commitment

commitment

πίστις, εως, ἡ (Hes., Hdt.+; ranging in meaning from subjective confidence to objective basis for confidence).

① that which evokes trust and faith

ⓐ the state of being someone in whom confidence can be placed, faithfulness, reliability, fidelity, commitment (X., An. 1, 6, 3; 3, 3, 4; Aristot., Eth. Eud, 7, 2, 1237b, 12; Polyb. 7, 12, 9; 38, 1, 8 al.; Herodian 2, 14, 4 al.; SIG 675, 22; OGI 557, 16; PTebt 27, 6; 51 [II B.C.]; POxy 494, 9; 705, 32; other pap M-M. s.v.; Ps 32:4; Pr 12:22; Jos., Ant. 2, 61; TestAsh 7:7) w. κρίσις and ἔλεος Mt 23:23. (Opp. ἀπιστία as Hes., Op. 370) τὴν πίστιν τοῦ θεοῦ καταργεῖν nullify the faithfulness/commitment of God (cp. Ps 32:4; Hos 2:22) Ro 3:3. πᾶσαν π. ἐνδείκνυσθαι ἀγαθήν show all good faith(fulness) Tit 2:10 (cp. BGU 314, 19 μετὰ πίστεως ἀγαθῆς). W. other virtues Gal 5:22 (on πίστις, πραΰτης cp. Sir 45:4; 1:27). W. ὑπομονή 2 Th 1:4. τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα I have remained faithful or loyal (πίστιν τηρεῖν as Polyb. 6, 56, 13; 10, 37, 5; Jos., Bell. 2, 121; 6, 345; OGI 339, 46f; IBM III, 587b, 5f [Dssm., LO 262=LAE 309, esp. note 3]) 2 Ti 4:7, though this would be classified by some under 3 below. S. also 1c below.

ⓑ a solemn promise to be faithful and loyal, assurance, oath, troth (X., Cyr. 7, 1, 44; 8, 8, 3, Hell. 1, 3, 12; Diod S 14, 9, 7; Appian, Bell. Civ. 4, 86 §362 μεγάλας πίστεις ἔδωκεν=solemn assurances; 3 Macc 3:10; Jos., Ant. 12, 382) τὴν πρώτην πίστιν ἠθέτησαν 1 Ti 5:12 (s. also ἀθετέω 1 and cp. CIA app. [Wünsch, Praef. p. xv] of a woman who πρώτη ἠθέτησεν τὴν πίστιν to her husband). Cp. Rv 2:3.

ⓒ a token offered as a guarantee of someth. promised, proof, pledge (Pla., Phd. 70b; Isocr. 3, 8; Aristot., Rhet. 1, 1; 3, 13; Epicurus in Diog. L. 10, 63; 85: πίστις βεβαία=dependable proof; Polyb. 3, 100, 3; Περὶ ὕψους 39, 3=p. 74, 20 V.; Epict. 1, 28, 3; Appian, Bell. Civ. 4, 119 §500; Jos., Ant. 15, 69) πίστιν παρασχὼν πᾶσιν ἀναστήσας αὐτόν (God has appointed a man [Jesus] to be judge of the world, and) he has furnished proof (of his fitness for this office) to all people by raising him (on πίστιν παρέχειν cp. Jos., Ant. 2, 218 πίστιν παρεῖχε; 15, 260; Polyb. 2, 52, 4 πίστιν παρέσχετο=gave a pledge, security; Vett. Val. 277, 29f) Ac 17:31. JBarton, Biblica 40, ’59, 878–84: π. in 2 Ti 4:7= bond deposited by an athlete. But see 3 below.—WSchmitz, ῾Η Πίστις in den Papyri, diss. Cologne, ’64.

② state of believing on the basis of the reliability of the one trusted, trust, confidence, faith in the active sense=‘believing’, in ref. to deity (Soph. Oed. R. 1445 νῦν γʼ ἂν τῷ θεῷ πίστιν φέροις; Pla., Leg. 12, 966de; Plut. Mor. 402e; 756b; Dio Chrys. 3, 51 παρὰ θεῶν τιμὴ κ. πίστις; Ael. Aristid. 13 p. 226 D.: πίστιν ἐν τ. θεοῖς ἔχειν; Appian, Liby. 57 §248 ἐς θεοὺς πίστις; Ep. 33 of Apollonius of Tyana [Philostrat. I 352, 14]; Herm. Wr. 9, 10 ἐπίστευσε καὶ ἐν τῇ καλῇ πίστει ἐπανεπαύσατο; Porphyr., Ad Marcellam 21 τῆς βεβαίας πίστεως, τὸ μεμαθηκέναι, ὅτι ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ προνοεῖται πάντα. The divinity Πίστις in Plut., Num. 70 [16, 1] and in magic [exx. in Rtzst., Mysterienrel.³ 234f, among them Aberciusins. 12; PGM 4, 1014 ἀλήθεια καὶ πίστις; 12, 228]; Wsd 3:14; 4 Macc 15:24; 16:22; 17:2; Philo, Abr. 270; 271; 273, Mut. Nom. 182, Migr. Abr. 43f, Conf. Lingu. 31, Poster. Cai. 13 [on faith in Philo s. the lit. given under πιστεύω 2aα]; Jos, C. Ap. 2, 163; 169; Just., A I, 52, 1 πίστιν ἔχειν; 53, 11 πειθὼ καὶ πίστιν … ἐμφορῆσαι), in our lit. directed toward God and Christ, their revelations, teachings, promises, their power and readiness to aid.

ⓐ God: πίστις θεοῦ (cp. Jos., Ant. 17, 179.—Cp. π. καὶ φόβος ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ Theoph. Ant. 1, 7 [p. 72, 26]) faith, trust, confidence in God Mk 11:22; cp. Ac 19:20 D; 1 Cl 3:4; 27:3. π. θείου πνεύμαπος faith in the divine spirit Hm 11:9. ἡ π. τοῦ κυρίου Hs 6, 3, 6. π. (καὶ ἐλπὶς) εἰς θεόν 1 Pt 1:21. π. ἐπὶ θεόν Hb 6:1. ἡ πίστις ἡ πρὸς τὸν θεόν 1 Th 1:8 (on the constr. w. πρὸς τ. θ. cp. Philo, Abr. 268; 271; 273; Just., D. 121, 2 διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον π.).—πίστις can also be characterized as faith in God by the context, without the addition of specific words; so in connection w. OT personalities: Abraham Ro 4:5, 9, 11–13, 16, 19f (s. also 2dα below); 1 Cl 10:7; 31:2; of Rahab 12:1, 8; of Esther 55:6 (ἡ τελεία κατὰ πίστιν). The OT heroes of faith Hb 11:4–33, 39 (w. this catalogue of heroes cp. Il. 4, 457–538; 2 Km 23:8–39; 1 Ch 11:10–12:18; CGordon, Homer, and the Bible: HUCA 26, ’55, 83).—But in Hb it is also true that God is specifically the object of the Christian’s faith, and Christ 12:2 is ὁ τῆς πίστεως ἀρχηγὸς καὶ τελειώτης. Cp. 10:38; 11:3; 13:7. (On faith in Hb s. Schlatter, Der Glaube im NT⁴ 1927, 520ff; BHeigl, Verfasser u. Adresse des Hb 1905, 109–18; GHoennicke, Die sittl. Anschauungen des Hb: ZWT 45, 1902, 26ff; Windisch, Hdb. exc. on Hb 11; Riggenbach and Michel on Hb 11; Strathmann on 10:38. S. ὑπόστασις end.)—ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν Mt 17:20. Opp. doubt 21:21. αἰτεῖν ἐν πίστει μηδὲν διακρινόμενος Js 1:6. ἡ εὐχὴ τῆς πίστεως 5:15 (εὐχή 1). ἡ πίστις τῆς ἐνεργείας τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἐγείραντος αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead Col 2:12.

ⓑ Christ

α. of belief and trust in the Lord’s help in physical and spiritual distress; oft. in the synopt. gospels: Mt 8:10; 9:2, 22, 29 (κατὰ τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν); 15:28; Mk 2:5; 4:40; 5:34; 10:52; Lk 5:20; 7:9, 50; 8:25, 48; 17:19; 18:42.—Cp. ἔχει πίστιν τοῦ σωθῆναι (the lame man) had faith that he would be cured Ac 14:9.

β. of faith in Christ, designated by the addition of certain words. By the obj. gen. (s. Just., D. 52, 4 διὰ τῆς πίστεως τῆς τοῦ χριστοῦ) πίστις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ faith in Jesus Christ (and sim. exprs. On interp. as obj. gen. s. AHultgren, NovT 22, ’80, 248–63 [lit.]; response SWilliams, CBQ 49, ’87, 431–47.) Ro 3:22, 26; Gal 2:16ab, 20; 3:22; Eph 3:12; Phil 3:9a; Js 2:1; Rv 14:12; cp. 2:13 (ἡ πίστις μου=faith in me, the Human One [Son of Man]); IMg 1:1. (The πίστις Χριστοῦ in Paul is taken as a subj. gen. by JHaussleiter, Der Glaube Jesu Christi 1891, Was versteht Paulus unter christlichem Glauben?: Greifswalder Studien für HCremer 1895, 161–82 and GKittel, StKr 79, 1906, 419ff. See also Schläger, ZNW 7, 1906, 356–58; BLongenecker, NTS 39, ’93, 478–80 [lit. since ’81]; DCampbell, JBL 113, ’94, 265–85; response BDodd, 114, ’95, 470–73.—ADeissmann, Paulus² 1925, 125f [Paul, tr. WWilson, 1926, 162ff], speaks of the mystical gen., ‘faith in Christ’. Likew. HWeber, Die Formel ‘in Christo Jesu’: NKZ 31, 1920, 213ff, esp. 231, 3; WWeber, Christusmystik 1924, 82. S. also LAlbrecht, Der Glaube Jesu Christi 1921; OSchmitz, Die Christusgemeinschaft des Pls im Lichte seines Genetivgebr. 1924, 91–134; OHoltzmann, D. Glaube an Jes.: Stromata 1930, 11–25; GTaylor, JBL 85, ’66, 58–76: the passages in Gal=Christ’s reliability as a trustee. Cp. GHoward, HTR 60, ’67, 459–65; MHooker, NTS 35, ’89, 321–42.)—By prepositional phrases: πίστις εἰς Χριστόν (and sim. exprs.) faith in Christ Ac 20:21; 24:24; 26:18; Col 2:5 (Just., D. 40, 1).—Also πίστις ἐν Χριστῷ (and sim.) Gal 3:26; Eph 1:15; Col 1:4; 1 Ti 3:13; 2 Ti 3:15; 1 Cl 22:1. In ἱλαστήριον διὰ πίστεως ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι Ro 3:25, ἐν κτλ. prob. goes not w. πίστις, but w. ἱλαστήριον (s. Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc.; W-S. §20, 5d).—πίστις, ἣν ἔχεις πρὸς τ. κύριον Ἰησοῦν Phlm 5.—πίστις διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰ. Χριστοῦ Ac 20:21 D; sim. ἡ πίστις ἡ διʼ αὐτοῦ 3:16b (cp. 1 Pt 1:21).—Jesus Christ is called ἡ τελεία πίστις ISm 10:2.

ⓒ πίστις can also be characterized by an objective gen. of the thing: ἡ πίστις τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ faith in his (Jesus’) name Ac 3:16a. ἡ πίστις τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Phil 1:27. εὐαγγελίων πίστις Dg 11:6. πίστις ἀληθείας 2 Th 2:13.

ⓓ πίστις is found mostly without an obj., faith, firm commitment

α. as true piety, genuine devotion (Sextus 7a and 7; ParJer 6:7), which for our lit. means being a Christian (τὸ ἀληθινὸν πάσχα … πίστει νονούμενον Hippol., Ref. 8, 18, 1; Did., Gen. 54, 11) Lk 18:8 (s. Jülicher, Gleichn. 288); 22:32; Ac 6:5=vs. 8 v.l.; cp. 11:24.—6:7; 13:8; 14:22; 15:9; 16:5; Ro 1:5, 8, 12, 17ab (ἐκ πίστεως εἰς πίστιν does not mean a gradation [as, in a way, Appian, Mithrid. 40 §154: Sulla came upon ἕτερον ὅμοιον ἐξ ἑτέρου=one wall, i.e. fortification, after another similar one] or a transition from one kind to another [Himerius, Or.=Ecl. 10, 6 ἐκ ᾠδῆς εἰς ᾠδὴν ἄλλην μετέβαλον=they changed from one kind of song to another], but merely expresses in a rhetorical way that πίστις is the beginning and the end; s. Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc., and a grave-ins [ANock, Sallust. p. xxxiii, 94] ἐκ γῆς εἰς γῆν ὁ βίος οὗτοσ=‘dust is the beginning and the end of human life’.—AFridrichsen, ConNeot 12, ’48, 54); 17c (here and in Gal 3:11 the LXX of Hab 2:4 [DCampbell, JBL 116, ’97, 713–19] is not followed literally, since it has ἐκ πίστεώς μου=‘as a result of my faithfulness’; even in Hb 10:38, where μου does occur, it goes w. δίκαιος, not w. πίστεως); Ro 3:27f (Luther’s addition of the word ‘alone’ in vs. 28 is hard to contest linguistically. Cp., e.g., Diog. L. 9, 6: Heraclitus wrote his work in very obscure language ὅπως οἱ δυνάμενοι προσίοιεν αὐτῷ=in order that only the capable might approach it. S. also Fitzmyer, ABComm. 360–64), 30f; 4:5–20 (s. also 2a above); 5:1f; 9:30, 32; 10:6, 17; 11:20 (opp. ἀπιστία); 12:3, 6 (s. ἀναλογία; for a difft. view 3 below); 14:1, 22 (s. ἐνώπιον 2b; others would place in 2dε), 23ab (but s. ε below); 16:26; 1 Cor 2:5; 15:14, 17; 16:13; 2 Cor 1:24ab; 4:13; 10:15; 13:5; Gal 3:7–26; 5:5, 6 (s. ἐνεργέω 1b); 6:10 (οἱ οἰκεῖοι τῆς πίστεως, s. οἰκεῖος b); Eph 2:8; 3:17; 4:5, 13; 6:16; Phil 1:25 (χαρὰ τῆς πίστεως); 2:17; 3:9b; Col 1:23; 2:7; 1 Th 3:2, 5, 7, 10; 2 Th 1:3, 11; 3:2; 1 Ti 1:2, 4, 5 (π. ἀνυπόκριτος), 19ab; 4:1; 5:8; 6:10, 12, 21 (but s. 3 below); 2 Ti 1:5 (ἀνυπόκριτος π.); 2:18; 3:8; Tit 1:1, 4, 13; 3:15; Phlm 6 (s. κοινωνία 4); Hb 6:12; 10:22, 39 (opp. ὑποστολή); Js 1:3; 2:5; 1 Pt 1:5, 7, 9; 5:9; 2 Pt 1:1; 1J 5:4; 1 Cl 1:2 (ἡ πανάρετος κ. βεβαία π.); ISm 1:1 (ἀκίνητος π.); Hm 5, 2, 1; 12, 5, 4 (both πλήρης ἐν τῇ πίστει full of faith); 5, 2, 3 (π. ὁλόκληρος); 9:6 (ὁλοτελὴς ἐν τ. π.), 7 (opp. διψυχία), 12 (π. ἡ ἔχουσα δύναμιν); 12, 6, 1; Hs 9, 19, 2 (ἀπὸ τῆς π. κενοί); 9, 26, 8 (κολοβοὶ ἀπὸ τῆς π. αὐτῶν).—τὸ ῥῆμα τ. πίστεως Ro 10:8. οἱ λόγοι τῆς π. 1 Ti 4:6. τὸ μυστήριον τῆς π. 3:9. ὁ θεὸς ἤνοιξεν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν θύραν πίστεως God has opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, i.e. opened the way for them to participate in a new relationship w. God Ac 14:27 (s. also θύρα 1bγ). ἀκοὴ πίστεως Gal 3:2, 5 (s. ἀκοή 2 and 4b). (τὸ) ἔργον (τῆς) π. 1 Th 1:3; 2 Th 1:11 (s. ἔργον 1b). οἱ ἐκ πίστεως the people of faith (s. ἐκ 3b) Gal 3:7, 9. πῶς οὐν [πίστιν εὑρ]ίσκομεν; Ox 1081, 25f (but here [ταῦτα γιγν]ώ̣σκομεν is the preferable restoration w. Till after the Coptic SJCh 90, 2); 32. Of gnostics τοῦ ὄφεως πίστιν ἔχουσιν AcPlCor 2:20.—If the principal component of Christianity is faith, then π. can be understood as the Gospel in terms of the commitment it evokes (cp. SIG 932, 7 [II/I B.C.]) νῦν εὐαγγελίζεται τὴν πίστιν ἥν ποτε ἐπόρθει Gal 1:23 (s. 3 below). Perh. also Ro 1:5.

