 12:33; 18:32. ἐν σαρκὶ μ. φανεροῦσθαι B 6:7, 9, 14. Cp. Mt 16:27; 20:22; Ro 4:24; 8:13; Rv 12:5. οὐκέτι μέλλουσιν … θεωρεῖν they should no more see … Ac 20:38. τὰ μ. γίνεσθαι what must come to pass 26:22; cp. Rv 1:19. διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν those who are to inherit salvation Hb 1:14. μέλλομεν θλίβεσθαι that we were to be afflicted 1 Th 3:4.—Mk 10:32; Lk 9:31; J 7:39; Hb 11:8. ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ᾗ ἔμελλε θηριομαχεῖν on the day on which Paul was to fight the wild animals AcPl Ha 3, 9. ὡς μελλούσης τῆς πόλεως αἴρεσθαι in expectation of the city’s destruction 5, 16. ἄνωθεν μέλλω σταυροῦσθαι I (Jesus) am about to be crucified once more 7, 39.

ⓑ w. aor. inf. ἀποκαλυφθῆναι that is destined (acc. to God’s will) to be revealed Gal 3:23.

③ The ptc. is used abs. in the mng. (in the) future, to come (Pind., O. 10, 7 ὁ μέλλων χρόνος ‘the due date’) ὁ αἰὼν μέλλων the age to come (s. αἰών 2b), which brings the reign of God (opp. ὁ αἰὼν οὗτος or ὁ νῦν αἰών) Mt 12:32; Eph 1:21; 2 Cl 6:3; Pol 5:2; cp. Hb 6:5. Also ὁ μ. καιρός (opp. ὁ νῦν κ.) 4:1. ἡ μ. ζωή (opp. ἡ νῦν ζ.) 1 Ti 4:8. ὁ μ. βίος (opp. ὁ νῦν β.) 2 Cl 20:2. ἡ μ. βασιλεία 5:5; ἡ οἰκουμένη ἡ μ. the world to come Hb 2:5. ἡ μέλλουσα πόλις (as wordplay, opp. [οὐ … ] μένουσα π.) 13:14. ἡ μ. ἐπαγγελία the promise for the future 2 Cl 10:3f. τὰ μ. ἀγαθά Hb 9:11 v.l.; Hv 1, 1, 8. ἡ μ. ἀνάστασις 1 Cl 24:1; τὸ κρίμα τὸ μ. the judgment to come Ac 24:25; cp. 1 Cl 28:1; 2 Cl 18:2; MPol 11:2. ἡ μ. ὀργή Mt 3:7; IEph 11:1. ἡ μ. θλῖψις Hv 4, 2, 5. τὰ μ. σκάνδαλα 4:9.—ἡ μέλλουσά σου ἀδελφή your future sister=the one who in the future will be your sister, no longer your wife Hv 2, 2, 3. Several times the noun can be supplied fr. the context: τύπος τοῦ μέλλοντος, i.e. Ἀδάμ Ro 5:14.—Subst. τὸ μέλλον the future (Aeneas Tact. 422; 431 al.; Antiphanes Com. [IV B.C.] 227 K.; Menand., Monostich. 412 [608 Jaekel] Mei.; Anacreont. 36; Plut., Caes. 14, 4; Herodian 1, 14, 2; SIG 609, 5; ViEzk 13 [p. 75, 12 Sch.]; Philo, Mel.) 1 Cl 31:3. εἰς τὸ μ. for the future (Jos., Ant. 9, 162) 1 Ti 6:19; specif. (in the) next year (PLond III, 1231, 4 p. 108 [144 A.D.] τὴν εἰς τὸ μέλλον γεωργείαν; s. Field, Notes 65) Lk 13:9. τὰ μ. the things to come (X., Symp. 4, 47; Aeneas Tact. 1050; Artem. 1, 36; Wsd 19:1; TestJob 47:9; JosAs 23:8; Philo; Just., D. 7, 1; Ath. 27, 2) Col 2:17; PtK 3 p. 15, 21. (Opp. τὰ ἐνεστῶτα the present as PGM 5, 295) Ro 8:38; 1 Cor 3:22; B 1:7; 5:3; 17:2. Ox 1081 39f (SJCh 91, 2) (s. ἀρχή 2). Uncertain 2 Pt 2:6 (if ἀσεβέσιν is to be retained, the ref. is to impending judgment for the impious).

④ delay τί μέλλεις why are you delaying? (cp. Aeschyl., Prom. 36; Eur., Hec. 1094; Thu. 8, 78; Lucian, Dial. Mort. 10, 13; Jos., Bell. 3, 494 τί μέλλομεν; 4 Macc 6:23; 9:1) Ac 22:16. οὐ μελλήσας without delay AcPl Ha 8, 4. The connection in AcPt Ox 849, 1 is uncertain.—B. 974. DELG. M-M. TW.