νομοθεσία
nomothesía
G3548 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The process or act of formulating laws; specifically in Hellenistic and Second Temple contexts, the establishment or codification of a set of laws. In the New Testament and related literature, most frequently denotes the institution or giving of divine law, especially referring to the Sinai covenant law received by the Israelites. The term may also extend to the body of law resulting from such legislative activity.
Semantic Range
legislation, process of giving laws, institution of (divine or civic) law, the act of lawgiving, establishment of the law
Root / Etymology
From νομοθέτης (lawgiver), itself from νόμος (law) + τίθημι (to place), thus 'placing or establishing law.' Formed by adding the abstract noun ending -ία (-ia) to νομοθέτης.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical and wider Hellenistic Greek, νομοθεσία refers to the act of legislating or creating laws, both in civic and religious contexts. In the context of Second Temple literature, including the Septuagint and Hellenistic writings, it can denote both the process of giving laws by a divine or human agent and the body of laws themselves. In the New Testament (e.g., Romans 9:4), the word refers specifically to the Sinai covenantal law received by Israelites, emphasizing the legislative act rather than merely the resultant legal corpus. English translations often render the term as 'giving of the law' or 'legislation,' but the Greek nuance focuses on the process or authoritative institution of law, not simply the laws themselves. The term is distinct from νόμος, the latter being the general term for 'law' as a principle, rule, or body of regulations. νομοθεσία appears infrequently, and its usage is largely specialized to discussions of the Israelite legislative tradition, especially as an identity marker in contrast to Hellenistic or other legal systems.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from νομοθέτης; legislation (specially, the institution of the Mosaic code):--giving of the law.
Root Family
νομοθεσία (nomothesia) — legislation, lawgiving, enactment of law, establishment of a legal code
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3548-01 |
νομοθεσία | nomothesia | N NOM F SG |
giving of the law | law-establishment | law-establishment | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3548-01 |
Romans 9:4 | νομοθεσία | nomothesia | N NOM F SG |
giving of the law | law-establishment | law-establishment |