β. Hb 11:1 defines πίστις as ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις, πραγμάτων ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων. There is here no qu. about the mng. of π. as confidence or assurance (s. 2a above), but on its relation to ὑπόστασις as its predication s. under that word.—(Ps.-Aristot., De Mundo 6, 18 interprets πιστεύειν in someth. as incapability to see someth. that is apparent only to God.) Paul contrasts walking διὰ εἴδους (εἶδος 3) as the lower degree, with διὰ πίστεως περιπατεῖν 2 Cor 5:7 (s. KDeissner, Pls. u. die Mystik seiner Zeit² 1921, 101ff). On the other hand πίστις is on a higher level than merely listening to Christian preaching Hb 4:2.

γ. πίστις abs., as a Christian virtue, is often coupled w. others of the same kind, esp. oft. w. ἀγάπη: 1 Th 3:6; 5:8; 1 Ti 1:14; 2 Ti 1:13; Phlm 5; B 11:8; IEph 1:1; 9:1; 14:1; 20:1; IMg 1:2; 13:1; IRo ins; ISm ins; 6:1; 13:2; AcPl Ha 8, 35. W. ἀγάπη and other abstracts 2 Cor 8:7; Gal 5:22; Eph 6:23; 1 Ti 2:15; 4:12; 6:11: 2 Ti 2:22; 3:10; Tit 2:2; Rv 2:19; IPhld 11:2; Pol 4:2; Hm 8:9; cp. v 3, 8, 2–5. The triad πίστις, ἐλπίς, ἀγάπη 1 Cor 13:13; cp. also Col 1:4f; 1 Th 1:3; 5:8; B 1:4 (on this triad see s.v. ἀγάπη 1aα). W. ἐλπίς only (cp. 1 Pt 1:21) 1 Cl 58:2. The ζωῆς ἐλπίς is called ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος πίστεως ἡμῶν B 1:6.—W. ἀλήθεια (TestLevi 8:2) 1 Ti 2:7 (cp. the combination POxy 70, 4f [III A.D.]); 1 Cl 60:4. W. δικαιοσύνη Pol 9:2. W. ὑπομονή Rv 13:10; w. ὑπομ. and other abstracts 2 Pt 1:5f; Pol 13:2 (cp. also the following passages already referred to in this section: 1 Ti 6:11; 2 Ti 3:10; Tit 2:2 and Js 1:3 [α above]). W. γνῶσις (Just., D. 69, 1) et al. 2 Pt 1:5f [s. above]; D 10:2. ἵνα μετὰ τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν τελείαν ἔχητε τὴν γνῶσιν B 1:5. W. φόβος and ἐγκράτεια Hm 6, 1, 1.—(Distinguished from θεία σοφία: Orig., C. Cels. 6, 13, 23.)

δ. faith as fidelity to Christian teaching. This point of view calls for ἔργα as well as the kind of πίστις that represents only one side of true piety: Js 2:14ab, 17, 18abc, 20, 22ab, 24, 26 (ἔργον 1a); Hv 3, 6, 5; Hs 8, 9, 1ab.

ε. Ro 14:22 and 23 π. as freedom or strength in faith, conviction (s. Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc.; but s. α above).

ζ. In addition to the πίστις that every Christian possesses (s. 2dα above) Paul speaks of a special gift of faith that belongs to a select few 1 Cor 12:9. Here he understands π. as an unquestioning belief in God’s power to aid people with miracles, the faith that ‘moves mountains’ 13:2 (cp. Mt 17:20.—21:21; s. 2a above). This special kind of faith may be what the disciples had in mind when they asked πρόσθες ἡμῖν πίστιν Lk 17:5; cp. vs. 6. τῇ πίστει φερόμενος ὁ Παυλος AcPl Ha 5, 1.

③ that which is believed, body of faith/belief/teaching (Diod S 1, 23, 8 ἰσχυρὰν πίστιν καὶ ἀμετάθετον=an article of faith that was firm and unshakable [concerning Orpheus and Dionysus]; Mel., HE 4, 26, 13; Ath. 8, 1; Iren., 1, 10, 2 [Harv. I, 92, 1]; Orig., C. Cels., 1, 42, 26; Did., Gen. 156, 23). So clearly Jd 3 (τῇ ἅπαξ παραδοθείσῃ τοῖς ἁγίοις πίστει), 20 (τῇ ἁγιωτάτῃ ὑμῶν πίστει.—ἅγιος 1aα). πίστις θεοῦ=that which, acc. to God’s will, is to be believed IEph 16:2.—This objectivizing of the term πίστις is found as early as Paul: Ro 1:5; Gal 1:23 (s. 2dα end) and perh. Gal 3:23–25 (s. Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc.). ASeeberg, D. Katechismus der Urchristenheit 1903, 110f, understands 1 Ti 1:19; 4:1, 6; 6:10, cp. 21; 2 Ti 2:18 in this manner. Ro 12:6 (but s. ἀναλογία) and 2 Ti 4:7 are also interpreted in this way by many.—EBurton, ICC Gal 1921, 475–86; ASchlatter, D. Glaube im NT⁴ 1927; APott, Das Hoffen im NT in seiner Beziehung zum Glauben1915; ANairne, The Faith of the NT 1920; RGyllenberg, Pistis 1922; WKümmel, D. Glaube im NT: ThBl 16, ’38, 209–21; Dodd 65–68; TTorrance, ET 68, ’57, 111–14; CMoule, ibid. 157.—Synoptics: TShearer, ET 69, ’57, 3–6.—Esp. for Paul: BBartmann, Pls, die Grundzüge seiner Lehre u. die moderne Religionsgeschichte 1914; WMorgan, The Religion and Theology of Paul 1917; WHatch, The Pauline Idea of Faith in Its Relation to Jewish and Hellenistic Religion 1917; Ltzm., Hdb. exc. after Ro 4:25; FKnoke, Der christl. Glaube nach Pls 1922; ERohde, Gottesglaube u. Kyriosglaube bei Pls: ZNW 22, 1923, 43–57; EWissmann, Das Verh. v. πίστις und Christusfrömmigkeit bei Pls 1926; MDibelius, Glaube u. Mystik b. Pls: Neue Jahrb. f. Wissensch. u. Jugendbildg. 7, ’31, 683–99; WMundle, D. Glaubensbegriff des Pls ’32 (p. xi–xvi extensive bibliog.); RGyllenberg, Glaube b. Pls: ZWT 13, ’37, 612–30; MHansen, Om Trosbegrebet hos Pls ’37; LMarshall, Challenge of NT Ethics, ’47, 270–77; 298–300; RBultmann, Theologie des NT ’48, 310–26 (Engl. tr. KGrobel I ’51, 314–30; for the Johannines II, 70–92, ’55); MMassinger, BiblSacra 107, ’50, 181–94 et al. S. also δικαιοσύνη 3a.—For the Fourth Gosp.: JBuswell, The Ethics of ‘Believe’ in the Fourth Gospel: BiblSacra 80, 1923, 28–37; JHuby, De la connaissance de foi chez S. Jean: RSR 21, ’31, 385–421; RSchnackenburg, D. Glaube im 4. Ev., diss. Breslau ’37; WHatch, The Idea of Faith in Christ. Lit. fr. the Death of St. Paul to the Close of the Second Century 1926.—EGraesser, D. Glaube im Hebräerbrief, ’65.—ABaumeister, D. Ethik des Pastor Hermae, 1912, 61–140.—ESeidl, π. in d. griech. Lit. (to Peripatetics), diss. Innsbruck, ’53; HLjungman, Pistis, ’64; DLührmann, Pistis im Judent., ZNW 64, ’73, 19–38. On faith in late Judaism s. Bousset, Rel.³ 534a (index); also DHay, JBL 108, ’89, 4611–76; DLindsay, Josephus and Faith ’93. On the Hellenistic concept πίστις Rtzst., Mysterienrel.³ 234–36.—DELG s.v. πείθομαι. M-M. EDNT. TW. Spicq. Sv.

προαίρεσις, εως, ἡ (αἱρέω; Pla., Demosth., Aristot., ins, pap, LXX, Test12Patr, EpArist, Philo, Joseph., Just., Tat., Ath.) a choosing of one thing before another, choice, commitment (freq. w. a political connotation, of one who chooses the correct side and manifests loyalty, s. Welles, ind.; also a favorite term of moral philosophers, e.g. Diogenes 21, 5 p. 114 Malherbe) λ[ά]β̣ε̣τ̣ε̣ π̣[ροαίρ]|εσιν ἀγαθήν make the right commitment, that is, from polytheism to Christianity AcPl Ha 1, 20 (for the use of ἀγαθ. w. προαίρεσις s. Welles, no. 75, 10, of a treasurer who is commended for his ‘exemplary dedication’ or ‘commitment’ to his responsibilities); s. the ed’s. note on the lacuna in 2, 2f.—M-M s.v. προαιρέω.

πιστεύω (Trag.+) impf. ἐπίστευον; 1 aor. ἐπίστευσα; pf. πεπίστευκα; plpf. πεπιστεύκειν Ac 14:23 (on the omission of the augment s. B-D-F §66, 1; Mlt-H. 190). Pass.: fut. 3 pl. πιστευθήσονται Gen 42, 20; 1 aor. ἐπιστεύθην; pf. πεπίστευμαι (the word does not occur in Phlm, 2 Pt, 2 and 3J, Rv, MPol, or D. But it is a special favorite of J and 1J, where it is found 96 times and 9 times respectively; πίστις is not found in the gospel at all, and occurs in 1J only once, 5:4. Our lit. uses it quite predominantly in a transcendent sense, or at least w. transcendent coloring).

① to consider someth. to be true and therefore worthy of one’s trust, believe

ⓐ believe (in) someth., be convinced of someth., w. that which one believes (in) indicated

α. by acc. of thing (Soph., Oed. Rex 646 τάδε; Aristot., Analyt. Pr. 2, 23, 68b, 13 ἅπαντα; PSI 494, 14 μηθέν; UPZ 70, 29 [152/151 B.C.] π. τὰ ἐνύπνια; ApcEsdr 7:12 p. 32, 26 τὸ βιβλίον τοῦτο) ἡ ἀγάπη πάντα πιστεύει 1 Cor 13:7. πεπιστεύκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην we believe in the love 1J 4:16. πιστεύεις τοῦτο; J 11:26b. Cp. Ac 13:41 (Hab 1:5). Pass. ἐπιστεύθη τὸ μαρτύριον ἡμῶν our testimony was believed 2 Th 1:10b (cp. Aristot., EN 10, 2 p. 1172b, 15 ἐπιστεύοντο οἱ λόγοι; Gen 42:20).

β. by means of a ὅτι-clause believe that (Plut., Mor. 210d; Aelian, VH 1, 16 p. 8, 9; Herm. Wr. 4, 4: Porphyr., Ad Marcellam 24; PLond III, 897, 12 p. 207 [I A.D.]; Tob 10:8 S; Job 9:16; 15:31; 39:12; La 4:12; 4 Macc 7:19; TestAbr A 18 p. 100, 18 [Stone p. 48]; ParJer 6:7; Just., A I, 18, 2 al.; Orig., C. Cels. 4, 89, 16) μακαρία ἡ πιστεύσασα ὅτι ἔσται τελείωσις Lk 1:45 (ὅτι here may=for: s. ὅτι 4b).—Mk 11:23; cp. vs. 24; J 8:24 (ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι as Is 43:10); 11:27, 42; 13:19; 14:10; 16:27, 30; 17:8, 21; 20:31a; Ac 9:26; Ro 6:8; 10:9; 1 Th 4:14; Hb 11:6; Js 2:19a; 1J 5:1, 5; Hv 3, 8, 4; 4, 2, 4; m 1:1; 6, 2, 10b; Hs 2:5.—[ὅτι εἷς θεός] καὶ εἷς χριστός AcPl Ha 1, 17; AcPlCor 1:8. π. περί τινος ὅτι believe concerning someone that J 9:18 (M. Ant. 1, 15, 5 πιστεύειν περὶ ὧν λέγοι ὅτι οὕτως φρονεῖ=believe concerning whatever he might say, that it was what he actually thought; Just., D. 10, 1 π. ἡμῶν• ὅτι ἐσθίομεν ἀνθρώπους.—π. περί τινος as Plut., Lyc. 19, 4; Jos., Ant. 14, 267).

γ. by the acc. and inf. (pres. Pla., Gorg. 524a; PTebt 314, 3 [II A.D.]; 4 Macc 5:25; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 160; Just., A I, 8, 2 al.; Ath. 20, 3) πιστεύω τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ εἶναι τὸν Ἰησοῦν Ac 8:37b.—GMary 463, 8.—IRo 10:2.—By the inf. (Thu 2, 22, 1; Job 15:22; AscIs 2:10 εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀναβῆναι) πιστεύομεν σωθῆναι Ac 15:11 (difft. JNolland, NTS 27, ’80, 112f [inf. of result: ‘we believe (in order) to be saved’]).—By the acc. and ptc. ἐν σαρκὶ αὐτὸν πιστεύω ὄντα I believe that he was in the flesh ISm 3:1.

δ. by means of the dat. of thing give credence to, believe (Aeschyl., Pers. 786 θεῶν θεσφάτοισιν; Soph., Phil. 1374 τοῖς ἐμοῖς λόγοις, El. 886; Pla., Phd. 88c, Leg. 7, 798d; Polyb. 5, 42, 9; 9, 33, 1; Herodian 7, 5, 5 ἐλπίδι κρείττονι; BGU 674, 6 τῷ λόγῳ; 2 Ch 9:6 τοῖς λόγοις; Ps 105:24; Pr 14:15; Sir 19:15; En 104:13 ταῖς βίβλοις; Philo, Leg. All. 3, 229 τοῖς κενοῖς λογισμοῖς, Virt. 68 the sayings of God; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 286, Ant. 10, 39 τ. λόγοις; Tat. 18, 2 ὕλης οἰκονομία; Ath. 30, 2 ταῖς γοναῖς τοῦ Διό; Iren. 1, 10, 2 [Harv. I 92, 4] ἡ ἐκκλησία … π. τούτοις [sc. κήρυγμα and πίστις]) οὐκ ἐπίστευσας τοῖς λόγοις μου Lk 1:20 (cp. Iambl., ViPyth. 28, 148 περὶ θεῶν μηδὲν θαυμαστὸν ἀπιστεῖν ‘concerning the gods nothing is so marvelous that it should occasion unbelief’). τῇ γραφῇ καὶ τῷ λόγῳ J 2:22. Cp. 4:50; 5:47ab. τοῖς γεγραμμένοις Ac 24:14 (Diod S 16, 52, 7 πιστεύσαντες τοῖς γεγραμμένοις). τῇ ἐπαγγελίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ 2 Cl 11:1 (Diod S 1, 53, 10 τῇ τοῦ προρρήσει πιστεύειν; 19, 90, 3). τῷ ψεύδει, τῇ ἀληθείᾳ 2 Th 2:11, 12. τῇ καταλαλιᾷ Hm 2:2. τῇ ἀκοῇ ἡμῶν (Is 53:1; cp. Jos., C. Ap. 2, 14 π. ἀκοῇ πρεσβυτέρων) J 12:38; Ro 10:16; 1 Cl 16:3. τοῖς ἔργοις J 10:38b (=their testimony); Hm 6, 2, 10a (that they are good and must be followed).—Pass. ἐπιστεύθη τῷ λόγῳ μου they believed my word Hm 3:3.

ε. w. prepositional expressions: εἰς Ro 4:18, if εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτόν here is dependent on ἐπίστευσεν. πιστεύειν εἰς τὴν μαρτυρίαν believe in the witness 1J 5:10c. ὁ Χριστιανισμὸς οὐκ εἰς Ἰουδαϊσμὸν ἐπίστευσεν the Christian way of life/Christianity did not commit itself to the Judean way/Judaism (s. Hdb. ad loc.) I Mg 10:3a; cp. b (Χριστιανισμόν, εἰς ὸ̔ν πᾶσα γλῶσσα πιστεύσασα). On πιστεύειν εἰς τὸ ὄνομά τινος s. 2aβ below. πιστεύετε ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ believe in the gospel (so Ps 105:12 ἐπίστευσαν ἐν τοῖς λόγοις αὐτοῦ. Rather in the sense ‘put one’s trust in’ Sir 32:21 μὴ πιστεύσῃς ἐν ὁδῷ ἀπροσκόπῳ. See B-D-F §187, 6; Rob. 540. ALoisy, Les Évangiles synopt. I 1907, 430; 434; comm.) Mk 1:15 (Hofmann understands it as ‘on the basis of’, Wohlenberg ‘bei’; Lohmeyer is undecided; Dssm. and Mlt. 67f ‘in the sphere of’; s. p. 235). ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ οὐ πιστεύω IPhld 8:2 (s. Bihlmeyer ad loc.).—ἐπί τινι: πιστεύειν ἐπὶ πᾶσιν οἷς ἐλάλησαν οἱ προφῆται Lk 24:25; Ro 9:33 (Is 28:16).

