BIBLE GREEK WORD STUDY
De (δέ) — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
δέ is a postpositive conjunction that connects clauses or sentences with a light adversative or continuative force, functioning as 'but,' 'and,' or 'now.'
Meaning of the word
δέ is the second most frequent conjunction in the Greek New Testament. Its lexicographic gloss is 'but, and, etc.' It never stands first in its clause but follows the first word or phrase, which is why it is called a postpositive particle.
Its force shifts depending on context. In narrative, it is usually continuative, marking a new event or stage and frequently rendered 'and' or 'now.' In contrast, it can carry a mild adversative sense, set off what follows against what preceded, equivalent to 'but' or 'however.'
Because δέ is a function word rather than a content word, it carries little lexical meaning of its own. Its job is structural: it sequences the writer's argument, marks transitions, and signals that the reader should expect either progression or mild correction.
Usage in Scripture
In the Sermon on the Mount, δέ appears repeatedly. Matthew 5:21 sets up the contrast ('Ye have heard that it was said…') and Matthew 5:22 opens Jesus' corrective response ('but I say unto you'). The same pattern recurs in 5:31–5:32 and 5:33–5:34, where δέ marks the boundary between the received teaching and Jesus' reinterpretation. In 5:28 and 5:29 the particle simply continues the argument, showing how versatile a single connector can be.
Across the New Testament's 153 distinct verses containing δέ, the particle typically does not require commentary; it is part of the connective tissue of Greek narrative and argument. Translators decide per context whether 'and,' 'but,' 'now,' or even no English word best preserves the flow.
The word in detail
- G1161 G1161, δέ. A postpositive particle; the second most common conjunction in the Greek NT (~2,882 occurrences in 1,537 verses). Glossed 'but, and, etc.'
Example verses
- Matthew 5:1 δέ transitions from the preceding narrative into a new scene as Jesus 'went up into the mountain'—a classic continuative use.
- Matthew 5:22 Here δέ marks the adversative shift: 'but I say unto you,' contrasting Jesus' teaching with the tradition just quoted.
- Matthew 5:32 Another adversative δέ: 'but I say unto you,' introducing a stricter reading of the divorce commandment.
- Matthew 5:37 δέ opens a contrasting instruction: 'But let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay,' setting simplicity against oath-taking.
Common questions
Is δέ a 'but' or an 'and'?
It can be either, and translators decide per context. In narrative the force is usually continuative ('and/now'), while in argumentative contexts it tends to be mildly adversative ('but/however').
Why is δέ called postpositive?
Because it never appears as the first word of its clause. In Matthew 5:1 it follows the participle 'seeing,' and across the NT it always attaches to the first emphatic word, never standing alone in initial position.