service that leads to death

θάνατος, ου, ὁ (Hom.+)

① the termination of physical life, death

ⓐ natural death J 11:4, 13; Hb 7:23; 9:15f; Rv 18:8 (s. also 1d); 1 Cl 9:3. Opp. ζωή (Mel., P. 49, 355; cp. 2a.) Ro 7:10; 8:38; 1 Cor 3:22; 2 Cor 1:9 (s. also 1bα); Phil 1:20. γεύεσθαι θανάτου taste death = die (γεύομαι 2) Mt 16:28; Mk 9:1; Lk 9:27; J 8:52; Hb 2:9b. Also ἰδεῖν θάνατον (Astrampsychus p. 26 Dec. 48, 2. Also θεάομαι θ. p. 6 ln. 53) Lk 2:26; Hb 11:5; ζητεῖν τὸν θ. Rv 9:6 (where follows φεύγει ὁ θ. ἀπʼ αὐτῶν). θανάτου καταφρονεῖν despise death ISm 3:2; Dg 10:7a (Just., A II, 10, 8 al.; Tat. 11, 1 al.). περίλυπος ἕως θανάτου sorrowful even to the point of death (Jon 4:9 σφόδρα λελύπημαι ἕως θανάτου; Sir 37:2) Mt 26:38; Mk 14:34; ἄχρι θ. to the point of death of a devotion that does not shrink even fr. the sacrifice of one’s life Rv 2:10; 12:11 (TestJob 5:1; cp. Just., D. 30, 2 μέχρι θ. al.); διώκειν ἄχρι θανάτου persecute even to death Ac 22:4. Also διώκειν ἐν θανάτῳ B 5:11. διώκειν εἰς θ. AcPl Ha 11, 20 (opp. εἰς ζωήν). εἰς θ. πορεύεσθαι go to one’s death Lk 22:33. [ἀναβῆναι] εἰς τὸν τοῦ θανάτου [τόπον] AcPl Ha 6, 30. ἀσθενεῖν παραπλήσιον θανάτῳ be nearly dead with illness Phil 2:27; ἐσφαγμένος εἰς θ. receive a fatal wound Rv 13:3a. ἡ πληγὴ τοῦ θανάτου a fatal wound 13:3b, 12. φόβος θανάτου Hb 2:15.

ⓑ of death as a penalty (Thu. et al.; Diod S 14, 66, 3: the tyrant is μυρίων θανάτων τυχεῖν δίκαιος=‘worthy of suffering countless deaths’; Just., A I, 45, 5 θανάτου ὁρισθέντος κατὰ … τῶν ὁμολογούντων τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Χριστοῦ al.).

α. as inflicted by secular courts ἔνοχος θανάτου ἐστίν he deserves death (ἔνοχος 2bα) Mt 26:66; Mk 14:64; παραδιδόναι εἰς θ. betray, give over to death Mt 10:21; Mk 13:12 (ApcEsdr 3:12 p. 27, 23 Tdf.). θανάτῳ τελευτᾶν die the death = be punished w. death Mt 15:4; Mk 7:10 (both Ex 21:17). ἄξιον θανάτου, deserving death (the entire clause οὐδὲν … αὐτῷ=he is not guilty of any capital crime; cp. Jos., Ant. 11, 144) Lk 23:15 (s. αἴτιος 2); Ac 23:29; 25:11, 25. αἴτιον θανάτου Lk 23:22 (s. αἴτιος 2). Also αἰτία θανάτου (Lucian, Tyrannic. 11) Ac 13:28; 28:18; κρίμα θ. sentence of death: παραδιδόναι εἰς κρίμα θ. sentence to death Lk 24:20; fig. ἐν ἑαυτοῖς τὸ ἀπόκριμα τοῦ θ. ἐσχήκαμεν 2 Cor 1:9. κατακρίνειν τινὰ θανάτῳ (εἰς θάνατον v.l.) condemn someone to death Mt 20:18.—Several of the pass. just quoted refer to the death sentence passed against Christ; sim., θάνατος is freq. used