ⓑ w. the pers. to whom one gives credence or whom one believes, in the dat. (Demosth. 18, 10; Aristot., Rhet. 2, 14 p. 1390a, 32; Polyb. 15, 26, 6 τοῖς εἰδόσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν; Herodian 2, 1, 10; PHib 72, 18; POxy 898, 29; PTebt 418, 15; Ex 4:1, 5; 3 Km 10:7; 2 Ch 32:15; Tob 2:14; Jer 47:14; JosAs 13:10; Philo, Praem. 49; Just., A I, 33, 5, D 7, 2 al.) τοῖς θεασαμένοις αὐτὸν ἐγηγερμένον οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν they did not believe those who saw him after he was raised from the dead Mk 16:14. Cp. Mt 21:25, 32abc; Mk 11:31; 16:13; Lk 20:5; J 5:46a; Ac 8:12; 26:27a (τ. προφήταις as Jos., Ant. 11, 96); 1J 4:1; Hm 6, 1, 2ab.—Also of Jesus and God whom one believes, in that one accepts their disclosures without doubt or contradiction: Jesus: Mt 27:42 v.l.; J 5:38, 46b; 6:30; 8:45, 46; 10:37, 38a. God: J 5:24; Ro 4:3 (Gen 15:6), 17 κατέναντι οὗ ἐπίστευσεν θεοῦ (= κατέναντι θεοῦ ᾧ ἐπίστευσεν); Gal 3:6; Js 2:23; 1 Cl 10:6 (all three Gen 15:6). ὁ μὴ πιστεύων τῷ θεῷ ψεύστην πεποίηκεν αὐτόν 1J 5:10b. AcPl Ha 3, 7.

ⓒ w. pers. and thing added π. τινί τι believe someone with regard to someth. (X., Apol. 15 μηδὲ ταῦτα εἰκῇ πιστεύσητε τῷ θεῷ) Hm 6, 2, 6.—W. dat. of pers. and ὅτι foll. (ApcEsdr 4:35 p. 29, 12 Tdf.): πιστεύετέ μοι ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρί J 14:11a. Cp. 4:21; Ac 27:25.

ⓓ abs. (in which case the context supplies the obj., etc.; cp. ParJer 7:19 γέγονε δὲ τοῦτο, ἵνα πιστεύσωσιν) ἐάν τις ὑμῖν εἴπῃ• ἰδοὺ ὧδε ὁ Χριστός, μὴ πιστεύσητε do not believe (him or it [the statement]) Mt 24:23; cp. vs. 26; Mk 13:21; Lk 22:67; J 3:12ab; 10:25f; 12:47 v.l.; 14:29; 16:31; 19:35; 20:8, 25; cp. GJs 19:3. J 20:29ab πιστεύσαντες those who have nevertheless believed (it=the fact of the Resurrection); Ac 4:4; 26:27b; 1 Cor 11:18 πιστεύω I believe (it=that there are divisions among you); 15:11; Js 2:19b even the daemons believe this; Jd 5. Pass. καρδίᾳ πιστεύεται with (or in) the heart men believe (it=that Jesus was raised fr. the dead) Ro 10:10.

ⓔ believe = let oneself be influenced κατά τινος against someone Pol 6:1.

ⓕ πιστεύομαι I am believed, I enjoy confidence (X., An. 7, 6, 33; Diod S 5, 80, 4 τοῖς μάλιστα πιστευομένοις ἐπηκολουθήσαμεν; 17, 32, 1; 1 Km 27:12; Jos., Ant. 10, 114; PGM 12, 279 πιστευθήσῃ=you will be believed) of Eve παρθένος πιστεύεται people believe that she is a virgin Dg 12:8, or perh. a virgin is entrusted (to someone without fear). S. 3 below.

② to entrust oneself to an entity in complete confidence, believe (in), trust, w. implication of total commitment to the one who is trusted. In our lit. God and Christ are objects of this type of faith that relies on their power and nearness to help, in addition to being convinced that their revelations or disclosures are true. The obj. is

ⓐ given

α. in the dat. (cp. Soph., Philoct. 1374 θεοῖς πιστ.; X., Mem. 1, 1, 5; Ps.-Pla., Epinom. 980c πιστεύσας τοῖς θεοῖς εὔχου; Ptolem. Lagi [300 B.C.]: 138 Fgm. 8 Jac.; Maximus Tyr. 3, 8k τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι; Epict., app. E, 10 p. 488 Sch. θεῷ; Himerius, Or. 8 [=23], 18 πῶς Διονύσῳ πιστεύσω; how can I trust D.?; UPZ 144, 12 [164 B.C.] τ. θεοῖς; Jdth 14:10; Wsd 16:26; 4 Macc 7:21 al. in LXX; Philo, Leg. All. 3, 229 πιστεύειν θεῷ, Rer. Div. Her. 92 μόνῳ θεῷ, Op. M. 45, Sacr. Abel. 70 τῷ σωτήρι θεῷ, Abr. 269, Mos. 1, 225, Virt. 216 [on faith in Philo s. Bousset, Rel.³ 446ff; EHatch, Essays in Biblical Gk. 1889, 83ff; ASchlatter, D. Glaube im NT⁴ 1927; EBréhier, Les idées philosophiques et religieuses de Philon d’Alexandrie 1908, ²1925; HWindisch, Die Frömmigkeit Philos 1909, 23ff; HWolfson, Philo ’47 I, 143–56, esp. II, 215–18; WPeisker, D. Glaubensbegriff bei Philon, diss. ’36]; Jos., Ant. 2, 117; 333; 3, 309; 20, 48, Bell. 3, 387 [s. ASchlatter, D. Theol. d. Judentums nach d. Bericht des Jos. ’32, 104ff]; Just., A I, 18, 6 al.). Some of the passages referred to in 1b above, end, are repeated, since they may be classified here or there w. equal justification. Of God: π. τῷ θεῷ (Orig., C. Cels. 4, 89, 15) Ac 16:34; 13:12 D; Tit 3:8; PtK 4 p. 16, 2; B 16:7; Hm 12, 6, 2; Hs 5, 1, 5. Cp. m 1:2; AcPl Ha 10, 13f. τῷ κυρίῳ (Sir 11:21; 2:8) Hv 4, 2, 6. οἱ πιστεύσαντες τῷ κυρίῳ διὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Hs 9, 13, 5. τῷ θεῷ w. ὅτι foll. m 9:7; cp. Hs 1:7.—Of Christ: Mt 27:42 v.l. (for ἐπʼ αὐτόν); J 6:30 (σοί=vs. 29 εἰς ὸ̔ν ἀπέστειλεν ἐκεῖνος); J 8:31 (αὐτῷ=vs. 30 εἰς αὐτόν, but see Mlt. 67f; JSwetnam argues for a plpf. sense here: Biblica 61, ’80, 106–9); Ac 5:14; 18:8a (both τῷ κυρίῳ); Ro 10:14b (οὗ οὐκ ἤκουσαν = τούτῳ [about equivalent to εἰς τοῦτον; cp. vs. 14a] οὗ οὐκ ἤκ.); 2 Ti 1:12; ITr 9:2; Hs 8, 3, 2.—Pass. be believed in (X., Cyr. 4, 2, 8; 6, 1, 39; Pla., Lach. 181b; Ps.-Demosth. 58, 44 al.; 1 Km 27:12; Just., D. 7, 3; Tat. 10, 2. S. B-D-F §312, 1; also s. Rob. 815f) ἐπιστεύθη ἐν κόσμῳ 1 Ti 3:16.—π. τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ believe in the name of the Son, i.e. believe in the Son and accept what his name proclaims him to be 1J 3:23.

β. w. εἰς (cp. Hippol., Elench. 6, 19, 7 W. οἱ εἰς τὸν Σίμωνα καὶ τὴν Ἑλένην πεπιστευκότες; Just., D. 35, 8 al.) God (BGU 874, 11 π. εἰς τὸν θεόν): J 12:44b; 14:1a (cp. ET 21, 1910, 53–57; 68–70; 138f); 1 Pt 1:21 v.l.=Pol 2:1.—Christ: Mt 18:6; Mk 9:42; J 2:11; 3:15 v.l., 16, 18a, 36; 4:39; 6:29, 35, 40, 47 v.l.; 7:5, 31, 38f, 48; 8:30; 9:35f; 10:42; 11:25, 26a, 45, 48; 12:11, 36 (εἰς τὸ φῶς), 37, 42, 44a, 46; 14:1b, 12; 16:9; 17:20; Ac 10:43; 14:23; 18:8 D; 19:4; Ro 10:14a; Gal 2:16; Phil 1:29; 1 Pt 1:8; 1J 5:10a; AcPlCor 2:31; Hs 8, 3, 2.—εἰς τὸ ὄνομα Ἰησοῦ (or αὐτοῦ, etc.) J 1:12; 2:23; 3:18c; 1J 5:13 (s. ὄνομα 1dβ and s. 2aα above, end). π. εἰς τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ ITr 2:1. π. εἰς τὸ αἷμα Χριστοῦ ISm 6:1.

γ. w. ἐπί and dat., of God Ac 11:17 D. Of Christ: Mt 27:42 v.l.; J 3:15 v.l.; Ro 9:33; 10:11; 1 Pt 2:6 (the last three Is 28:16); 1 Ti 1:16.

δ. w. ἐπί and acc. (Wsd 12:2; Just., D. 46, 1 al.) of God: Ac 16:34 D; Ro 4:5, 24; PtK 3 p. 15, 12. Of Christ: Mt 27:42; J 3:15 v.l.; Ac 9:42; 11:17; 16:31; 22:19.

ε. π. ἔν τινι believe in someone (Jer 12:6; Da 6:24 Theod.; Ps 77:22) is questionable in our lit.: in J 3:15 the best rdg. is ἐν αὐτῷ and is prob. to be construed w. ἔχῃ (in J πιστεύω usually takes the prep. εἰς when expressing the obj. of belief, as in 3:16); in Eph 1:13 both occurrences of ἐν ᾧ are prob. to be construed w. ἐσφραγίσθητε (=‘in connection with whom you have been sealed’ [cp. 4:30]); the acts of hearing and believing are coordinate, and πιστεύσαντες, along w. ἀκούσαντες, is used abs. (so REB; less clearly NRSV). But s. 1aε above: π. ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ Mk 1:15; IPhld 8:2.

ⓑ not expressed at all (the abs. πιστεύειν in a transcendent sense: Aeschin., In Ctesiph. 1 ἐγὼ πεπιστευκὼς ἥκω πρῶτον τοῖς θεοῖς; Aristot., Rhet. 2, 17, 1391b, 1ff; Plut., Mor. 170f; Porphyr., Ad Marcellam 24 πιστεῦσαι δεῖ, ὅτι [=because] μόνη σωτηρία ἡ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἐπιστροφή; Herm. Wr. 9, 10ab ἐπίστευσε καὶ ἐν τῇ καλῇ πίστει ἐπανεπαύσατο; cp. 1, 32 πιστεύω καὶ μαρτυρῶ=PapBerl 9795 [RReitzenstein, Studien z. antiken Synkretismus 1926, p. 161, 2]; Num 20:12; Ps 115:1; Is 7:9; Sir 2:13; 1 Macc 2:59; Philo, Rer. Div. Her. 14; 101, Deus Imm. 4, Mut. Nom. 178; τότε πιστεύσεις θέλων καὶ μὴ θέλων Theoph. Ant. 1, 8 [p. 74, 7]) Mk 15:32; 16:16f; Lk 8:12f; J 1:7, 50; 3:15, 18b; 4:41f, 48, 53; 5:44; 6:36, 47, 64ab, perh. 69 (MEnslin, The Perf. Tense in the Fourth Gosp.: JBL 55, ’36, 121–31, esp. 128); 9:38; 10:26; 11:15, 40; 12:39; 20:31b; Ac 4:4; 8:13, 37a; 11:21; 13:12, 39, 48; 14:1; 15:5, 7; 17:12, 34; 18:8b, 27; 19:2; 21:25; Ro 1:16; 3:22; 4:11; 10:4; 13:11; 15:13; 1 Cor 1:21; 3:5; 15:2; Gal 3:22; Eph 1:13, 19; 1 Th 2:10, 13; Hb 4:3; 1 Pt 2:7; 1 Cl 12:7; 2 Cl 17:3; 20:2; B 9:3; B 11:11; ISm 3:2; Hs 8, 10, 3; 9, 17, 4; 9, 22, 3. τὸ πιστεύειν faith IMg 9:2. ἐν ἀγάπῃ πιστεύειν IPhld 9:2 (ἐν ἀγάπῃ is here used adv.).—Participles in the var. tenses are also used almost subst.: (οἱ) πιστεύοντες (the) believers, (the) Christians (Orig., C. Cels. 1, 13, 34; Did., Gen. 106, 6) Ac 2:44; Ro 3:22; 1 Cor 14:22ab (opp. οἱ ἄπιστοι); 1 Th 1:7; Hs 8, 3, 3. (οἱ) πιστεύσαντες (those) who made their commitment = (those) who became believers, (the) Christians, Ac 2:44 v.l.; 4:32; 2 Th 1:10a; 2 Cl 2:3; Hs 9, 19, 1. οἱ πεπιστευκότες those who became (and remained) believers Ac 19:18; 21:20 (Just., D. 122, 2).—οἱ μέλλοντες πιστεύειν future believers 1 Cl 42:4; Hm 4, 3, 3a. οἱ νῦν πιστεύσαντες those who have just come to believe ibid. 4, 3, 3b.

ⓒ A special kind of this faith is the confidence that God or Christ is in a position to help suppliants out of their distress, have confidence (some of the passages already mentioned might just as well be classified here) abs. ὡς ἐπίστευσας γενηθήτω σοι may it be done to you in accordance with the confidence you have Mt 8:13. ὅσα ἂν αἰτήσητε πιστεύοντες whatever you pray for with confidence 21:22. Cp. Mk 5:36; 9:23f; Lk 8:50; 2 Cor 4:13a (Ps 115:1), b. W. ὅτι foll.: πιστεύετε ὅτι δύναμαι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι; do you have confidence that I am able to do this? Mt 9:28.—Mk 11:23.

③ entrust τινί τι someth. to someone (X., Mem. 4, 4, 17; Plut., Mor. 519e; Athen. 8, 341a; Lucian, Dial. Deor. 25, 1; SIG² 845, 7, see for numerous other examples index VI p. 384b. Cp. Wsd 14:5; 1 Macc 8:16; 4 Macc 4:7; TestJob 11:11; Jos., Bell. 4, 492; Hippol., Ref. 9, 12, 6) τὸ ἀληθινὸν τίς ὑμῖν πιστεύσει; Lk 16:11. αὐτῷ τοσούτων πιστευο̣μ̣έ̣ν̣ω̣ν̣ since so many (or so much) were ( was) entrusted to him AcPl Ha 7, 21 (connection uncertain). αὐτόν (so N. and Tdf.; v.l. ἑαυτόν) τινι trust oneself to someone (Brutus, Ep. 25; Plut., Mor. 181d ἀνδρὶ μᾶλλον ἀγαθῷ πιστεύσας ἑαυτὸν ἢ ὀχυρῷ τόπῳ=entrusting himself to a good man rather than to a stronghold; EpArist 270; Jos., Ant. 12, 396) J 2:24 (EStauffer, CDodd Festschr., ’56, 281–99.—Diod S 34 + 35 Fgm. 39a οὐ τοῖς τυχοῦσι φίλοις ἑαυτὸν ἐπίστευσεν=he did not trust himself to casual friends).—Pass. πιστεύομαί τι (B-D-F §159, 4) I am entrusted with someth. (Pla., Ep. 1, 309a; Polyb. 8, 17, 5; 31, 26, 7; Diod S 20, 19, 2; Appian, Bell. Civ. 2, 136 §568 ἃ ἐπιστεύθην; ins; pap [e.g. PLond I, 121, 608 p. 203]; Jos., Bell. 5, 567, Vi. 137; Ath. 24, 3. Cp. Esth 8:12e.—Dssm., LO 320f [LAE 379]). ἐπιστεύθησαν τὰ λόγια τοῦ θεοῦ Ro 3:2. πεπίστευμαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον Gal 2:7 (PGM 13, 140 ὁ ὑπό σου πάντα πιστευθείς; 446); cp. 1 Th 2:4; 1 Ti 1:11.—Tit 1:3. οἰκονομίαν πεπίστευμαι 1 Cor 9:17; cp. Dg 7:1. S. also 7:2; IMg 6:1; IPhld 9:1ab. πιστεύομαί τι παρά τινος I am entrusted by someone with someth. (Polyb. 3, 69, 1; Jos., Bell. 1, 667): οἱ πιστευθέντες παρὰ θεοῦ ἔργον τοιοῦτο 1 Cl 43:1.

