μέν

μέν,

conjunctive particle (originally a form of μήν), usually related to a following δέ or other adversative conjunction, and distinguishing the word or clause with which it stands from that which follows.

It is generally untranslatable and is not nearly so frequent in NT as in cl. Like δέ, it never stands first in a clause.

1. Answered by δέ or some other particle: μὲν . . . δέ, indeed . . . but, Matt 3,11, Luk 3,16, al.; with pronouns, ὃς μὲν . . . ὃς δέ, one . . . another, Matt 21,35, al.; pl., Fil 1,16, 17; ὃ μὲν . . . ὃ δὲ . . . ὃ δέ, some . . . some . . . some, Matt 13,8 τοῦτο μὲν . . . τοῦτο δέ, partly . . . partly, Hebr 10,33 μὲν . . . ἔπειτα, Joh 11,6 μὲν . . . καί, Luk 8,5,

2. μέν solitarium, answered by no other particle: πρῶτον μέν (Bl., l.with), Rom 1,8; 3,2, 1 Kor 11,18; μὲν οὖν in narrative, summing up what precedes or introducing something further (Bl., §78, 5), so then, rather, nay rather: Luk 11,28 (WH, μενοῦν), ApG 1,6; 9,31, al.; μὲν οὖν γε (Fil 3,8, WH): see: μενοῦνγε.