3433. molis
Strong's Lexicon
molis: With difficulty, scarcely, hardly

Original Word: μόλις
Part of Speech: Adverb
Transliteration: molis
Pronunciation: MOH-lis
Phonetic Spelling: (mol'-is)
Definition: With difficulty, scarcely, hardly
Meaning: with difficulty, hardly, scarcely.

Word Origin: Derived from a root word meaning "with difficulty" or "hardly."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct Hebrew equivalent for "molis," the concept of difficulty or struggle can be found in Hebrew words like "קָשֶׁה" (qasheh), meaning "hard" or "difficult."

Usage: The adverb "molis" is used in the New Testament to convey the idea of something being achieved with great difficulty or effort. It often implies a sense of struggle or challenge in accomplishing a task or reaching a goal. The term suggests that the action or event is not easily attained and requires significant effort or perseverance.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, the concept of achieving something "with difficulty" was well understood, as many aspects of life, from travel to labor, required considerable effort. The use of "molis" in the New Testament reflects the challenges faced by early Christians in living out their faith amidst persecution and societal pressures. It underscores the reality that following Christ often involves trials and perseverance.

HELPS Word-studies

3433 mólis (from mogos, "toil) – properly, something happening with great difficulty, i.e. hardly ("scarcely").

3433 /mólis ("what barely happens") emphasizes the slight margin by which something comes to pass, i.e. because it is so difficult.

[3425 /mógis (from mogos, "laborious toil") focuses on the prolonged nature of a difficulty.]

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from molos (toil)
Definition
with difficulty
NASB Translation
difficulty (4), hardly (1), only with difficulty (1), scarcely (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3433: μόλις

μόλις (μολος toil); an adverb used by post-Homeric writings indiscriminately with μόγις;

a. with difficulty, hardly (cf. Wis. 9:16, where μετά πόνου corresponds to it in the parallel member): (Luke 9:39 Tr marginal reading WH (others μόγις, which see)); Acts 14:18; Acts 27:7f, 16; 1 Peter 4:18.

b. not easily, i. e. scarcely, very rarely: Romans 5:7.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
with difficulty

Probably by variation for mogis; with difficulty -- hardly, scarce(-ly), + with much work.

see GREEK mogis

Forms and Transliterations
μόγις μολις μόλις mogis mógis molis mólis
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Acts 14:18 Adv
GRK: ταῦτα λέγοντες μόλις κατέπαυσαν τοὺς
NAS: these things, with difficulty they restrained
KJV: sayings scarce restrained they
INT: these things saying hardly they stopped the

Acts 27:7 Adv
GRK: βραδυπλοοῦντες καὶ μόλις γενόμενοι κατὰ
NAS: days, and with difficulty had arrived
KJV: and scarce were come
INT: sailing slowly and difficultly having come over against

Acts 27:8 Adv
GRK: μόλις τε παραλεγόμενοι
NAS: and with difficulty sailing past
KJV: And, hardly passing it,
INT: with difficulty and coasting along

Acts 27:16 Adv
GRK: Καῦδα ἰσχύσαμεν μόλις περικρατεῖς γενέσθαι
NAS: Clauda, we were scarcely able
KJV: Clauda, we had much work to come by
INT: Cauda we were able with difficulty control to gain

Romans 5:7 Adv
GRK: μόλις γὰρ ὑπὲρ
NAS: For one will hardly die
KJV: For scarcely for a righteous man
INT: rarely Though for

1 Peter 4:18 Adv
GRK: ὁ δίκαιος μόλις σώζεται ὁ
NAS: AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS
KJV: the righteous scarcely be saved,
INT: the righteous with difficulty is saved the

Strong's Greek 3433
6 Occurrences


μόλις — 6 Occ.















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