ἀλίσγεμα
alísgema
G234 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Defilement or pollution, primarily in a ritual or ceremonial sense; the act, condition, or result of being rendered unclean or impure according to ritual or cultic standards. Used specifically for offenses or acts that bring impurity, especially in relation to what is sacred, such as the temple or sacrificial system. Also signifies a state of moral, ritual, or even physical contamination, but with primary emphasis on ritual or cultic context.
Semantic Range
ceremonial defilement, cultic pollution, ritual impurity, the state of being unclean according to religious law; rarely, a moral defilement when contextually linked to ritual acts
Root / Etymology
Formed from the verb ἀλισγεῖν (alisgein), meaning 'to pollute, defile', itself possibly derived from a pre-Greek substrate or onomatopoeic origin, relating to the notion of soiling or bringing shame. The noun suffix -μα (-ma) denotes the result or act (i.e., the state of being defiled or the pollution itself).
Historical & Contextual Notes
Rare word in extant Greek, attested notably in Hellenistic and Septuagint (LXX) literature. In LXX contexts, ἀλίσγεμα is often tied to violations of cultic law, especially those that desecrate sacred objects or spaces, rendering them unsuitable for worship or proximity to the divine (e.g., Levitical impurity laws). Usage is generally restricted to ritual impurity rather than ethical or everyday notions of impurity. By the New Testament period, the word remains distinct from more base vocabulary for physical dirt or moral transgression; compare with μολυσμός (molyssmos, broader 'stain' or 'defilement') and ἀκαθαρσία (akatharsia, 'uncleanness', sometimes with moral connotations). English translations like 'pollution' or 'defilement' may obscure the technical ritual-cultic sense in many contexts. No significant evidence for use in everyday or non-cultic Greek.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from (to soil); (ceremonially) defilement:--pollution.
Root Family
ἀλίσγεμα (alísgema) — ritual defilement, cultic pollution, ceremonial impurity
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G234-01 |
ἀλισγημάτων | alisgematon | N GEN N PL |
pollutions | of ritual defilements | ritual defilements | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G234-01 |
Acts 15:20 | ἀλισγημάτων | alisgematon | N GEN N PL |
pollutions | of ritual defilements | ritual defilements |