b. in questions, then, therefore (Latinigitur); α. when the question is, what follows or seems to follow from what has been said: Matthew 22:28; Matthew 27:22 (Winer's Grammar, 455 (424)); Mark 15:12; Luke 3:10; Luke 20:15, 33; John 8:5; τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν; Romans 6:1; Romans 7:7; Romans 9:14; τί οὖν φημί; 1 Corinthians 10:19; τί οὖν; what then? i. e. how then does the matter stand? (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 64, 2 a.), John 1:21 (here WH marginal reading punct. τί οὖν σύ;) Romans 3:9; Romans 6:15; Romans 11:7; also τί οὖν ἐστιν; (what is it then?) Acts 21:22; 1 Corinthians 14:15, 26. β. when it is asked, whether this or that follows from what has just been said: Matthew 13:28; Luke 22:70; John 18:39; Romans 3:31; Galatians 3:21. γ. when it is asked, how something which is true or regarded as true, or what someone does, can be reconciled with what has been previously said or done: Matthew 12:26; Matthew 13:27; Matthew 17:10 (where the thought is, 'thou commandest us to tell no one about this vision we have had of Elijah; what relation then to this vision has the doctrine of the scribes concerning the coming of Elijah? Is not this doctrine confirmed by the vision?'); Matthew 19:7; Matthew 26:54; Luke 20:17; John 4:11 (Tdf. omits οὖν); Acts 15:10 (νῦν οὖν, now therefore, i. e. at this time, therefore, when God makes known his will so plainly); Acts 19:3; Romans 4:1 (where the meaning is, 'If everything depends on faith, what shall we say that Abraham gained by outward things, i. e. by works?' (but note the critical texts)); 1 Corinthians 6:15; Galatians 3:5. δ. in general, it serves simply to subjoin questions suggested by what has just been said: Romans 3:27; Romans 4:9f.; ; 1 Corinthians 3:5, etc.

c. in epanalepsis, i. e. it serves to resume a thought or narrative interrupted by intervening matter (Matthiae, 2, p. 1497; (Winers Grammar, 444 (414))), like Latinigitur,inquam, our as was said, say I, to proceed, etc.; Mark 3:31 (R G) (cf. Mark 3:21); Luke 3:7 (cf. Luke 3:3); John 4:45 (cf. John 4:43); (cf. ); 1 Corinthians 8:4; 1 Corinthians 11:20 (cf. John 11:18); add, Mark 16:19 (Tr marginal reading brackets οὖν); Acts 8:25; Acts 12:5; Acts 13:4; Acts 15:3, 30; Acts 23:31; Acts 25:1; Acts 28:5. It is used also when one passes at length to a subject about which he had previously intimated an intention to speak: Acts 26:4, 9.

d. it serves to gather up summarily what has already been said, or even what cannot be narrated at length: Matthew 1:17; Matthew 7:24 (where no reference is made to what has just before been said (?), but all the moral precepts of the Serm. on the Mount are summed up in a single rule common to all); Luke 3:18; John 20:30; Acts 26:22.

e. it serves to adapt examples and comparisons to the case in hand: John 3:29; John 16:22; — or to add examples to illustrate the subject under consideration: Romans 12:20 Rec. f. In historical discourse it serves to make the transition from one tiring to another, and to connect the several parts and portions of the narrative, since the new occurrences spring from or are occasioned by what precedes (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 60, 3): Luke 6:9 R G; numberless times so in John, as (Lachmann omits); (Tdf. omits); (G T omit), ; , etc.

g. with other conjunction οὖν, so then, Latinhincigitur, in Paul; see ἄρα, 5. εἰ οὖν, if then (where what has just been said and proved is carried over to prove something else), see εἰ, III. 12; (εἰ μέν οὖν, see μέν, II. 4, p. 398{b}). εἴτε οὖν ... εἴτε, whether then ... or: 1 Corinthians 10:31; 1 Corinthians 15:11. ἐπεί οὖν, since then: Hebrews 2:14; Hebrews 4:6; for which also a participle is put with οὖν, as Acts 2:30; Acts 15:2 (T Tr WH δέ); ; Romans 5:1; Romans 15:28; 2 Corinthians 3:12; 2 Corinthians 5:11; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Hebrews 4:14; Hebrews 10:19; 1 Peter 4:1; 2 Peter 3:11 (WH Tr marginal reading οὕτως). ἐάν οὖν, if then ever, in case then, or rather, therefore if, therefore in case (for in this formula, οὖν, although placed in the protasis, yet belongs more to the apodosis, since it shows what will necessarily follow from what precedes if the condition introduced by ἐάν shall ever take place): Matthew 5:23 (cf. Winer's Grammar, 455 (424)); (here Tdf. omits οὖν); ; Luke 4:7; John 6:62; John 8:36; Romans 2:26; 1 Corinthians 14:11, 23; 2 Timothy 2:21; ἐάν οὖν μή, Revelation 3:3; so also ὅταν οὖν, when therefore: Matthew 6:2; Matthew 21:40; Matthew 24:15, and R G in Luke 11:34. ὅτε οὖν, when (or after) therefore, so when: John 13:12, 31 ((30) Rec.bez elz L T Tr WH); ; equivalent to hence, it came to pass that, when etc., John 2:22; John 19:6, 8. ὡς οὖν, when (or after) therefore: John 4:1, 40; John 11:6; John 18:6; John 20:11; John 21:9; ὡς οὖν, as therefore, Colossians 2:6. ὥσπερ οὖν, Matthew 13:40. μέν οὖν, followed by δέ (cf. Buttmann, § 149, 16), Mark 16:19 (Tr marginal reading brackets οὖν); John 19:25; Acts 1:6; Acts 8:4, 25; 1 Corinthians 9:25, etc.; without an adversative conjunc. following, see μέν, II. 4. νῦν οὖν, see above under a., and b. γ. h. As to position, it is never the first word in the sentence, but generally the second, sometimes the third (sometimes even the fourth, Winer's Grammar, § 61, 6); as (περί τῆς βρώσεως οὖν etc. 1 Corinthians 8:4); οἱ μέν οὖν, Acts 2:41, and often; πολλά μέν οὖν, John 20:30. John uses this particle in his Gospel far more frequently ((more than two hundred times in all)) than the other N. T. writers; in his Epistles only in the following passages: 1 John 2:24 (where G L T Tr WH have expunged it); Lachmann; 3 John 1:8. ((From Homer down.))

