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ἀθέτησις

athétēsis

G115 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Primary meaning: rejection, annulment, or setting aside (of an established rule, order, practice, or agreement). In legal, contractual, or covenant contexts, it refers to the invalidation or official cancellation of what was previously in effect. In more general usage, also the act of despising or disregarding something as of no value or authority.

Semantic Range

annulment, cancellation, setting aside, official rejection, abrogation, disqualification, formal removal of validity

Root / Etymology

From the verb ἀθετέω (to set aside, annul, reject), itself a compound of ἀ- (negation, 'not') and τίθημι (to place, put, set). Thus, literally, 'to set aside (or render as not placed)', hence 'to annul or reject.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

ἀθέτησις appears mainly in legal, contractual, or covenant discourse, denoting the formal cancellation or abrogation of a prior stipulation or agreement. In the Hellenistic and Koine periods, it is typically used of official rejection or annulment (e.g., laws, contracts, promises). In the New Testament (notably Hebrews 7:18), it refers to the setting aside of a commandment or order—specifically, a reference to the annulment of a former priesthood order in light of a new, superior appointment. English translations such as 'disannulling' or 'abolition' may understate the technical or legal nuance of formal invalidation present in the Greek. In the Septuagint and broader Hellenistic literature, the term retains its strong sense of legally or officially nullifying prior obligations, distinguishing it from more general terms for rejection or neglect. There is a contrast with words like ἀπώθησις (rejection, thrusting away) which lack the technical legal connotation.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἀθετέω; cancellation (literally or figuratively):--disannulling, put away.

Root Family

ἀθέτησις (athétēsis) — annulment, cancellation, setting aside, official rejection, invalidation

Root ἀθετ- to annul, to set aside, to invalidate, to reject

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G115-02 ἀθέτησις athetesis N NOM F SG disannulling annulment annulment 1
G115-01 ἀθέτησιν athetesin N ACC F SG removal annulment annulment 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G115-02 Hebrews 7:18 ἀθέτησις athetesis N NOM F SG disannulling annulment annulment
G115-01 Hebrews 9:26 ἀθέτησιν athetesin N ACC F SG removal annulment annulment
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