Conjunction: μέχρι

SyntaxConjunction – ὥσπερ

The comparative conjunction ὥσπερ is often described as comparing two “manners” (Wallace 1996:675). This is often the case, as the first example of ὥσπερ in the NT demonstrates:

• (568) ὥσπερ comparing two manners
• Ὅταν οὖν ποιῇς ἐλεημοσύνην, μὴ σαλπίσῃς ἔμπροσθέν σου, ὥσπερ οἱ ὑποκριταὶ ποιοῦσιν (Matt 6:2)
• Whenever, therefore, you donate, do not sound a trumpet before like the hypocrites do

fromLesson 49.4

SyntaxPreposition-conjunction – μέχρι

The preposition-conjunction μέχρι is very similar to ἄχρι and ἕως (on which, see 43.3.3.1 and 42.3.3.1 respectively). However, though the particles have overlapping meanings, they are not identical. Syntactically, all three words can be used as both a preposition (with a following noun) or a conjunction (with a following verb), but ἕως is the most common with a following verb. Both ἄχρι and μέχρι are often followed by the relative pronoun οὗ when used with a subsequent verb, showing that these two words are more readily used as prepositions (since οὗ would be a nominal element that would introduce the following clause).

In terms of their meaning, μέχρι is the narrowest. It can be used temporally, spatially, and to denote a certain degree:

• (570) Temporal μέχρι ὅτι εἰ ἐν Σοδόμοις ἐγενήθησαν αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ γενόμεναι ἐν σοί, ἔμεινεν ἂν μέχρι τῆς σήμερον (Matt 11:23)
• Because if in Sodom the wonders were performed which have been performed in you, it would have remained until today

fromLesson 49.4