Strong’s 3767 marks consequence, transition, and logical inference throughout the Greek New Testament. Whether translated “therefore,” “then,” “so,” or “accordingly,” it signals that what follows flows inevitably from what precedes. Scripture thus weaves doctrine and narrative into life-shaping application, and the particle itself becomes a Spirit-inspired cue: stop, connect, and respond.

Usage in the Gospels

1. Deductive exhortation: Jesus moves from principle to practice. After defining kingdom righteousness He concludes, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).
2. Narrative turning points: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) links the Resurrection authority of verse 18 with the ongoing mission of the Church.
3. Logical confrontations: In disputes (John 8:24, 28), οὖν presses the crowds to draw conclusions about His identity: “Therefore I told you that you will die in your sins.”
4. Pastoral reassurance: “Do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:31). The particle grounds comfort in prior argument (God’s care).

Usage in Acts

1. Apostolic proclamation: Peter climaxes Pentecost preaching—“Therefore let all Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36).
2. Missional strategy: “So then, those who were scattered preached the word” (Acts 8:4) links persecution with expansion, demonstrating God’s sovereign redirection.
3. Judicial reasoning: Paul before Agrippa—“And now I stand here and testify to small and great alike” (Acts 26:22), where οὖν gathers his life account into a present defense.

Usage in the Epistles

1. Doctrinal summation to practical duty. Romans hinges on it: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1) ties eleven chapters of gospel exposition to daily worship.
2. Covenant identity: “So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners” (Ephesians 2:19) celebrates the unifying work of Christ.
3. Ethical imperatives: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion” (Colossians 3:12).
4. Eschatological vigilance: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:6, 11).

Inferential Force and Theological Reasoning

οὖν moves arguments from:
• Indicative to imperative (what God has done → how believers must live).
• Observation to interpretation (miracles → messiahship).
• Type to fulfillment (Old Covenant symbols → New Covenant realities).

Its consistent presence underscores Scripture’s internal coherence; revelation is never abstract but purpose-driven.

Transitional Function in Redemptive History

From John’s “In the beginning” to Revelation’s exhortations, the particle marches the storyline forward. It binds prophecy to fulfillment (Matthew 1:17), law to gospel (Galatians 5:1), suffering to glory (1 Peter 4:1), and present obedience to future hope (Hebrews 10:19-23).

Rhetorical and Liturgical Significance

Early church readers heard οὖν in public lection: a signal to prepare for application or climactic praise (Hebrews 13:15). Homiletically it invites worshippers today to ask, “Since these things are true, what must we believe and do?”

Historical-Linguistic Notes

• Common in classical and Koine Greek, the particle retained flexibility while gaining sharper inferential use in Jewish-Christian writings.
• Septuagint use is sparse, so the New Testament frequency reflects deliberate apostolic style aimed at persuasive proclamation.
• Papyrus letters of the era employ οὖν for logical flow, confirming its everyday intelligibility to first-century congregations.

Guidelines for Preaching and Teaching

1. Trace the argument: identify the grounds that precede the particle.
2. Highlight divine initiative: most New Testament uses turn God’s completed work into human responsibility.
3. Preserve the connective in translation and exposition; it protects the text’s logic.
4. Apply concretely; οὖν demands response, not mere acknowledgment.

Selected Key References

Matthew 6:31-34; Matthew 7:12; John 3:25-30; John 11:45-53; Acts 17:29-30; Romans 5:1-9; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 6:10; Philippians 2:1; Hebrews 4:14-16; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:6; Revelation 3:19.

The Spirit-breathed particle quietly but firmly locks revelation and responsibility together. Wherever οὖν appears, a divine conclusion awaits human faith and obedience.