Greek word · G3371

μηκέτι

mēketi

never again

"No longer, no more, not any more." It is the form of "no longer" used with commands and wishes. It assumes something has been going on and calls for it to stop.

Appears 21 times in 21 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

μηκέτι

(μή, ἔτι)

adv.,

no more, no longer: with 2 aor. subjc., Mark 9:25; οὐ μ., Matthew 21:19; with praes. subjc., Romans 14:13; with praes. imperat., Luke 8:49, John 5:14 8:11 Ephesians 4:28, 1 Timothy 5:23; with optative, Mark 11:14; ἵνα μ., 2 Corinthians 5:15, Ephesians 4:14; with inf., Mark 1:45 2:2, Acts 4:17 25:24, Romans 6:6, Ephesians 4:17, 1 Peter 4:2; with ptcp., Acts 13:34, Romans 15:23, 1 Thessalonians 3:1 3:5.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of John 8:11

Range of meaning

"No longer, no more, not any more." It is the form of "no longer" used with commands and wishes. It assumes something has been going on and calls for it to stop.

Against the English

"No more" is accurate. NIV's "leave your life of sin" turns it into a statement about her whole way of life, which the Greek does not spell out.

Used elsewhere in the period

John 5:14; Mark 9:25 ("come out of him and enter him no more"); Eph 4:28 ("let the thief no longer steal").

From the study of Mark 9:25

Range of meaning

“No longer may you enter”: a flat prohibition of any future act of entering, using the standard Greek construction for forbidding something outright.

Against the English

BSB, ESV and WEB say “never enter him again”; NASB says “do not enter him again”; KJV says “enter no more into him.” All are accurate. The finality is in the Greek.

Used elsewhere in the period

Josephus (Antiquities 8.46–48) describes the Jewish exorcist Eleazar, before Vespasian, drawing a demon out through the man's nose and adjuring it “never to come back into him” (mēket' eis auton epanelthein), almost the same formula. Jesus' saying about the unclean spirit that returns with seven others (Luke 11:24–26; Matt 12:43–45) shows that people of the time feared spirits coming back.

Where it appears

Matthew · 1
  1. Matthew 21:19 μηκέτι no more

    Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. “May you never bear fruit again!” He said. And immediately the tree withered.

    Here: "No more, never again." It implies the tree was supposed to bear fruit, and that from now on that is over.

Mark · 4
  1. Mark 1:45 μηκέτι no longer

    But the man went out and openly began to proclaim and spread the news. Consequently, Jesus could no longer enter a town in plain view, but He stayed out in solitary places. Yet people came to Him from every quarter.

    Here: 'No longer'. Until now Jesus had moved freely through towns and synagogues (1:21, 39), and this marks a change.

  2. Mark 2:2 μηκέτι no more

    they gathered in such large numbers that there was no more room, not even outside the door, as Jesus spoke the word to them.

    Here: 'No longer': the room filled up step by step until there was none left.

  3. Mark 9:25 μηκέτι no more

    When Jesus saw that a crowd had come running, He rebuked the unclean spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” He said, “I command you to come out and never enter him again.”

    Here: Rules out any future return. The release is meant to be permanent.

  4. Mark 11:14 μηκέτι No more

    Then He said to the tree, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again.” And His disciples heard this statement.

    Here: 'No more.' It assumes the tree could have been eaten from until now, and closes that off from this point on.

Luke · 1
  1. Luke 8:49 μηκέτι no longer

    While He was still speaking, someone arrived from the house of the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he told Jairus. “Do not bother the Teacher anymore.”

John · 1
  1. John 5:14 μηκέτι no more

    Afterward, Jesus found the man at the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you.”

    Here: "No more, no longer." It marks a line between before and after. Whatever went on before is not to continue.

Acts · 3
  1. Acts 4:17 μηκέτι no longer

    But to keep this message from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in this name.”

    Here: "No longer, from now on not". It admits they have been speaking and orders the speaking to stop.

  2. Acts 13:34 μηκέτι no more

    In fact, God raised Him from the dead, never to see decay. As He has said: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’

    Here: "No longer". The point is that his new condition is permanent. The way back into death is closed for good.

  3. Acts 25:24 μηκέτι. no longer.

    Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him, both here and in Jerusalem, crying out that he ought not to live any longer.

Romans · 3
  1. Romans 6:6 μηκέτι no longer

    We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.

    Here: 'No longer'. It assumes a former state that has now ended. They were once enslaved, and that condition is meant to be over.

  2. Romans 14:13 μηκέτι No longer

    Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.

    Here: Assumes the judging is already happening in the Roman congregations and calls for it to stop. Not 'never start', but 'quit what you are doing'.

  3. Romans 15:23 μηκέτι no longer

    But now that there are no further opportunities for me in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to visit you,

2 Corinthians · 1
  1. 2 Corinthians 5:15 μηκέτι no longer

    And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again.

    Here: 'No longer, not any more.' It marks a before and after: living to oneself was the old state, and Christ's death ends it.

Ephesians · 3
  1. Ephesians 4:14 μηκέτι no longer

    Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.

    Here: 'No longer' assumes that this unstable, infant state describes where the readers are, or at least could be, right now. It is a state to grow out of.

  2. Ephesians 4:17 μηκέτι No longer

    So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.

    Here: Assumes the readers once did live this way. It marks a break with their past: what was normal for them before must stop.

  3. Ephesians 4:28 μηκέτι no longer

    He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.

    Here: 'No longer, not any more.' It marks a clean break with an existing habit, echoing the 'no longer walk as the Gentiles do' of 4:17.

1 Thessalonians · 2
  1. 1 Thessalonians 3:1 μηκέτι no longer

    So when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left on our own in Athens.

  2. 1 Thessalonians 3:5 μηκέτι no longer

    For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter had somehow tempted you and that our labor might have been in vain.

    Here: 'No longer': his endurance had a limit, and he had reached it.

1 Timothy · 1
  1. 1 Timothy 5:23 μηκέτι No longer

    Stop drinking only water and use a little wine instead, because of your stomach and your frequent ailments.

    Here: Tells Timothy to stop something he is already doing. It assumes he has been drinking only water for some time.

1 Peter · 1
  1. 1 Peter 4:2 μηκέτι no longer

    Consequently, he does not live out his remaining time on earth for human passions, but for the will of God.

    Here: This assumes a 'before'. The readers once lived this way, and that pattern is now over. Verse 3 spells out the 'before'.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.