Bible Lexicons

ὄπισθεν,

in Ion. (Hdt. 4.72, al., SIG 46.65 (Halic., v B. C.), etc.) and late Att. (Luc. Am. 16, etc.) ὄπισθε before a conson., as also in Poets, E. Cyc. 545, IT 1333: poet. also ὄπῐθεν Il. 6.181, al., Pi. O. 10(11).35, A. Pers. 1001 (lyr.): —

Adv.:

I

1. of Place, behind, at the back, opp. πρόσθε, Il. 5.595; πρόσθε λέων ὄπιθεν δὲ δράκων μέσση δὲ χίμαιρα 6.181; ὄπισθεν καταλιπεῖν Od. 10.209; μένειν Il. 9.332, etc.; πέμψει οὖρον ὄ. Od. 15.34; ὄπιθεν κομόωντες with long back -hair, Il. 2.542; ὄπιθεν κομόωσαι ἔθειραι IG 12(9).1179.9 (Euboea); ὄ. ἕπεσθαι, ἀκολουθεῖν, A. l. c., etc.; οἱ ὄπιθεν those who are left behind, e.g. at home, Od. 11.66; but also, those who are in the rear, X. Cyr. 2.2.8; εἰ τοὺς ὄ. ἐς τὸ πρόσθεν ἄξομεν shall bring the rear ranks to the front (metaph.), S. Aj. 1249; αἱ ὄ. ἁψῖδες the hinder fellies, Hdt. 4.72; τὰ ὄ. the hinder parts, rear, back, Il. 11.613; οἱ ὄ. ἁρμοί IG 12.372.117; εἰς τοὔπισθεν back, backwards, E. Ph. 1410, Pl. Sph. 261b, etc.; εἰς τ. τοξεύειν, i. e. 'versis sagittis', like the Parthians, X. An. 3.3.10: opp. ἐκ τοὔπισθεν Ar. Ec. 482, cf. Th. 7.79, X. An. 4.1.6; ἐν τῷ ὄ. Pl. R. 614c, X. Cyn. 9.8, etc.; ὄ. ποιήσασθαι τὸν ποταμόν place the river in his rear, Id. An. 1.10.9.

2. Pr c. gen., behind, στῆ δ' ὄπιθεν δίφροιο Il. 17.468; ὄπισθε μάχης 13.536; ὄπισθε τῆς θύρης Hdt. 1.9; ἔμπροσθέ τε Θερμοπυλέων καὶ ὄ. Id. 7.176; ὄ. ἐμοῦ.. εἰσῄει Pl. Smp. 175a, etc.: sts. after its case, δίφρου ὄπισθεν Il. 24.15; ἴμεν φάμας ὄπισθεν follow the voice, Pi. O. 6.63; γνώμης πατρῴας πάντ' ὄ. ἑστάναι S. Ant. 640; also τούτοισι δ' ὄ. ἴτω Cratin. 30; πνοιαῖς ὄπιθεν Βορέα Pi. O. 3.31 (s. v.l.).

II

1. of Time, after, in future, hereafter, Il. 4.362, Od. 2.270, 18.168, etc.; either of a thing absolutely future, or of one which follows something else, opp. αὐτίκα, Il. 9.519; ὄπιθεν οὐ πολλόν Pi. O. 10(11).35; πολλοῖς μησὶν ὄ. Theoc. 22.8; cf. ὀπίσω 11.1.

2. ἐν τοῖσι ὄ. λόγοισι in the books yet to come, in the following books, Hdt. 5.22, 7.213; cf. ὀπίσω 11.2: but, in Gramm., of what has gone before, Sch. Od. 3.366, Hsch. s.v. Ἴωνες, Sch. Ar. Ra. 1488; ὁ ὄπιθεν χρόνος the earlier time, PMasp. 158.22 (vi A. D.): — for Comp. ὀπίστερος, Sup. ὀπίστατος, v. sub vocc. (Prob. from Οπις 'back', contained in ἀνόπιν, κατόπιν, μετόπιν, ὀπίσω.)

ὄπισθεν (see ὀπίσω), adverb of place, from behind, on the back, behind, after: Matthew 9:20; Mark 5:21; Luke 8:44; Revelation 4:6; Revelation 5:1 (on which see γράφω, 3). As a preposition it is joined with the genitive (like ἔμπροσθεν, ἔξωθεν, etc. (Winers Grammar, § 54, 6; Buttmann, § 146, 1)): Matthew 15:23; Luke 23:26; (Revelation 1:10 WH marginal reading). (From Homer down; the Sept. for אַחֲרֵי, sometimes for אָחור.)

ὄπισθεν ,

adv. of place,

[in LXX chiefly for H268, H310;]

behind, after: Matthew 9:20, Mark 5:27, Luke 8:44, Revelation 4:6; Revelation 5:1. As prep. c. gen.: Matthew 15:23, Luke 23:26, Revelation 1:10 (WH, mg.).†

In P Petr II. 4 (6).16 (B.C. 255–4) an official complains that on his way to work be had been hustled, and that, if care is not taken, he will be assaulted—δινὸν γάρ ἐστιν ἐν ὄχλωι ἀτιμάζεσθαι, ";for it is a dreadful thing to be insulted before a crowd"; (Ed.), and in ib. 45iii. 23 (B.C. 246) ἄλλος ὄχ [λος ἐστεφ ]ανωμένος is distinguished from various officials. A striking parallel to Mark 15:15 (noted by the editor) is afforded by P Flor I. 61.61 (A.D. 85) (= Chrest. II. p. 89), where the Egyptian Governor addresses a certain Phibion, who had been tried before him, in the words—ἄξιος μ [ὲ ]ν ἦς μαστιγωθῆναι. . . χαρίζομαι δέ σε τοῖς ὄχλοις, ";you deserved to be scourged, but I hand you over to the multitude."; [Note the use of ὄχλος in the plur., as frequently in Mt (e.g. 4.25), with apparently the same meaning as the sing.] A Gnostic charm of iii/iv A.D., P Oxy XII. 1478.4, contains the invocation—δὸς νείκην ὁλοκληρίαν σ <τ >ασίου καὶ ὄχλου τῷ προκειμένῳ Σαραπάμμωνι, ";grant victory and safety in the race-course and the crowd to the aforesaid Sarapammon"; (Edd.). We hear of συναγωγαὶ ὄχλων in OGIS 383.151 (mid. i/B.C.), and the sing. is used of a ";mass"; of soldiers in Syll 318 (= .3700).23 (B.C. 117) συνεπελθόντος μετ᾽ αὐτῶν Τίπα τῶν Μαίδων δυνάστου μετ᾽ ὄχλ [ου π ]λείονος, cf. OGIS 544.19 (ii/A.D.) ἐν τῆι τῶν ὄχλων παρόδωι (with Dittenberger’s note).