β. of the death of Christ gener. (Just., D. 52, 4 al.; ἀνθρώπου θ. ἀποθανεῖν Orig., C. Cels. 1, 61, 40): Ro 5:10; 6:3–5; 1 Cor 11:26; Phil 2:8a; 3:10; Col 1:22; Hb 2:14a; IEph 7:2; 19:1; IMg 9:1; ITr 2:1. τὸ πάθημα τ. θανάτου the suffering of death Hb 2:9. ἕως θανάτου καταντῆσαι even to meet death Pol 1:2.—GWiencke, Pls über Jesu Tod ’39.—The expr. ὠδῖνες τοῦ θανάτου, used Ac 2:24 in a passage referring to Christ, comes fr. the LXX, where in Ps 17:5 and 114:3 it renders חֶבְלֵי־מָוֶת (cp. 1QH 3, 7–12). This would lit. be ‘bonds of death’. But an interchange of חֶבֶל ‘bond’ and חֵבֶל ‘pain’, specif. ‘birth-pangs’, has made of it pangs of death (cp. a sim. interchange in 2 Km 22:6 al. LXX, and the expr. in Pol 1:2 λύσας τ. ὠδῖνας τοῦ ᾅδου after Ac 2:24 v.l.). This results in a remarkably complex metaphor (s. BGildersleeve, Pindar 1885, 355 on ‘telescoped’ metaphor) Ac 2:24, where death is regarded as being in labor, and unable to hold back its child, the Messiah (s. Beginn. IV ad loc.; Field, Notes 112).

γ. of natural death as divine punishment (Did., Gen. 148, 25; 171, 9) Ro 5:12ab; 21; 1 Cor 15:21; B 12:2, 5.

ⓒ of the danger of death (2 Ch 32:11) σῴζειν τινὰ ἐκ θανάτου save someone fr. death (PsSol 13:2 [ἀπὸ … θ.]; Ael. Aristid. 45 p. 120 D.; Just., D. 98, 1 σωθῆναι ἀπὸ τοῦ θ.) Hb 5:7. Also ῥύεσθαι ἐκ θ. 2 Cor 1:10 (Just., D. 111, 3). θάνατοι danger(s)/perils of death (Epict. 4, 6, 2; Ptolem., Apotel. 2, 9, 5; Ael. Aristid. 46 p. 307 D.: ὥσπερ Ὀδυσσεὺς θ.; Maximus Tyr. 15, 8a; Philo, In Flacc. 175 προαποθνῄσκω πολλοὺς θανάτους) 11:23. μέχρι θανάτου ἐγγίζειν come close to dying Phil 2:30. 2 Cor 4:11, cp. vs. 12, is reminiscent of the constant danger of death which faced the apostle as he followed his calling.

ⓓ of the manner of death (Artem. 1, 31 p. 33, 10; 4, 83 p. 251, 16 μυρίοι θ.=‘countless kinds of death’; TestAbr A 20 p. 102, 25 [Stone p. 52] ἑβδομήκοντα δύο εἰσὶν θ.; ParJer 9:22; Ps.-Hecataeus: 264 Fgm. 21, 191 Jac. [in Jos., C. Ap. 1, 191]) ποίῳ θ. by what kind of death J 12:33; 18:32; 21:19. θ. σταυροῦ Phil 2:8b.

ⓔ death as personified Ro 5:14, 17; 6:9; 1 Cor 15:26 (cp. Plut., Mor. 370c τέλος ἀπολεῖσθαι [for ἀπολείπεσθαι] τὸν Ἅιδην); vss. 54–56 (s. on κέντρον 1); Rv 1:18; 6:8a; 20:13f; 21:4; B 5:6; 16:9 (this concept among Jews [Hos 13:14; Sir 14:12; 4 Esdr 8, 53; SyrBar 21, 23; TestAbr A 16ff; Bousset, Rel.³ 253, 2] and Greeks [ERohde, Psyche1903, II 241; 249; CRobert, Thanatos 1879].—JKroll, Gott u. Hölle ’32; Dibelius, Geisterwelt 114ff; JUbbink, Paulus en de dood: NThSt 1, 1918, 3–10 and s. on ἁμαρτία 3a).

