ἀθέμιτος
athémitos
G111 predicate adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Unlawful, not permitted, contrary to custom or law; denotes that which is not sanctioned by formal decree, custom, or religious/legal code, and thus forbidden or improper. The term can refer to actions, objects, or persons that violate accepted laws or norms, and often carries a connotation of moral or ritual offensiveness depending on the context.
Semantic Range
unlawful, forbidden by custom or law, not permitted, improper, abominable, morally or ritually prohibited
Root / Etymology
From the privative prefix ἀ- (a-, 'not') and a stem related to θέμις ('custom, law, decree'), derived from the verb τίθημι ('to set, establish'). Thus, ἀθέμιτος literally means 'not appointed [by law/custom]', 'not lawful'.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, ἀθέμιτος is often used to refer to acts prohibited by divine or civic law, sometimes highlighting an especially egregious or outrageous violation. In Hellenistic and Koine Greek, including the Septuagint and New Testament, it designates that which is not permitted according to either civil or religious standards. In the New Testament (e.g. Acts 10:28; 1 Peter 4:3), it highlights prohibitions that define boundaries of identity and community—such as practices forbidden to Judeans or to members of a given group. English translations often render it as 'unlawful', 'illegal', or in some cases 'abominable', but these do not always convey the cultural or ritual dimension of the prohibition. The word is less about legalistic technicality and more about fundamental exclusion from what is normatively acceptable. There is a semantic overlap with ἄνομος ('without law'), but ἀθέμιτος stresses transgression of established, accepted, or sacred bounds. It appears rarely but forcefully, marking grave social or religious infractions.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from Α (as a negative particle) and a derivative of (statute; from the base of τίθημι); illegal; by implication, flagitious:--abominable, unlawful thing.
Root Family
θεμ-/θέμις (athémitos) — law, custom, decree, established order
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G111-01 |
ἀθεμίτοις | athemitois | ADJ.A DAT F PL |
abominable | to unlawful things | unlawful things | 1 |
G111-02 |
ἀθέμιτόν | athemiton | ADJ.P NOM N SG |
unlawful | an unlawful thing | an unlawful thing | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G111-02 |
Acts 10:28 | ἀθέμιτόν | athemiton | ADJ.P NOM N SG |
unlawful | an unlawful thing | an unlawful thing |
G111-01 |
1 Peter 4:3 | ἀθεμίτοις | athemitois | ADJ.A DAT F PL |
abominable | to unlawful things | unlawful things |