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ἱερόσυλος

hierósylos

G2417 substantive adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

One who commits sacrilege by stealing from a temple or sacred site; specifically, a person who desecrates a temple by taking its sacred objects, funds, or treasures. In some contexts, refers more broadly to any desecration or profanation of a temple through theft or violation.

Semantic Range

temple-robber, violator of a sanctuary, one who commits sacrilege, thief of sacred objects, desecrator of holy sites

Root / Etymology

From ἱερόν (temple, sacred place) and συλάω (to rob, to despoil); literally 'temple-robber.' The word is a compound combining the notion of sacred space and the act of violent theft or plundering.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ἱερόσυλος is attested as early as the 5th century BCE (e.g., Herodotus, Lysias) for a person guilty of stealing from a temple, a highly egregious crime in Greek society punishable by severe penalties. In Hellenistic and Roman periods, the term continued to refer to individuals who violated sanctuaries, whether pagan, Israelite, or otherwise. In the New Testament (e.g., Romans 2:22; Acts 19:37), it carries the meaning of one accused of or suspected of desecrating or robbing a sacred place. The later English glosses like 'robber of churches' reflect a Christianized reinterpretation, but the original word specifically refers to violation of any temple, not just Christian houses of worship. In LXX usage and Second Temple Jewish contexts, the term applies to those unlawfully taking or defiling objects belonging to the sanctuary. The word is distinct from ἀναίτιος (blameless, innocent) or λῃστής (bandit, robber), as it involves not generic theft but theft specifically targeting the sacred.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from ἱερόν and συλάω; a temple-despoiler:--robber of churches.

Root Family

ἱερόσυλος (hierosylos) — temple-robber, desecrator of sacred things, sacrilegious plunderer

Root ἱεροσυλ- to rob a temple, to desecrate sacred things

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2417-01 ἱεροσύλους ierosulous ADJ.S ACC M PL robbers of temples temple-robbers temple-robbers 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2417-01 Acts 19:37 ἱεροσύλους ierosulous ADJ.S ACC M PL robbers of temples temple-robbers temple-robbers
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