μᾶλλον

μάλα

adv., [in LXX for אֲבָל, 3Ki 1,43, Dan LXX 10:21, al.; compar. for מ, 4 Mos 13,32 (31), al.; μᾶλλον ἠ (מ), 1 Mos 19,9, al.; superlat., 2Ma 8,7, 4Ma 4,22; 12,9; 15,4 ;]

I. Pos., very, very much, exceedingly (cl.; LXX ut supr.; in NT its place is taken by λίαν, σφόδρα, etc.).

II. Compar., μᾶλλον.

1. Of increase, more; with qualifying words: πολλῷ, Mark 10,48, Luk 18,39, Rom 5,15, 17, Fil 2,12, al.; πόσῳ, Luk 12,24, Rom 11,12, al.; τοσούτῳ . . . ὅσῳ, Hebr 10,25,

2. Of comparison, the more: Luk 5,15, Joh 5,18, ApG 5,14, 1 Thess 4,1, 10, 2 Pet 1,10; ἔτι μ. καὶ μ., Fil 1,9 with compar., Mark 7,36, 2 Kor 7,13; πολλῴ μ. κρεῖσον, Fil 1,23 μ. διαφέρειν, with genitive, Matt 6,26 μ. ἤ, Matt 18,13 with genitive, 1 Kor 14,18 as periphr. for compar., ApG 20,35, 1 Kor 9,15, Gal 4,27; μ. δέ (EV, yea rather), Rom 8,34,

3. Of preference, rather, the rather, sooner: with qualifying words, πολλῷ, Matt 6,30, al.; πολύ, Hebr 12,25 πόσῳ, Matt 7,11, al.; in a question, οὐ μ., 1 Kor 9,12 after a neg., Matt 10,6, al.; θέλω (εὐδοκῶ) μ., 1 Kor 14,5, 2 Kor 5,8; ζηλῶ, 1 Kor 14,1 with subst., τ. σκότος ἢ τ. φῶς, Joh 3,19 μ. δέ, Gal 4,9,

III. Superl., μάλιστα

, most, most of all, above all: ApG 20,38; 25,26, Gal 6,10, Fil 4,22, 1 Tim 4,10; 5,8, 17, 2 Tim 4,13, Tit 1,10, Phm 16, 2 Pet 2,10; μ. γνώστης, ApG 26,3