④ be confident about, a unique use found in ὸ̔ς μὲν πιστεύει φαγεῖν πάντα, someth. like the one is confident about eating anything Ro 14:2 (a combination of two ideas: ‘the pers. is so strong in the faith’ and: ‘the pers. is convinced that it is permissible to eat anything’; in brief: not cultically fussy. See Ltzm., Hdb. ad loc.; but also B-D-F §397, 2). Another probability is the sense

⑤ think/consider (possible), in Ro 14:2 perh. holds everything possible; cp. J 9:18 οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν they refused to entertain the possibility, and Ac 9:26. S. 4 above.—For lit. s. πίστις, end. DELG s.v. πείθομαι. M-M. EDNT. TW.

σπουδή, ῆς, ἡ (s. three prec. entries; Hom.+)

① swiftness of movement or action, haste, speed μετὰ σπουδῆς in haste, in a hurry (Appian, Iber. 27 §105; 28 §110; Polyb. 1, 27, 8; Herodian 3, 4, 1; 6, 4, 3; PTebt 315, 8 [II A.D.]; Ex 12:11; Wsd 19:2; JosAs 28:8 cod. A [p. 83, 9 Bat.]; Jos., Ant. 7, 223) Mk 6:25; Lk 1:39 (BHospodar, CBQ 18, ’56, 14–18 [‘seriously’]); MPol 8:3 v.l.

② earnest commitment in discharge of an obligation or experience of a relationship, eagerness, earnestness, diligence, willingness, zeal oft. in Gr-Rom. lit. and ins. of extraordinary commitment to civic and religious responsibilities, which were freq. intertwined, and also of concern for personal moral excellence or optimum devotion to the interests of others (IMagnMai 53, 61; 85, 12 and 16; s. Thieme, p. 31; Larfeld I 499f; Danker, Benefactor 320f; Herm. Wr. 2, 17 σπουδὴ εὐσεβεστάτη; Jos., Ant. 13, 245; Just., D. 9, 3; Mel., HE 4, 26, 13) Ro 12:11; 2 Cor 7:11; 8:7, 8 (subj. gen.). μετὰ σπουδῆς diligently, attentively (Ps.-Aristot., De Mundo 1; SIG 611, 5; UPZ 110, 131 [164 B.C.]; 3 Macc 5:24, 27; Philo; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 42) Dg 12:1. Also ἐν σπ. Ro 12:8. σπ. ὑπέρ τινος good will toward, devotion for someone (cp. Philo, Leg. ad Gai. 242) 2 Cor 7:12; 8:16. ἐνδείκνυσθαι σπουδὴν πρός τι show earnestness in someth. Hb 6:11 (cp. Philo, Somn. 2, 67; Jos., Ant. 12, 134; Ath. 3, 2). σπουδὴν πᾶσαν παρεισενέγκαντες ἐπιχορηγήσατε make every effort to add 2 Pt 1:5 (πᾶσα σπ., a freq. formulation in civic decrees [s. the indexes in various ins. corpora]; also, inter alia, PTebt I, 33, 18f; Philo, Leg. ad Gai. 338, Sacr. Abel. 68); πᾶσαν σπ. ποιεῖσθαι (s. ποιέω 7a) be very eager w. inf. foll. (Philostrat., Ep. 1) Jd 3; πᾶσαν εἰσήγησε (=εἰσήγησαι) σπουδὴν παραγενέσθαι ἐνθάδε make every effort to come here AcPlCor 1:16. σπουδὴ τοῦ συλληφθῆναι τοιοῦτον ἄνδρα MPol 7:2.—DELG s.v. σπεύδω. M-M. TW. Spicq.

στηριγμός, οῦ, ὁ (στηρίζω; Aristot. et al. in the sense ‘standing still’.—Is 3:1 Sym. [LXX; En 18:5; TestJud 15:3, 6 have στήριγμα]) in our lit. only fig.

① a state of security, safe position τοῦ στ. ἐκπίπτειν lose one’s firm hold 2 Pt 3:17 (REB: safe foothold; NRSV: stability). But the term ς. may also be understood in the sense

② firm commitment to conviction or belief, steadfastness τοῦ στ. ἐκπίπτειν lose one’s firmness of commitment 2 Pt 3:17.—DELG s.v. στηρίζω. M-M. TW.

ἀναλογία, ας, ἡ (s. λόγος; Pre-Socr. et al.; Philo; Jos., Ant. 15, 396; Just., A I, 17, 4; Ath., R. 75, 28; Iren. 1, 14, 5 [Harv. I 139, 3]) a state of right relationship involving proportion, proportion κατὰ (τὴν) ἀναλογίαν in right relationship to, in agreement w., or in proportion to (Pla., Polit. 257b; PFlor 50, 91 [III A.D.]; Lev 27:18 acc. to Field, Hexapla κατὰ ἀναλογίαν τῶν ἐτῶν. Cp. Philo, Virtut. 95) κατὰ τὴν ἀ. τῆς πίστεως in agreement w. (or in proportion to) the share of commitment one has (REB: in proportion to our faith; i.e. each gift is accompanied by a distribution of commitment or fidelity adequate for implementing the gift [s. Ro 12:3 ὡς ὁ θεὸς ἐμέρισεν μέτρον πίστεως]) Ro 12:6. For the understanding of πίστις here in the sense of ‘the Christian faith’ s. πίστις 3.—DELG s.v. λέγω. M-M. TW. Sv.

βέβαιος, α, ον (s. the next βεβαι-entries; Aeschyl., Hdt. et al.; ins, pap, rare in LXX, freq. in Philo; Jos., Ant. 13, 187; 14, 398; Just.) gener. relating to stability: ‘firm, permanent’.

① of something that can be relied on not to cause disappointment, reliable, in metaph. of an anchor (w. ἀσφαλής) unshifting Hb 6:19 of hope (cp. Dionys. Hal. 6, 51; Plut., Ant. 917 [3, 7]; 4 Macc 17:4) whose realization can be counted on because it does not move, being set down in the ‘holy of holies’. Sim. ἡ ἐλπὶς ἡμῶν βεβαία ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν our hope for you is firm 2 Cor 1:7 (=our expectation [of things to be fulfilled] for you is not misplaced). ἔχομεν βεβαιότερον (for superl.; cp. Stob., Flor. IV 625, 2 βεβαιοτέραν ἔχε τ. φιλίαν πρὸς τ. γονεῖς) τὸν προφητικὸν λόγον we possess the prophetic word as something that is (now) all the more reliable 2 Pt 1:19 (on β. ἔχειν cp. Thu. 1, 32; Appian, Bell. Civ. 5, 19 §78 ἔχειν τι βέβαιον=have a firm hold on something; UPZ 162 II, 10 [117 B.C.]; s. also Diod S in 2); for other interpretations see comm. Of things revealed reliable (w. ἰσχυρός, τεθεμελιωμένος) Hv 3, 4, 3.

② pert. to having continuity or being unwavering and persistent, abiding (ψυχή Did., Gen. 197, 4; of a just pers. TKellis 22, 103 [w. ἁγνός]): of boldness and hope that remain constant, steadfast Hb 3:6 v.l.; of πίστις unwavering (Appian, Liby. 64 §284 πίστις ἐστὶ βέβαιος; Diod S 2, 29, 4 πιστεύοντες βεβαιότερον=accept all the more confidently; Simplicius in Epict. p. 110, 37 πίστις βεβαία=firm faith in the immortality of the soul on the basis of a declaration by a μάντις; Esth 3:13c; 3 Macc 5:31) 1 Cl 1:2. Of love steadfast MPol 1:2. ἀρχὴν τῆς ὑποστάσεως βεβαίαν κατέχειν hold firm the original commitment Hb 3:14. (W. ἀσφαλής) ISm 8:2. ἐπὶ τὸν τῆς πίστεως βέβαιον δρόμον καταντῆσαι steadfastly finish the course of faith 1 Cl 6:2. Of the Corinthian congregation well-established, dependable (Appian, Iber. 37 §150 ἀνὴρ β., Bell. Civ. 2, 13 §47 a servant) 47:6.—ἡ βεβαία τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν ῥίζα dependable root of your faith Pol 1:2 in ref. to constancy in a productive Christian life.

③ pert. to having validity over a period of time, in force, valid of a promise that applies to all pers. Ro 4:16; of the eucharist ISm 8:1. ὁ λόγος ἐγένετο βέβαιος (on λόγος β. cp. Pla., Phd. 90c λόγος β. καὶ ἀληθής) the word was in force Hb 2:2 (β. of the Mosaic law as Philo, Mos. 2, 14); a last will and testament valid (opp. οὐκ ἰσχύει ‘lack force’; legal t.t., s. JBehm, Διαθήκη 1912, 87, 4) Hb 9:17. βεβαίαν τὴν κλῆσιν ποιεῖσθαι keep the call in force i.e. confirm it so that it does not lapse (cp. Ael. Aristid. 13 p. 250 D.: βεβ. ἐλευθερία) 2 Pt 1:10; β. εἶναι be in force IRo 3:1 (Ignatius fears that the instructions given by the Romans to others about dying for the faith will not apply to him; he wants them to be consistent).—B. 1237. DELG. M-M. TW. Spicq.

βεβαιόω fut. βεβαιώσω; 1 aor. ἐβεβαίωσα, pass. ἐβεβαιώθην (s. βέβαιος; Thu.+; ins, pap, rare in LXX; Philo, Op. M. 99; Jos., Ant. 1, 273; 17, 42; 20, 28; Tat. 32, 2; Ath. 22, 7) w. acc.

① to put someth. beyond doubt, confirm, establish, τὸν λόγον confirm the preaching Mk 16:20 (Ael. Aristid. 25, 64 K.= 43 p. 821 D., τὸν λόγον; Sextus 177 τ. λόγους. Cp. Epict. 2, 18, 32 τότε βεβαιώσεις τὸ τοῦ Ἡσιόδου ὅτι ἀληθές ἐστιν Iren. 4, 18, 5 [Harv. II 205, 3] τὴν γνώμην). τὰς ἐπαγγελίας prove the promises reliable, fulfill (them) Ro 15:8 (cp. Polyb. 3, 111, 10 βεβαιώσειν ἡμῖν πέπεισμαι τὰς ἐπαγγελίας; Diod S 1, 5, 3; IPriene 123, 9 ἐβεβαίωσεν τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν). Of faith ταῦτα πάντα βεβαιοῖ 1 Cl 22:1.—Pass. τὸ μαρτύριον τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐβεβαιώθη ἐν ὑμῖν our attestation of Christ was ratified in you 1 Cor 1:6 (i.e. Paul’s proclamation concerning God’s beneficence displayed in Christ was validated by the gifts evident in the Corinthian congregation, vs. 7). (ἡ σωτηρία) εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐβεβαιώθη the saving message was guaranteed to us Hb 2:3 (as of someth. legally validated; cp. Ael. Aristid. 46 p. 288 D.: σωτηρίαν β. τινι; POxy 1119, 17; β. is also legal t.t. to designate properly guaranteed security: PFay 92, 19; POxy 899; 1036; s. Dssm., B 100ff [BS 104ff] and s. βεβαίωσις). For Hb 13:9 s. below.

② to make a pers. firm in commitment, establish, strengthen (cp. Ps 40:13; 118:28) ὁ βεβαιῶν ἡμᾶς εἰς Χριστόν the one who strengthens us in Christ=makes us faithful disciples 2 Cor 1:21 (EDinkler, OCullmann Festschr., ’62, 177–80: baptismal terminology). ὸ̔ς καὶ βεβαιώσει ὑμᾶς ἀνεγκλήτους who will strengthen you, so that you are blameless 1 Cor 1:8. Pass. be confirmed in faith Col 2:7; in instruction IMg 13:1. Hb 13:9 make firm, strengthen belongs here, since the imagery of a heart made firm is semantically equivalent in ancient culture to inward strengthening of the pers.—M-M. TW. Spicq.

ζάω contr. ζῶ (Hom.+) impf. ἔζων (Ro 7:9 B ἔζην; on this form s. Schwyzer I 675; B-D-F §88; Mlt-H. 194, both w. ref.); fut. ζήσω (uniformly attested Ro 6:2; Hb 12:9); the later (since Hippocr. VII p. 536 L.; LXX; AscIs 3:9; Jos., Ant. 1, 193 al.) form ζήσομαι (B-D-F §77; Rob. 356) is more common (on the fut. forms s. JLee, NovT 22, ’80, 289–98; GKilpatrick, ibid. 25, ’83, 146–51); 1 aor. ἔζησα. On the LXX usage s. Thackeray 269; for forms in pap, Gignac II 370.

① to be alive physically, live

ⓐ of physical life in contrast to death

α. gener. Ac 22:22; Ro 7:1, 2, 3; 14:8ac; 1 Cor 7:39; 2 Cor 5:15a; 6:9; Hb 9:17. ψυχὴ ζῶσα a living soul (Gen 1:20 al.; Just., D. 6, 1 ζῇ ψυχῇ) 1 Cor 15:45 (Gen 2:7); Rv 16:3 v.l. ὅσα ἔτη ζῇ as many years as he lives B 10:6 (cp. SIG 663, 6; Sb 173, 6 Αὐρήλιος ζήσας ἔτη νε´; En 10:10). τὸ ζῆν life (Attic wr., ins, pap, LXX) ὥστε ἐξαπορηθῆναι ἡμᾶς καὶ τοῦ ζῆν so that we even despaired of life 2 Cor 1:8. διὰ παντὸς τοῦ ζῆν during the whole lifetime Hb 2:15 (cp. Diod S 1, 74, 3 διατελεῖν πάντα τὸν τοῦ ζῆν χρόνον; 4, 46, 4). ἔτι ζῶν while he was still living= before his death Mt 27:63 (CB I/2 660 no. 618 Ζώσιμος ἔτι ζῶν κατεσκεύασεν; 3 Km 12:6). ζῶντες ἐβλήθησαν … εἰς τὴν λίμνην τοῦ πυρός they were thrown alive into the lake of fire Rv 19:20. ζῶσα τέθνηκεν though alive she is dead 1 Ti 5:6 (cp. Sextus 7). ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες we during our (earthly) life 2 Cor 4:11; the same phrase= we who are still living 1 Th 4:15, 17. Here the opp. is νεκροί, as in Mt 22:32; Mk 12:27; Lk 20:38a. ζῶντες καὶ νεκροί the living and the dead Ac 10:42; Ro 14:9b; 2 Ti 4:1; 1 Pt 4:5; 2 Cl 1:1; B 7:2.—Occasionally the contrast betw. νεκρός and ζῆν is used fig. with ref. to the realm of religion and ethics Lk 15:24 v.l., 32.

β. of dead persons who return to life become alive again: of humans in general (3 Km 17:23) Mt 9:18; Ac 9:41; 20:12; Rv 20:4, 5; AcPl Ha 11, 7. Of Jesus Mk 16:11; Lk 24:5, 23; Ac 1:3; 25:19; Ro 14:9a; 2 Cor 13:4a; Rv 1:18b; 2:8 (Just., D. 69, 6 νεκροὺς … ζῆν ποιήσας).

γ. of sick persons, if their illness terminates not in death but in recovery be well, recover (Artem. 4, 4 ἔζησεν ὁ παῖς=became well; 5, 71; 72; PGM 1, 188; 4 Km 1:2; 8:8 εἰ ζήσομαι ἐκ τῆς ἀρρωστίας μου ταύτης; Jos., Vi. 421) Mk 5:23; J 4:50, 51, 53.—Of removal of anxiety 1 Th 3:8.

δ. also of healthy persons live on, remain alive (X., An. 3, 2, 39 ὅστις δὲ ζῆν ἐπιθυμεῖ πειράσθω νικᾶν; Ep. 56 of Apollonius of Tyana [Philostrat. I 359, 14]; ApcMos 31 διὰ τί σὺ ἀποθνῄσκεις καγὼ ζῶ;) Ac 25:24; 28:4. ἐὰν ὁ κύριος θελήσῃ ζήσομεν Js 4:15. ὸ̓ς ἔχει τὴν πληγὴν τῆς μαχαίρης καὶ ἔζησεν Rv 13:14.

