μιασμός
miasmós
G3394 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Defilement, contamination, particularly the state or act of being made ritually or morally impure. The term refers to that which pollutes, stains, or corrupts a person, object, or place, especially in contexts relating to cultic, ethical, or religious impurity. Depending on usage, it may emphasize either the process or the resulting state.
Semantic Range
defilement, contamination, act or state of being polluted, ritual impurity, moral corruption, uncleanness
Root / Etymology
Derived from the verb μιαίνω (miaínō, 'to stain, defile, pollute'), itself of uncertain Indo-European origins. The noun form captures both the action and state of defilement.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Classical Greek, μιασμός first appears with reference to religious or ritual pollution (e.g., the defilement that follows a murder, or other acts seen as polluting before the gods). By the Hellenistic and Koine periods, the term broadens to cover both ritual and moral impurity, often used in contexts where certain actions, objects, or persons are seen as rendering one unfit to participate in religious community or practice (e.g., Levitical regulations, or in philosophical ethical discourse). In the Septuagint, μιασμός is used to translate Hebrew concepts such as טֻמְאָה (tum'ah, impurity), usually in ritual contexts. In the New Testament (e.g., 2 Peter 2:20), it denotes moral corruption and the defiling influence of corrupt practices. English translations often render the term as 'pollution,' 'defilement,' or 'uncleanness,' but this may obscure the strong cultural and religious weight the word carried in the ancient Mediterranean world, especially its ties to both ritual and moral categories. Distinct from related terms like ἀκαθαρσία (uncleanness or impurity) in that μιασμός often emphasizes the external act or result of defiling rather than an intrinsic state.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from μιαίνω; (morally) contamination (properly, the act):--uncleanness.
Root Family
μιασμός (miasmos) — defilement, contamination, pollution
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3394-01 |
μιασμοῦ | miasmou | N GEN M SG |
of uncleanness | of defilement | of uncleanness | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3394-01 |
2 Peter 2:10 | μιασμοῦ | miasmou | N GEN M SG |
of uncleanness | of defilement | of uncleanness |