ἄζυμος
ázymos
G106 substantive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Unleavened; referring specifically to bread or other food made without yeast or leavening agent, primarily indicating the absence of fermenting agents (yeast or sourdough culture). The term can refer concretely to substances or products not leavened (esp. bread eaten during certain ritual observances), and less commonly is used figuratively to signify purity or lack of corruption.
Semantic Range
unleavened (esp. bread), bread made without yeast, food without leaven, the festival of Unleavened Bread (metonymic), figuratively: pure, uncorrupted
Root / Etymology
Formed from the prefix ἀ- (a-, 'not, without') as a negative particle and ζύμη (zyme, 'leaven'). Denotes 'that which is without leaven.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In pre-Christian Greek, the term ἄζυμος appears rarely; its usage becomes more prominent in the Septuagint and literature associated with Second Temple period ritual. In the Septuagint, it renders Hebrew מַצָּה (matzah), especially in Exodus and Leviticus, referring to unleavened bread eaten during the festival of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. In the New Testament, ἄζυμα (usually the neuter plural, i.e., ἄζυμα) refers to the weeklong festival following the Passover meal, during which only unleavened bread is eaten. While traditional English translations almost always render it as 'unleavened bread,' the word can also refer metonymically to the week or festival (cf. Luke 22:1). The figurative use ('uncorrupted,' 'pure') is occasional and tends to be contextually constrained (cf. 1 Cor 5:7-8), but the primary lexical sense always returns to the physical absence of fermenting agents in food, not an abstract moral status. The Greek term differs from ζύμη ('leaven,' which in some contexts can connote corruption or transformation). The semantic distinction in Greek aligns closely with ritual distinctions in Israelite and Judean practice. The use of 'unleavened' in English narrows the word's ritual and cultural range, often obscuring its significance in Second Temple and early Christian contexts where avoiding leaven symbolized identity boundary and covenant fidelity.
Translation Consistency
ἄζυμος is overwhelmingly used to mean 'unleavened' (esp. bread made without yeast) in both literal and metonymic senses (Unleavened Bread) and occasionally figurative senses of purity. 'Unleavened' is the natural, common English adjective that best matches the typical usage and is already the dominant rendering in existing P2 occurrences.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from Α (as a negative particle) and ζύμη; unleavened, i.e. (figuratively) uncorrupted; (in the neutral plural) specially (by implication) the Passover week:--unleavened (bread).
Root Family
ἄζυμος (azymos) — without leaven, not fermented, unleavened
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G106-04 |
Ἀζύμων | azumon | ADJ.S GEN N PL |
Unleavened [Bread] | of unleavened breads | of unleavened breads | 6 |
G106-02 |
ἄζυμοι | azumoi | ADJ.P NOM M PL |
unleavened | unleavened ones | unleavened ones | 1 |
G106-01 |
Ἄζυμα | azuma | ADJ.S NOM N PL |
Unleavened Bread | the unleavened (things) | Unleavened Bread | 1 |
G106-03 |
ἀζύμοις | azumois | ADJ.S DAT N PL |
unleavened bread | with unleavened things | unleavened things | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
9 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G106-04 |
Matthew 26:17 | Ἀζύμων | azumon | ADJ.S GEN N PL |
Unleavened [Bread] | of unleavened breads | of unleavened breads |
G106-01 |
Mark 14:1 | Ἄζυμα | azuma | ADJ.S NOM N PL |
Unleavened Bread | the unleavened (things) | Unleavened Bread |
G106-04 |
Mark 14:12 | Ἀζύμων | azumon | ADJ.S GEN N PL |
Unleavened [Bread] | of unleavened breads | of unleavened breads |
G106-04 |
Luke 22:1 | Ἀζύμων | azumon | ADJ.S GEN N PL |
Unleavened Bread | of unleavened breads | of unleavened breads |
G106-04 |
Luke 22:7 | Ἀζύμων | azumon | ADJ.S GEN N PL |
Unleavened [Bread] | of unleavened breads | of unleavened breads |
G106-04 |
Acts 12:3 | Ἀζύμων | azumon | ADJ.S GEN N PL |
Unleavened | of unleavened breads | of unleavened breads |
G106-04 |
Acts 20:6 | Ἀζύμων | azumon | ADJ.S GEN N PL |
Unleavened [Bread] | of unleavened breads | of unleavened breads |
G106-02 |
1 Corinthians 5:7 | ἄζυμοι | azumoi | ADJ.P NOM M PL |
unleavened | unleavened ones | unleavened ones |
G106-03 |
1 Corinthians 5:8 | ἀζύμοις | azumois | ADJ.S DAT N PL |
unleavened bread | with unleavened things | unleavened things |