ε. of beings that in reality, or as they are portrayed, are not subject to death: of Melchizedek Hb 7:8 (opp. ἀποθνῄσκοντες ἄνθρωποι). Jesus as everlasting high priest πάντοτε ζῶν 7:25.—In this sense it is most comprehensively applied to God (s. CBurchard, Untersuch. zu JosAs p. 103) (ὁ) θεὸς (ὁ) ζῶν (cp. 4 Km 19:4, 16; Is 37:4, 17; Hos 2:1; Da 6:21 Theod.; 3 Macc 6:28; TestAbr A 17 p. 99, 10 [Stone p. 46]; TestJob 37:2; JosAs 49:3 al.; SibOr 3, 763; POxy 924, 11 [IV A.D., Gnostic]; PGM 4, 1038 ὁ μέγας ζῶν θεός; 7, 823; 12, 79; Philo, Decal. 67 ὁ ζῶν ἀεὶ θεός; Orig., C. Cels. 8, 59, 18.—The phrase ‘the living God’ is not found in Joseph.) Mt 16:16; 26:63; J 6:69 v.l.; Ac 14:15; Ro 9:26 (Hos 2:1); 2 Cor 3:3; 6:16; 1 Th 1:9; 1 Ti 3:15; 4:10; 6:17 v.l.; Hb 3:12; 9:14; 10:31; 12:22; Rv 1:18a; 4:10; 7:2; 10:6; 2 Cl 20:2; GJs 20:1; AcPl Ha 2, 32; also ὁ ζῶν πατήρ J 6:57. W. the addition εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων Rv 15:7; cp. 4:9 (cp. Tob 13:2; Sir 18:1). God takes a sovereign oath in the words ζῶ ἐγώ as surely as I live (Num 14:28 al.) Ro 14:11 (Is 49:18; classical parallels GStählin, NovT 5, ’62, 142 n. 2). ζῇ κύριος ὁ θεός [μου] as surely as the Lord my God lives GJs 4:1; 6:1; 13:3; 15:3; 19:3 (Judg 8:19; 1 Km 25:34 al; GrBar 1:7; cp. ApcEsdr 2:7); in expanded form καὶ ζῇ ὁ Χριστὸς αὐτοῦ 15:4 (s. deStrycker ad loc.).—Christ lives διὰ τὸν πατέρα because of the Father J 6:57b (s. Bultmann, comm. ad loc.).

ⓑ w. mention of that upon which life depends ἐπί τινι on the basis of someth. (Andoc. 1, 100; Isocr. 10, 18; Ael. Aristid. 28, 103 K.=49 p. 525 D.) ζ. ἐπʼ ἄρτῳ live on bread Mt 4:4; Lk 4:4 (both Dt 8:3). ζ. ἔκ τινος obtain one’s living fr. someth. (Aristoph., Eccl. 591; Demosth. 57, 36; POxy 1117, 19; 1557, 12; TestJob 47:1f) 1 Cor 9:14.

ⓒ w. more precise mention of the sphere (Artem. 3, 62 ἐν ἀγορᾷ ζ.=spend his life in the marketplace) ζ. ἐν σαρκί live in the flesh in contrast to the heavenly life Phil 1:22; Gal 2:20c; ζ. ἐν κόσμῳ live in the world Col 2:20. ζ. ἐν θεῷ, live in God (as the Being who penetrates and embraces everything) Ac 17:28 (s. κινέω 3). For AcPl Ha 1, 15 s. 2a end.

② to live in a transcendent sense, live, of the sanctified life of a child of God (ζῆν in the sense of a higher type of life than the animal: X., Mem. 3, 3, 11; Cass. Dio 69, 19: after years of public service, Similis retires and prepares this epitaph: Σίμιλις ἐνταύθα κεῖται βιοὺς μὲν ἔτη τόσα, ζήσας δὲ ἔτη ἑπτά=Here lies Similis, existing for so many years, but alive for only seven.).

ⓐ in the world ἐγὼ ἔζων χωρὶς νόμου ποτέ I was once (truly) alive without law (this has been interpr. to mean when no law existed; Paul is then regarded as speaking fr. the viewpoint of humanity in paradise before the command Gen 2:16 f; 3:3. Another interpr. thinks of Paul as referring to the period in his life when he was not conscious of the existence and significance of the law. In view of Paul’s climactic affirmation in Ro 7:25, Paul probably illustrates in the first person the perils of a Christian who succumbs to the illusion that moral action is connected with law rather than with the ‘spirit of life in Christ’ Ro 8:2) Ro 7:9. Even now those who listen to the voice of the Son of God enjoy this life J 5:25; cp. 11:26; likew. those who receive him into their being ὁ τρώγων τὸν ἄρτον 6:57c; cp. Ro 6:11, 13 (ἐκ νεκρῶν ζῶντας); Gal 2:19; Rv 3:1. This heavenly life on earth is a ζ. πνεύματι Gal 5:25 or a life not of mere human achievement, but of Christ who lives in Christians 2:20ab. Also of the superhuman power of the apostle ζήσομεν σὺν αὐτῷ ἐκ δυνάμεως θεοῦ εἰς ὑμᾶς we shall live with him (Christ) through God’s power in our dealings with you 2 Cor 13:4. ὁ κύριος βούλεται ζῆν ἡμᾶς ἐν θεῷ=the Lord wills that we live under God’s direction AcPl Ha 1, 15 (opp. ἀποθανεῖν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις; s. 1c end)

ⓑ in the glory of the life to come (Sir 48:11; cp. Dt 4:1; 8:1; 30:16).

α. abs. Lk 10:28; J 11:25; 14:19; Ro 8:13b; Hb 12:9. ἐμοὶ τ. ζῆν Χριστός= life is possible for me only where Christ is (hence death is gain) Phil 1:21 (s. OSchmitz, GHeinrici Festschr. 1914, 155–69). Another common interpr. is for me to live is Christ, i.e. while I am alive I experience real life in connection with Christ; w. death comes life in all fullness in the presence of Jesus.

β. More specifically εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα have eternal life (Ps.-Lucian, Philopatr. 17 ζῆν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα; PsSol 14:2) J 6:51, 58 (in J the blessed life which the follower of Jesus enjoys here and now in the body is simply continued in the heavenly life of the future. In other respects also the dividing line betw. the present and the future life is somet. nonexistent or at least not discernible); B 6:3; 8:5; 9:2; 11:10f; ἅμα σὺν αὐτῷ (i.e. Χριστῷ) ζ. live together with Christ 1 Th 5:10; ζ. διʼ αὐτοῦ (i.e. Chr.) 1J 4:9; ζ. κατὰ θεὸν πνεύματι live, as God (lives), in the Spirit 1 Pt 4:6. ὁ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται (cp. Hab 2:4) he that is just through faith will have life Ro 1:17 (AFeuillet, NTS 6, ’59, 52–80; but s. Fitzmyer, Ro [AB] ad loc.); Gal 3:11; Hb 10:38. This life is τὸ ἀληθινὸν ζῆν ITr 9:2; IEph 11:1. Christ is called τὸ ἀδιάκριτον ἡμῶν ζῆν our unshakable or inseparable life 3:2. τὸ διὰ παντὸς ἡμῶν ζῆν our total life 1 Mg 1:2—The law-directed pers. believes concerning legal performance: ὁ ποιήσας αὐτὰ ζήσεται ἐν αὐτοῖς (Lev 18:5) Gal 3:12; cp. Ro 10:5 (cp. Dio Chrys. 58 [75], 1 οἱ τοῦτον [= τ. νόμον] φυλάττοντες ἔχονται τῆς σωτηρίας=those who observe law have a firm grip on security).

③ to conduct oneself in a pattern of behavior, live (Hom. et al.)

ⓐ used w. adverbs or other modifiers: adv. (Sallust. 19 p. 34, 25 κακῶς ζῆν [Just., A I, 4, 7]; SIG 889, 13ff; Wsd 14:28; Philo; Jos., Ant. 12, 198; Ath. 3, 1 δίκην θηρίων) ἀσώτως Lk 15:13. ἐθνικῶς and ἰουδαϊκῶς Gal 2:14. εὐσεβῶς 2 Ti 3:12. πανούργως Hm 3, 3. σωφρόνως κ. δικαίως κ. εὐσεβῶς Tit 2:12 (Plut., Mor. 1108c ζῆν σωφρόνως κ. δικαίως; cp. Diog. L. 10, 132; 140; Ar. 15, 10).—Φαρισαῖος live as a Pharisee Ac 26:5. ἐν πίστει Gal 2:20d. ἐν ἁμαρτίᾳ Ro 6:2; ζ. ἐν τούτοις live in these (sins) Col 3:7. κατὰ ἀλήθειαν in keeping w. the truth IEph 6:2 (cp. Philo, Post. Cai. 73 κατὰ βούλημα τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ζ.; Jos., Ant. 4, 302 κατὰ τ. νόμους ζ.; Just., D. 47, 4 κατὰ τὸν νόμον; Orig., C. Cels. 7, 12, 7 κατὰ τὰς θείας γραφάς). κατὰ θεόν 8:1 (cp. SIG 910 A and B). κατὰ Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν IPhld 3:2. κατὰ Χριστιανισμόν live in accordance w. (our) commitment to Christ IMg 10:1. κατὰ σάρκα Ro 8:12f; Dg 5:8; κατὰ κυριακὴν ζ. (opp. σαββατίζειν) include the observance of the Lord’s day in one’s life IMg 9:1. Of a married woman ζ. μετὰ ἀνδρός live w. her husband Lk 2:36 (for the added acc. of extent of time cp. Ael. Aristid. 46 p. 332 D.; Pr 28:16; ἥτις ἔζησεν καλῶς μετʼ ἐμοῦ ἔτη 28, μῆνας 4, ἡμέρας 5: SEG II, 384, 6–8 [restored]; s. also FDanker, Jesus and the New Age ’88, 71).

ⓑ τινί live for someone or someth., for the other’s benefit (Hom. et al.; Demosth. 7, 17 οἳ οὐκ αἰσχύνονται Φιλίππῳ ζῶντες καὶ οὐ τῇ ἑαυτῶν πατρίδι; Dionys. Hal. 3, 17 … παῖδες, τῷ πατρὶ ζῶντες) ζ. τῷ θεῷ (4 Macc 7:19; 16:25; Philo, Mut. Nom. 13, Rer. Div. Her. 111; s. SAalen, NTS 13, ’67, 10) Lk 20:38b (cp. Soph., Ajax 970); Ro 6:10, 11; Gal 2:19; Hm 3:5; AcPl Ha 10, 7; τῷ κυρίῳ Ro 14:8b (cp. Plut., Cleom. 819 [31, 5]). For Christ 2 Cor 5:15; τῷ ἐμῷ βασιλεῖ AcPl Ha 9, 26 (restored after Aa I 112, 14) τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ ζ. 1 Pt 2:24; ἑαυτῷ ζ. live for oneself (Menand., Fgm. 646 Kö. οὐχ ἑαυτῷ ζῆν μόνον; Diod S 10, 33, 2 ζ. ἑαυτοῖς=live for themselves) Ro 14:7.

④ to be full of vitality, be lively the ptc. is used fig. w. respect to things (cp. τῶν δένδρων τῶν ζῶντων ParJer 9:3), of spring water in contrast w. cistern water ὕδωρ ζῶν (Gen 26:19; Lev 14:5; Jer 2:13 v.l.; Zech 14:8.—Stagnant water is called ὕ. νεκρόν: Synes., Ep. 114, 254d) J 4:10f (Hdb. exc. on J 4:14); 7:38; D 7:1f (Wengst p. 77 n. 57). ζώσας πηγάς Rv 7:17 v.l.

⑤ to be life-productive, offer life ptc. used w. respect to things (SIG 1173 [138 A.D.], 5 ζῶσαι ἀρεταὶ ἐγένοντο=miracles full of divine life occurred) λόγια ζῶντα words that meant life Ac 7:38. λόγος ζῶν θεοῦ 1 Pt 1:23; cp. Hb 4:12. ὁδὸς ζῶσα a living way 10:20. ἐλπὶς ζῶσα a living hope 1 Pt 1:3.—ζ. is also used of things which serve as descriptions of pers. who communicate divine life: of Christ ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ζῶν J 6:51a. λίθος ζῶν 1 Pt 2:4. Of Christians: θυσία ζῶσα a living sacrifice Ro 12:1. λίθοι ζῶντες 1 Pt 2:5.—τὰ παρὰ ζώσης φωνῆς καὶ μενούσης the (words) of a living and abiding voice Papias (2:4) (opp. ἐκ τῶν βιβλίων).—Lit. s. ζωή end. DELG s.v. ζώω.M-M. TW.

κρατέω impf. ἐκράτουν; fut. κρατήσω; 1 aor. ἐκράτησα; pf. 1 pl. κεκρατήκαμεν 1 Macc 15:33, inf. κεκρατηκέναι; plpf. 3 sg. κεκρατήκει 4 Macc 6:32. Pass.: impf. ἐκρατούμην; fut. 3 pl. κρατηθήσονται; aor. ἐκρατήθην Eccl 9:12 v.l.; pf. κεκράτημαι, 3 pl. κεκράτηνται (Hom.+). The primary signification is exercise of power, then by transference

① to accomplish someth. by overcoming obstacles, attain (Diod S 3, 54, 7 κ. τῆς ἐπιβολῆς=attain the purpose; likew. 17, 77, 4 and 20, 25, 3; Appian, Bell. Civ. 3, 61 §249 οὐ … ἐκράτησε) τῆς προθέσεως the purpose Ac 27:13 (s. Field, Notes 144).

② to use one’s hands to establish a close contact, hold

ⓐ hold τινά someone (fast) w. the hand (TestAbr A 12 p. 91, 19 [Stone p. 30]), so that the pers. cannot go away Ac 3:11.

ⓑ hold in the hand (SibOr 3, 49; TestAbr A 10 p. 87, 29 [Stone p. 22]; A 12 p. 91, 5 [Stone p. 30] al.; GrBar 11:8) τὶ ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ Rv 2:1 (Polemo Perieg. [c. 200 B.C.] in Athen. 11, 67, 484c ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ κώθωνα κ.; cp. Plut., Mor. 99d).

③ to take control of someone or someth., seize, control

ⓐ of taking into custody arrest, apprehend τινά someone (cp. Ps 136:9; AscIs 3:12) Mt 14:3; 21:46; 26:4, 48, 50, 55, 57 (on the arrest of Jesus s. Feigel, Weidel, Finegan s.v. Ἰούδας 6); Mk 6:17; 12:12; 14:1, 44, 46, 49, 51; Ac 24:6; Rv 20:2.

ⓑ of taking hold of forcibly and also without the use of force take hold of, grasp, seize (cp. 2 Km 6:6; SSol 3:4; TestSol 22:10); w. acc. of pers. or thing Mt 12:11; 18:28; 22:6; 28:9; κρατῆσαι αὐτόν take control of (Jesus) Mk 3:21. κ. ῥάβδον τῇ χειρί take hold of a staff w. the hand Hs 9, 6, 3 (cp. PGM 5, 451 κράτει τῇ ἀριστερᾷ σου τὸν δακτύλιον; Synes., Ep. 58 p. 202 πόδα). τῆς χειρός (τινος) take hold of (someone’s) hand (B-D-F §170, 2; Rob. 475; 1391; Ps 72:23; Gen 19:16; JosAs 29:3; ParJer 6:2; Jos., Bell. 1, 352) Mt 9:25; Mk 1:31; 5:41; 9:27; Lk 8:54; B 14:7 (Is 42:6). τινὰ τῆς χειρός take someone by the hand Mk 9:27 v.l.; cp. B 12:11 (Is 45:1).

④ to hold up or serve as a foundation for someth., hold upright, support τὶ someth. Hs 9, 8, 5. τὰς χεῖρας v 3, 8, 3 (s. MDibelius, Hdb. ad loc.). Pass. be supported ὑπό τινος by someth. Hv 3, 3, 5. W. ἀπό instead of ὑπό: κρατοῦνται ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων receive support fr. one another (here w. focus on mutuality) 3, 8, 7. W. διά: ὁ κόσμος διὰ τεσσάρων στοιχείων κρατεῖται the world is supported by four elements 3, 13, 3.

⑤ to control in such a way that someth. does not happen, hold back or restrain from, hinder in an action: w. acc. (so TestJob 35:1), foll. by ἵνα μή Rv 7:1. Pass. be prevented foll. by τοῦ μή and inf. (TestSol 10:43 C; B-D-F §400, 4; Rob. 1061; 1425) their eyes ἐκρατοῦντο τοῦ μὴ ἐπιγνῶναι Lk 24:16, prob. w. a suggestion of both physical and inward sight (cp. 4 Km 6:15–23; s. διανοίγω 1b).—Hold in one’s power (PTebt 61b, 229; POxy 237 VIII, 34; TestSol 6:3; Jos., C. Ap. 1, 84; Mel., P. 100, 769) pass. οὐκ ἦν δυνατὸν κρατεῖσθαι αὐτὸν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ it was impossible for him (Christ) to be held in its (death’s) power Ac 2:24.

⑥ to adhere strongly to, hold

ⓐ of commitment to someone or someth. hold fast (to) someone or someth., and hence remain closely united. W. acc. τὴν κεφαλήν hold fast to the Head (i.e. to Christ) Col 2:19 (cp. SSol 3:4 ἐκράτησα αὐτὸν καὶ οὐκ ἀφήσω [ἀφῆκα BS] αὐτόν). τί to someth. (TestNapht 3:1 τὸ θέλημα τ. θεοῦ) τὴν παράδοσιν Mk 7:3; cp. vss. 4, 8; 2 Th 2:15. τὴν διδαχήν Rv 2:14f. τὸ ὄνομά μου vs. 13.—W. gen. of thing (Stephan. Byz. s.v. Γυναικόπολις: in the absence of the men τὰς γυναῖκας κρατῆσαι τοῦ πολέμου=the women kept the war going; Pr 14:18; Jos., Ant. 6, 116 τοῦ λογισμοῦ) τῆς ὁμολογίας hold fast to our confession Hb 4:14. τῆς ἐλπίδος 6:18. τῶν ἔργων τινός Hv 3, 8, 8.

