What does πάλιν (pálin) mean in the Bible?
G3825 means again, once more, or back, and John uses it to mark repeated speech, return, renewed action, and recurring conflict. The word is common, but it helps readers track the Gospel's rhythm.
Greek · G3825
πάλιν
Again
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πάλιν G3825
Pronunciation pálin
What does πάλιν (pálin) mean in the Bible?
G3825 means again, once more, or back, and John uses it to mark repeated speech, return, renewed action, and recurring conflict. The word is common, but it helps readers track the Gospel's rhythm.
Reader summary
Full entry for πάλιν (G3825) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G3825?
The BSB source-word alignment has 141 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include Again (73), . . . (19), Once again (10), back (9), vvv (9).
Where does πάλιν (pálin) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 4:7. Its strongest book concentrations include John (45), Mark (28), Matthew (17), Hebrews (10).
What This Word Actually Means
G3825 means again, once more, or back, and John uses it to mark repeated speech, return, renewed action, and recurring conflict. The word is common, but it helps readers track the Gospel's rhythm. John the Baptist is standing again with disciples. Jesus speaks again to the crowd as the light of the world. Opponents again misunderstand, question, seize, or resist.
Most weightily, Jesus says He lays down His life in order to take it up again. The word does not create a doctrine of repetition by itself. Its value comes from what is being repeated, who repeats it, and how the scene reveals Jesus' patient witness, sovereign authority, or the persistence of unbelief.
How the Bible Uses It
G3825 follows repeated movement in John: witness appears again, thirst returns again, Jesus speaks again, conflict returns again, and Jesus promises to take up His life again.
- John.1.35
The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.
John is there again with two disciples, preparing the next witness movement toward Jesus. Repetition serves testimony.
- John.4.13
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again.
Jesus says ordinary water leaves a person thirsty again. The word helps contrast recurring earthly need with the living water He gives.
- John.8.12
Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Jesus speaks once again and identifies Himself as the light of the world. Repeated speech continues public revelation.
- John.10.17
The reason the Father loves Me is that I lay down My life in order to take it up again.
Jesus lays down His life in order to take it up again. Here again-language serves His authority over death and resurrection.
- John.10.18
No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from My Father.”
Jesus has authority to lay down His life and authority to take it up again. The repeated action belongs to His received charge from the Father.
- John.16.22
So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
Jesus tells the disciples that He will see them again and their hearts will rejoice. Repetition becomes resurrection comfort.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It Again 73× Matthew 4:8, Matthew 5:33, Matthew 13:45, Matthew 18:19
. . . 19× Mark 2:1, Mark 5:21, Mark 7:31, Mark 8:13
Once again 10× Matthew 13:47, Mark 3:1, Mark 3:20, Mark 7:14
back 9× Mark 10:10, Mark 15:13, John 10:40, John 11:7
vvv 9× Matthew 4:7, Matthew 26:42, John 4:54, John 8:2
- 5× Matthew 26:44, Mark 12:4, John 9:15, John 18:40
once more 5× Matthew 26:44, Mark 14:70, John 18:27, Romans 15:12
then 3× John 16:16, John 16:17, John 16:19
[does] 1× Luke 6:43
[later] 1× Galatians 1:17
[once] again 1× Hebrews 2:13
another 1× 2 Corinthians 2:1
I am again 1× Galatians 4:19
In turn 1× John 16:28
that returns you 1× Romans 8:15
Then again 1× 1 John 2:8
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 4:7 Πάλιν to vvv Adverb Matthew 4:8 Πάλιν to Again Adverb Matthew 5:33 Πάλιν to Again Adverb Matthew 13:45 Πάλιν to Again Adverb Matthew 13:47 Πάλιν to Once again Adverb Matthew 18:19 Πάλιν to Again Adverb Matthew 19:24 πάλιν to Again Adverb Matthew 20:5 Πάλιν to again Adverb Matthew 21:36 Πάλιν to Again Adverb Matthew 22:1 πάλιν to again Adverb
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 4:7
Aligned rows 141
Books represented 15
Matthew 17 Mark 28 Luke 3 John 45 Acts 5 Romans 5 1 Corinthians 3 2 Corinthians 8 Galatians 9 Philippians 3 Hebrews 10 James 1 2 Peter 1 1 John 1 Revelation 2
Source forms
πάλιν 124x palin Matthew 19:24, Matthew 22:1, Matthew 26:43, Matthew 26:44
Πάλιν 17x Palin Matthew 4:7, Matthew 4:8, Matthew 5:33, Matthew 13:45
Parsing patterns
Adverb 141x Matthew 4:7, Matthew 4:8, Matthew 5:33, Matthew 13:45
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- When John says something happens again, ask whether the scene shows renewed witness, recurring need, repeated resistance, or resurrection comfort.
