ἄχρι

ἄχρι (Hom.+) this form, which is Attic (Phryn. 14; Moeris 32; Meisterhans³-Schw. 219, 39) is found in NT almost exclusively (Just., only D. 64, 6; Tat. 38, 2); the H. Gk. ἄχρις (SIG 958, 37; s. Schwyzer I 405 on Hom. usage) occurs only Gal 3:19 (throughout the ms. tradition) and Hb 3:13 (predom.), each case before vowels. For the adoption of ἄχρις, in accordance w. t.r., in other edd. s. S. and Vog. on Ac 7:18; 1 Cor 11:26; 15:25; Phil. 1:6; S., Vog., Bov. on Ac 11:5; S., Vog., M. on Rom 11:25; S., Vog., M., Bov. on Rv 2:25 (Just. has ἄχρις ἄν three times; once [A I, 35, 1] ἄχρις before verb with initial vowel. On the Apostol. Fathers s. Reinhold 37. On the whole, B-D-F §21; W-S. §5, 28b; Mayser 243f; Crönert 144, 3). A function word used to indicate an interval between two points

① marker of continuous extent of time up to a point, until

ⓐ used as prep. w. gen. (Hom., less oft. in Att., but s. Demosth.; B-D-F §216, 3)

α. of time until (2 Macc 14:15; Tat. 38, 2) ἄ. ἧς ἡμέρας until the day when Mt 24:38; Lk 1:20; 17:27; Ac 1:2, 22 v.l.; ἄ. τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης (BChilds, JBL 82, ’63, 279–92: OT background) 2:29; 23:1; 26:22; ἄ. καιροῦ for a while Lk 4:13 (ἄ. χρόνου D); until the time determined by God Ac 13:11. ἄ. χρόνων ἀποκαταστάσεως 3:21. ἄ. αὐγῆς until sunrise Ac 20:11 (cp. Jos., Ant. 6, 215 ἄχρι τῆς ἕω); ἄ. τοῦ δεῦρο (Plut., Anton. 34, 9 [without art.]; Jos., Ant. 10, 265) until now Ro 1:13; ἄ. τοῦ νῦν (Timostratus [II B.C.] 1; cp. Lucian, Tim. 39; Plut., Rom. 15, 3; Philo, Abr. 182) 8:22; Phil 1:5.—1 Cor 4:11; 2 Cor 3:14; Gal 4:2; Phil 1:6; ἄ. τέλους (Plut., Demosth. 851 [13, 2], Fab. Max. 183 [16, 8]) to the end Hb 6:11; Rv 2:26; ἄ. ἡμερῶν πέντε within five days Ac 20:6. ἄ. νόμου until the time when (or better, before) the law was given Ro 5:13 (cp. Jos., Ant. 4, 248 ἄ. νομίμων γάμων=until the time of the lawful marriage). Cp. Mt 13:30 v.l.

β. in ref. to acts or conditions that prevail up to a certain point (SIG 1109, 84 ἄ. πληγῶν ἔρχεσθαι; Simplicius in Epict. p. 29, 7 ἄ. θανάτου σχεδόν of the lashings by the Spartans) διώκειν ἄ. θανάτου persecute to the death Ac 22:4; πιστὸς ἄ. θανάτου faithful unto death Rv 2:10; cp. 12:11 (s. SibOr 2, 47). ἄ. τῆς ἀγνοίας so long as he does not know Hm 4, 1, 5.

ⓑ used as conj. (B-D-F §383; 455, 3; Rob. 974)

α. w. rel. ἄχρι οὗ (=ἄχρι χρόνου ᾧ) until the time when w. past indic. (X., Hell. 6, 4, 37 ἄχρι οὗ ὅδε ὁ λόγος ἐγράφετο; Jos., Ant. 11, 111) ἄ. οὗ ἀνέστη Ac 7:18; ἄ. οὗ ἡμέρα ἤμελλεν γίνεσθαι until the day began to dawn 27:33. W. aor. subj. (Hdt. 1, 117; SIG 799, 26; POxy 104, 18; 507, 30; BGU 19 I, 5; Job 32:11) Lk 21:24; Ro 11:25; 1 Cor 11:26; 15:25; Gal 3:19; w. ἄν: ἄχρι οὗ ἄν (Hippocr., περὶ συρίγγων 3 [6, 450]) Gal 3:19 v.l.; Rv 2:25.—as long as (X., Cyr. 5, 4, 16; Plut., Mor. 601e; cp. 2 Macc 14:10) ἄ. οὗ τὸ σήμερον καλεῖται as long as it is still called ‘today’ Hb 3:13.

β. without rel., used w. aor. subj. until (POxy 491, 8; 1215, 3; Just., A I, 35, 1) Rv 7:3; 15:8; 17:17 v.l.; 20:3, 5. W. ἄν and aor. subj. (X., An. 2, 3, 2; SIG 972, 26f; BGU 419, 11; 830, 13 ἄ. ἄν σοι ἔλθω; PGM 5, 58; Jos., Ant. 12, 152; ParJer 7:24; Just., D. 103, 3) Gal 3:19 v.l. W. fut. ind. (SibOr 1, 273) Rv 17:17.—LRydbeck, Fachprosa, ’67, 144–53.

② marker of extension up to a certain point, as far as (SIG 937; Judg 11:33 B; Just., D. 64, 6) short ending of Mk; ἦλθεν ἄ. ἐμοῦ it came to where I was Ac 11:5; cp. 13:6; 20:4 v.l.; 28:15; ἄ. τούτου τοῦ λόγου as far as this word 22:22; ἄ. καὶ ὑμῶν 2 Cor 10:13f; ἄ. μερισμοῦ as far as the separation Hb 4:12; cp. Rv 14:20; 18:5.—DELG. M-M.