ⓑ hold fast, keep hold of someth. that belongs to oneself, so that it cannot be taken away Rv 2:25; 3:11.

ⓒ keep to oneself a saying, in order to occupy oneself w. it later Mk 9:10.

⑦ to cause a condition to continue, hold in place κ. τὰς ἁμαρτίας pronounce the sins unforgiven (opp. ἀφιέναι) J 20:23.—B. 746. DELG s.v. κράτος. M-M. TW.

νέκρωσις, εως, ἡ (νεκρόω; Aretaeus p. 32, 16; Soranus p. 140, 3; Galen: CMG V/9, 2 p. 87, 10; 313, 16 ν. τοῦ σώματος; Porphyr., Abst. 4, 20 p. 262, 20 Nauck; Proclus on Pla., Rep. 2, 117, 16 Kr. of the trees in spring: ἐκτινάσσειν τὴν ν.; Photius, Bibl. 513, 36 οἱ γὰρ κόκκοι μετὰ τ. νέκρωσιν ἀναζῶσι).

① death as process, death, putting to death, (Iren. 3, 18, 3 [Harv. II 97, 4]) lit. πάντοτε τ. νέκρωσιν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι περιφέροντες we always carry about in our body the putting to death of Jesus (of the constant danger of death in which the apostle lives because of his commitment to Jesus) 2 Cor 4:10.

② cessation of a state or activity, deadness, mortification fig. ext. of 1 (cp. the definition of νεκρόω):

ⓐ of the state of being unable to bear children because of passage through menopause ἡ ν. τῆς μήτρας Σάρρας the deadness of Sarah’s womb Ro 4:19.

ⓑ of a state of ineffectual or useless living ἀποτίθεσθαι τὴν ν. τῆς ζωῆς τῆς προτέρας lay aside the deadness of their former life i.e. the dead life they formerly led (before baptism) Hs 9, 16, 2f. νέκρωσις τῆς καρδίας deadening Mk 3:5 D (cp. Epict. 1, 5, 4 ἀπονέκρωσις τῆς ψυχῆς).—DELG s.v. νεκρός. M-M. TW.

παραπίπτω 2 aor. παρέπεσον, 1 pl. παρεπέσαμεν (B-D-F §81, 3; s. Mlt-H. 208f); pf. 2 sg. παραπέπτωκας Ezk 22:4 (Trag., Hdt. et al.; pap, LXX; TestSol 10:8 P; Jos., Ant. 19, 285. In the pap mostly = become lost) lit. ‘fall beside’, then ‘go astray, miss’ (Polyb. 3, 54, 5 τῆς ὁδοῦ; fig. 12, 12, 2 τῆς ἀληθείας; 8, 11, 8 τοῦ καθήκοντος); abs. (X., Hell. 1, 6, 4; Polyb. 18, 36, 6=make a mistake) and in the sense to fail to follow through on a commitment, fall away, commit apostasy (Wsd 6:9; 12:2; Ezk 22:4) Hb 6:6 (s. KBornhäuser, Empfänger u. Verf. des Hb ’32). Also w. acc. of inner content (cognate; B-D-F §154; Rob. 477f) ὅσα παρεπέσαμεν whatever sins we have committed 1 Cl 51:1.—M-M. TW.

πόθεν interrog. adv. (Hom.+) in direct and indir. questions: ‘from where, from which, whence’.

① interrogative expression of extension from a local source, from what place? from where? (Hom. et al.; Gen 16:8; 29:4; Tob 7:3; Jos., Ant. 9, 211; 11, 210) Mt 15:33; Mk 8:4 (QQuesnell, The Mind of Mark ’69, 164–68); Lk 13:25, 27 (2 Cl 4:5); J 3:8 and sim. IPhld 7:1 (s. EvdGoltz, Ign. v. Ant. 1894, 134–36); J 4:11; perh. 6:5, but s. 3 below; 8:14ab (πόθεν ἦλθον καὶ ποῦ ὑπάγω. See GWetter, Eine gnost. Formel im vierten Ev.: ZNW 18, 1918, 49–63); 9:29f; 19:9; Rv 7:13. πόθεν αὕτη εἴη ἡ φωνή whence this voice might have come GJs 11:1.—In imagery μνημόνευε πόθεν πέπτωκες remember from what (state) you have fallen Rv 2:5. γινώσκομεν πόθεν ἐλυτρώθημεν we realize from what (state) we have been redeemed B 14:7. πόθεν ἐκλήθημεν 2 Cl 1:2.

② interrogative expression of derivation fr. a source, from what source? brought about or given by whom? born of whom? (Hom. et al.; Jos., Vi. 334; Just., A I, 29, 4) Mt 13:27, 54, 56; 21:25; Mk 6:2; Lk 20:7; J 2:9; Js 4:1ab; B 10:12; IEph 19:2; GJs 13:3. πόθεν ἐστίν J 7:27ab could be interpreted in accordance w. 6:42, and then would mean of what kind of parents he was born. But a more general sense is also prob.

③ interrogative expression of cause or reason, how, why, in what way? (Aeschyl. et al.) Mk 12:37. In a question expressing surprise (Att.; Jer 15:18) Lk 1:43; GJs 12:2 (πόθεν ἐμοί Plut., Mor. 526f); J 1:48; 6:5 (Field, Notes 91 ‘with what’, s. 1). [π]ό̣θ̣ε̣[ν] ἔ̣χαιτε (=ἔχετε) [το͂ν βασιλέα τοῦτον, ὅτι αὐτῷ πιστεύ]ε̣τε whence do you have this king, so that you believe in him (=whence does your king come, to invite such commitment from you) AcPl Ha 9, 30f.—DELG s.v. πο-. Frisk. M-M.

① maker of stage properties (acc. to Pollux 7, 189 the Old Comedy used the word as a synonym for μηχανοποιός=either a ‘stagehand’ who moved stage properties [as Aristoph., Pax 174] or a ‘manufacturer of stage properties’. Associated terms include σκηνογράφος Diog. L. 2, 125 and σκηνογραφία Arist., Poet. 1449a and Polyb. 12, 28a, 1, in ref. to painting of stage scenery) Ac 18:3. But if one understands σκηνή not as ‘scene’ but as ‘tent’ and considers it improbable that Prisca, Aquila, and Paul would have practiced such a trade in the face of alleged religious objections (s. Schürer II 54–55 on Jewish attitudes towards theatrical productions), one would follow the traditional rendering

② tentmaker. This interpretation has long enjoyed favor (s. Lampe s.v.; REB, NRSV; Hemer, Acts 119, 233), but several considerations militate against it. The term σκηνοποιός is not used outside the Bible (and its influence), except for Pollux (above) and Herm. Wr. 516, 10f=Stob. I, 463, 7ff. There it appears as an adj. and in a figurative sense concerning production of a dwelling appropriate for the soul. The context therefore clearly indicates a structure as the primary component, but in the absence of such a qualifier in Ac 18:3 it is necessary to take account of words and expressions that similarly contain the terms σκηνή and ποιεῖν. A survey of usage indicates that σκηνή appears freq. as the obj. of ποιέω in the sense ‘pitch’ or ‘erect a tent’ (s. ποιέω 1a; act. σκηνοποιέω Is 13:20 Sym. οὐδὲ σκηνοποιήσει ἐκεῖ ῎ Αραψ; 22:15 Sym.; mid. σκηνοποιέομαι Aristot., Meteor. 348b, 35; Clearch., Fgm. 48 W.; Polyb. 14, 1, 7; Diod S 3, 27, 4; Ps.-Callisth. 2, 9, 8.—Cp. σκηνοποιί̈α Aeneas Tact. 8, 3; Polyb. 6, 28, 3; ins, RevArch 3, ’34, 40; and acc. to the text. trad. of Dt 31:10 as an alternate expr. for σκηνοπηγία.—Ex 26:1, it is granted, offers clear evidence of use of the non-compounded σκηνή + ποιέω in the sense ‘produce’ or ‘manufacture [not pitch] a tent’, but the context makes the meaning unmistakable; cp. Herodian 7, 2, 4 on the building of rude housing). Analogously σκηνοποιός would mean ‘one who pitches or erects tents’, linguistically a more probable option than that of ‘tentmaker’, but in the passages cited for σκηνοποιέω and σκηνοποιί̈α components in the context (cp. the case for provision of housing in the Hermetic pass.) clearly point to the denotation ‘pitching of tents’, whereas Ac 18:3 lacks such a clear qualifier. Moreover, it is questionable whether residents of nomadic areas would depend on specialists to assist in such a common task (s. Mt 17:4 par. where a related kind of independent enterprise is mentioned).—That Prisca, Aquila, and Paul might have been engaged in the preparation of parts for the production of a tent is also improbable, since such tasks would have been left to their hired help. That they might have been responsible for putting a tent together out of various pieces is ruled out by the availability of the term σκηνορράφος (Ael., VH 2, 1 et al.; Bull. Inst. Arch. Bulg. 8, 69) in the sense of stitching together (the verb ἐπιτελεῖν Hb 8:5 does not support such a view, for it is not an alternate expr. for ‘production’ of a tent but denotes ‘completion’ of a project, connoting a strong sense of religious commitment; see ἐπιτελέω 2) in which the component ῥαφ-provides an unmistakable qualifier.—In modern times more consideration has been given to identification of Paul’s trade as ‘leather-worker’, an interpretation favored by numerous versions and patristic writings (s. Zahn, AG, ad loc.; L-S-J-M Suppl., s.v., as replacement for their earlier ‘tentmaker’; Haenchen, ad loc., after JJeremias, ZNW 30, ’31; Hock, s. below). As such he would make tents and other products from leather (Hock [s. below] 21). But this and other efforts at more precise definition, such as weaver of tent-cloth (a view no longer in fashion) may transmit reflections of awareness of local practice in lieu of semantic precision.—In the absence of any use of the term σκηνοποιός, beyond the pass. in Pollux and the Herm. Wr., and the lack of specific qualifiers in the text of Ac 18:3, one is left with the strong probability that Luke’s publics in urban areas, where theatrical productions were in abundance, would think of σκηνοποιός in ref. to matters theatrical (s. 1). In addition, Ac 20:34; 1 Cor 4:12; 1 Th 2:9; 2 Th 3:8 indicate that Paul’s work was of a technical nature and was carried out in metropolitan areas, where there would be large demand for such kind of work. What publics in other areas might understand is subject to greater question, for the evidence is primarily anecdotal.—JWeiss, Das Urchristentum 1917, 135; FGrosheide, Παῦλος σκηνοποιός: TSt 35, 1917, 241f; Zahn, AG II 632, 10; 634; Billerb. II 745–47; Beginn. IV, 223; PLampe, BZ 31, ’87, 211–21; RHock, The Social Context of Paul’s Ministry: Tentmaking and Apostleship ’80.—M-M. TW.

στερεόω (στερεός) fut. 2 sg. στερεώσεις; 1 aor. ἐστερέωσα. Pass.: impf. ἐστερεούμην; fut. 3 sg. στερεωθήσεται LXX; 1 aor. ἐστερεώθην; pf. ptc. fem. ἐστερεωμένη 1 Km 6:18 (X. et al.; LXX; En 103:15)

① to render physically firm, make strong, make firm. lit., of impotent limbs, pass. be strengthened, become strong ἐστερεώθησαν αἱ βάσεις αὐτοῦ Ac 3:7 (X., De Re Equ. 4, 3 τοὺς πόδας; Hippocr., Epid. 2, 3, 17 ed. Littré; V p. 118 τὰ ὀστέα; Hippiatr. II 82, 1). On the basis of this passage the act. is used in referring to the same act of healing τοῦτον ἐστερέωσεν τὸ ὄνομα the name (of Christ) has made this man strong vs. 16.

② to cause to become firmer in such matters as conviction or commitment, strengthen, fig. ext. of 1 (1 Km 2:1 ἡ καρδία), pass. αἱ ἐκκλησίαι ἐστερεοῦντο τῇ πίστει the congregations were continually (impf.) being strengthened in the faith Ac 16:5.—DELG s.v. 2 στεῖρα, B στερεός. M-M. TW.

στερέωμα, ατος, τό (στερεόω; in var. senses of someth. solid: Aristot. et al.; Herm. Wr. 514, 12 Sc.; PGM 4, 1210; IDefixWünsch 4, 22; LXX, En; TestSol 20:12, 17; TestAbr B 12 p. 116, 12 [Stone p. 80]; TestJob 8:1; ApcMos; Mel. 82, 615; Ath. 24, 5) prim. ‘the solid part’.

① the sky as a supporting structure, the firmament (Gen 1:6ff; En 18:2; Philo, Op. M. 36; TestNapht 3:4; IDefixAudollent 242, 8 [III A.D.]) 1 Cl 27:7 (Ps 18:2).

② state or condition of firm commitment, firmness, steadfastness τῆς πίστεως Col 2:5 (cp. 1 Macc 9:14 [military sense]).—DELG s.v. στεῖρα, B στερεός. M-M. TW.

ἀπιστία, ας, ἡ (s. ἀπιστέω; Hes., Hdt. et al.; LXX, Philo, Joseph.; Just.; Tat. 32, 2; Ath. R. 60, 15 al.; s. Mayser 11f, 130)

① unwillingness to commit oneself to another or respond positively to the other’s words or actions, lack of belief, unbelief (Mitt-Wilck. I/2, 155, 11; Jos., Ant. 2, 327; 19, 127) in our lit. always with God or divine action as referent (cp. Cercidas Iamb. [III B.C.], Fgm. 18 II, 8 Coll. Alex. p. 217 [=Anon. in turpilucrum 74: AnthLG, Diehl³ fasc.3=Knox 1929 p. 234]; Plut., Coriol. 232 [38, 4], Alex. 706 [75, 2] ἀ. πρὸς τὰ θεῖα καὶ καταφρόνησις αὐτῶν, De Superstit. 2 p. 165b; Ael. Aristid. 47, 66 K.=23 p. 462 D.; Philo, Leg. ad Gai. 118 ἀ. πρὸς τὸν τοῦ κόσμου παντὸς εὐεργέτην [w. ἀχαριστία], Mut. Nom. 201 al.; Jos., Ant. 10, 142). As response to Jesus by inhabitants of Nazareth Mt 13:58; Mk 6:6; a parent of a possessed pers. 9:24; disciples Mt 17:20 v.l. (for ὀλιγοπιστίαν); of some Judeans [ἀ]π̣ιστεί̣[α] PEg² 19; of Israelites toward God Ro 11:20 (τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ=because of their unbelief; ACharue, L’Incrédulité des Juifs dans le NT 1929; on the dat. of cause Schmid III 57; IV 59; M. Ant. 3, 1; ins in ENachmanson, Eranos 11, 1911, 220–25), 23; Hb 3:19. διακρίνεσθαι τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ waver in disbelief Ro 4:20. ἐποίησα ἐν ἀ. while I was still an unbeliever 1 Ti 1:13. καρδία πονηρὰ ἀπιστίας an evil, unbelieving heart Hb 3:12 (on the gen. s. Mlt. 74).—Among Christians w. διψυχία 2 Cl 19:2; w. ἀνομία GJs 20:1 (not pap). Personif. as one of the chief sins Hs 9, 15, 3. (Opp. πίστις) IEph 8:2.—As a characteristic of this age (w. ἀνομία) ending of Mark (16:14) in the Freer Ms. ln. 2.

② lack of commitment to a relationship or pledge, unfaithfulness (X., An. 3, 2, 4 et al.; UPZ 18, 5 [163 B.C.]; Wsd 14:25; Philo, Spec. Leg. 2, 8, Decal. 172; Jos., Ant. 14, 349) Ro 3:3 (JGriffiths, ET 53, ’41, 118).—M-M. TW.

ἀπό (Hom.+) prep. w. gen. (see the lit. on ἀνά, beg., also for ἀπό: KDieterich, IndogF 24, 1909, 93–158; LfgrE s.v.). Basic sense ‘separation from’ someone or someth., fr. which the other uses have developed. In the NT it has encroached on the domain of Att. ἐκ, ὑπό, παρά, and the gen. of separation; s. Mlt. 102; 246; Mlt-Turner 258f.

① a marker to indicate separation from a place, whether person or thing, from, away from

ⓐ w. all verbs denoting motion, esp. those compounded w. ἀπό: ἀπάγεσθαι, ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι, ἀπελαύνειν, ἀπέρχεσθαι, ἀπολύεσθαι, ἀποπλανᾶσθαι, ἀποστέλλειν, ἀποφεύγειν, ἀποχωρεῖν, ἀποχωρίζεσθαι; but also w. ἀνίστασθαι, διαστῆναι, διέρχεσθαι, ἐκδημεῖν, ἐκκινεῖν, ἐκπλεῖν, ἐκπορεύεσθαι, ἐξέρχεσθαι, ἐξωθεῖν, ἐπιδιδόναι, μεταβαίνειν, μετατίθεσθαι, νοσφίζειν, παραγίνεσθαι, πλανᾶσθαι, πορεύεσθαι, ὑπάγειν, ὑποστρέφειν, φεύγειν; s. the entries in question.

