of whom the world was not worthy

ἄξιος, ία, ον (Hom.+; loanw. in rabb.) adj. for *ἄγ-τιος, cp. ἄγω in the sense ‘draw down’ in the scale, ‘weigh’, hence ἄξιος of someone or someth. that is evaluated. Whether the evaluation results in an advantage or a penalty depends on the context or use of a negative particle.

① pert. to having a relatively high degree of comparable worth or value, corresponding, comparable, worthy, of things, in relation to other things,

ⓐ of price equal in value (Eur., Alc. 300; Ps.-Demosth. 13, 10; Herodian 2, 3 [of the value of a thing]; Pr 3:15; 8:11; Sir 26:15; s. Nägeli 62) οὐκ ἄξια τὰ παθήματα πρὸς τ. μέλλουσαν δόξαν the sufferings are not to be compared w. the glory to come Ro 8:18 (Arrian, Anab. 6, 24, 1 οὐδὲ τὰ ξύμπαντα … ξυμβληθῆναι ἄξια εἶναι τοῖς … πόνοις=all [the trials] are not worthy to be compared with the miseries). οὐδενὸς ἄ. λόγου worthy of no consideration Dg 4:1 (λόγου ἄ. Hdt. 4, 28; Pla., Ep. 7, 334e; Diod S 13, 65, 3 οὐδὲν ἄξιον λόγου πράξας; Dionys. Hal. 1, 22, 5; Dio Chrys. 22 [39], 1; Vit. Hom. et Hes. 4); cp. vs. 4.

ⓑ gener., of any other relation (Diod S 4, 11, 1 ἄξιον τῆς ἀρετῆς=worthy of his valor; Jos., Vi. 250 βοὴ εὐνοίας ἀξία; Just., A I, 4, 8 οὐδὲν ἄ. τῆς ὑποσχέσεως) καρποὶ ἄ. τῆς μετανοίας fruits in keeping with your repentance i.e. such as show that you have turned from your sinful ways Lk 3:8; Mt 3:8. For this ἄ. τῆς μετανοίας ἔργα Ac 26:20. καρπὸς ἄ. οὗ ἔδωκεν fruit that corresponds to what he gave us 2 Cl 1:3. ἄ. πρᾶγμα ISm 11:3 (cp. Just., A I, 19, 5 ἀ. θεοῦ δύναμιν). ἄκκεπτα IPol 6:2. ἔργα ἄ. τῶν ῥημάτων deeds corresponding to the words 2 Cl 13:3. πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄ. worthy of full acceptance 1 Ti 1:15; 4:9 (Heraclid. Crit. [III B.C.] Fgm. I 17 πάσης ἄξιος φιλίας; Just., D. 3, 3 ἀποδοχῆς ἄξια). οὐδὲν ἄ. θανάτου nothing deserving death (cp. ἄξιον … τι θανάτου Plut., Marcus Cato 349a [21]) Lk 23:15; Ac 25:11, 25. θανάτου ἢ δεσμῶν ἄ. nothing deserving death or imprisonment 23:29; 26:31 (cp. Hyperid. 3, 14; Appian, Iber. 31 §124 ἄξια θανάτου; Jos., Ant. 11, 144; Herm. Wr. 1, 20 ἄ. τοῦ θανάτου). Foll. by rel. clause ἄ. ὧν ἐπράξαμεν Lk 23:41.

ⓒ impers. ἄξιόν ἐστι it is worthwhile, fitting, proper (Hyperid. 2, 3; 6, 3; 4 Macc 17:8; EpArist 4; 282; Just., A II, 3, 2) w. articular inf. foll. (B-D-F §400, 3; Rob. 1059) τοῦ πορεύεσθαι 1 Cor 16:4. καθὼς ἄ. ἐστιν 2 Th 1:3.

② pert. to being correspondingly fitting or appropriate, worthy, fit, deserving of pers.

ⓐ in a good sense, but one which is sometimes negated. The negative particle in such cases generates the equivalent of ἀνάξιος ‘unworthy’. W. gen. of the thing of which one is worthy τῆς τροφῆς entitled to his food Mt 10:10; D 13:1f. τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς Ac 13:46. τοῦ μισθοῦ Lk 10:7; 1 Ti 5:18. πάσης τιμῆς 6:1 (Dio Chrys. 14 [31], 93; Lucian, Tox. 3 τιμῆς ἄ. παρὰ πάντων). ἄ. μετανοίας Hs 8, 6, 1.—W. gen. of the pers. οὐκ ἔστιν μου ἄ. he is not worthy of me=does not deserve to belong to me (perh. ‘is not suited to me’, s. 1 above) Mt 10:37f; cp. PtK 3 p. 15, 17; D 15:1; ἄ. θεοῦ (Wsd 3:5; Just., D. 5, 3) IEph 2:1; 4:1; cp. 15:1; IRo 10:2; ὧν οὐκ ἦν ἄ. ὁ κόσμος of whom the world was not worthy=‘they were too good for this world’ (New Life version) Hb 11:38.—W. inf. foll. (M. Ant. 8, 42 οὔκ εἰμι ἄξιος with inf.; BGU 1141, 15 [13 B.C.]; Jos., Ant. 4, 179; Just., A I, 22, 1) οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ἄ. κληθῆναι υἱός σου I am no longer fit to be called your son Lk 15:19, 21; cp. Ac 13:25; Rv 4:11; 5:2, 4, 9, 12 (WvUnnik, BRigaux Festschr. ’70, 445–61); B 14:1; IEph 1:3; Mg 14; Tr 13:1; Sm 11:1; Hs 8, 2, 5.—W. gen. of the inf. (ParJer 4:5) MPol 10:2. Foll. by ἵνα (B-D-F §393, 4; Rob. 658) ἄ. ἵνα λύσω τὸν ἱμάντα good enough to untie the thong J 1:27 (ἱκανός P^{66, 75}; s. ἱκανός end). Foll. by a rel. clause ἄ. ἐστιν ᾧ παρέξῃ τοῦτο Lk 7:4 (B-D-F §5, 3b; 379; Rob. 724). Abs. (PPetr II, 15 [3], 8 ἄ. γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος; 2 Macc 15:21; Just., D. 39, 2 ὡς ἀξιοί εἰσι) ἄ. εἰσιν they deserve to Rv 3:4; 16:6. Cp. Mt 10:11, 13; 22:8; IEph 2:2; Mg 12; Tr 4:2; IRo 9:2; ISm 9:2; IPol 8:1; B 9:9; 21:8; with a negative or negative implication in the context Hs 8, 11, 1; B 9:9; 14:4. ἄ. τινα ἡγεῖσθαι (Job 30:1) Hv 2, 1, 2; 3, 3, 4; 4, 1, 3; m 4, 2, 1; Hs 7:5; Hs 9, 28, 5 (w. ἵνα foll. in some of these pass. fr. Hermas). ὁ σωτὴρ ἀξίαν αὐτὴν ἡγήσατο the Savior considered her worthy GMary 463, 22. As an epithet of persons IMg 2. Subst. ἀκούει τῶν ἀξίων (God) heeds the deserving AcPt Ox 849, 28 (cp. Just., A I, 52, 3).—Comp. ἀξιώτερος (SIG 218, 25) Hv 3, 4, 3.—Ins: Larfeld I, 493f.

