Δέ is related to δή as μέν to μήν. Δέ is a particle adversative, distinctive, disjunctive, but, moreover; it is much more frequent in the historical parts of the New Testament than in the other books, very rare in the Epistles of John and the Apocalypse. Δέ is used:
- universally by way of opposition and distinction; it is added to statements opposite to a preceding statement; it opposes persons to persons or things previously mentioned or thought of, – either with strong emphasis (e.g. ἐγὼ δέ ; ἡμεῖς δέ ; σὺ δέ ; ὑμεῖς δέ) , and often; – or with a slight discrimination (e.g. ὁ δέ ; αὐτὸς δέ) ; with the addition also of a proper name, as ὁ δέ Ἰησοῦς.
- μὲν … δέ , see μὲν .
- after negative sentences, but, but rather.
- it is joined to terms which are repeated with a certain emphasis, and with such additions as to tend to explain and establish them more exactly; in this use of the particle we may supply a suppressed negative clause [and give its force in English by inserting I say, and that, so then, etc.]
- it serves to mark a transition to something new (δέ metabatic); by this use of the particle, the new addition is distinguished from and, as it were, opposed to what goes before.
- it introduces explanations and separates them from the things to be explained; especially remarks and explanations intercalated into the discourse, or added, as it were, by way of appendix. Owing to this use, the particle not infrequently came to be confounded in the Mss. (of prolific writers also) with γάρ (cf. Winer on Gal. 1:11).
- after a parenthesis or an explanation which had led away from the subject under discussion, it serves to take up the discourse again.
- it introduces the apodosis and, as it were, opposes it to the protasis; after a participial construction which has the force of a protasis.
- καὶ … δέ, but … also, yea and, moreover also.
- δέ never stands as the first word in the sentence, but generally second; and when the words to which it is added cannot be separated, it stands third (Mat 18:25), or even in the fourth place (Mat 10:18).
