ἀκαθάρτης
akathártēs
G168
SILEX Entry
Definition
State or condition of being unclean, impurity, especially in a ritual, moral, or physical sense. In different contexts, may denote the presence of something corrupting, polluting, or defiling, particularly with reference to moral or cultic standards. Used to signify absence of ritual purity, moral integrity, or to indicate a degraded condition.
Semantic Range
impurity, state of being unclean, ritual defilement, moral impurity, moral vice, corrupt or polluting condition, filthiness
Root / Etymology
From ἀκάθαρτος ('unclean,' 'impure') plus the abstract noun ending -ης (-tēs). The root ἀκαθαρτ- is formed from the privative prefix ἀ- ('not') + καθαρός ('clean,' 'pure').
Historical & Contextual Notes
The noun ἀκαθάρτης is rare, appearing almost exclusively within later Hellenistic and early Christian texts. Its meaning is closely linked to Jewish purity concepts as translated and reflected in the Septuagint and New Testament Greek, where 'impurity' has both ritual and moral dimensions. Classical Greek tended to use καθαρός/ἀκάθαρτος for pure/impure, with ἀκαθαρσία more common for 'impurity' as a state, while ἀκαθάρτης is a rarer formation emphasizing condition over particular acts or objects. In the New Testament (e.g., 2 Corinthians 12:21), the term addresses moral failures or vice regarded as 'impurity,' particularly within community standards adopted by early Christ-followers. English 'impurity' or 'filthiness' often narrows the semantic scope to moral vice, but the Greek term retains stronger connotations of ritual or cultic defilement, linking physical and ethical defilement in Hellenistic-Judean contexts. The term can thus bridge cultic, physical, and ethical impureness, reflecting Hellenistic expansion in meaning of purity/impurity language.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἀκάθαρτος; impurity (the state), morally:--filthiness.
Word Forms
0 distinct forms
No word forms found for this Strong's number.
Occurrences in Scripture
0 occurrences
No occurrences found.