② death viewed transcendently in contrast to a living relationship with God, death extension of mng. 1 (Philo)

ⓐ of spiritual death, to which one is subject unless one lives out of the power of God’s grace. θάνατον οὐ μὴ θεωρήσῃ J 8:51. Opp. ζωή 5:24; 1J 3:14; Ro 7:10; 8:6. This death stands in the closest relation to sin: Ro 7:13b; Js 1:15; 5:20; 2 Cl 1:6; Hv 2, 3, 1; also to the flesh: Paul thinks of the earthly body as σῶμα τ. θανάτου Ro 7:24. In contrast to the gospel the law of Moses engraved on stone διακονία τοῦ θανάτου service that leads to death 2 Cor 3:7 (cp. Tat. 14, 1 θανάτου … ἐπιτηδεύματα). The νόμος, which is τὸ ἀγαθόν, proves to be θάνατος death = deadly or cause of death Ro 7:13a. The unredeemed are ἐν χώρᾳ καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου Mt 4:16; cp. Lk 1:79 (both Is 9:2). ἐν σκοτίᾳ θανάτου AcPl Ha 8, 32 (=BMM verso 4). This mng. of θάνατος cannot always be clearly distinguished fr. the foll., since spiritual death merges into

ⓑ eternal death. θαν. αἰώνιος B 20:1. This kind of death is meant Ro 1:32; 6:16, 21, 23; 7:5; 2 Cor 7:10; 2 Ti 1:10; Hb 2:14b; B 10:5; 2 Cl 16:4; Dg 10:7b; Hv 1, 1, 8; m 4, 1, 2. ἁμαρτία πρὸς θάνατον 1J 5:16f (Polyaenus 8, 32 bravery πρὸς θ.=‘to the point of death’; s. ἁμαρτάνω e and TestIss 7:1 ἁμαρτία εἰς θάνατον). ὀσμὴ ἐκ θανάτου εἰς θάνατον a fragrance that comes from death and leads to death 2 Cor 2:16. In Rv this (final) death is called the second death (ὁ δεύτερος θ. also Plut., Mor. 942f) 2:11; 20:6, 14b; 21:8 (s. TZahn, comm. 604–8).—GQuell, Die Auffassung des Todes in Israel 1926; JLeipoldt, D. Tod bei Griechen u. Juden ’42; TBarrosse, Death and Sin in Ro: CBQ 15, ’53, 438–59; ELohse, Märtyrer u. Gottesknecht ’55 (lit.); SBrandon, The Personification of Death in Some Ancient Religions, BJRL 43, ’61, 317–35.

③ a particular manner of death, fatal illness, pestilence and the like, as established by context (Job 27:15; Jer 15:2: θάνατος … μάχαιρα … λιμός) Rv 2:23. ἀποκτεῖναι ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ κ. ἐν λιμῷ κ. ἐν θανάτῳ 6:8b; 18:8 (cp. PsSol 13:2; 15:7; Orig., C. Cels. 5, 37, 10).—JToynbee, Death and Burial in the Roman World ’71; SHumphreys, The Family, Women, and Death ’83.—B. 287. DELG. BHHW III 1999–2001. 1609–13. M-M. TW. Sv.

ἁμαρτία, ίας, ἡ (w. mngs. ranging fr. involuntary mistake/ error to serious offenses against a deity: Aeschyl., Antiphon, Democr.+; ins fr. Cyzicus JHS 27, 1907, p. 63 [III B.C.] ἁμαρτίαν μετανόει; PLips 119 recto, 3; POxy 1119, 11; LXX; En, TestSol, TestAbr, TestJob, Test12Patr; JosAs 12:14; ParJer, ApcEsdr, ApcSed, ApcMos; EpArist 192; Philo; Jos., Ant. 13, 69 al.; Ar. [Milne 76, 42]; Just., A I, 61, 6; 10; 66, 1, D. 13, 1 al.; Tat. 14, 1f; 20, 1; Mel., P. 50, 359; 55, 400; s. ClR 24, 1910, 88; 234; 25, 1911, 195–97).

