ἄθωος
áthōos
G121 attributive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Not guilty of wrongdoing or crime; free from blame or culpability. In general usage, indicating innocence before law or accusation, and lacking grounds for punishment. In broader contexts, can denote being unharmed or untouched by adversity or disaster.
Semantic Range
innocent (of a charge), not guilty (in a legal context), acquitted, free from blame or penalty, unharmed; rarely, exempt from disaster
Root / Etymology
From ἀ- (a-, negative prefix) and the root θῶος (possible connection to τίθημι 'to put, to set'), but the precise etymological path is obscure; possibly related to being subject to or set under penalty, thus ἄθωος as 'not placed under penalty' or 'not liable to punishment'.
Historical & Contextual Notes
ἄθωος appears in classical and Hellenistic sources with the meaning 'free from guilt' or 'acquitted.' In legal contexts, describes a person judged as not responsible for a charge or accusation, or one found innocent in court. In the New Testament (e.g., Matthew 27:4, 24), it specifically describes the absence of legal or moral guilt regarding a particular act (such as 'innocent blood'). Earlier Greek usage, such as in tragedy or historiography, commonly opposes ἄθωος (innocent) to ἔνοχος (liable, guilty). The term does not emphasize moral purity in a general sense, but rather legal or situational innocence—exemption from specific penalty or blame. Standard English translations often render as 'innocent' or 'not guilty,' which capture the core judicial sense, but miss the precise legal nuance and forensic implications present in Greek usage. Rarely, ἄθωος can signify being untouched or unharmed by misfortune, but this is secondary. The word is uncommon in the Septuagint, as Hebrew legal vocabulary is usually rendered by other Greek terms.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from Α (as a negative particle) and probably a derivative of τίθημι (meaning a penalty); not guilty:--innocent.
Root Family
ἄθωος (áthōos) — not guilty, free from blame, acquitted, innocent
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G121-02 |
ἀθῷός | athoos | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
innocent | not guilty | not guilty | 1 |
G121-01 |
ἀθῷον | athoon | ADJ.A ACC N SG |
innocent | not guilty | not guilty | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G121-01 |
Matthew 27:4 | ἀθῷον | athoon | ADJ.A ACC N SG |
innocent | not guilty | not guilty |
G121-02 |
Matthew 27:24 | ἀθῷός | athoos | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
innocent | not guilty | not guilty |