παθητός (G3805) — Greek Lexicon

παθητός

pathētós

G3805 predicate adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

Capable of experiencing suffering or pain; susceptible to being affected, particularly by the experience of suffering, misfortune, or emotion. In contexts, denotes one who is subject to suffering or susceptible to emotional affect.

Semantic Range

capable of suffering, susceptible to pain or emotion, subject to suffering or affliction, able to be affected, liable to experience misfortune

Root / Etymology

From πάθημα (pathēma, 'a suffering, passion, experience'), which derives from the root παθ- (path-, 'to suffer, to experience'). The adjective formation -τός denotes capability or susceptibility.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical and Hellenistic Greek, παθητός primarily denoted someone or something that could undergo or be affected by feeling, suffering, or experience, in contrast to ἀπαθής (apathēs), meaning 'incapable of suffering' or 'impassible'. In philosophical contexts (e.g., Stoicism), the term was used to describe beings who could be affected by external forces or passions. In the New Testament, the single appearance of παθητός (Acts 14:15) emphasizes human susceptibility to suffering, distinguishing mortals from deities who were considered impassible. The translation 'liable to suffer' or 'subject to suffering' is apt, but the term includes both physical pain and emotional/experiential affectability. Traditional translations may narrow the meaning to purely physical suffering, but the broader semantic field covers all forms of being affected or susceptible.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the same as πάθημα; liable (i.e. doomed) to experience pain:--suffer.

Root Family

παθ- (páthēma) — to undergo, to experience, to suffer, to feel

Root παθ- to suffer, to experience, to be affected

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
G3804	πάθημα	a suffering
G3806	πάθος	he/she may undergo

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G3805-01`	παθητὸς	pathetos	`ADJ.P NOM M SG`	the Christ was to suffer	susceptible to suffering	susceptible to suffering	1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G3805-01`	Acts 26:23	παθητὸς	pathetos	`ADJ.P NOM M SG`	the Christ was to suffer	susceptible to suffering	susceptible to suffering

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