ναί

ναί particle denoting affirmation, agreement, or emphasis (Hom.+; POxy 1413, 7 al. in pap; LXX, TestSol, TestAbr; JosAs17:1 cod. A; ApcSed 3:2; ApcMos 17:1; EpArist 201 ναί, βασιλεῦ; Jos., Ant. 17, 169; Just.) yes, certainly, indeed, it’s true that

ⓐ in answer to a question

α. asked by another pers., yes (Ael. Aristid. 34 p. 663 D.; Lucian, Dial. Deor. 4, 1 al.; Alexander Numenianus [time of Hadrian]: Rhet. Gr. ed. LSpengel III 1856 p. 24f: the answer to a question should be ναὶ ἢ οὔ; Ammonius Phil., In Int. p. 199, 21 ἀποκρίν. τὸ ναὶ ἢ τὸ οὔ; Sb 7696, 57 [250 A.D.]) Mt 9:28; 13:51; 17:25; 21:16; J 11:27; 21:15f; Ac 5:8; 22:27; GPt 10:42; Hs 9, 11, 8; GJs 19:1 codd.; AcPl Ha 5, 2 (restored).

β. asked by one who answers: yes, indeed ναὶ λέγω ὑμῖν Mt 11:9; Lk 7:26 gives an affirmative answer to the question directed to the crowd, thereby confirming the correctness of the crowd’s opinion; the people are ‘on the right track’, but need further instruction.—If the question is put in negative form, the answer may be of course Ro 3:29 (cp. after negative assertion TestAbr A 17 p. 99, 9 [Stone p. 46]; ApcMos 17).

ⓑ in declarations of agreement to the statements of others: certainly, indeed, quite so (Gen 42:21; Epict. 2, 7, 9 ναί, κύριε; Diod S 13, 26, 1 ναί, ἀλλά=indeed, but; Lucian, Jupp. Tr. 6 and 9 ναί. ἀλλὰ … ) ναί, κύριε• καὶ γάρ certainly, Lord (or sir); and yet Mt 15:27; Mk 7:28 v.l. (but it may also mean an urgent repetition of the request: B-D-F §441, 1; AFridrichsen, ConNeot 1, ’36, 10–13; Athen. Tafel Elderkin 2 [III A.D.]: Hesperia 6, ’37, 383ff, ln. 7 a fervent invocation in prayer: ναὶ κύριε Τυφώς, ἐκδίκησον … καὶ βοήθησον αὐτῷ; PGM 1, 216 ναί, κύριε; cp. 36, 227); Hv 3, 3, 1; 4, 3, 1; m 6, 1, 1. Prob. Rv 14:13; 16:7; 22:20b v.l. belong here.

ⓒ in emphatic repetition of one’s own statement yes (indeed) Mt 11:26; Lk 10:21; 11:51. ναὶ λέγω ὑμῖν, τοῦτον φοβήθητε yes, indeed, that’s the one to fear, I tell you 12:5.—Phlm 20; 14:1. The repetition can consist in the fact that one request preceded and a similar one follows ναὶ ἐρωτῶ καὶ σέ yes, and I ask you Phil 4:3.—1 Cl 60:3.

ⓓ in solemn assurance (Herodas 1, 86 ναὶ Δήμητρα = by Demeter) ναὶ ἔρχομαι ταχύ surely I am coming soon Rv 22:20. ναί, ἀμήν so it is to be, assuredly so 1:7.

ⓔ In wordplay ναί is used w. οὔ: ἤτω ὑμῶν τὸ ναὶ ναί, καὶ τὸ οὒ οὔ let your ‘yes’ be yes, and your ‘no’ no i.e., the absolute dependability of your statements should make an oath unnecessary Js 5:12. But Mt 5:37 reads ἔστω ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν ναὶ ναί, οὒ οὔ i.e., a clear ‘yes’, a clear ‘no’ and nothing more (ναί doubled also Archilochus [VII B.C.] 99 Diehl³; Alciphron 4, 13, 8; Theodor. Prodr. 8, 321 Hercher; PGM 1, 90; PMinear, NovT 13, ’71, 1–13). Yet many (B-D-F §432, 1; Wlh., EKlostermann, M‘Neile on Mt 5:37; CTorrey, The Four Gospels ’33, 291; ELittmann, ZNW 34, ’35, 23f) assume that Mt 5:37 has the same sense as Js 5:12; the Koridethi gosp. (ms. Θ) assimilates the text of the Mt pass. to the one in Js.—Paul denies that, in forming his plans, he has proceeded in such a way ἵνα ᾖ παρʼ ἐμοὶ τὸ ναὶ ναὶ καὶ τὸ οὒ οὔ that my ‘yes’ should at the same time be ‘no’ 2 Cor 1:17; cp. vs. 18. This is just as impossible as that in the gospel ναὶ καὶ οὔ ‘yes’ and ‘no’ are preached at the same time vs. 19a. Rather, in Jesus Christ there is only ‘yes’ vs. 19b to all the promises of God vs. 20.—EKutsch, Eure Rede aber sei ja ja, nein nein: EvTh ’60, 206–18.—DELG. M-M.