Greek word · G3768

οὔπω

oupō

not yet

'Not yet'. It denies that something has happened so far while implying that it is expected or still possible.

Appears 26 times in 26 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

οὔπω

neg. adv. of time,

not yet: Matthew 24:6, Mark 13:7, John 2:4 3:24 6:17, al.; with neg., Mark 11:2, Luke 23:53; interrog., Matthew 16:9, Mark 4:40 8:17, 21

(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 Hebrews 2:8

Range of meaning

'Not yet'. It denies that something has happened so far while implying that it is expected or still possible.

Against the English

KJV, WEB, ESV and NASB keep 'not yet'. BSB's 'at present we do not see' keeps the time marker but drops the 'yet', and with it some of the expectation built into the Greek.

Used elsewhere in the period

Elsewhere in Hebrews: 'you have not yet resisted to the point of blood' (12:4), where more might still come. Common in the Gospels for something whose hour has not arrived (e.g. John 2:4; 7:30).

From the study of John 2:4

Range of meaning

οὔπω: 'not yet,' implying that something expected is still to come. ἥκω: 'to have come, to be present.' Its present tense already means 'has arrived.'

Against the English

English versions all render it 'has not yet come,' which is accurate. What is easy to miss is that 'not yet' (rather than 'not') contains a promise: the hour is coming.

Used elsewhere in the period

ἥκω is used in the LXX and the NT for the arrival of decisive times or persons (e.g. 'the end has come,' Ezek 7; John 4:47; 8:42 'I came from God'). οὔπω recurs in John's statements about the hour (7:30; 8:20) and about Jesus' 'time' (7:6, 8, with a different noun, καιρός).

From the study of 1 Corinthians 8:2

Range of meaning

Not yet; still not. It implies a process that has not reached its goal.

Against the English

KJV's 'knoweth nothing yet' (from a different Greek text) sounds like a total denial. 'Not yet know as he ought' keeps Paul's point: the knowing is real but immature and incomplete.

Used elsewhere in the period

Paul uses the same 'not yet' with the Corinthians in 3:2 ('you were not yet able'). In chapter 13 he places complete knowing at the end of the age (13:9-12, 'we know in part').

Where it appears

Matthew · 2

  1. Matthew 16:9 οὔπω Not yet

    Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?

    Here: Opens the rebuke. 'Not yet' assumes that understanding should have come by now, but also leaves room for it to come, and it does in v.12 ('Then they understood').

  2. Matthew 24:6 οὔπω not yet

    You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.

    Here: 'Not yet'. This is the word the whole verse turns on. It deliberately pushes the end further off and cools any expectation that the end is about to arrive.

Mark · 5

  1. Mark 4:40 οὔπω Still not

    “Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?”

    Here: "Not yet" assumes a process: by now they should have it. Mark uses the same word again for the disciples' slowness in 8:17 and 8:21 ("Do you not yet understand?").

  2. Mark 8:17 οὔπω Not yet

    Aware of their conversation, Jesus asked them, “Why are you debating about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Do you have such hard hearts?

    Here: 'Not yet?' This assumes that after two feedings they ought to understand by now. It also leaves the door open: understanding has not come *yet*. The same word returns in Jesus' closing question in 8:21.

  3. Mark 8:21 οὔπω Not yet

    Then He asked them, “Do you still not understand?”

  4. Mark 11:2 οὔπω not yet

    and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here.

    Here: 'Not yet': no one has ridden it so far. The animal is fresh and unused, kept back for a first rider.

  5. Mark 13:7 οὔπω not yet [is]

    When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.

    Here: 'Not yet.' The hinge of the verse. It looks forward (the end will come) and holds back (these events are not it).

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 23:53 οὔπω not yet

    Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and placed it in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had yet been laid.

John · 11

  1. John 2:4 οὔπω Not yet

    “Woman, what is that to you and to Me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

    Here: 'Not yet' rather than simply 'not.' It implies the hour will come. The word leaves room for what follows, and John uses it again for the hour in 7:30 and 8:20.

