Original Word: ὅτου
Part of Speech: Relative Pronoun
Transliteration: hotou
Pronunciation: ho'-too
Phonetic Spelling: (hot'-oo)
KJV: whiles
Word Origin: [for the genitive case of G3748 (ὅστις - who) (as adverb)]

1. during which same time, i.e. whilst

while

For the genitive case of hostis (as adverb); during which same time, i.e. Whilst -- whiles.

see GREEK hostis

Word Origin
gen. of hostis,, q.v.

STRONGS NT 3755: ὅτου

ὅτου, see ὅστις at the beginning

Overview

Strong’s Greek 3755, ὅτου, appears only five times in the Greek New Testament, always inside the time-marker phrase ἕως ὅτου, “until (the moment when).” The construction pinpoints a boundary that separates present experience from an anticipated divine outcome. It therefore carries weight far beyond a bare temporal adverb, pressing readers to reckon with God-ordained intervals, appointed fulfillments, and the moral responsibility that belongs to every waiting period.

Grammatical Function

• Combination: ἕως (“as far as, until”) + the genitive relative ὅτου (“of which” = “when”)
• Role: Marks a limit or goal toward which the action of the main verb moves.

Because ὅτου is genitive, the phrase underscores duration right up to a specific event. Greek writers commonly used ἕως alone, but the addition of ὅτου sharpens the sense of a divinely fixed point.

Old Testament and Septuagint Background

Hebrew narrative regularly employs עַד אֲשֶׁר (ʿad ʾasher, “until that, until when”). The Septuagint renders this with ἕως οὗ or ἕως ὅτου, laying the linguistic groundwork for the New Testament writers. In prophetic passages the phrase highlights covenant deadlines: “until the indignation passes” (Isaiah 10:25), “until He establish justice in the earth” (Isaiah 42:4 LXX). Thus, when the Evangelists employ ἕως ὅτου they are echoing a prophetic cadence of waiting for promised fulfillment.

Occurrences in the New Testament

1. Matthew 5:25 – Ethical urgency

“Reconcile quickly with your adversary, while you are still on the way with him”. Ἕως ὅτου compresses the interval to one narrow opportunity—before the courtroom, discipline, and debt-prison fall. Jesus turns a legal proverb into a kingdom summons: deal with sin now, before you reach the divine bar of justice.

2. Luke 12:50 – Cost of redemption

“I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!”. The phrase voices the Savior’s inner pressure. The timeline closes only at the cross; everything prior bends toward that hour.

3. Luke 13:8 – Delayed judgment and grace

“Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone again this year, until I dig around it and fertilize it.’” The vineyard keeper pleads for a grace-period. Ἕως ὅτου frames divine longsuffering, not indifference. The fig tree is spared, but only to a divinely fixed cutoff.

4. Luke 22:16 – Kingdom consummation

“For I tell you that I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” The Last Supper meal opens an eschatological fast. The definitive Passover lies ahead, sealing both present sorrow and future hope inside the same time clause.

5. John 9:18 – Evidential verification

“The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they summoned the man’s parents.” Human disbelief persists to a threshold at which evidence is formally confirmed. Even here ἕως ὅτου governs the transition from skepticism to accountable knowledge.

Thematic Emphases

• Divine Timetables—Every occurrence links human action to a moment God has fixed.
• Urgency and Responsibility—Because the endpoint is certain, present decisions gain intensified significance.
• Hope and Assurance—The clause guarantees that God’s purposes will indeed “be accomplished,” “be fulfilled,” “bear fruit,” or “be verified.”
• Christocentric Fulfillment—Two of the five texts (Luke 12:50; Luke 22:16) locate the boundary in the crucifixion-resurrection-kingdom nexus, centering history on Jesus Messiah.

Practical Ministry Applications

Discipleship. Teach believers to view repentance, reconciliation, and obedience against the reality of coming divine appointments (Matthew 5:25).

Pastoral Care. Encourage patience and intercession for seemingly fruitless lives (Luke 13:8). God-given grace periods invite vigorous cultivation, not passivity.

Preaching the Cross. Stress the Savior’s holy compulsion (Luke 12:50) that leads straight to Calvary, underscoring both His voluntary sacrifice and the prophetic certainty behind it.

Eschatology and Communion. When administering the Lord’s Supper, highlight Luke 22:16: every table anticipates the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Apologetics. Point to John 9:18 as a model for sound investigation. Honest examination of evidence leads to acknowledgment of Christ’s works.

Devotional Reflection

Ἕως ὅτου is a quiet phrase, yet it rings with the authority of the One who “has fixed a day” (Acts 17:31). For every believer it invites humble vigilance: live reconciled, labor fruitfully, wait expectantly, and rest assured that the appointed “until” will arrive right on schedule.

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