ὡσπερεί (hōsperei)
hōsperei
just as if
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adverb hōsperei means "just as if" or "as it were." It introduces a comparison that is illustrative rather than literal, signaling that the writer is using an analogy to clarify a point. In the New Testament, this word appears only once, in First Corinthians 15:8.
Paul uses it to describe his own encounter with the risen Jesus, saying he appeared "as to one untimely born." The term suggests that Paul’s experience was real but unusual, much like a birth that occurred outside the normal course of events. It helps readers understand the exceptional nature of the apostle’s calling without diminishing its reality.
By choosing this specific word, Paul acknowledges the strangeness of his situation while affirming its truth. The phrase allows him to bridge the gap between ordinary human experience and divine intervention, showing that God can work in ways that defy standard expectations. This subtle distinction adds depth to the narrative of apostolic authority.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word hōsperei appears only once in the New Testament, found in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. He uses it to describe his encounter with the risen Jesus as happening "just as if" he were an untimely born child. This phrasing acknowledges that his experience was unusual and unexpected, yet it affirms the reality of what he saw. It is a reminder that God’s work often defies our standard expectations.
For your faith, this offers comfort in seasons of feeling out of place or behind schedule. Your path may not follow the usual timeline, but that does not make your experience any less valid. God meets people in unique ways, and your story is part of His larger narrative. You are seen and known, even when your journey feels different from others.
This single word bridges the gap between the ordinary and the divine. It invites us to trust that God’s timing and methods are not bound by human norms. Whether you feel late or early, your encounter with Christ is real and significant. Rest in the knowledge that His grace meets you exactly where you are.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- as1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ὡσπερεὶ1×
Key Verses
-
I Corinthians 15:8
and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.
Paul uses this term to qualify his appearance of Jesus as an unusual event, comparing it to a birth that occurred outside the normal course.