ἔνοχος
énochos
G1777 predicate adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Primarily, bound to, answerable for, or liable in respect to something, especially in a legal or judicial sense. In different contexts it carries the sense of being subject to an obligation, under threat of penalty, or exposed to consequences/judgment due to one's actions or status. Also used in the sense of 'guilty' or 'deserving' with respect to a law, punishment, or accusation.
Semantic Range
liable to penalty, guilty of an offense, subject to accusation or punishment, exposed to judgment, held accountable, answerable for
Root / Etymology
Derived from the verb ἐνέχω ('to hold in, to be hostile toward'), itself from ἐν ('in') + ἔχω ('to have, hold'). ἔνοχος is a compound adjective meaning 'held in,' then by extension 'obliged' or 'bound over' (e.g., to judgment or penalty).
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Classical Greek, ἔνοχος described one who was subject to or bound by something, especially legal liability or being held under an obligation. This meaning continued into Hellenistic and Koine Greek. In the Septuagint, it frequently renders Hebrew terms signaling culpability or liability before the law or God. In New Testament usage, it retains its judicial/legal sense, referring to someone exposed to penalty, punishment, or consequence for an action (e.g., ἔνοχος τῇ κρίσει, 'liable to judgment'). English translations often render it 'guilty,' 'liable,' or 'subject to,' but these may sometimes narrow the broader sense of obligation or exposure inherent in the Greek. The word always conveys the idea of being held in a state of responsibility or accountability, whether to law, penalty, or accusation.
Translation Consistency
Liable best captures the primary legal/judicial sense of ἔνοχος — 'subject to penalty, answerable for, exposed to judgment' — and matches the majority of existing P2 renderings. 'Guilty' is narrower and more accusatory; 'liable' is more neutral and covers both obligation and exposure to punishment, making it the most natural, consistent choice for SIBI usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἐνέχω; liable to (a condition, penalty or imputation):--in danger of, guilty of, subject to.
Root Family
ἔνοχος (enochos) — held in, liable, answerable, bound over to judgment
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1777-03 |
ἔνοχος | enochos | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
guilty | liable | he is liable | 8 |
G1777-02 |
ἔνοχον | enochon | ADJ.P ACC M SG |
guilty | liable | guilty | 1 |
G1777-01 |
ἔνοχοι | enochoi | ADJ.S NOM M PL |
subject | those liable | liable | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
10 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1777-03 |
Matthew 5:21 | ἔνοχος | enochos | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
liable | liable | he is liable |
G1777-03 |
Matthew 5:22 | ἔνοχος | enochos | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
guilty | liable | he is liable |
G1777-03 |
Matthew 5:22 | ἔνοχος | enochos-2 | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
guilty | liable | he is liable |
G1777-03 |
Matthew 5:22 | ἔνοχος | enochos-3 | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
guilty | liable | he is liable |
G1777-03 |
Matthew 26:66 | ἔνοχος | enochos | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
guilty | liable | he is liable |
G1777-03 |
Mark 3:29 | ἔνοχός | enochos | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
guilty | liable | he is liable |
G1777-02 |
Mark 14:64 | ἔνοχον | enochon | ADJ.P ACC M SG |
guilty | liable | guilty |
G1777-03 |
1 Corinthians 11:27 | ἔνοχος | enochos | ADJ.P NOM M SG |
guilty | liable | he is liable |
G1777-01 |
Hebrews 2:15 | ἔνοχοι | enochoi | ADJ.S NOM M PL |
subject | those liable | liable |
G1777-03 |
James 2:10 | ἔνοχος | enochos | ADJ.S NOM M SG |
guilty | liable | he is liable |