ⓑ in a context in which the evaluation is qualified by unpleasant consequences to the one evaluated (Ael. Aristid. 34 p. 650 D. ἄ. ὀργῆς) ἄ. πληγῶν (Dt 25:2; cp. Jos., Ant. 13, 294) deserving blows Lk 12:48. ἄ. θανάτου (Nicol. Dam.: 90 Fgm. 4 p. 335, 12f Jac.; Appian, Bell. Civ. 2, 108 §452; Mel., HE 4, 26, 6) Ro 1:32. καθώς τις ἄξιός ἐστιν as each deserves Hs 6, 3, 3 of punishments.—JKleist, ‘Axios’ in the Gospels: CBQ 6, ’44, 342–46; KStendahl, Nuntius 7, ’52, 53f.—EDNT. M-M. TW.

κόσμος, ου, ὁ (Hom.+)

① that which serves to beautify through decoration, adornment, adorning (Hom.+; Diod S 20, 4, 5 τῶν γυναικῶν τὸν κόσμον; OGI 531, 13; SIG 850, 10; IMaronIsis 41; PEleph 1, 4; PSI 240, 12 γυναικεῖον κόσμον; LXX; TestJud 12:1; JosAs 2:6 al.; Philo, Migr. Abr. 97 γυναικῶν κ.; Jos., Ant. 1, 250; 15, 5; Just., A II, 11, 4f) of women’s attire, etc. ὁ ἔξωθεν … κόσμος external adorning 1 Pt 3:3 (Vi. Hom. 4 of the inward adornment of a woman, beside σωφροσύνη; Crates, Ep. 9; Pythag., Ep. 11, 1; Plut., Mor. 141e; on the topic of external adornment cp. SIG 736, 15–26).

② condition of orderliness, orderly arrangement, order (Hom. et al.; s. HDiller, Die vorphilosophische Gebrauch von κ. und κοσμεῖν: BSnell Festschr., ’56, 47–60) μετὰ κόσμου in order Dg 12:9 (text uncertain; s. μετακόσμιος).

③ the sum total of everything here and now, the world, the (orderly) universe, in philosophical usage (so, acc. to Plut., Mor. 886b, as early as Pythagoras; certainly Heraclitus, Fgm. 66; Pla., Gorg. 508a, Phdr. 246c; Chrysipp., Fgm. 527 v. Arnim κόσμος σύστημα ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς καὶ τῶν ἐν τούτοις περιεχομένων φύσεων. Likew. Posidonius in Diog. L. 7, 138; Ps.-Aristot., De Mundo 2 p. 391b, 9ff; 2 and 4 Macc; Wsd; EpArist 254; Philo, Aet. M. 4; Jos., Ant. 1, 21; Test12Patr; SibOr 7, 123; AssMos Fgm. b Denis [=Tromp p. 272]; Just., A I, 20, 2 al.; Ath. 19, 2 al.; Orig., C. Cels. 4, 68, 14; Did., Gen. 36, 7; 137, 13.—The other philosoph. usage, in which κ. denotes the heaven in contrast to the earth, is prob. without mng. for our lit. [unless perh. Phil 2:15 κ.=‘sky’?]). ἡ ἀέναος τοῦ κ. σύστασις the everlasting constitution of the universe 1 Cl 60:1 (cp. OGI 56, 48 εἰς τὸν ἀέναον κ.). Sustained by four elements Hv 3, 13, 3. πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κ. εἶναι before the world existed J 17:5. ἀπὸ καταβολῆς [κόσμου] from the beginning of the world Mt 13:35; 25:34; Lk 11:50; Hb 4:3; 9:26; Rv 13:8; 17:8. Also ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς κ. Mt 24:21 or ἀπὸ κτίσεως κ. Ro 1:20.—B 5:5 ἀπὸ καταβ. κ. evidently means at the foundation of the world (s. Windisch, Hdb. ad loc.). πρὸ καταβολῆς κ. before the foundation of the world J 17:24; Eph 1:4; 1 Pt 1:20 (on the uses w. καταβολή s. that word, 1). οὐδὲν εἴδωλον ἐν κ. no idol has any real existence in the universe (Twentieth Century NT) 1 Cor 8:4. Of the creation in its entirety 3:22. ὁ κόσμος ὅλος = πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις (Sallust. 21 p. 36, 13; TestSol 5:7; TestJob 33:4) Hs 9, 2, 1; 9, 14, 5. φωστῆρες ἐν κόσμῳ stars in the universe Phil 2:15 (s. above). Esp. of the universe as created by God (Epict 4, 7, 6 ὁ θεὸς πάντα πεποίηκεν, τὰ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν κόσμον ὅλον; Wsd 9:9; 2 Macc 7:23 ὁ τοῦ κ. κτίστης; 4 Macc 5:25; Just., A I, 59, 1 al.; Ath. 8, 2 al.) ὁ ποιήσας τὸν κ. who has made the world Ac 17:24. ὁ κτίστης τοῦ σύμπαντος κ. 1 Cl 19:2; ὁ κτίσας τὸν κ. Hv 1, 3, 4; cp. m 12, 4, 2. ὁ τοῦ παντὸς κ. κυριεύων B 21:5. οὐδʼ εἶναι τὸν κόσμον θεοῦ ἀλλὰ ἀγγέλων AcPlCor 1:15. Christ is called παντὸς τοῦ κ. κύριος 5:5; and the κ. owes its origin to his agency J 1:10b. The world was created for the sake of the church Hv 2, 4, 1.—The universe, as the greatest space conceivable, is not able to contain someth. (Philo, Ebr. 32) J 21:25.

④ the sum total of all beings above the level of the animals, the world, as θέατρον ἐγενήθημεν (i.e. οἱ ἀπόστολοι) τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ ἀγγέλοις καὶ ἀνθρώποις 1 Cor 4:9. Here the world is divided into angels and humans (cp. the Stoic definition of the κόσμος in Stob., Ecl. I p. 184, 8 τὸ ἐκ θεῶν καὶ ἀνθρώπων σύστημα; likew. Epict 1, 9, 4.—Acc. to Ocellus Luc. 37, end, the κ. consists of the sphere of the divine beyond the moon and the sphere of the earthly on this side of the moon).

⑤ planet earth as a place of inhabitation, the world (SIG 814, 31 [67 A.D.] Nero, ὁ τοῦ παντὸς κόσμου κύριος; the meaning of the birthday of Augustus for the world OGI 458, 40 [=IPriene 105]; 2 Macc 3:12; Jos., Ant. 9, 241; 10, 205; Orig., C. Cels. 4, 68)

ⓐ gener. Mk 16:15. τὰς βασιλείας τοῦ κ. Mt 4:8; ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κ. 26:13. Cp. 13:38 (cp. Hs 5, 5, 2); Mk 14:9; Hs 9, 25, 2. τὸ φῶς τοῦ κ. τούτου the light of this world (the sun) J 11:9. In rhetorical exaggeration ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν καταγγέλλεται ἐν ὅλῳ τ. κόσμῳ Ro 1:8 (cp. the Egypt. grave ins APF 5, 1913, 169 no. 24, 8 ὧν ἡ σωφροσύνη κατὰ τὸν κ. λελάληται). Abraham as κληρονόμος κόσμου heir of the world 4:13.—Cp. 1 Cor 14:10; Col 1:6. ἡ ἐν τῷ κ. ἀδελφότης the brotherhood in the (whole) world 1 Pt 5:9. ἐγένετο ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ κ. τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν our Lord has assumed the sovereignty of the world Rv 11:15. τὰ ἔθνη τοῦ κ. (not LXX, but prob. rabbinic אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם=humankind apart fr. Israel; Billerb. II 191; Dalman, Worte 144f) the unconverted in the world Lk 12:30. In this line of development, κόσμος alone serves to designate the polytheistic unconverted world Ro 11:12, 15.—Other worlds (lands) beyond the ocean 1 Cl 20:8.—Many of these pass. bear the connotation of

ⓑ the world as the habitation of humanity (as SibOr 1, 160). So also Hs 9, 17, 1f. εἰσέρχεσθαι εἰς τὸν κ. of entrance into the world by being born 1 Cl 38:3. ἐκ τοῦ κ. ἐξελθεῖν leave this present world (Philo, Leg. All. 3, 5 ἔξω τ. κόσμου φεύγειν; s. ἐξέρχομαι 5; cp. Hippol., Ref. 5, 16, 7) 1 Cor 5:10b; 2 Cl 8:3. γεννηθῆναι εἰς τὸν κ. be born into the world J 16:21. ἕως ἐσμὲν ἐν τούτῳ τῷ κ. 2 Cl 8:2. οὐδὲν εἰσφέρειν εἰς τὸν κ. (Philo, Spec. Leg. 1, 294 τὸν μηδὲν εἰς τὸν κόσμον εἰσενηνοχότα) 1 Ti 6:7 (Pol 4:1). πολλοὶ πλάνοι ἐξῆλθον εἰς τὸν κ. 2J 7.—ἐν τῷ κόσμω τούτῳ J 12:25 (κ. need not here be understood as an entity hostile to God, but the transition to the nuance in 7b, below, is signalled by the term that follows: ζωὴν αἰώνιον). ἵνα εἰς κόσμον προέλθῃ AcPlCor 2:6.

ⓒ earth, world in contrast to heaven (Dio Chrys. 19 [36], 59; Iren., 1, 4, 2 [Harv. I 35, 5]; Orig., C. Cels. 8, 15, 24) ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ 2 Cl 19:3.—Esp. when mention is made of the preexistent Christ, who came fr. another world into the κόσμος. So, above all, in John (Bultmann, index I κόσμος) ἔρχεσθαι εἰς τὸν κ. (τοῦτον) J 6:14; 9:39; 11:27; 16:28a; 18:37; specif. also come into the world as light 12:46; cp. 1:9; 3:19. Sending of Jesus into the world 3:17a; 10:36; 17:18; 1J 4:9. His εἶναι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ J 1:10a; 9:5a; 17:12 v.l. Leaving the world and returning to the Father 13:1a; 16:28b. Cp. 14:19; 17:11a. His kingship is not ἐκ τοῦ κ. τούτου of this world i.e. not derived from the world or conditioned by its terms and evaluations 18:36ab.—Also Χρ. Ἰησοῦς ἦλθεν εἰς τ. κόσμον 1 Ti 1:15; cp. ἐπιστεύθη ἐν κόσμῳ (opp. ἀνελήμφθη ἐν δόξῃ) 3:16.—εἰσερχόμενος εἰς τὸν κ. Hb 10:5.

ⓓ the world outside in contrast to one’s home PtK 3 p. 15, 13; 19.

⑥ humanity in general, the world (TestAbr B 8 p. 113, 11 [Stone p. 74]; ApcEsdr 3:6 p. 27, 14; SibOr 1, 189; Just., A I, 39, 3 al.)

ⓐ gener. οὐαὶ τῷ κ. ἀπὸ τῶν σκανδάλων woe to humankind because of the things that cause people to sin Mt 18:7; τὸ φῶς τοῦ κ. the light for humanity 5:14; cp. J 8:12; 9:5. ὁ σωτὴρ τοῦ κ. 4:42; 1J 4:14 (this designation is found in inscriptions, esp. oft. of Hadrian [WWeber, Untersuchungen z. Geschichte des Kaisers Hadrianus 1907, 225; 226; 229]).—J 1:29; 3:17b; 17:6.—κρίνειν τὸν κ. (SibOr 4, 184; TestAbr A 13 p. 92, 11 [Stone p. 32]; ApcMos 37) of God, Christ J 12:47a; Ro 3:6; B 4:12; cp. Ro 3:19. Of believers 1 Cor 6:2ab (cp. Sallust. 21 p. 36, 13 the souls of the virtuous, together w. the gods, will rule the whole κόσμος). Of Noah διʼ ἧς (sc. πίστεως) κατέκρινεν τὸν κ. Hb 11:7. ἡ ἁμαρτία εἰς τὸν κ. εἰσῆλθεν Ro 5:12; likew. θάνατος εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν κ. 1 Cl 3:4 (Wsd 2:24; 14:14). Cp. Ro 5:13; 1 Cor 1:27f. περικαθάρματα τοῦ κ. the refuse of humanity 4:13. Of persons before conversion ἄθεοι ἐν τῷ κ. Eph 2:12.—2 Cor 1:12; 5:19; Js 2:5; 1J 2:2; 4:1, 3. ἀρχαῖος κόσμος the people of the ancient world 2 Pt 2:5a; cp. vs. 5b; 3:6. Of pers. of exceptional merit: ὧν οὐκ ἦν ἄξιος ὁ κ. of whom the world was not worthy Hb 11:38.—ὅλος ὁ κ. all the world, everybody Ac 2:47 D; 1 Cl 5:7; cp. ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κ. 59:2; εἰς ὅλον τὸν κ. Hs 8, 3, 2. Likew. ὁ κόσμος (cp. Philo, De Prov. in Eus., PE 8, 14, 58) ὁ κ. ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ἀπῆλθεν J 12:19. ταῦτα λαλῶ εἰς τὸν κ. 8:26; ἐν τῷ κ. 17:13; ἐγὼ παρρησίᾳ λελάληκα τῷ κ. 18:20; cp. 7:4; 14:22. ἵνα γνῷ ὁ κ. 14:31; cp. 17:23; ἵνα ὁ κ. πιστεύῃ 17:21.

ⓑ of all humanity, but especially of believers, as the object of God’s love J 3:16, 17c; 6:33, 51; 12:47b.

⑦ the system of human existence in its many aspects, the world

ⓐ as scene of earthly joys, possessions, cares, sufferings (cp. 4 Macc 8:23) τὸν κ. ὅλον κερδῆσαι gain the whole world Mt 16:26; Mk 8:36; Lk 9:25; 2 Cl 6:2 (cp. Procop. Soph., Ep. 137 the whole οἰκουμένη is an unimportant possession compared to ἀρετή). τὰ τερπνὰ τοῦ κ. the delightful things in the world IRo 6:1. οἱ χρώμενοι τὸν κ. ὡς μὴ καταχρώμενοι those who use the world as though they had no use of it or those who deal with the world as having made no deals with it 1 Cor 7:31a. ἔχειν τὸν βίον τοῦ κ. possess worldly goods 1J 3:17. τὰ τοῦ κόσμου the affairs of the world 1 Cor 7:33f; cp. 1J 2:15f. The latter pass. forms an easy transition to the large number of exprs. (esp. in Paul and John) in which

ⓑ the world, and everything that belongs to it, appears as that which is hostile to God, i.e. lost in sin, wholly at odds w. anything divine, ruined and depraved (Herm. Wr. 6, 4 [the κόσμος is τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς κακίας]; 13, 1 [ἡ τοῦ κ. ἀπάτη], in Stob. p. 428, 24 Sc.; En 48:7; TestIss 4:6; AscIs 3:25; Hdb., exc. on J 1:10; Bultmann ad loc.—cp. Sotades Maronita [III B.C.] 11 Diehl: the κόσμος is unjust and hostile to great men) IMg 5:2; IRo 2:2. ὁ κόσμος οὗτος this world (in contrast to the heavenly realm) J 8:23; 12:25, 31a; 13:1; 16:11; 18:36; 1J 4:17; 1 Cor 3:19; 5:10a; 7:31b; Hv 4, 3, 2ff; D 10:6; 2 Cl 5:1, 5; (opp. ὁ ἅγιος αἰών) B 10:11. ‘This world’ is ruled by the ἄρχων τοῦ κ. τούτου the prince of this world, the devil J 12:31b; 16:11; without τούτου 14:30. Cp. ὁ κ. ὅλος ἐν τῷ πονηρῷ κεῖται the whole world lies in the power of the evil one 1J 5:19; cp. 4:4; also ὁ αἰὼν τοῦ κ. τούτου Eph 2:2 (s. αἰών 4).—Christians must have nothing to do with this world of sin and separation fr. God: instead of desiring it IRo 7:1, one is to ἄσπιλον ἑαυτὸν τηρεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ κ. keep oneself untainted by the world Js 1:27. ἀποφεύγειν τὰ μιάσματα τοῦ κ. 2 Pt 2:20; cp. 1:4 (s. ἀποφεύγω 1).—Pol 5:3. ἡ φιλία τοῦ κ. ἔχθρα τ. θεοῦ ἐστιν Js 4:4a; cp. vs. 4b. When such an attitude is taken Christians are naturally hated by the world IRo 3:3; J 15:18, 19ad; 17:14a; 1J 3:13, as their Lord was hated J 7:7; 15:18; cp. 1:10c; 14:17; 16:20.—Also in Paul: God and world in opposition τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ κ. and τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἐκ θεοῦ the spirit of the world and the spirit that comes fr. God 1 Cor 2:12; σοφία τοῦ κ. and σοφία τοῦ θεοῦ 1:20f. ἡ κατὰ θεὸν λύπη and ἡ τοῦ κ. λύπη godly grief and worldly grief 2 Cor 7:10. The world is condemned by God 1 Cor 11:32; yet also the object of the divine plan of salvation 2 Cor 5:19; cp. 1 Cl 7:4; 9:4. A Christian is dead as far as this world is concerned: διʼ οὗ (i.e. Ἰ. Χρ.) ἐμοὶ κ. ἐσταύρωται κἀγὼ κόσμῳ through Christ the world has been crucified for me, and I have been (crucified) to the world Gal 6:14; cp. the question τί ὡς ζῶντες ἐν κ. δογματίζεσθε; Col 2:20b. For στοιχεῖα τοῦ κ. Gal 4:3; Col 2:8, 20a s. στοιχεῖον.—The use of κ. in this sense is even further developed in John. The κ. stands in opposition to God 1J 2:15f and hence is incapable of knowing God J 17:25; cp. 1J 4:5, and excluded fr. Christ’s intercession J 17:9; its views refuted by the Paraclete 16:8. Neither Christ himself 17:14c, 16b; 14:27, nor his own 15:19b; 17:14b, 16a; 1J 3:1 belong in any way to the ‘world’. Rather Christ has chosen them ‘out of the world’ J 15:19c, even though for the present they must still live ‘in the world’ 17:11b; cp. 13:1b; 17:15, 18b. All the trouble that they must undergo because of this, 16:33a, means nothing compared w. the victorious conviction that Christ (and the believers w. him) has overcome ‘the world’ vs. 33b; 1J 5:4f, and that it is doomed to pass away 2:17 (TestJob 33:4; Kephal. I 154, 21: the κόσμος τῆς σαρκός will pass away).

⑧ collective aspect of an entity, totality, sum total (SIG 850, 10 τὸν κόσμον τῶν ἔργων (but s. 1 above); Pr 17:6a) ὁ κ. τῆς ἀδικίας ἡ γλῶσσα καθίσταται the tongue becomes (or proves to be) the sum total of iniquity Js 3:6 (so, approx., Meinertz; FHauck.—MDibelius, Windisch and ASchlatter find mng. 7b here, whereas ACarr, Exp. 7th ser., 8, 1909, 318ff thinks of mng. 1). Χρ. τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ παντὸς κόσμου τῶν σῳζομένων σωτηρίας παθόντα Christ, who suffered or died (s. πάσχω 3aα) for the salvation of the sum total of those who are saved MPol 17:2.—FBytomski, D. genet. Entwicklung des Begriffes κόσμος in d. Hl. Schrift: Jahrb. für Philos. und spekul. Theol. 25, 1911, 180–201; 389–413 (only the OT); CSchneider, Pls u. d. Welt: Αγγελος IV ’32, 11–47; EvSchrenck, Der Kosmos-Begriff bei Joh.: Mitteilungen u. Nachrichten f. d. evang. Kirche in Russland 51, 1895, 1–29; RLöwe, Kosmos u. Aion ’35; RBultmann, D. Verständnis v. Welt u. Mensch im NT u. im Griechentum: ThBl 19, ’40, 1–14; GBornkamm, Christus u. die Welt in der urchr. Botschaft: ZTK 47, ’50, 212–26; ALesky, Kosmos ’63; RVölkl, Christ u. Welt nach dem NT ’61; GJohnston, οἰκουμένη and κ. in the NT: NTS 10, ’64, 352–60; NCassem, ibid. 19, ’72/73, 81–91; RBratcher, BT 31, ’80, 430–34.—B. 13; 440. DELG. M-M. EDNT. TW.

θεός, οῦ (Hom.+; Herm. Wr.; ins, pap, LXX, pseudepigr., Philo, Joseph.) ὁ and ἡ, voc. θεέ (Pisidian ins [JHS 22, 1902, 355] θέ; PGM 4, 218 θεὲ θεῶν; 7, 529 κύριε θεὲ μέγιστε; 12, 120 κύριε θεέ; 13, 997; LXX [Thackeray 145; PKatz, Philo’s Bible ’50, 152f]; ApcMos 42; Jos., Ant. 14, 24 ὦ θεὲ βασιλεῦ τ. ὅλων; SibOr 13, 172 βασιλεῦ κόσμου θεέ) Mt 27:46, more frequently (s. 2 and 3c, h below) ὁ θεός (LXX; ParJer 6:12; ApcEsdr 7:5; ApcMos 32; B-D-F §147, 3m; JWackernagel, Über einige antike Anredeformen 1912; Mlt-H. 120). On the inclusion or omission of the art. gener. s. W-S. §19, 13d; B-D-F §254, 1; 268, 2; Rob. 758; 761; 780; 786; 795; Mlt-Turner 174; BWeiss, D. Gebr. des Artikels bei den Gottesnamen, StKr 84, 1911, 319–92; 503–38 (also published separately). The sg. article freq. suggests personal claim on a deity. ‘God, god’.

① In the Gr-Rom. world the term θεός primarily refers to a transcendent being who exercises extraordinary control in human affairs or is responsible for bestowal of unusual benefits, deity, god, goddess (s. on θεά) Ac 28:6; 2 Th 2:4 (cp. SibOr 5, 34 ἰσάζων θεῷ αὐτόν; Ar. 4, 1 οὐκ εἰσὶ θεοί; Tat. 10, 1 θεὸς … κύκνος γίνεται …; Ath. 18, 3 θεός τις δισώματος); θεὸς Ῥαιφάν Ac 7:43 (Am 5:26; s. entry Ῥαιφάν). οὐδεὶς θεὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς there is no god but one 1 Cor 8:4 (cp. AcPl Ha 1, 17 restored). θεοῦ φωνὴ καὶ οὐκ ἀνθρώπου Ac 12:22.—ἡ θεός the (female) god, goddess (Att., later more rarely; Peripl. Eryth. c. 58; Lucian, Dial. Deor. 17, 2; SIG 695, 28; ins, one of which refers to Artemis, in Hauser p. 81f; Jos., Ant. 9, 19; Ar. 11, 2 [Artemis]; Ath. 29, 2 [Ino]) Ac 19:37.—Pl. Ac 7:40 (Ex 32:1). Cp. 14:11; 19:26; PtK 2 p. 14, 21. εἴπερ εἰσὶν λεγόμενοι θεοί even if there are so-called gods 1 Cor 8:5a; s. vs. 5b (on θεοὶ πολλοί cp. Jos., Ant. 4, 149.—Maximus Tyr. 11, 5a: θ. πολλοί w. εἷς θ. πατήρ). οἱ φύσει μὴ ὄντες θεοί those who by nature are not really gods Gal 4:8b (cp. Ar. 4, 2 μὴ εἶναι τὸν οὐρανὸν θεόν al.). θεοὶ … λίθινοι etc. AcPl Ha 1, 18 (cp. JosAs 10:13 τοὺς χρυσοῦς καὶ ἀργυροῦς). Of the devil μὴ ὢν θεός AcPlCor 2:15.

② Some writings in our lit. use the word θ. w. ref. to Christ (without necessarily equating Christ with the Father, and therefore in harmony w. the Shema of Israel Dt 6:4; cp. Mk 10:18 and 4a below), though the interpretation of some of the pass. is in debate. In Mosaic and Gr-Rom. traditions the fundamental semantic component in the understanding of deity is the factor of performance, namely saviorhood or extraordinary contributions to one’s society. Dg. 10:6 defines the ancient perspective: ὸ̔ς ἃ παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ λάβων ἔχει, ταῦτα τοῖς ἐπιδεομένοις χορηγῶν, θεὸς γίνεται τῶν λαμβανάντων one who ministers to the needy what one has received from God proves to be a god to the recipients (cp. Sb III, 6263, 27f of a mother). Such understanding led to the extension of the mng. of θ. to pers. who elicit special reverence (cp. pass. under 4 below; a similar development can be observed in the use of σέβομαι and cognates). In Ro 9:5 the interpr. is complicated by demand of punctuation marks in printed texts. If a period is placed before ὁ ὢν κτλ., the doxology refers to God as defined in Israel (so EAbbot, JBL 1, 1881, 81–154; 3, 1883, 90–112; RLipsius; HHoltzmann, Ntl. Theol.² II 1911, 99f; EGünther, StKr 73, 1900, 636–44; FBurkitt, JTS 5, 1904, 451–55; Jülicher; PFeine, Theol. d. NTs⁶ ’34, 176 et al.; RSV text; NRSV mg.). A special consideration in favor of this interpretation is the status assigned to Christ in 1 Cor 15:25–28 and the probability that Paul is not likely to have violated the injunction in Dt 5:7.—If a comma is used in the same place, the reference is to Christ (so BWeiss; EBröse, NKZ 10, 1899, 645–57 et al.; NRSV text; RSV mg. S. also εἰμί 1.—Undecided: THaering.—The transposition by the Socinian scholar JSchlichting [died 1661] ὧν ὁ=‘to whom belongs’ was revived by JWeiss, D. Urchristentum 1917, 363; WWrede, Pls 1905, 82; CStrömman, ZNW 8, 1907, 319f). In 2 Pt 1:1; 1J 5:20 the interpretation is open to question (but cp. ISmyrna McCabe.0010, 100 ὁ θεὸς καὶ σωτὴρ Ἀντίοχος). In any event, θ. certainly refers to Christ, as one who manifests primary characteristics of deity, in the foll. NT pass.: J 1:1b (w. ὁ θεός 1:1a, which refers to God in the monotheistic context of Israel’s tradition. On the problem raised by such attribution s. J 10:34 [cp. Ex 7:1; Ps 81:6]; on θεός w. and without the article, acc. to whether it means God or the Logos, s. Philo, Somn. 1, 229f; JGriffiths, ET 62, ’50/51, 314–16; BMetzger, ET 63, ’51/52, 125f), 18b. ὁ κύριός μου καὶ ὁ θεός μου my Lord and my God! (nom. w. art.=voc.; s. beg. of this entry.—On a resurrection as proof of divinity cp. Diog. L. 8, 41, who quotes Hermippus: Pythagoras returns from a journey to Hades and appears among his followers [εἰσέρχεσθαι εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν], and they consider him θεῖόν τινα) J 20:28 (on the combination of κύριος and θεός s. 3c below). Tit 2:13 (μέγας θ.). Hb 1:8, 9 (in a quot. fr. Ps 44:7, 8). S. TGlasson, NTS 12, ’66, 270–72. Jd 5 P⁷². But above all Ignatius calls Christ θεός in many pass.: θεὸς Ἰησοῦς Χριστός ITr 7:1; Χριστὸς θεός ISm 10:1. ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν IEph ins; 15:3; 18:2; IRo ins (twice); 3:3; IPol 8:3; τὸ πάθος τοῦ θεοῦ μου IRo 6:3. ἐν αἵματι θεοῦ IEph 1:1. ἐν σαρκὶ γενόμενος θεός 7:2. θεὸς ἀνθρωπίνως φανερούμενος 19:3. θεὸς ὁ οὕτως ὑμᾶς σοφίσας ISm 1:1.—Hdb. exc. 193f; MRackl, Die Christologie d. hl. Ign. v. Ant. 1914. ὁ θεός μου Χριστὲ Ἰησοῦ AcPl Ha 3, 10; Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ὁ θ[εός] 6, 24; cp. ln. 34 (also cp. Just., A I, 63, 15, D. 63, 5 al.; Tat. 13, 3; Ath. 24, 1; Mel., P. 4, 28 al.).—SLösch, Deitas Jesu u. antike Apotheose ’33. Cp. AWlosk, Römischer Kaiserkult ’78.

③ God in Israelite/Christian monotheistic perspective, God the predom. use, somet. with, somet. without the art.

ⓐ ὁ θεός Mt 1:23; 3:9; 5:8, 34; Mk 2:12; 10:18; 13:19 (cp. TestJob 37:4); Lk 2:13; J 3:2b; Ac 2:22b; Gal 2:6 al. With prep. εἰς τὸν θ. Ac 24:15. ἐκ τοῦ θ. J 8:42b, 47; 1J 3:9f; 4:1ff, 6f; 5:1, 4; 2 Cor 3:5; 5:18 al.; ἐν τῷ θ. Ro 5:11; Col 3:3 (Ath. 21, 1). ἔναντι τοῦ θ. Lk 1:8; ἐπὶ τὸν θ. Ac 15:19; 26:18, 20 (Just., D. 101, 1); ἐπὶ τῷ θ. Lk 1:47 (Just., D. 8, 2); παρὰ τοῦ θ. J 8:40 (Ar. 4, 2; Just., A I, 33, 6 al.; without art. Just., D. 69, 6 al.). παρὰ τῷ θ. Ro 2:13; 9:14 (Just., A I, 28, 3; Tat. 7, 1; Ath. 31, 2 al.); πρὸς τὸν θ. J 1:2; Ac 24:16; AcPl Ha 3, 8 (Just., D. 39, 1 al.; Mel., HE 4, 26, 13 al.); τὰ πρὸς τὸν θ. Hb 2:17; 5:1; Ro 15:17 is acc. of respect: with respect to one’s relation to God or the things pert. to God, in God’s cause (s. B-D-F §160; Rob. 486. For τὰ πρὸς τ. θ. s. Soph., Phil. 1441; X., De Rep. Lac. 13, 11; Aristot., Pol. 1314b, 39; Lucian, Pro Imag. 8; Mitt-Wilck. I/2, 109, 3 [III B.C.] εὐσεβὴς τὰ πρὸς θεούς; Ex 4:16; 18:19; Jos., Ant. 9, 236 εὐσεβὴς τὰ πρὸς τ. θεόν). τὰ πρὸς τ[ὸν] θεὸν ἐτήρουσαν, when they were observant of matters pert. to God AcPl Ha 8, 13 (=τα π̣ρος θ̣̄ν̄| ἐτήρουσαν Ox 1602, 10f=BMM recto 16 restored after the preceding).

ⓑ without the art. Mt 6:24; Lk 2:14; 20:38; J 1:18a; Ro 8:8, 33b; 2 Cor 1:21; 5:19; Gal 2:19; 4:8f; 2 Th 1:8; Tit 1:16; 3:8; Hb 3:4; AcPl Ha 8, 20=BMM recto 25 (s. also HSanders’ rev. of Ox 1602, 26, in HTR 31, ’38, 79, n. 2, Ghent 62 verso, 6); AcPlCor 1:15; 2:19, 26. W. prep. ἀπὸ θεοῦ J 3:2a; 16:30 (Just., A II, 13, 4 τὸν … ἀπὸ ἀγεννήτου … θεοῦ λόγον). εἰς θεόν IPhld 1:2. ἐκ θεοῦ (Pind., O. 11, 10, P. 1, 41; Jos., Ant. 2, 164; Just., A I, 22, 2; Mel., P. 55, 404) Ac 5:39; 2 Cor 5:1; Phil 3:9. ἐν θεῷ J 8:21; Ro 2:17; Jd 1; AcPl Ha 1, 15; 2, 35. ἐπὶ θεόν AcPl Ha 2, 29 (cp. πρὸς θεόν Just., D. 138, 2). κατὰ θεόν acc. to God’s will (Appian, Iber. 19 §73; 23 §88; 26 §101, Liby. 6 §25, Bell. Civ. 4, 86 §364) Ro 8:27; 2 Cor 7:9ff; IEph 2:1. ἡ κατὰ θ. ἀγάπη godly love IMg 1:1; cp. 13:1; ITr 1:2. παρὰ θεῷ (Jos., Bell. 1, 635) Mt 19:26; Lk 2:52.

ⓒ w. gen. foll. or w. ἴδιος to denote a special relationship: ὁ θ. Ἀβραάμ Mt 22:32; Mk 12:26; Lk 20:37; Ac 3:13; 7:32 (all Ex 3:6). ὁ θ. (τοῦ) Ἰσραήλ (Ezk 44:2; JosAs 7:5) Mt 15:31; Lk 1:68; cp. Ac 13:17; 2 Cor 6:16; Hb 11:16. ὁ θ. μου Ro 1:8; 1 Cor 1:4; 2 Cor 12:21; Phil 1:3; 4:19; Phlm 4. OT κύριος ὁ θ. σου (ἡμῶν, ὑμῶν, αὐτῶν) Mt 4:7 (Dt 6:16); 22:37 (Dt 6:5); Mk 12:29 (Dt 6:4); Lk 1:16; 4:8 (Dt 6:13); 10:27 (Dt 6:5); Ac 2:39. ὁ κύριος καὶ ὁ θ. ἡμῶν Rv 4:11 (Just., D. 12, 3; the combination of κύριος and θεός is freq. in the OT: 2 Km 7:28; 3 Km 18:39; Jer 38:18; Zech 13:9; Ps 29:3; 34:23; 85:15; 87:2; TestAbr A 3 p. 79, 19 [Stone p. 6]; JosAs 3:4; 12:2 κύριε ὁ θ. τῶν αἰώνων. But s. also Epict. 2, 16, 13 κύριε ὁ θεός [GBreithaupt, Her. 62, 1927, 253–55], Herm. Wr.: Cat. Cod. Astr. VIII/2, p. 172, 6 κύριε ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν, the PGM ref. at the beg. of this entry, and the sacral uses τ. θεῷ κ. κυρίῳ Σοκνοπαίῳ [OGI 655, 3f—24 B.C.]; PTebt 284, 6; τῷ κυρίῳ θεῷ Ἀσκληπίῳ [Sb 159, 2]; deo domino Saturno [ins fr. imperial times fr. Thala in the prov. of Africa: BPhW 21, 1901, 475], also Suetonius, Domit. 13 dominus et deus noster [for the formulation s. 4a: PMich 209]; Ar. 15, 10; Just., D. 60, 3 al.) τὸν ἴδιον θ. AcPl Ha 3, 22.—ὁ θ. τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰ. Χ. Eph 1:17.

ⓓ used w. πατήρ (s. πατήρ 6a) ὁ θ. καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ Ro 15:6; 2 Cor 1:3; Eph 1:3; Col 1:3; 1 Pt 1:3. ὁ θ. καὶ πατὴρ ἡμῶν Gal 1:4; Phil 4:20; 1 Th 1:3; 3:11, 13. ὁ θ. καὶ πατήρ 1 Cor 15:24; Eph 5:20; Js 1:27. θ. πατήρ Phil 2:11; 1 Pt 1:2; cp. 1 Cor 8:6. ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ro 1:7b; 1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph 1:2; Phil 1:2; Col 1:2; Phlm 3; ἀπὸ θ. π. Gal 1:3 v.l.; Eph 6:23; 2 Th 1:2; 2 Ti 1:2; Tit 1:4; παρὰ θεοῦ π. 2 Pt 1:17; 2J 3.

ⓔ w. gen. of what God brings about, in accordance w. the divine nature: ὁ θ. τῆς εἰρήνης Ro 15:33; 1 Th 5:23. τῆς ἐλπίδος the God fr. whom hope comes Ro 15:13. πάσης παρακλήσεως 2 Cor 1:3b. ὁ θ. τῆς ἀγάπης 13:11. ὁ θ. πάσης χάριτος 1 Pt 5:10. In οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἀκαταστασίας ὁ θεός 1 Cor 14:33, θεός is to be supplied before ἀκατ.: for God is not a God of disorder.

ⓕ The gen. (τοῦ) θεοῦ is

α. subj. gen., extremely freq. depending on words like βασιλεία, δόξα, θέλημα, ἐντολή, εὐαγγέλιον, λόγος, ναός, οἶκος, πνεῦμα, υἱός, υἱοί, τέκνα and many others. Here prob. (s. β) belongs τὸ μωρὸν τ. θ. the (seeming) foolishness of G. 1 Cor 1:25 (s. B-D-F §263, 2).

β. obj. gen. ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θ. love for God Lk 11:42; J 5:42; ἡ προσευχὴ τοῦ θ. prayer to God Lk 6:12. πίστις θεοῦ faith in God Mk 11:22. φόβος θεοῦ fear of, reverence for God Ro 3:18 al. (s. φόβος 2bα) If 1 Cor 1:25 is to be placed here (s. α above), τὸ μωρὸν τ. θ. refers to apostolic allegiance to God, which is viewed by outsiders as folly.

γ. τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ the things, ways, thoughts, or secret purposes of God 1 Cor 2:11. φρονεῖν τὰ τ. θ. Mt 16:23; Mk 8:33 s. φρονέω 2b (ἀτιμάζοντας τὰ τοῦ θ. Just., D. 78, 10 al.). ἀποδιδόναι τὰ τ. θ. τῷ θεῷ give God what belongs to God Mt 22:21; Mk 12:17; Lk 20:25.

δ. Almost as a substitute for the adj. divine IMg 6:1f; 15 (cp. Ath. 21, 4 οὐδὲν ἔχων θεοῦ [of Zeus]).

ⓖ The dat. τῷ θεῷ (s. B-D-F §188, 2; 192; Rob. 538f; WHavers, Untersuchungen z. Kasussyntax d. indogerm. Sprachen 1911, 162ff) is

α. dat. of advantage (cp. e.g. Ath. 26, 3 ὡς ἐπηκόῳ θεῷ) for God 2 Cor 5:13. Perh. (s. β) ὅπλα δυνατὰ τῷ θ. 10:4. The dat. of Ro 6:10f rather expresses the possessor.

β. ethical dat. in the sight of God, hence w. superl. force (s. Beginn. IV, 75, on Ac 7:20) very: μεγάλοι τῷ θ. B 8:4 (cp. Jon 3:3). ἀστεῖος τῷ θ. Ac 7:20. Perh. (s. α) ὅπλα δυνατὰ τ. θ. weapons powerful in the sight of God 2 Cor 10:4. This idea is usu. expressed by ἐνώπιον τοῦ θ.

ⓗ ὁ θ. is used as a vocative Mk 15:34 (Ps 21:2. θεός twice at the beginning of the invocation of a prayer: Ael. Dion. θ, 8; Paus. Attic. θ, 7 ‘θεὸς θεός’ ταῖς ἀρχαῖς ἐπέλεγον ἐπιφημιζόμενοι); Lk 18:11; Hb 1:8 (Ps 44:7; MHarris, TynBull 36, ’85, 129–62); 10:7 (Ps 39:9); AcPl Ha 3, 10; 5, 12; 31. S. also 2 and 3c and the beg. of this entry.

ⓘ θ. τῶν αἰώνων s. αἰών 3 and 4; θ. αἰώνιος s. αἰώνιος 2; θ. ἀληθινός s. ἀληθινός 3b; εἷς ὁ θεός s. εἷς 2b; (ὁ) θ. (ὁ) ζῶν s. [ζάω] 1aε.—ὁ μόνος θεός the only God (4 Km 19:15, 19; Ps 85:10; Is 37:20; Da 3:45; Philo, Leg. All. 2, 1f; s. Norden, Agn. Th. 145) J 5:44 (some mss. lack τοῦ μόνου); 1 Ti 1:17.—ὁ μόνος ἀληθινὸς θ. (Demochares: 75 Fgm. 2 p. 135, 7 Jac. [in Athen. 6, 62, 253c] μόνος θ. ἀληθινός) J 17:3. cp. the sim. combinations w. μόνος θ. Ro 16:27; Jd 25. μόνος ὁ θεὸς μένει AcPl Ha 2, 27.—θ. σωτήρ s. σωτήρ 1.—OHoltzmann, D. chr. Gottesglaube, s. Vorgesch. u. Urgesch.1905; EvDobschütz, Rationales u. irrat. Denken über Gott im Urchristent.: StKr 95, 1924, 235–55; RHoffmann, D. Gottesbild Jesu ’34; PAlthaus, D. Bild Gottes b. Pls: ThBl 20, ’41, 81–92; Dodd 3–8; KRahner, Theos im NT: Bijdragen (Maastricht) 11, ’50, 212–36; 12, ’51, 24–52.

④ that which is nontranscendent but considered worthy of special reverence or respect, god (Artem. 2, 69 p. 161, 17: γονεῖς and διδάσκαλοι are like gods; Simplicius in Epict. p. 85, 27 acc. to ancient Roman custom children had to call their parents θεοί; s. 2 above and note on σέβομαι).

ⓐ of humans θεοί (as אֱלֹהִים) J 10:34f (Ps 81:6; humans are called θ. in the OT also Ex 7:1; 22:27; cp. Philo, Det. Pot. Insid. 161f, Somn. 1, 229, Mut. Nom. 128, Omn. Prob. Lib. 43, Mos. 1, 158, Decal. 120, Leg. All. 1, 40, Migr. Abr. 84). θ. γίνεται τῶν λαμβανόντων (a benefactor) proves to be a god to recipients Dg 10:6 (cp. Pliny, NH 2, 7, 18; s. 2 above, beg.—Aristot., Pol. 3, 8, 1, 1284a of the superior pers. as a god among humans; Arcesilaus [III B.C.] describes Crates and Polemo as θεοί τινες=‘a kind of gods’ [Diog. L. 4, 22]; Antiphanes says of the iambic poet Philoxenus: θεὸς ἐν ἀνθρώποισιν ἦν [Athen. 14, 50, 643d]; Diod S 1, 4, 7 and 5, 21, 2 of Caesar; for honors accorded Demetrius, s. IKertész, Bemerkungen zum Kult des Demetrios Poliorketes: Oikumene 2, ’78, 163–75 [lit.]; Dio Chrys. 30 [47], 5 Πυθαγόρας ἐτιμᾶτο ὡς θεός; Heliod. 4, 7, 8 σωτὴρ κ. θεός, addressed to a physician; BGU 1197, 1 [4 B.C.] a high official, and 1201, 1 [2 B.C.] a priest θεός and κύριος; PMich 209, 11f [II/III A.D.] οἶδας ἄδελφε, ὅτει οὐ μόνον ὧς ἀδελφόν σε ἔχω, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς πατέρα κ. κύριον κ. θεόν; Just., A I, 26, 2 [Σίμων] θεὸς ἐνομίσθη καὶ … ὡς θεὸς τετίμηται; Tat. 3, 2 μὴ θεὸς ὤν [Empedocles]; Ath. 30, 2 Ἀντίνους … ἔτυχε νομίζεσθαι θεός of benefactors in gener. AcJ 27 [Aa II/1, 166, 4]).—JEmerton, JTS 11, ’60, 329–32.

ⓑ of the belly (=appetite) as the god of certain people Phil 3:19 (cp. Athen. 3, 97c γάστρων καὶ κοιλιοδαίμων. Also Eupolis Com. [V B.C.] Fgm. 172 K. [in Athen. 3, 100b]; on the use of θ. in ref. to impersonal entities [e.g. Eur., Cyclops 316 of wealth as a god] s. DDD 693f).

⑤ of the devil ὁ θ. τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου 2 Cor 4:4 (s. αἰών 2a and WMüllensiefen, StKr 95, 1924, 295–99).—668–99. RAC XI 1202–78; XII 81–154; B. 1464. LfgrE s.v. θεός col. 1001 (lit.). Schmidt, Syn. IV 1–21. DELG. M-M. TW. Sv.