① a departure fr. either human or divine standards of uprightness

ⓐ sin (w. context ordinarily suggesting the level of heinousness), the action itself (ἁμάρτησις s. prec.), as well as its result (ἁμάρτημα), πᾶσα ἀδικία ἁ. ἐστίν 1J 5:17 (cp. Eur., Or. 649; Gen 50:17). ἁ. w. ἀνομήματα Hv 1, 3, 1; descr. as ἀνομία (cp. Ps 58:3; TestJob 43:17) 1J 3:4; but one who loves is far from sin Pol 3:3, cp. Js 5:20; 1 Pt 4:8, 1 Cl 49:5; Agr 13. ἀναπληρῶσαι τὰς ἁ. fill up the measure of sins (Gen 15:16) 1 Th 2:16. κοινωνεῖν ἁ. ἀλλοτρίαις 1 Ti 5:22. ποιεῖν ἁ. commit a sin (Tob 12:10; 14:7S; Dt 9:21) 2 Cor 11:7; 1 Pt 2:22; Js 5:15; 1J 3:4, 8. For this ἁμαρτάνειν ἁ. (Ex 32:30; La 1:8) 1J 5:16; ἐργάζεσθαι ἁ. Js 2:9; Hm 4, 1, 2 (LXX oft. ἐργάζ. ἀδικίαν or ἀνομίαν). μεγάλην ἁ. ἐργάζεσθαι commit a great sin m 4, 1, 1; 8:2. Pl. (cp. Pla., Ep. 7, 335a τὰ μεγάλα ἁμαρτήματα κ. ἀδικήματα) Hs 7:2. ἐπιφέρειν ἁ. τινί Hv 1, 2, 4. ἑαυτῷ ἁ. ἐπιφέρειν bring sin upon oneself m 11:4; for this ἁ. ἐπισπᾶσθαί τινι m 4, 1, 8 (cp. Is 5:18). προστιθέναι ταῖς ἁ. add to one’s sins (cp. προσέθηκεν ἁμαρτίας ἐφʼ ἁμαρτίας PsSol 3:10) Hv 5:7; m 4, 3, 7; Hs 6, 2, 3; 8, 11, 3; φέρειν ἁ. 1 Cl 16:4 (Is 53:4). ἀναφέρειν vs. 14 (Is 53:12). γέμειν ἁμαρτιῶν B 11:11. εἶναι ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις 1 Cor 15:17 (cp. Alex. Aphr., Eth. Probl. 9 II 2 p. 129, 13 ἐν ἁμαρτήμασιν εἶναι).—Sin viewed from the perspective of God’s or Christ’s response: ἀφιέναι τὰς ἁ. let go = forgive sins (Lev 4:20 al.) Mt 9:2, 5f; Mk 2:5, 7, 9f; Lk 5:20ff; Hv 2, 2, 4; 1 Cl 50:5; 53:5 (Ex 32:32) al. (ἀφίημι 2); hence ἄφεσις (τῶν) ἁμαρτιῶν (Iren. 1, 21, 2 [Harv. I 182, 4]) forgiveness of sins Mt 26:28; Mk 1:4; Lk 1:77; 3:3; 24:47; Ac 2:38; 5:31; 10:43; 13:38; Hm 4, 3, 2; B 5:1; 6:11; 8:3; 11:1; 16:8. διδόναι ἄφεσιν ἁ. AcPl Ha 2, 30; λαβεῖν ἄφεσιν ἁ. receive forgiveness of sins Ac 26:18 (Just., D. 54 al); καθαρίζειν τὰς ἁ. cleanse the sins (thought of as a stain) Hs 5, 6, 3; καθαρίζειν ἀπὸ ἁ. 1 Cl 18:3 (Ps 50:4; cp. Sir 23:10; PsSol 10:1); also καθαρισμὸν ποιεῖσθαι τῶν ἁ. Hb 1:3; ἀπολούεσθαι τὰς ἁ. Ac 22:16 ([w. βαπτίζειν] Just., D. 13, 1 al.). λύτρον ἁ. ransom for sins B 19:10.