In English, a double negative flips a sentence on its head. To say that something was “not without its challenges” is just a confusing way of saying, “there were some challenges.” If an effort “didn’t go unnoticed,” it just means that someone was paying attention. And if you ever happen to be on trial before a jury of English majors, remember that insisting that you “didn’t do nothing wrong” is technically an admission of guilt.
The Greek language works a little differently. In Biblical Greek, a double negative doesn’t reverse the meaning of a sentence; it emphasizes it. In Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, Daniel Wallace explains that a double negative, constructed using the Greek phrase οὐ μή, “is the strongest way to negate something in Greek” because it “rules out even the idea as being a possibility” (p. 468). The word μή roughly translates to “not now,” while the word οὐ sends a clear message of “not ever.” Together, rather than a simple “not,” these negations rule out both the present and the future, conveying the sense of “not at all—not now, not ever.” To use such a phrase is to affirm that the idea in question is beyond unlikely—it is absolutely impossible.
You’ll find examples of the phrase in Matthew 24:35, where Christ tells us that “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means [οὐ μή] pass away” and John 4:14, where He promises that “whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never [οὐ μή] thirst.” Here are a couple others:
- “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not [οὐ μή] fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).
- “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not [οὐ μή] impute sin” (Romans 4:8).
- “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never [οὐ μή] perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:28).
Each of these verses includes a powerful, emphatic negation in the original Greek that our English translations aren’t quite able to convey. Paul didn’t just say that we should walk in the Spirit and avoid the lusts of the flesh; he was saying that truly walking in the Spirit makes it impossible, absolutely impossible, to fulfill those lusts. And when he quotes David concerning forgiveness, he isn’t saying that it’s nice when God doesn’t charge us with sin; he’s confirming that, when God forgives us of something, He will never change His mind and demand payment—not now, not ever. And Christ wasn’t just saying that eternal life means not perishing; He was promising that the eternal life He has in store for us will make perishing impossible. Not an option.
Understanding the Greek double negative adds so much more to these verses, but my favorite example—hands down, no contest—shows up in the book of Hebrews. Concerning Jesus, the author writes, “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you'” (Hebrews 13:5). Even in English, that’s a powerful statement—but it’s not until we dig into the Greek that we begin to understand the incredible strength of this verse. An interlinear translation reveals not one but two double negatives (with one other negation thrown in for good measure). Christ promises to both never [οὐ μή] leave us and to never [οὐ μή] forsake us. Both of those “never”s are hammered with the full force of the double negatives. These are beyond mere negations; they are unshakable oaths from the mouth of God Himself.
It’s as if the universe’s Creator—our Savior and older Brother—is looking us in the eye and promising, “I’m not going anywhere. Not now, not ever. Come what may, whether tribulation or persecution, I will not leave your side. The very thought is impossible, and nothing can ever change that.”
With a promise like that, it’s no wonder that Paul wrote, “I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). No question. No chance. Nothing—absolutely nothing, not now, not ever, not things present nor things to come—nothing can separate us from the love of God.
And how could it? For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Not now, not ever.
This one gave me goosebumps! I LOVE when the original language is explored because language in general fascinates me, and when it’s combined with Biblical understanding it makes reading so much more interesting.
It’s amazing how much is lost in the English language. Thanks for bringing something else really awesome, to light!
🙂 I’m right there with you! Did you know that the Hebrew word for bottle, bakbuk, exists because it’s the sound liquid makes when it’s being poured out of one too quickly?
Bakbuk bakbuk bakbuk…
It cracks me up every time. I don’t know why.
Hahaha! That’s fantastic. Language is so awesome.
Great post and shows the value of using such devices to bring out the true meaning of GODS Word. These verses
are very comforting
I think so, too! Glad to hear that came across in this post 🙂
Jeremy, not now, not ever, have I ever heard such a great post as this one. The best yet. Thanks for delivering to us the encouragement every time. You have great talent given to you from the inspiration of God’s spirit 🙂
Happy Sabbath!
Thank you! Not now, not ever have I had such a creative comment on one of my posts 😉 I really appreciate your kind words—it’s always so humbling and encouraging to hear feedback like yours!
Beyond the amazing spiritual meaning (wow!! Thx!), it could be fun & useful to work “ou-un” into everyday conversation…as in, “No, Sir, dear son! Your wet swim trunks should never-ou-un be left on the carpet!” This is a hypothetical situation, of course…ha! 😉
Haha! A little Greek never hurt anyone! 😉
Thank Thank you so much for the encouragement.
funny then how we have such compelling words but such a big lukewarm system of delivery. wasn’t that way to start. interesting insight into Greek though. Miss conversations with friends so I read for comments. Somties comments are the best parts.
Can you imagine the clarity when we are given a “new language” in His Kingdom?! Wow!! Thanks for showing us the intended emphasis! Super encouraging!
This is beautiful! Thank you. This was exactly the encouragement I needed after a long, pre-Feast week. Reviewing God’s promises to us always brings such hope and encouragement. This one especially, though, when He promises to never leave us or forsake us has taken on an entirely new meaning as a mother, as I see my little girl always checking to make sure I haven’t left her just as we stop in the middle of a moment (hard or otherwise) and look for God’s presence. Knowing how I would never think to leave her alone (at this age) reminds me constantly of this truth that God would never leave us alone either.
Thank your Jeremy, Shabbat Shalom and thank you for sharing this emphatic truth.
This blog gave me joy & encouragement! All the comments did as well and the Hebrew word for bottle made me laugh! Thank you Jeremy!
Thank you so much Jeremy for such a wonderful and encouraging message.
Vinaka