- Let repeated words slow your reading, but let Jesus' full statement carry the doctrine.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that G3825 always signals spiritual renewal. Some repeated actions expose unbelief or opposition.
- Do not claim that repetition itself proves importance unless the passage shows why John repeats the action.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Temporal repetition or rhetorical continuation; distinguishes literal recurrence from logical progression in argument.
Strong's G3825
Lexical occurrences 139 verses Greek text appearances 142 times 16 shown below Word forms 1 form 139 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Luke 13:20 Source Gloss
again
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 142 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 4:7 Adverb
Πάλιν palin
again, further, on the other hand
Read verse Matthew 4:8 Adverb
πάλιν palin
again, further, on the other hand
Read verse Matthew 5:33 Adverb
Πάλιν palin
again, further, on the other hand
Read verse Matthew 13:44 Adverb
Πάλιν palin
again, further, on the other hand
Read verse Matthew 13:45 Adverb
Πάλιν palin
again, further, on the other hand
Read verse Matthew 13:47 Adverb
Πάλιν palin
again, further, on the other hand
Read verse Matthew 18:19 Adverb
πάλιν palin
again, further, on the other hand
Read verse Matthew 19:24 Adverb
πάλιν palin
again, further, on the other hand
Read verse Matthew 20:5 Adverb
πάλιν palin
again, further, on the other hand
Read verse Matthew 21:36 Adverb
πάλιν palin
again, further, on the other hand
Read verse Matthew 22:1 Adverb
πάλιν palin
again, further, on the other hand
Read verse Matthew 22:4 Adverb
πάλιν palin
again, further, on the other hand
Read verse Matthew 26:42 Adverb
πάλιν palin
again, further, on the other hand
Read verse Matthew 26:43 Adverb
πάλιν palin
again, further, on the other hand
Read verse Matthew 26:44 Adverb
πάλιν palin
again, further, on the other hand
Read verse Matthew 26:72 Adverb
πάλιν palin
again, further, on the other hand
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 1 case and number pattern. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns 1 Aligned forms 139
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Matt 4:7 · Matt 4:8 · Matt 5:33 · Matt 13:45 · Matt 13:47 · Matt 18:19 · Matt 19:24 · Matt 20:5 · Matt 21:36 · Matt 22:1 · Matt 22:4 · Matt 26:42 · Matt 26:43 · Matt 26:44 · Matt 26:72 · Matt 27:50 139×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Rhetorical usage marking progression, further, moreover in discourse
Showing 1 selected witness from 139 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
πάλιν is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
G3825 matters because John often advances the Gospel through recurrence. Witness repeats as John points disciples toward Jesus. Human thirst repeats until Jesus gives living water. Public teaching resumes as Jesus again speaks light into darkness. Opposition also repeats, showing that more exposure to truth does not automatically soften unbelief. Then John 10 gives the word its strongest theological setting: Jesus lays down His life and takes it up again by authority from the Father.
Later, the disciples' sorrow will turn because Jesus will see them again. The word therefore helps teachers trace repetition with care. Some repetition exposes need, some hardens resistance, some renews witness, and some announces resurrection authority and joy.
Anchor passage
John.10.17
Doctrinal connections
- G3140 Witness: repeated scenes of testimony move attention toward Jesus.
- G5204 Water: John 4 contrasts thirst again with the living water Jesus gives.
- G5457 Light: Jesus speaks again as the light of the world, renewing public revelation.
- G2222 Life: John 10 connects taking life up again with Jesus' authority over death.
- G3962 Father: Jesus' authority to take up His life again is received from the Father.
- G5479 Joy: John 16 promises joy when Jesus sees the disciples again.
G3825 is an adverb for repetition or return. It can mean again, once more, back, or in turn. In John, read it as a sequence marker whose significance depends on the action repeated.
From Old to New Testament
Scripture often shows repeated witness, repeated resistance, and renewed mercy. John gathers those patterns around Jesus, especially where His death and resurrection turn again-language into authority and comfort.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain