Original Word: μεταξύ
Part of Speech: Adverb
Transliteration: metaxu
Pronunciation: meh-tah-XOO
Phonetic Spelling: (met-ax-oo')
KJV: between, mean while, next
NASB: between, alternately, Meanwhile, next
Word Origin: [from G3326 (μετά - after) and a form of G4862 (σύν - along)]

1. betwixt (of place or person)
2. (of time) as adjective, intervening
3. (by implication) adjoining

between, meanwhile

From meta and a form of sun; betwixt (of place or person); (of time) as adjective, intervening, or (by implication) adjoining -- between, mean while, next.

see GREEK meta

see GREEK sun

Word Origin
from meta and xun (see sun)
Definition
between, after
NASB Translation
alternately (1), between (5), Meanwhile (1), next (1).

STRONGS NT 3342: μεταξύ

μεταξύ (from μετά and ξύν, equivalent to σύν), adverb;

1. between (in the midst, Homer, Iliad 1, 156; Wis. 18:23), a. adverbially of time, ἐν τῷ μεταξύ, meanwhile, in the mean time, cf. ἐν τῷ καθεξῆς (see καθεξῆς): John 4:31 (Xenophon, symp. 1, 14; with χρόνῳ added, Plato, rep. 5, p. 450 c.; Josephus, Antiquities 2, 7, 1; ὁ μεταξύ χρόνος, Herodian, 3, 8, 20 (10 edition, Bekker cf. Winers Grammar, 592f (551))).

b. like a preposition with a genitive (cf. Winers Grammar, 54, 6): of place (from Herodotus 1, 6 down), Matthew 23:35; Luke 11:51; Luke 16:26; Acts 12:6; of parties, Matthew 18:15; Acts 15:9; Romans 2:15.

2. according to a somewhat rare usage of later Greek (Josephus, contra Apion 1, 21, 2 ((yet see Müller at the passage)); b. j. 5, 4, 2; Plutarch, inst. Lac. 42; de discr. amici et adul. c. 22; Theophilus ad Autol. 1, 8 and Otto in the place cited; (Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 44, 2, 3 [ET]; the Epistle of Barnabas 13, 5 [ET])), after, afterward: τό μεταξύ σάββατον, the next (following) sabbath, Acts 13:42 ((where see Meyer)).

Word Usage Overview

Metaxu appears nine times in the Greek New Testament. Whether describing space, time, or relationship, it consistently frames a contrast or connection “between” two realities. This small word therefore becomes a lens through which the Spirit highlights reconciliation, separation, protection, mission, unity, and conscience.

Reconciliation and Private Correction (Matthew 18:15)

“If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.”

Here the sphere “between you and him alone” establishes a protected environment for repentance and restoration before any public exposure. The verse models the Lord’s heart for discreet, relational healing, urging believers today to guard one another’s dignity while pursuing holiness.

Innocent Blood and Prophetic Indictment (Matthew 23:35; Luke 11:51)

The Lord indicts religious leaders for the murder of God’s messengers, “whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.” Shedding righteous blood within the holiest precincts exposes hypocrisy and invites divine judgment. The spatial “between” intensifies guilt: sacred ground cannot shield wicked hearts. Modern readers are warned that outward religiosity offers no refuge from God’s penetrating gaze.

The Great Chasm and Eternal Separation (Luke 16:26)

“A great chasm has been fixed between us and you.”

In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the word marks an unbridgeable gulf fixed after death. The picture underscores the finality of post-mortem destiny and magnifies the urgency of faith and repentance in this life.

Physical Need and Spiritual Nourishment (John 4:31)

“Meanwhile the disciples urged Him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’”

While the disciples think in terms of food, Jesus is sustained by doing the Father’s will. The temporal “meanwhile” contrasts earthly concerns with heavenly mission, reminding servants of Christ that spiritual priorities must govern physical routines.

Angelic Deliverance Amid Impossibility (Acts 12:6)

“Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance.”

Metaxu highlights Peter’s total confinement—guards on both sides—yet the Lord sends an angel to lead him out untouched. The verse strengthens faith that no human barrier “between” saint and freedom can thwart God’s purpose.

Hunger for the Word and Ongoing Witness (Acts 13:42)

“As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people urged them to continue this message on the next Sabbath.”

Literally “between the Sabbaths,” the phrase records the crowd’s desire that the gospel echo throughout the intervening week and resume publicly the next Sabbath. Missionally, it affirms that proclamation should permeate every interval of life, not be confined to set worship hours.

No Distinction in Cleansing (Acts 15:9)

“He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith.”

At the Jerusalem council metaxu declares the removal of every barrier between Jewish and Gentile believers. Salvation in Christ erases ethnic privilege, forming one purified people. The church is therefore urged to protect this gospel unity against any re-erected walls.

Conscience and the Internal Courtroom (Romans 2:15)

“Their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts either accusing or defending them on that day.”

Inside every human heart a dialogue takes place “between themselves”—thoughts prosecuting or defending conduct. The verse highlights God’s universal moral standard and prepares the ground for the gospel, which alone silences condemnation through justification in Christ.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Justice: Murder “between the temple and the altar” and the eternal chasm stress God’s righteous judgments.
2. Mediation and Reconciliation: Private confrontation, unity of Jews and Gentiles, and the conscience’s inner debate all presuppose a need for a mediator—fulfilled ultimately in Jesus Christ, the one who stands “between God and mankind” (compare 1 Timothy 2:5).
3. Mission in the Meantime: From the disciples’ “meanwhile” to the crowd’s period “between the Sabbaths,” every interval is an opportunity for gospel advance.
4. Protection and Deliverance: Peter’s chains and guards cannot nullify the Lord’s saving power.

Ministry Applications

• Practice Matthew 18 by preserving confidentiality “between” parties to promote genuine repentance.
• Guard the sanctity of worship: hypocrisy between altar and congregation invites judgment.
• Preach the urgency of salvation before the great chasm becomes fixed.
• Encourage believers to view every “meanwhile” as mission time.
• Celebrate and maintain the unity purchased at Acts 15; any distinction restored by human tradition must be dismantled.
• Teach believers to heed the conscience’s witness, bringing every accusation or defense under the authority of the cross.

Christological Focus

Jesus Himself embodies metaxu—He is the mediator who entered the space between holy God and sinful humanity, bridged the chasm through His cross and resurrection, and now stands as High Priest “between” heaven and earth, securing eternal redemption for all who believe.

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