—αἴρειν J 1:29; περιελεῖν ἁ. Hb 10:11; ἀφαιρεῖν (Ex 34:9; Is 27; 9) vs. 4; Hs 9, 28, 3; ῥυσθῆναι ἀπὸ ἁ. 1 Cl 60:3; ἀπὸ τῶν ἁ. ἀποσπασθῆναι AcPlCor 2:9. Sin as a burden αἱ ἁ. κατεβάρησαν Hs 9, 28, 6; as a disease ἰᾶσθαι Hs 9, 28, 5 (cp. Dt 30:3); s. also the verbs in question.—Looked upon as an entry in a ledger; hence ἐξαλείφεται ἡ ἁ. wiped away, cancelled (Ps 108:14; Jer 18:23; Is 43:25) Ac 3:19.—Opp. στῆσαι τὴν ἁ. 7:60; λογίζεσθαι ἁ. take account of sin (as a debt; cp. the commercial metaphor Ro 4:6 and s. FDanker, Gingrich Festschr. 104, n. 2) Ro 4:8 (Ps 31:2); 1 Cl 60:2 (Just., D. 141, 3). Pass. ἁ. οὐκ ἐλλογεῖται is not entered in the account Ro 5:13 (GFriedrich, TLZ 77, ’52, 523–28). Of sinners ὀφειλέτης ἁ. Pol 6:1 (cp. SIG 1042, 14–16 [II A.D.] ὸ̔ς ἂν δὲ πολυπραγμονήσῃ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἢ περιεργάσηται, ἁμαρτίαν ὀφιλέτω Μηνὶ Τυράννωι, ἣν οὐ μὴ δύνηται ἐξειλάσασθαι).—γινώσκειν ἁ. (cp. Num 32:23) Ro 7:7; Hm 4, 1, 5. ἐπίγνωσις ἁμαρτίας Ro 3:20; ὁμολογεῖν τὰς ἁ. 1J 1:9; ἐξομολογεῖσθε ἐπὶ ταῖς ἁ. B 19:12; ἐξομολογεῖσθαι τὰς ἁ. Mt 3:6; Mk 1:5; Hv 3, 1, 5f; Hs 9, 23, 4; ἐξομολογεῖσθε ἀλλήλοις τὰς ἁ. confess your sins to each other Js 5:16.—ἐλέγχειν τινὰ περὶ ἁ. convict someone of sin J 8:46; cp. ἵνα σου τὰς ἁ. ἐλέγξω πρὸς τὸν κύριον that I might reveal your sins before the Lord Hv 1, 1, 5.—σεσωρευμένος ἁμαρτίαις loaded down w. sins 2 Ti 3:6; cp. ἐπισωρεύειν ταῖς ἁ. B 4:6; ἔνοχος τῆς ἁ. involved in the sin Hm 2:2; 4, 1, 5. μέτοχος τῆς ἁ. m 4, 1, 9.—In Hb sin is atoned for (ἱλάσκεσθαι τὰς ἁ. 2:17) by sacrifices θυσίαι ὑπὲρ ἁ. 5:1 (cp. 1 Cl 41:2). προσφορὰ περὶ ἁ. sin-offering 10:18; also simply περὶ ἁ. (Lev 5:11; 7:37) vss. 6, 8 (both Ps 39:7; cp. 1 Pt 3:18); προσφέρειν περὶ ἁ. bring a sin-offering Hb 5:3; cp. 10:12; 13:11. Christ has made the perfect sacrifice for sin 9:23ff; συνείδησις ἁ. consciousness of sin 10:2; ἀνάμνησις ἁ. a reminder of sins of the feast of atonement vs. 3.