ⓑ w. all verbs expressing the idea of separation ἐκβάλλειν τὸ κάρφος ἀ. τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ remove the splinter fr. the eye Mt 7:4 v.l. (for ἐκ). ἐξέβαλον ἀπὸ τῆς πήρας αὐτῶν δῶρα they set forth gifts out of their travel bags GJs 21:3. ἀπολύεσθαι ἀ. ἀνδρός be divorced fr. her husband Lk 16:18, cp. Ac 15:33. ἀποκυλίειν, ἀπολαμβάνεσθαι, ἀποστρέφειν, ἐπιστρέφεσθαι, ἐπανάγειν, αἴρειν, ἀφαιρεῖν, ἀπολέσθαι, μερίζειν et al., s. the pertinent entries. So also κενὸς ἀ. τινος Hs 9, 19, 2. ἔρημος ἀ. τινος (Jer 51:2) 2 Cl 2:3. W. verbs which express the concept of separation in the wider sense, like loose, free, acquit et al. ἀπορφανίζειν, ἀποσπᾶν, διεγείρεσθαι, δικαιοῦν, ἐκδικοῦν, ἐλευθεροῦν, λούειν, λύειν, λυτροῦν, ῥαντίζειν, σαλεύειν, στέλλειν, σῴζειν, φθείρειν, s. the entries; hence also ἀθῷος (Sus 46 Theod. v.l.) Mt 27:24. καθαρὸς ἀ. τινος (Tob 3:14; but s. Dssm. NB 24 [BS 196; 216]) Ac 20:26; cp. Kuhring 54.

ⓒ verbs meaning be on guard, be ashamed, etc., take ἀπό to express the occasion or object of their caution, shame, or fear; so αἰσχύνεσθαι, βλέπειν, μετανοεῖν, προσέχειν, φοβεῖσθαι, φυλάσσειν, φυλάσσεσθαι; s. 5 below.

ⓓ w. verbs of concealing, hiding, hindering, the pers. from whom someth. is concealed is found w. ἀπό; so κρύπτειν τι ἀπό τινος, παρακαλύπτειν τι ἀπό τινος, κωλύειν τι ἀπό τινος; s. the entries.

ⓔ in pregnant constr. like ἀνάθεμα εἶναι ἀ. τοῦ Χριστοῦ be separated fr. Christ by a curse Ro 9:3. μετανοεῖν ἀ. τ. κακίας (Jer 8:6) Ac 8:22. ἀποθνῄσκειν ἀ. τινος through death become free from Col 2:20. φθείρεσθαι ἀ. τ. ἁπλότητος be ruinously diverted from wholehearted commitment 2 Cor 11:3. Cp. Hs 6, 2, 4.

ⓕ as a substitute for the partitive gen. (Hdt. 6, 27, 2; Thu. 7, 87, 6; PPetr III, 11, 20; PIand 8, 6; Kuhring 20; Rossberg 22; Johannessohn, Präp. 17) τίνα ἀ. τῶν δύο; Mt 27:21, cp. Lk 9:38; 19:39 (like PTebt 299, 13; 1 Macc 1:13; 3:24; Sir 6:6; 46:8). τὰ ἀ. τοῦ πλοίου pieces of the ship Ac 27:44. ἐκχεῶ ἀ. τοῦ πνεύματός μου Ac 2:17f (Jo 3:1f). λαμβάνειν ἀ. τ. καρπῶν get a share of the vintage Mk 12:2 (cp. Just., A I, 65, 5 μεταλαβεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ … ἄρτου).—Of foods (as in Da 1:13, 4:33a; 2 Macc 7:1) ἐσθίειν ἀ. τ. ψιχίων eat some of the crumbs Mt 15:27; Mk 7:28. χορτάζεσθαι ἀ. τινος eat one’s fill of someth. Lk 16:21. αἴρειν ἀ. τῶν ἰχθύων pick up the remnants of the fish Mk 6:43. ἐνέγκατε ἀ. τ. ὀψαρίων bring some of the fish J 21:10 (the only instance of this usage in J; s. M-EBoismard, Le chapitre 21 de Saint Jean: RB 54 [’47] 492).—Of drink (cp. Sir 26:12) πίνειν ἀπὸ τ. γενήματος τῆς ἀμπέλου drink the product of the vine Lk 22:18.

② to indicate the point from which someth. begins, whether lit. or fig.

ⓐ of place from, out from (Just., D. 86, 1 ἀπὸ τῆς πέτρας ὕδωρ ἀναβλύσαν ‘gushing out of the rock’) σημεῖον ἀ. τ. οὐρανοῦ a sign fr. heaven Mk 8:11. ἀ. πόλεως εἰς πόλιν from one city to another Mt 23:34. ἀπʼ ἄκρων οὐρανῶν ἕως ἄκρων αὐτῶν (Dt 30:4; Ps 18:7) from one end of heaven to the other 24:31, cp. Mk 13:27. ἀπʼ ἄνωθεν ἕως κάτω from top to bottom Mt 27:51. ἀρξάμενοι ἀ. Ἰερουσαλήμ beginning in Jerusalem Lk 24:47 (s. also Lk 23:5; Ac 1:22; 10:37). ἀφʼ ὑμῶν ἐξήχηται ὁ λόγος τ. κυρίου the word of the Lord has gone out from you and sounded forth 1 Th 1:8. ἀπὸ βορρᾶ, ἀπὸ νότου in the north, in the south (PCairGoodsp 6, 5 [129 B.C.] ἐν τῷ ἀπὸ νότου πεδίῳ; Mitt-Wilck. I/2, 11A col. 1, 12f [123 B.C.] τὸ ἀπὸ νότου τῆς πόλεως χῶμα; ln. 7 ἀπὸ βορρᾶ τῆς πόλεως; 70, 16 al.; Josh 18:5; 19:34; 1 Km 14:5) Rv 21:13.

ⓑ of time from … (on), since (POxy 523, 4; Mel., HE 4, 26, 8; s. Kuhring 54ff).

α. ἀ. τῶν ἡμερῶν Ἰωάννου from the days of John Mt 11:12. ἀ. τῆς ὥρας ἐκείνης 9:22. ἀπʼ ἐκείνης τ. ἡμέρας (Jos., Bell. 4, 318, Ant. 7, 382) Mt 22:46; J 11:53. ἔτη ἑπτὰ ἀ. τῆς παρθενίας αὐτῆς for seven years fr. the time she was a virgin Lk 2:36. ἀ. ἐτῶν δώδεκα for 12 years 8:43. ἀ. τρίτης ὥρας τῆς νυκτός Ac 23:23. ἀ. κτίσεως κόσμου Ro 1:20. ἀ. πέρυσι since last year, a year ago 2 Cor 8:10; 9:2.—ἀπʼ αἰῶνος, ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς, ἀπʼ ἄρτι (also ἀπαρτί and ἄρτι), ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου, ἀπὸ τότε, ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν; s. the pertinent entries.

β. w. the limits defined, forward and backward: ἀπὸ … ἕως (Jos., Ant. 6, 364) Mt 27:45. ἀπὸ … ἄχρι Phil 1:5. ἀπὸ … μέχρι Ac 10:30; Ro 5:14; 15:19.

γ. ἀφʼ ἧς (sc. ὥρας or ἡμέρας, which is found Col 1:6, 9; but ἀφʼ ἧς became a fixed formula: ParJer 7:28; Plut., Pelop. [285] 15, 5; s. B-D-F §241, 2) since Lk 7:45 (Renehan ’75, 36f); Ac 24:11; 2 Pt 3:4 (cp. X., Hell. 4, 6, 6; 1 Macc 1:11). ἀφʼ οὗ (sc.—as in X., Cyr. 1, 2, 13—χρόνου; Att. ins in Meisterhans.³-Schw. and s. Witkowski, index 163; ἀφʼ οὗ is also a formula) since, when once (X., Symp. 4, 62; Demetr.: 722 Fgm. 1, 16 Jac.; Lucian, Dial. Mar. 15, 1; Ex 5:23 GrBar 3:6) Lk 13:25; 24:21; Rv 16:18 (cp. Da 12:1; 1 Macc 9:29; 16:24; 2 Macc 1:7; TestAbr B 13 p. 117, 23; GrBar; Jos., Ant. 4, 78). τρία ἔτη ἀφʼ οὗ (cp. Tob 5:35 S) Lk 13:7. ἀφότε s. ὅτε 1aγ end.

ⓒ the beg. of a series from … (on).

α. ἀρξάμενος ἀ. Μωϋσέως καὶ ἀ. πάντων τ. προφητῶν beginning w. Moses and all the prophets Lk 24:27. ἕβδομος ἀ. Ἀδάμ Jd 14 (Diod S 1, 50, 3 ὄγδοος ὁ ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρός [ancestor]; Appian, Mithrid. 9 §29 τὸν ἕκτον ἀπὸ τοῦ πρώτου Μιθριδάτην; Arrian, Anab. 7, 12, 4; Diog. L. 3, 1: Plato in the line of descent was ἕκτος ἀπὸ Σόλωνος; Biogr. p. 31: Homer δέκατος ἀπὸ Μουσαίου). ἀ. διετοῦς καὶ κατωτέρω Mt 2:16 (cp. Num 1:20; 2 Esdr 3:8).

β. w. both beg. and end given ἀπὸ … ἕως (Sir 18:26; 1 Macc 9:13) Mt 1:17; 23:35; Ac 8:10. Sim., ἀ. δόξης εἰς δόξαν fr. glory to glory 2 Cor 3:18.

③ to indicate origin or source, from

ⓐ lit., with verbs of motion

α. down from πίπτειν ἀ. τραπέζης Mt 15:27. καθεῖλεν δυνάστας ἀ. θρόνων God has dethroned rulers Lk 1:52.

β. from ἔρχεσθαι ἀ. θεοῦ J 3:2; cp. 13:3; 16:30. παραγίνεται ἀ. τῆς Γαλιλαίας Mt 3:13; ἀ. ἀνατολῶν ἥξουσιν 8:11 (Is 49:12; 59:19); ἀ. τοῦ ἱεροῦ ἐπορεύετο 24:1; ἀ. Παμφυλίας Ac 15:38. ἐγείρεσθαι ἀ. τ. νεκρῶν be raised from the dead Mt 14:2.

ⓑ lit., to indicate someone’s local origin from (Hom. et al.; Soph., El. 701; Hdt. 8, 114; ins [RevArch 4 sér. IV 1904 p. 9 ἀπὸ Θεσσαλονίκης]; pap [HBraunert, Binnenwanderung ’64, 384, s.v.; PFlor 14, 2; 15, 5; 17, 4; 22, 13 al.]; Judg 12:8; 13:2; 17:1 [all three acc. to B]; 2 Km 23:20 al.; Jos., Bell. 3, 422, Vi. 217; Just., A I, 1 τῶν ἀπὸ Φλαουί̈ας Νέας πόλεως; s. B-D-F §209, 3; Rob. 578) ἦν ἀ. Βηθσαϊδά he was from B. J 1:44; cp. 12:21. ὄχλοι ἀ. τῆς Γαλιλαίας crowds fr. Galilee Mt 4:25. ἄνδρες ἀ. παντὸς ἔθνους Ac 2:5. ἀνὴρ ἀ. τοῦ ὄχλου a man fr. the crowd Lk 9:38. ὁ προφήτης ὁ ἀ. Ναζαρέθ Mt 21:11. οἱ ἀ. Κιλικίας the Cilicians Ac 6:9. οἱ ἀδελφοὶ οἱ ἀ. Ἰόππης 10:23 (Musaeus 153 παρθένος ἀπʼ Ἀρκαδίας; Just., A I, 58, 1 Μακρίωνα … τὸν ἀπὸ Πόντου). οἱ ἀ. Θεσσαλονίκης Ἰουδαῖοι 17:13. οἱ ἀ. τῆς Ἰταλίας the Italians Hb 13:24, who could be inside as well as outside Italy (cp. Dssm., Her. 33, 1898, 344, LO 167, 1 [LAE 200, 3]; Mlt. 237; B-D-F §437).—Rather denoting close association οἱ ἀ. τῆς ἐκκλησίας members of the church Ac 12:1; likew. 15:5 (cp. Plut., Cato Min. 4, 2 οἱ ἀπὸ τ. στοᾶς φιλόσοφοι; Ps.-Demetr. c. 68 οἱ ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ=his [Isocrates’] pupils; Synes., Ep. 4 p. 162b; 66 p. 206c; PTebt 33, 3 [112 B.C.], Ῥωμαῖος τῶν ἀπὸ συγκλήτου; Ar. 15, 1 Χριστιανοὶ γενεαλογοῦνται ἀπὸ … Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ; Ath.).—To indicate origin in the sense of material fr. which someth. is made (Hdt. 7, 65; Theocr. 15, 117; IPriene 117, 72 ἀπὸ χρυσοῦ; 1 Esdr 8:56; Sir 43:20 v.l.) ἔνδυμα ἀ. τριχῶν καμήλου clothing made of camel’s hair Mt 3:4.

ⓒ fig., w. verbs of asking, desiring, to denote the pers. of or from whom a thing is asked (Ar. 11, 3): δανίσασθαι ἀπό τινος borrow fr. someone Mt 5:42. ἐκζητεῖν ἀ. τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης Lk 11:51. ἀπαιτεῖν τι ἀπό τινος Lk 12:20. ζητεῖν τι ἀπό τινος 1 Th 2:6. λαμβάνειν τι ἀπό τινος Mt 17:25f; 3J 7.

ⓓ fig., w. verbs of perceiving, to indicate source of the perception (Lysias, Andoc. 6; Ps.-Aristot., De Mundo 6, 399b ἀπʼ αὐτῶν τῶν ἔργων θεωρεῖται ὁ θεός; Appian, Liby. 104 §493 ἀπὸ τῆς σφραγῖδος=[recognize a corpse] by the seal-ring; Demetr.: 722 Fgm. 2, 1 στοχάζεσθαι ἀπὸ τῶν ὀνομάτων; Just., D. 60, 1 τοῦτο νοοῦμεν ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων τῶν προλελεγμένων; 100, 2 ἀπὸ τῶν γραφῶν): ἀ. τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτούς by their fruits you will know them Mt 7:16, 20. μανθάνειν παραβολὴν ἀ. τῆς συκῆς learn a lesson from the fig tree 24:32; Mk 13:28. ἀπὸ τῶν σπερμάτων μὴ ποιεῖσθαι τὴν παραβολήν if we are not to derive our parable solely from reference to seeds (cp. 1 Cor 15:37) AcPlCor 2:28.—Also μανθάνειν τι ἀπό τινος learn someth. fr. someone Gal 3:2; Col 1:7.

ⓔ γράψαι ἀφʼ ὧν ἠδυνήθην, lit., write from what I was able, i.e. as well as I could B 21:9 (cp. Tat. 12, 5 οὐκ ἀπὸ γλώττης οὐδὲ ἀπὸ τῶν εἰκότων οὐδὲ ἀπʼ ἐννοιῶν etc.).

④ to indicate distance fr. a point, away from, for μακρὰν ἀ. τινος far fr. someone, ἀπὸ μακρόθεν fr. a great distance s. μακράν, μακρόθεν. ἀπέχειν ἀπό τινος s. ἀπέχω 4. W. detailed measurements (corresp. to Lat. ‘a’, s. B-D-F §161, 1; Rob. 575; WSchulze, Graeca Latina 1901, 15ff; Hdb. on J 11:18; Appian, Bell. Civ. 3, 12 §42; CB I/2, 390 no. 248) ἦν Βηθανία ἐγγὺς τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων ὡς ἀπὸ σταδίων δεκατέντε Bethany was near Jerusalem, about 15 stades (less than 3 km.) away J 11:18. ὡς ἀπὸ πηχῶν διακοσίων about 200 cubits (c. 90 meters) 21:8. ἀπὸ σταδίων χιλίων ἑξακοσίων about 1600 stades (c. 320 km.) Rv 14:20; cp. Hv 4, 1, 5 (for other examples of this usage, s. Rydbeck 68).—Hebraistically ἀπὸ προσώπου τινός (Gen 16:6; Jer 4:26; Jdth 2:14; Sir 21:2; 1 Macc 5:34; En 103:4; Just., A I, 37, 1 ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ πατρὸς ἐλέχθησαν διὰ Ἠσαίου … οἵδε οἱ λόγοι ‘in the name of the father … through Isaiah’; 38, 1 al.)=מִפְּנֵי פ׳ ( away) from the presence of someone 2 Th 1:9 (Is 2:10, 19, 21); Rv 12:14 (B-D-F §140; 217, 1; Mlt-H. 466).

