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ἐνταφιασμός

entaphiasmós

G1780 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

The act or process of preparing a body for burial, especially the ritual or customary procedures involved in interment. Refers specifically to the practices concerning the treatment of a corpse in anticipation of burial, such as anointing, wrapping, and placing in a tomb or grave. In broader contexts, may also encompass the whole observance or the state resulting from such preparation.

Semantic Range

preparation for burial, burial preparations, embalming, ritual treatment of a corpse prior to burial, the act of anointing and wrapping a body

Root / Etymology

From the verb ἐνταφιάζω (to prepare for burial, to bury), itself compound of ἐν (in, into) + τάφος (grave, tomb).

Historical & Contextual Notes

ἐνταφιασμός appears rarely in extant Greek literature, with its New Testament occurrence (e.g., John 12:7) reflecting Jewish and Judean burial customs of the early Roman period. The usage denotes specifically the preparation or embalming aspects of burial, which in Judean contexts often involved aromatic spices and linen cloths. This term emerges in later classical and Hellenistic Greek in medical or funerary contexts, emphasizing the preparation, not the burial act itself. English translations often render this word as 'burial' or 'burying,' but such renderings typically overlook the technical aspect of the preparation phase distinct from the act of interment or mourning. The semantic range may overlap with terms for funeral but is narrower: ἐνταφιασμός signals the physical and ritual preparation of the body, rather than the entire funeral observance or mourning period. In the Septuagint, similar concepts are conveyed by phrases describing burial practices rather than this term.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἐνταφιάζω; preparation for interment:--burying.

Root Family

ἐνταφιασμός (entaphiasmos) — preparation for burial, burial preparations, ritual treatment of a corpse, interment preparation

Root ἐνταφιαζ- to prepare (a body) for burial, to inter

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1780-02 ἐνταφιασμοῦ entaphiasmou N GEN M SG of-burial of burial preparation burial preparation 1
G1780-01 ἐνταφιασμόν entaphiasmon N ACC M SG burial burial preparation burial preparation 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1780-01 Mark 14:8 ἐνταφιασμόν entaphiasmon N ACC M SG burial burial preparation burial preparation
G1780-02 John 12:7 ἐνταφιασμοῦ entaphiasmou N GEN M SG of-burial of burial preparation burial preparation
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