ⓑ special sins (ἁ. τῆς ἀποστασίας Iren. 5, 26, 2 [Harv. II 397, 4]): πρὸς θάνατον that leads to death 1J 5:16b (ἁμαρτάνω e); opp. οὐ πρὸς θάνατον vs. 17. μεγάλη ἁ. a great sin Hv 1, 1, 8 al. (Gen 20:9; Ex 32:30 al.; cp. Schol. on Pla., Tht. 189d ἁμαρτήματα μεγάλα). μείζων ἁ. m 11:4; ἥττων 1 Cl 47:4. μεγάλη κ. ἀνίατος Hm 5, 2, 4; τέλειαι ἁ. Hv 1, 2, 1; B 8:1, cp. τὸ τέλειον τῶν ἁ. 5:11 (Philo, Mos. 1, 96 κατὰ τῶν τέλεια ἡμαρτηκότων); ἡ προτέρα ἁ. (Arrian, Anab. 7, 23, 8 εἴ τι πρότερον ἡμάρτηκας) sin committed before baptism Hm 4, 1, 11; 4, 3, 3; Hs 8, 11, 3; cp. v 2, 1, 2.

② a state of being sinful, sinfulness, a prominent feature in Johannine thought, and opposed to ἀλήθεια; hence ἁ. ἔχειν J 9:41; 15:24; 1J 1:8. μείζονα ἁ. ἔχειν J 19:11; ἁ. μένει 9:41. γεννᾶσθαι ἐν ἁμαρτίαις be born in sin 9:34 (ἐν ἁμαρτίᾳ v.l).; opp. ἐν ἁ. ἀποθανεῖν die in sin 8:21, 24; AcPl Ha 1, 16. ἁ. ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν 1J 3:5.

③ a destructive evil power, sin

ⓐ Paul thinks of sin almost in pers. terms (cp. Sir 27:10; Mel., P. 50, 359; PGM 4, 1448 w. other divinities of the nether world, also Ἁμαρτίαι χθόνιαι; Dibelius, Geisterwelt 119ff) as a ruling power that invades the world. Sin came into the world Ro 5:12 (JFreundorfer, Erbsünde u. Erbtod b. Ap. Pls 1927; ELohmeyer, ZNW 29, 1930, 1–59; JSchnitzer, D. Erbsünde im Lichte d. Religionsgesch. ’31; ROtto, Sünde u. Urschuld ’32; FDanker, Ro 5:12: Sin under Law: NTS 14, ’67/68, 424–39), reigns there vs. 21; 6:14; everything was subject to it Gal 3:22; people serve it Ro 6:6; are its slaves vss. 17, 20; are sold into its service 7:14 or set free from it 6:22; it has its law 7:23; 8:2; it revives (ἀνέζησεν) Ro 7:9 or is dead vs. 8; it pays its wages, viz., death 6:23, cp. 5:12 (see lit. s.v. ἐπί 6c). As a pers. principle it dwells in humans Ro 7:17, 20, viz., in the flesh (s. σάρξ 2cα) 8:3; cp. vs. 2; 7:25. The earthly body is hence a σῶμα τῆς ἁ. 6:6 (Col 2:11 v.l.).—As abstr. for concr. τὸν μὴ γνόντα ἁ. ὑπέρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν (God) made him, who never sinned, to be sin (i.e. the guilty one) for our sakes 2 Cor 5:21.

ⓑ In Hb (as in OT) sin appears as the power that deceives humanity and leads it to destruction, whose influence and activity can be ended only by sacrifices (s. 1a end): ἀπάτη τῆς ἁ. Hb 3:13.—On the whole word s. ἁμαρτάνω, end. GMoore, Judaism I 445–52; ABüchler, Studies in Sin and Atonement in the Rabb. Lit. of the I Cent. 1928; WKnuth, D. Begriff der Sünde b. Philon v. Alex., diss. Jena ’34; EThomas, The Problem of Sin in the NT 1927; Dodd 76–81; DDaube, Sin, Ignorance and Forgiveness in the Bible, ’61; AGelin and ADescamps, Sin in the Bible, ’65.—On the special question ‘The Christian and Sin’ see PWernle 1897; HWindisch 1908; EHedström 1911; RBultmann, ZNW 23, 1924, 123–40; Windisch, ibid. 265–81; RSchulz, D. Frage nach der Selbsttätigkt. d. Menschen im sittl. Leben b. Pls., diss. Hdlb. ’40.—JAddison, ATR 33, ’51, 137–48; KKuhn, πειρασμός ἁμαρτία σάρξ im NT: ZTK 49, ’52, 200–222; JBremer, Hamartia ’69 (Gk. views).—B. 1182. EDNT. DELG s.v. ἁμαρτάνω. M-M. TW.