⑤ to indicate cause, means, or outcome

ⓐ gener., to show the reason for someth. because of, as a result of, for (numerous ref. in FBleek on Hb 5:7; PFay 111, 4; POxy 3314, 7 [from falling off a horse]; Jdth 2:20; 4 [6] Esdr [POxy 1010]; AscIs 3:13; Jos., Ant. 9, 56) οὐκ ἠδύνατο ἀ. τοῦ ὄχλου he could not because of the crowd Lk 19:3; cp. Mk 2:4 D. οὐκ ἐνέβλεπον ἀπὸ τῆς δόξης τοῦ φωτός I could not see because of the brilliance of the light Ac 22:11. ἀ. τοῦ πλήθους τ. ἰχθύων J 21:6 (M-EBoismard, ad loc.: s. 1f end). ἀ. τοῦ ὕδατος for the water Hs 8, 2, 8. ἀ. τῆς θλίψεως because of the persecution Ac 11:19. οὐαὶ τῷ κόσμῳ ἀ. τ. σκανδάλων Mt 18:7 (s. B-D-F §176, 1; Mlt. 246). εἰσακουσθεὶς ἀ. τῆς εὐλαβείας heard because of his piety Hb 5:7 (but the text may be corrupt; at any rate it is obscure and variously interpr.; besides the comm. s. KRomaniuk, Die Gottesfürchtigen im NT: Aegyptus 44, ’64, 84; B-D-F §211; Rob. 580; s. on εὐλάβεια).

ⓑ to indicate means with the help of, with (Hdt. et al.; Ael. Aristid. 37, 23 K.=2 p. 25 D.; PGM 4, 2128f σφράγιζε ἀπὸ ῥύπου=seal with dirt; En 97:8) γεμίσαι τὴν κοιλίαν ἀ. τ. κερατίων fill one’s stomach w. the husks Lk 15:16 v.l. (s. ἐκ 4aζ; cp. Pr 18:20). οἱ πλουτήσαντες ἀπʼ αὐτῆς Rv 18:15 (cp. Sir 11:18).

ⓒ to indicate motive or reason for, from, with (Appian, Bell. Civ. 5, 13 §52 ἀπʼ εὐνοίας=with goodwill; 1 Macc 6:10; pap exx. in Kuhring 35) κοιμᾶσθαι ἀ. τῆς λύπης sleep from sorrow Lk 22:45. ἀ. τῆς χαρᾶς αὐτοῦ Mt 13:44; cp. Lk 24:41; Ac 12:14. ἀ. τοῦ φόβου κράζειν Mt 14:26, ἀ. φόβου καὶ προσδοκίας with fear and expectation Lk 21:26. Hence verbs of fearing, etc., take ἀ. to show the cause of the fear (s. above 1c) μὴ φοβεῖσθαι ἀ. τ. ἀποκτεννόντων τὸ σῶμα not be afraid of those who kill only the body Mt 10:28; Lk 12:4 (cp. Jdth 5:23; 1 Macc 2:62; 3:22; 8:12; En 106:4).

ⓓ to indicate the originator of the action denoted by the verb from (Trag., Hdt. et al.) ἀ. σοῦ σημεῖον ἰδεῖν Mt 12:38. γινώσκειν ἀπό τινος learn fr. someone Mk 15:45. ἀκούειν ἀ. τοῦ στόματός τινος hear fr. someone’s mouth, i.e. fr. him personally Lk 22:71 (Dionys. Hal. 3, 8 ἀ. στόματος ἤκουσεν); cp. Ac 9:13; 1J 1:5. τὴν ἀ. σοῦ ἐπαγγελίαν a promise given by you Ac 23:21 (cp. Ath. 2, 3 ταῖς ἀπὸ τῶν κατηγόρων αἰτίαις ‘the charges made by the accusers’). ἀφʼ ἑνὸς ἐγενήθησαν Hb 11:12. Prob. παραλαμβάνειν ἀ. τοῦ κυρίου 1 Cor 11:23 is to be understood in the same way: Paul is convinced that he is taught by the Lord himself (for direct teaching s. EBröse, Die Präp. ἀπό 1 Cor 11:23: StKr 71, 1898, 351–60; Dssm.; BWeiss; Ltzm.; H-DWendland. But for indirect communication: Zahn et al.). παραλαβὼν ἀπὸ τῶν θυγατέρων Φιλίππου, ὅτι Papias (11:2); opp. παρειληφέναι ὑπὸ τῶν θ. Φ. (2:9).—Of the more remote cause ἀπʼ ἀνθρώπων from human beings (as opposed to transcendent revelation; w. διʼ ἀνθρώπου; cp. Artem. 1, 73 p. 66, 11 ἀπὸ γυναικῶν ἢ διὰ γυναικῶν; 2, 36 p. 135, 26) Gal 1:1. ἀ. κυρίου πνεύματος fr. the Lord, who is the Spirit 2 Cor 3:18. ἔχειν τι ἀπό τινος have (received) someth. fr. someone 1 Cor 6:19; 1 Ti 3:7; 1J 2:20; 4:21.—In salutation formulas εἰρήνη ἀ. θεοῦ πατρός ἡμῶν peace that comes from God, our father Ro 1:7; 1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph 1:2; cp. 6:23; Phil 1:2; Col 1:2; 1 Th 1:1 v.l.; 2 Th 1:2; 1 Ti 1:2; 2 Ti 1:2; Tit 1:4; Phlm 3. σοφία ἀ. θεοῦ wisdom that comes fr. God 1 Cor 1:30. ἔπαινος ἀ. θεοῦ praise fr. God 4:5. καὶ τοῦτο ἀ. θεοῦ and that brought about by God Phil 1:28. The expr. εἰρήνη ἀπὸ ‘ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος’ Rv 1:4 is quite extraordinary. It may be an interpretation of the name Yahweh already current, or an attempt to show reverence for the divine name by preserving it unchanged, or simply one more of the grammatical peculiarities so frequent in Rv (Meyer⁶-Bousset 1906, 159ff; Mlt. 9, note 1; cp. PParis 51, 33 ἀπὸ ἀπηλιότης; Mussies 93f, 328).

ⓔ to indicate responsible agents for someth., from, of

α. the self, st. Gk. usage (Thu. 5, 60, 1; X., Mem. 2, 10, 3; Andoc., Orat. 2, 4 οὗτοι οὐκ ἀφʼ αὑτῶν ταῦτα πράττουσιν; Diod S 17, 56; Num 16:28; 4 Macc 11:3; En 98:4; TestAbr A 15 p. 95, 26 [Stone p. 38]; 18 p. 101, 6 [Stone p. 50]; Just., A I, 43, 8) the expr. ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ (pl. ἀφʼ ἑαυτῶν) of himself and ἀπʼ ἐμαυτοῦ of myself are common Lk 12:57; 21:30; 2 Cor 3:5, esp. so in J: 5:19, 30; 8:28; 10:18; 15:4.—7:17f; 11:51; 14:10; 16:13; 18:34. So also ἀπʼ ἐμαυτοῦ οὐκ ἐλήλυθα I did not come of myself (opp. the Father sent me) 7:28; 8:42.

β. fr. others. W. verbs in the pass. voice or pass. mng. ὑπό is somet. replaced by ἀπό (in isolated cases in older Gk. e.g. Thu. 1, 17 et al. [Kühner-G. II/1 p. 457f]; freq. in later Gk.: Polyb. 1, 79, 14; Hero I 152, 6; 388, 11; Nicol. Dam.: 90 Fgm. 130, 130 Jac.; IG XII/5, 29, 1; SIG 820, 9; PLond III, 1173, 12 p. 208; BGU 1185, 26; PFlor 150, 6 ἀ. τῶν μυῶν κατεσθιόμενα; PGM 4, 256; Kuhring 36f; 1 Macc 15:17; Sir 16:4; ParJer 1:1 ᾐχμαλωτεύθησαν … ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως; Philo, Leg. All. 3, 62; Just., A I, 68, 6 ἐπιστολὴν … γραφεῖσάν μοι ἀπὸ Σερήνου, D. 121, 3 ἀπὸ παντὸς [γένους] μετάνοιαν πεποιῆσθαι. See B-D-F §210; Rob. 820; GHatzidakis, Einl. in d. neugriech. Gramm. 1892, 211; AJannaris, An Histor. Gk. Grammar 1897, §1507). Yet just at this point the textual tradition varies considerably, and the choice of prep. is prob. at times influenced by the wish to express special nuances of mng. Lk 8:29b v.l. (ὑπό text); 43b (ὑπό v.l.); 10:22 D; ἀποδεδειγμένος ἀ. τ. θεοῦ attested by God Ac 2:22. ἐπικληθεὶς Βαρναβᾶς ἀ. (ὑπό v.l.) τ. ἀποστόλων named B. by the apostles 4:36. κατενεχθεὶς ἀ. τοῦ ὕπνου overcome by sleep 20:9. ἀθετούμενος ἀπὸ τῶν παραχαρασσόντων τὰ λόγια αὐτοῦ inasmuch as (Jesus) is being rejected by those who falsify his words AcPlCor 2:3. νεκροῦ βληθέντος ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἐπʼ αὐτά when a corpse was cast upon them (the bones of Elisha) 2:32. In such cases ἀπό freq. denotes the one who indirectly originates an action, and can be transl. at the hands of, by command of: πολλὰ παθεῖν ἀ. τ. πρεσβυτέρων suffer much at the hands of the elders Mt 16:21; cp. Lk 9:22; 17:25, where the emphasis is to be placed on παθεῖν, not on ἀποδοκιμασθῆναι. In ἀ. θεοῦ πειράζομαι the thought is that the temptation is caused by God, though not actually carried out by God Js 1:13. ἡτοιμασμένος ἀ. τοῦ θεοῦ prepared by God’s command, not by God in person Rv 12:6.

⑥ In a few expr. ἀπό helps to take the place of an adverb. ἀπὸ μέρους, s. μέρος 1c.—ἡμέρᾳ ἀφʼ ἡμέρας day by day GJs 12:3.—ἀπὸ μιᾶς (acc. to Wlh., Einl.² 26, an Aramaism, min ḥădā˒=at once [s. MBlack, An Aramaic Approach³, ’67, 113]; but this does not explain the fem. gender, found also in the formulaic ἐπὶ μιᾶς Maxim. Tyr. 6, 3f En 99:9 [s. SAalen, NTS 13, ’67, 3] and in Mod. Gk. μὲ μιᾶς at once [Thumb §162 note 2]. PSI 286, 22 uses ἀπὸ μιᾶς of a payment made ‘at once’; on the phrase s. New Docs 2, 189. Orig. γνώμης might have been a part of the expr. [Philo, Spec. Leg. 3, 73], or ὁρμῆς [Thu. 7, 71, 6], or γλώσσης [Cass. Dio 44, 36, 2], or φωνῆς [Herodian 1, 4, 8]; cp. ἀπὸ μιᾶς φωνῆς Plut., Mor. 502d of an echo; s. B-D-F §241, 6) unanimously, alike, in concert Lk 14:18. Sim. ἀπὸ τ. καρδιῶν fr. (your) hearts, sincerely Mt 18:35.—Himerius, Or. 39 [=Or. 5], 6 has as a formula διὰ μιᾶς, probably = continuously, uninterruptedly, Or. 44 [=Or. 8], 2 fuller διὰ μιᾶς τῆς σπουδῆς=with one and the same, or with quite similar zeal.—M-M.

ἀρετή, ῆς, ἡ (Hom.+, a term denoting consummate ‘excellence’ or ‘merit’ within a social context, hence freq. w. δικαιοσύνη; cp. the tripartite appraisal Pla., Protag. 329c: δικαιοσύνη, σωφροσύνη, ὁσιότης). Exhibition of ἀρετή invites recognition, resulting in renown or glory. In Homer primarily of military valor or exploits, but also of distinction for other personal qualities and associated performance that enhance the common interest. The term is a favorite subject in Stoic thought relating to morality. Theognis 147f summarizes Gk. thinking: ἐν δὲ δικαιοσύνῃ συλλήβδην πᾶσʼ ἀρετή ʼστι,| πᾶς δέ τʼ ἀνὴρ ἀγαθός, Κύρνε, δίκαιος ἔων=in a word, Cyrnus, all excellence lies in uprightness, and a good person is one who is upright.

① uncommon character worthy of praise, excellence of character, exceptional civic virtue (Theognis 147; Aristot., EN a detailed discussion of ἀ.; s. indexes in OGI, SIG, IPriene, et al.; Herm. Wr. 9, 4; 10, 9; Wsd; 2, 3, 4 Macc; EpArist; Philo; Jos., Ant. 1, 113 al.; διὰ τὴν ἀ. Orig. C. Cels. 5, 2, 26 [as distinguished merit]; τέσσαράς φησιν εἶναι ἀρετάς Hippol., Ref. 1, 19, 16 [in a list of virtues]; Did., Gen. 102, 15; 17 [accompanied by ‘trouble’]) Phil 4:8 (w. ἔπαινος, in ref. to recognition of distinguished merit that was customary in Gr-Rom. society; cp. AcJ 5 [Aa II/1, 153, 29]). W. πίστις (as OGI 438, 6ff ἄνδρα διενένκαντα πίστει καὶ ἀρετῇ καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ εὐσεβείαι=a gentleman distinguished for fidelity, admirable character, uprightness [concern for people], and devotion [to deities]; cp. Dssm. LO 270 [LAE 322]; Danker, Benefactor 460–61) ἐπιχορηγήσατε ἐν τῇ πίστει ὑμῶν τὴν ἀρετήν bring the finest character to your commitment 2 Pt 1:5a; ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀρετῇ τὴν γνῶσιν and to the finest character knowledge 5b. ἐνδύσασθαι πᾶσαν ἀ. δικαιοσύνης put on every virtue of uprightness (=‘aspire to the highest standards of uprightness’; opp. πονηρία, which is low-grade behavior; on the rhetorical form s. HFischel, HUCA 44, ’73, 119–51) Hm 1:2; Hs 6, 1, 4. ἐργάζεσθαι πᾶσαν ἀ. καὶ δικαιοσύνην Hs 8, 10, 39 (=be a model member of the human community); cp. m 12, 3, 1; διώκειν τὴν ἀ. 2 Cl 10:1. ἀ. ἔνδοξος Hm 6, 2, 3.

② manifestation of divine power, miracle (a usage in keeping w. the primary mng.; Oenom. in Eus., PE 5, 22, 4; SIG 1151, 2; 1172, 10 πλείονας ἀρετὰς τ. θεοῦ, see on this Dittenberger’s note 8 w. further exx. and lit.; 1173, 5; MAI 21, 1896, 77; POxy 1382 [II A.D.]; Sb 8026, 1; 8266, 17 [261/260 B.C.] of the miracles of the deity Amenothis; PGM 5, 419; Philo, Somn. 1, 256; Jos., Ant. 17, 130; s. Dssm., B 90–93 [BS 95f]; Nägeli 69; OWeinreich, Neue Urkunden zur Sarapisrel. 1919, index; SReiter, Ἐπιτύμβιον, Swoboda Festschr. 1927, 228–37), also that which causes such things: the power of God (IG IV², 128, 79 [280 B.C.]; PGM 4, 3205; Herm. Wr. 10, 17; Jos., Ant. 17, 130 ἀ. τοῦ θείου; cp. 1, 100) 2 Pt 1:3 (Dssm., B 277ff [BS 360ff]).—In accordance w. a usage that treats ἀ. and δόξα as correlatives (ἀ.=excellence that results in approbation and therefore δόξα=renown), which finds expression outside the OT (Is 42:8, 12) in the juxtaposition of the two terms (Herodian; Pausanias, Arcadia 52, 6 ins on a statue in honor of Philopoemen at Tegea; Dionys. Hal.; Diod. Sic. 2, 45, 2 of a woman, self-styled ‘Daughter of Ares’, reputed for her valor; s. Wetstein on 2 Pt 1:3), the LXX transl. הוֹד majesty, high rank (Hab 3:3; Zech 6:13; cp. Il. 9, 498 ἀ. w. τιμή and βίη; 23, 578 w. βίη) and also תְּהִלָּה praise sg. (Is; cp. Od. 14, 402 ἀ. w. ἐϋκλείη ‘good repute’) with ἀ. pl. The latter sense ‘praise’ (pl.=laudes) has been maintained for 1 Pt 2:9, which is probably influenced by Is 42:12; 43:21. It is poss. that Semitically oriented auditors of 1 Pt interpreted the expression along such lines, but Gr-Rom. publics would in the main be conditioned to hear a stress on performance, which of course would elicit praise (cp. Plut., Mor. 535d).—AKiefer, Aretalogische Studien, diss. Freib. 1929; VLongo, Aretalogie nel mondo Greco: I, Epigrafi e Papiri ’69; MSmith, JBL 90, ’71, 174–99; JKube, ΤΕΧΝΗ und ΑΡΕΤΗ ’69; Danker, Benefactor ’82, passim.—DELG. M-M. TW. Sv.