  2. John 3:24 οὔπω Not yet

    (For John had not yet been thrown into prison.)

    Here: Stands first in the Greek for emphasis. It assumes the reader already knows John *will* be imprisoned. The point is timing: 'this was still before that happened.'

  3. John 6:17 οὔπω not yet

    got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was already dark, and Jesus had not yet gone out to them.

    Here: 'Not yet' assumes that Jesus' coming was expected or at least possible. It quietly suggests the disciples had been waiting for him, or that he would come in the end.

  4. John 7:6 οὔπω not yet

    Therefore Jesus told them, “Although your time is always at hand, My time has not yet come.

    Here: "Not yet," not "never." The moment is coming but has not arrived. It echoes the "not yet" of 2:4 ("my hour has not yet come") and prepares for 7:30 and 8:20.

  5. John 7:8 οὔπω not yet

    Go up to the feast on your own. I am not going up to this feast, because My time has not yet come.”

    Here: 'Not yet': the moment is coming but has not arrived. Even with the flat 'not' earlier in the verse, this 'not yet' leaves the future open.

  6. John 7:30 οὔπω not yet

    So they tried to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.

    Here: 'Not yet', not 'never.' The hour will come; this phrase points ahead to the passion (12:23; 13:1; 17:1).

  7. John 7:39 οὔπω not yet

    He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

    Here: 'Not yet' is a time word. It expects that something will happen later. It is the same 'not yet' as Jesus' 'my hour has not yet come' (2:4; 7:6, 8, 30).

  8. John 8:20 οὔπω not yet

    He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts, near the treasury. Yet no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.

    Here: 'Not yet,' not 'never.' The hour will come (12:23; 13:1; 17:1). The phrase creates suspense across the Gospel.

  9. John 8:57 οὔπω not yet

    Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?”

    Here: “Not yet”, i.e. you have not even reached that point. It sharpens the scorn: Jesus is not even at fifty, let alone two thousand.

  10. John 11:30 οὔπω Not yet

    Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met Him.

    Here: Comes first in the sentence for emphasis. It marks a pause in the story: Jesus is close by, but he has not arrived.

  11. John 20:17 οὔπω not yet

    “Do not cling to Me,” Jesus said, “for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and tell My brothers, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’”

    Here: 'Not yet' implies 'but soon'. His going to the Father has not been completed, but it is coming.

1 Corinthians · 2

  1. 1 Corinthians 3:2 οὔπω not yet

    I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for solid food. In fact, you are still not ready,

    Here: "Not yet": at that early stage. It implies that growing up was expected and was normal.

  2. 1 Corinthians 8:2 οὔπω not yet

    The one who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.

    Here: 'Not yet', not simply 'not'. Paul does not deny they know true things; he says their knowing has not yet arrived where it must. It also fits Paul's sense that full knowledge belongs to the future (13:9-12).

Hebrews · 2

  1. Hebrews 2:8 οὔπω not yet

    and placed everything under his feet.” When God subjected all things to him, He left nothing outside of his control. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.

    Here: 'Not yet', not simply 'not'. The word assumes the subjection will come; what is missing is the timing, not the promise.

  2. Hebrews 12:4 οὔπω Not yet

    In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

    Here: Comes first in the sentence for emphasis. 'Not yet' admits that it could still come to that, and it sets the readers next to Jesus, who did go as far as blood (12:2–3).

1 John · 1

  1. 1 John 3:2 οὔπω not yet

    Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.

    Here: "Not yet," which implies "but it will be." The final state is hidden for now, not missing.

Revelation · 2

  1. Revelation 17:10 οὔπω not yet

    There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. But when he does come, he must remain for only a little while.

    Here: 'Not yet' takes his coming for granted. It is only a matter of time.

  2. Revelation 17:12 οὔπω not yet

    The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive one hour of authority as kings along with the beast.

    Here: 'Not yet': from where John stands, their reign lies in the future, though it is imminent.

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